Italian Meatball Soup

Posted on by
Reply

Italian Meatball Soup

Soup is the ultimate comfort food for me. I always make a big batch of meatballs so I have extras in the freezer. This soup is quick and easy to put together and is very filling. For the Italian Meatball recipe, click here. You can make the meaballs a bit smaller so they fit on the spoon and they’re a perfect addition. Enjoy!

  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, stripped from stem
  • 2 sprigs of fresh oregano, stripped from stem
  • 10 grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 c. dry white wine
  • 8 c. chicken stock
  • 1 lb. frozen tortellini
  • 1 lb. small Italian meatballs, precooked
  • 1 pkg. (10 oz) fresh spinach, washed, stems removed and chopped
  • 3 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Directions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onion, thyme, oregano, black pepper and bay leaf. Sauté until onion is softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Add wine and chicken stock and bring to just a boil. Reduce soup to simmer and add pasta and meatballs. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, just until pasta is al dente. Stir in fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until spinach is wilted. Garnish with basil leaves. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Serve with crusty bread and a dry white wine, such as Captain’s Walk Winery Chardonnay. Serves 8 to 12.

Cheers and happy cooking!

Tomato Florentine Bisque

Posted on by
Reply

tomato florentine bisque

Making tomato soup at home is easy and so good for you, and you control the ingredients. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and carotenoids, which are antioxidants that fight free radicals that cause cancer. Adding the spinach, zucchini and fresh herbs adds an extra punch and flavor. I used canned tomatoes that were from last years garden, but you can always use fresh or canned from the store. Do buy low or no sodium canned tomatoes so you can control the salt content. As a low-fat option, I use 2% milk and chicken stock to cut calories and fat instead of heavy cream.

  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ c. onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 c. fresh spinach, washed and chopped
  • 1/2 c. zucchini, diced
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, stripped from stem
  • 3 basil leaves, stemmed and chopped
  • 3 sprigs flat leaf Italian parsley, stems removed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour (optional)
  • 3 c. tomatoes, canned with juice
  • 1 c. chicken stock, low sodium
  • ½ c. organic 2% milk
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 oz. uncooked rotini pasta (optional)
  • Plain Greek yogurt, for garnish
  • Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Directions:

If adding pasta, cook according to directions, drain and set aside.

In large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt butter and heat up olive oil until sizzling. Add onion and zucchini and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add garlic, fresh thyme, basil, parsley, bay leaf, sea salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Add flour and stir for one minute (for thinner bisque, omit flour). Add tomatoes, with juice, chicken stock, and milk and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Using a ladle, transfer soup into blender and blend until smooth. Do this in batches until soup is blended. Pour blended soup back into pot. Add pasta to soup and garnish with a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt and fresh basil. 4 to 6 servings.

Cheers and happy cooking.

Baked Ziti

Posted on by
Reply

Baked Ziti

Nothing like a hearty pasta dish to warm your heart and fill that craving for comfort food. By coating and layering the pasta with meat sauce and cheese, you will not have a dry dish but instead gooey, cheesy and meaty ziti with every bite. To make it vegetarian, leave out the meat and add whatever veggies to the saute to add substance such as mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower or whatever you like.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage
  • 1 lb. ground sirloin, turkey or chicken
  • 2 c. whole canned tomatoes, with juice
  • 2 c. marinara sauce, glass jarred
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 sprig rosemary, stripped from stem and chopped
  • 1 sprig thyme, stripped from stem and chopped
  • 1 sprig oregano, stripped from stem and chopped
  • 16 oz. package of ziti pasta
  • 1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 2 c. Fontina cheese, grated
  • ½ c. Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp. fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven to medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers and red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add Italian sausage and ground meat and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring often and breaking up meat with wooden spoon.

Add tomatoes with juice, marinara sauce, sea salt, black pepper, rosemary, thyme and oregano and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, heat large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, rinse in colander and allow to cool.

In large bowl, mix together ricotta, 1/2 cup each of grated cheese, Parmesan, egg and 2 tbsp. parsley. Stir together, add cooled pasta and toss lightly to combine. Add 1 cup of meat sauce and toss to combine.

With paper towel, oil large casserole dish with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add half coated pasta and spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half of remaining cheese. Repeat with another layer of coated pasta, meat sauce, and grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with 2 tbsp. fresh parsley and serve. Serves 12.

Cheers and happy cooking!

Get Your Signed Copy of “Cooking Cella Style” Cookbook!

Posted on by
Reply

Cooking Cella Style CookbookHope to see you this Saturday, December 21st from 1 to 3 pm at The Reader’s Loft independent book store to get your signed copy of my cookbook, “Cooking Cella Style” (Creative Publishing, 2013). This is the last Saturday before Christmas so get that foodie friend in your life a signed copy from a local author. My cookbook is full of recipes that feature whole ingredients and fresh herbs that will inspire you to have fun in the kitchen!

