Turkey Reuben

Okay so not the greatest picture, but this was a pretty good sandwich. Dig in!

Turkey Reuben

Toasted wheat bread (or rye)

sauerkraut

sliced turkey from the deli

swiss cheese

thousand island dressing

To make the thousand island dressing mix together mayonnaise and ketchup with either dill relish or chopped dill pickles.

Put the thousand island on both sides of the toasted bread. Then layer on the sauerkraut, turkey and swiss cheese. Wrap the sandwich up in foil and put it in an oven preheated to 350° for about 10 minutes, just to melt the cheese.

Enjoy!

Jen

CEIMB: Pasta Puttanesca

Usually when I'm in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store and I'm wondering what the heck I'm going to feed my family, I make spaghetti. I have everything I need in the pantry and there is usually only minimal grumbling from Max. The good news for the fam is that I think I've found a good replacement for the usual spaghetti in marinara sauce. Last night I made Pasta Puttanesca and it was really good. I think Max liked it. He ate it all, anyway. (I don't know if the cookie bribe had anything to do with it – I like to think that he just loved my pasta that much.) Anyway, I think what I loved most about this dish is that everything can be found in the pantry, and it went together so quickly and easily. And it tasted so much better than regular spaghetti. I loved the olives and capers. Don't be afraid of the anchovy paste; it really adds a lot to the sauce.

I used Ellie Krieger's recipe found here. I will repost the recipe below with the changes that I made. Enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca

adapted from Ellie Krieger

8 ounces of whole wheat spaghetti

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

between 1/4 and 1/2 c. chopped green and kalamata olives

2 T. capers

1 t. anchovy paste

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried parsley

1 (17.6) box of Italian chopped tomatoes

1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan

Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.

While the pasta is cooking , heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and parsley to the skillet and saute for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Whhen the pasta is cooked al dente, add it to the sauce and toss well. Top with the grated cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Jen

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken

About this time every year I get the itch to have grilled food again. I am burnt out on soups. I have had one too many casseroles. It is time to dust off the grill and fire it up. Even if it is a little bit too cold.

This is one of those "everything but the kitchen sink" kind of marinades. I was looking in my fridge to see what I had and this is what I came up with. It was really good. Much better than I was expecting it to be. My marinades are always kind of lackluster, but this time it was spot on. The amounts are approximations. As always, I threw caution to the wind and just dumped everything in a ziploc bag.

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1-2 T red wine vinegar

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

3 green onions, roughly chopped (white and green parts)

1 T dried parsley

4 crushed garlic cloves

Put all ingredients in a ziploc bag and let the chicken marinate for at least 6 hours. Before grilling, put salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.

Bon Appetit!

Jen

Roast Beef Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Brie

Generally speaking, I try not to eat a whole lot of red meat. That doesn't mean that I don't like it. In fact, I really love it. That's why I have to limit myself. Otherwise I would eat it all the time. So, when I do eat it, it better be good. I mean really good. And this sandwich is. You should make it. You won't be disappointed.

Central Market has Kobe roast beef that they make in-house. It is insanely good and every time I'm at the deli counter I am trying to think of ways to eat it. Truth be told, I stole this sandwich idea from Central Market. They have a roast beef sandwich in their prepared foods section with brie on it and it is so good that I thought I would try to recreate it at home. I thought I would up the ante a bit and add caramelized onions and serve it warm. Delicious!

Roast Beef Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Brie

1 lb. roast beef

2 loaves of Italian white bread or ciabatta bread

1/2 lb. brie (a triple cream tastes best)

caramelized onions (recipe below)

Split the bread in half horizontally. First layer brie, then put the roast beef on top. Next, put a layer of caramelized onions and then another layer of brie. (The brie "layer" really ended up being little chunks. The triple cream is hard to slice.) Put the bread lid back on the sandwich and wrap the whole loaf in foil. Repeat with the second loaf of bread. The foil keeps the bread from getting crispy; don't skip this step or you'll be sorry. Place the loaves in an oven preheated to 350&deg. and warm for 15-20min, or until the brie is melted. Slice and serve. (Makes enough for about 5 or 6 sandwiches.)

Caramelized Onions

(from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)

2 T. good olive oil

2 T. unsalted butter

2 lb. yellow onions, peeled and sliced in half-rounds

1/2 t. fresh thyme leaves (I omitted this)

2 T. sherry vinegar (I used balsamic)

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large shallow pot, add the onions and thyme, and toss with the oil. Place the lid on top and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes to sweat the onions. Remove the lid and continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and golden brown. If the onions are cooking too fast, lower the heat. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, scraping the brown bits from the pan. Season to taste (they should be very highly seasoned).