TRLad_r1 (1)The Reader’s Loft is located at 2069 Central Court, Suite 44, in London Alley, Green Bay, WI 54311.  More information about this event at The Reader’s Loft fan page on Facebook.

Cheers and happy cooking!

Scotch Eggs

Posted on by
Reply

Scotch EggsThe first time I tried Scotch Eggs was at a medieval re-enactment event a few summers ago and I wanted to make them ever since. I prefer to bake them as they have enough calories with the sausage and eggs, but you can also deep fry them if you prefer. You can also use ground chicken or turkey and add herbs and salt to cut the fat content. Enjoy!

  • 6 large eggs, hard-boiled for 5 minutes, cooled and shells peeled
  • 11/2 lb. pork sausage
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped fine
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, stripped from stem and chopped
  • 1 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
  • 6 grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 c. panko bread crumbs
  • Mustard, for serving

In a medium bowl, mix together the pork sausage, Worcestershire, sage, thyme, flour and black pepper. Divide sausage mix in six equal parts and make flat patties. Mold sausage around each of the hard-boiled eggs, pinching to seal edges and rolling in your hands to shape.

Place beaten egg and bread crumbs into separate dishes. Dip the balls into the egg, then roll in the bread crumbs until coated. Shake off any excess.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees until browned on the outside, approximately15 to 20 minutes.  Serve with your favorite mustard. 6 servings.

Can be made 1 day ahead and bake when needed. Keep refrigerated.

Cheers and happy cooking!

Slow Cooked Roast with Root Vegetables

Posted on by
Reply

Roast with Veggies

I love autumn bounty and being able to use seasonal root vegetables to make this tasty roast. This recipe is a great way to economize and use lesser expensive roasts. If you prefer, you can leave out the beets, but I personally think they add a sweetness to this dish. The spice rub is my way of adding flavor without using onion soup mix, which is full of salt and MSG.

Spice Rub Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme, stripped from stem or 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. celery seed

Roast Ingredients:

  • 1 (4 lb) boneless beef chuck or sirloin roast
  • 2 onions, peeled and quartered
  • 6 small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 4 beets, peeled and quartered
  • 4 stalks celery, cut into 3 inch pieces
  • 1 lb. baby portabella mushrooms, washed and left whole
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 c. Captains Walk Sangiovese
  • 1 sprig of Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

If cooking in oven, heat oven to 300 degrees. If using crock-pot, set to low heat. Combine rub ingredients in bowl. Pat roast dry with paper towels and trim fat if using chuck roast. Cut roast into two pieces for more rub coverage and flavor! Place onions, potatoes, carrots, beets, celery and bay leaves in bottom of Dutch oven or crock-pot. Drizzle vegetables with soy sauce. Rub roast pieces with spice rub and place over vegetables. Pour red wine over all. Add mushrooms the last hour of cooking. If using oven, cook for about 4 to 4 ½ hours until tender. If using crock-pot, cook for 6 to 7 hours until tender.

Remove roast from pot and place on carving board. Tent meat with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice roast against the grain and place on platter. Discard bay leaves and using a slotted spoon, surround roast with roasted veggies. Pour roast juices over roast and vegetables. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Tip:  Extra rub can be stored in sealed container and stored for several months with other spices.

Cheers and happy cooking!

 

White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

Posted on by
Reply

Enchiladas

Creamy and cheesy, these enchiladas are total comfort food and are worth the many steps it takes to make them. Use left over baked chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the store deli. Make this your own dish by substituting shredded roast beef, leftover turkey, seafood or even making it vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock when making the white cheese sauce. 

Ingredients:

  •  3 tbsp. olive or peanut oil
  • 12 whole corn tortillas
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, diced
  • ½ c. corn, fresh or frozen
  • 2 1/2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1/4 c. organic heavy cream or organic 2% milk
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp. whole wheat, unbleached flour
  • 1 1/2 c. chicken stock
  • 2 ½ c. pepper jack or cheddar cheese, grated
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
  • Sides:  Salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado slices, black olives

Directions:

To make the tortillas pliable, you have two options. Option 1:  brush tortillas lightly with oil until just moistened and fry in small, non-stick skillet for 30 seconds on each side, just until soft; drain tortillas on paper towels. Option 2:  microwave tortillas for 10 to 15 seconds until soft and pliable. Set tortillas aside.

In large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium heat and add onions, jalapeno, and red bell peppers. Sauté and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add green chilies, corn, chicken and ½ tsp. paprika; stir to combine. Add cream and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

In saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour over medium heat until flour taste is cooked out, around 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and allow to cook until thickened and bubbly, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low, stir in second ½ tsp. paprika, and half of the shredded cheese. Blend with whisk until melted and creamy. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Put a few tbsp. of chicken mixture in each tortilla, top with cheese and roll up. In a 9 x 13 sized casserole dish, place each enchilada seam side down. Top with cheese sauce and bake for 30 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. Top with any remaining shredded cheese for last 10 minutes of cooking, if desired. Garnish with cilantro and serve with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado slices and black olives. Serves 6.

Cheers and happy cooking!