Bon Appetit!

Jen

Happy Birthday Luke!

Saturday was Luke's first birthday and we had a party for him. I can't believe my baby is a toddler now. Wasn't he just born yesterday?

The party was so much fun! We had lots of family and friends there to celebrate with us. And of course, lots of food. We had Green Chile and Cilantro Hummus.

A delicious artichoke and sun dried tomato spread that Jeff's mom made. I think I singlehandedly polished off the bowl. It was so good!

The veggie platter with ranch dip. Can you think of a better way to meet your vegetable requirements for the day?

And frog, pig, and monkey cupcakes!

Sun-dried Tomato and Artichoke Spread

(adapted from Paula Weaver's recipe)

2 pkg. softened cream cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 t. salt

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts

7 green onions, chopped

6 T. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

We served this with pita chips and flat bread crackers. So delish! Thanks for making this Kathy! And, thanks for the recipe Paula!

Ranch Dip

(from allrecipes.com)

1 c. mayo

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 t. dried chives

1/2 t. dried parsley

1/2 t. dried dill weed

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

This is best made a few hours before eating. If possible, the day before is even better.

Happy Birthday Luke!

Black Beans and Quinoa

After coming home from Thanksgiving I felt like I needed to fast for a while. I had definitely consumed my calorie quota for about 6 weeks. But, my family didn't feel the same way. They still wanted to eat. The nerve! I figured if I couldn't fast then I would make something healthy. A year or two ago I found this recipe on Allrecipes and I thought it was so good. I think the best thing about it is that it is pretty basic so it lends itself well to lots of different modifications. This time I made it exactly according to the recipe. To serve I put it over raw, shredded cabbage with avocado and cilantro on top. I have also served it with salsa and queso fresco on top, or with pico and shredded cheese on top. The possibilities are endless.

Quinoa and Black Beans

from allrecipes.com

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Bon Appetit!

Jen

Chicken and Dumplings

So many cold-weather dishes, so little time to make them. I love chicken and dumplings, but it just doesn't seem right to make when it is warm outside. So, this is one of those recipes that I get to make during one of our 14 days of cold weather. I think I may have to start making this once a week so I get my fill before it gets hot again. I used this recipe from Food Network, but I made some changes.

Chicken and Dumplings

adapted from Rachel Ray's

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)

1 T olive oil

2 T unsalted butter

2 stalks of celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 russet potato, diced

1 onion, diced

1 dried bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

2 T flour

1 quart chicken broth

1 c. frozen peas

(dumpling recipe to follow)

Earlier in the day I like to cook my chicken at 375° for about 4o minutes. I cut it up and set it aside to use whenever I make my chicken and dumplings.

In a large pan (I used a 5 qt. saute pan so that I would have lots of room for the dumplings) melt the butter along with the olive oil over medium heat . Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and cook for a couple of more minutes. Add the broth and simmer until the dumplings are ready to put in the pan.
To make the dumplings: Mix together 1 cup of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of dried dill. Add in 1/2 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Drop the dumplings into the pan by the heaping tablespoonful.

Place the lid on the pan and let the dumplings steam for 10 minutes. Don't peek while they are cooking! Once the dumplings are done, add the peas. Then, voila! A bowl of hot, delicious goodness. And, in true Rachel Ray fashion, this was ready in 30 minutes.

Bon Appetit!

Jen

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna

I made another casserole tonight. This time, instead of being Mexican inspired, it was Italian inspired. And, no, I didn't take pictures. Taking care of a sick kid with bronchitis makes me forgetful. But, that is beside the point. I just thought I should mention that it is good and that you should make it. Enjoy!

To get this recipe go here. (I did make three minor changes to the recipe. I added 2 chopped zucchini to the tomato/vegetable sauce, I only used about 2 cups of mozzarella instead of 4, and I used about a cup pf parmesan instead of 1/2 c.)

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I don't make a ton of casseroles. I'm not really sure why because I really like them. In fact, I like everything about them. I like that the whole meal is contained in one pan, which means that clean up is a breeze. I like that they are usually pretty easy to assemble. And, best of all, something about them always tastes delicious. When I feel like a good casserole, this is usually the one that I make. Because a big, steaming pan of enchiladas always sounds good.

Enchilada Casserole

3 chicken breast halves
1 brick (for lack of a better word) cream cheese, softened
8-9 roasted green chiles, chopped
1 bottle Herdez salsa verde
3/4 lb. spinach, sauteed and chopped
corn tortillas
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
shredded Chihuahua cheese (or Mozzarella)

Boil the chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Put the chicken in a bowl with the cream cheese and green chiles and mix well until creamy. To assemble the casserole: pour a thin layer of the salsa verde into the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Next, tear a few corn tortillas to cover the bottom of the pan. Then, spread half of the creamy chicken mixture on top of the tortillas. Put half of the spinach on top of the chicken and put a bit more of the salsa verde on top of the spinach. Top that with some shredded cheese. Repeat that again making another layer. To finish the casserole, end with a layer of torn tortillas, completely covered with the salsa verde and a lot of cheese. Bake covered at 350° for 45 minutes and uncovered for the last 15 minutes. Let the casserole cool for about 10-15 minutes so it doesn't fall apart when you cut it. Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Beef Stew

I think in my previous life I must have lived in a cold climate. All year long I wait until it is "soup weather." Unfortunately, that's about 15 days out of the year in Austin. That means that we end up eating soups and stews long before it is cold enough. That's okay though, I just put the air down to 65&deg and put on a sweatshirt. There's nothing wrong with pretending, right?

A few days ago it just so happened that I had everything on hand to make beef stew and I had been craving it for a week or two. I love when the stars align for me like that. I just hate going to the store. For the beef stew recipe go here.


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Crab Stuffed Dover Sole

Doesn't this sound so fancy? I think anything stuffed with crab sounds absolutely exquisite. Not only does this sound fancy, it sounds downright extravagant. But, never fear, this was as easy as 1-2-3.

I knew when I went to the store the other day that I wanted to have fish that night, I just wasn't sure what kind I wanted to make. The Dover sole was both fresh (not previously frozen) and wild caught (not farm raised), so I knew that would do just fine. Only problem was that I had never made that kind of fish before. Not to worry, the fish dude at Central Market was full of good ideas. He told me his favorite way to make Dover sole was to put some of their pre-made crab cakes in the middle of the fillet and wrap it up and bake it. Sold! That sounded delicious and totally easy. And it was. (Absolutely to die for, that is.)

Crab Stuffed Dover Sole

6 Dover sole fillets
1 pre-made crab cake (I imagine that lump crab meat would also be good)
seasoned or plain breadcrumbs
melted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Place fish fillets out on a flat surface and season the top with salt and pepper. Place a small amount (between 1 and 2 T) of the crab cake in the center of the fillet. Wrap the fish around the crab and cover the roll in breadcrumbs. Place the fish seam side down on a baking sheet and repeat. Drizzle all of the fish rolls with melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes. Next, put the fish under the broiler for a minute or two just so the fish gets a bit more browned. That's it!

I guess that is more like easy as 1-2-3-4-5...


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Chicken Pesto Panini

Mmmm... These were delicious! What's not to like about pesto, fresh mozzarella, and ciabatta bread? It is a winning combination. I love to make grilled panini because they are they are so easy to throw together for a quick weeknight meal. And you can stuff them with whatever you happen to have on hand. So, not only are they a breeze to make, but you also get to clean out your fridge. It's a win-win situation, really.

I had a red pepper that needed to be used so I roasted it for the sandwiches. You can roast red peppers in the oven if you'd like, but I am lazy and opt to roast mine on top of the stove. Then I don't have to worry about dirtying a baking sheet. (I really don't care for dishes, so the fewer the better.) And, fresh roasted red peppers are much tastier than the jarred variety. Trust me. So, just place the red pepper directly over the flame. Like so:
Once the pepper is totally black and charred, remove from the flame and place it in a paper bag. Roll the up tightly so that it is sealed. Leave it alone for about an hour. Don't open the bag. The steam from pepper will make the skin just slip right off. When the pepper has cooled off, take it out of the bag and remove the skin. Set your roasted red pepper aside until you are ready to use it.

Next, get the chicken ready. You want it to be thin so you can really smoosh the sandwich and have it be relatively compact. So, pound the chicken, season it with salt and pepper on both sides, and cook it in olive oil on top of the stove. Set it aside until you are ready to make your panini.

To assemble: I recommend ciabatta bread (cut in half horizontally, of course) with pesto generously slathered on each side. Top that with fresh mozzarella, the chicken, roasted red pepper slices, and more fresh mozzarella. Close the sandwich and grill. If you have a panini press then, by all means, use that. But, if you are like me, this is your panini maker. It's not as sad as it looks, I promise. It actually works really well.

And that's it. Pretty simple, very fast, and just plain heavenly.


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Rosemary White Bean Soup

I made this soup last year and I loved it. I couldn't wait for it to get cooler here so I could make it again. It was just as good this time as it was before. And, it smelled so good cooking. I wish I could have bottled it up. This soup is pretty simple, with not many ingredients. And, it has a great flavor. The best thing is that, start to finish, it is ready in an hour (aside from soaking the beans overnight.) The recipe calls for 2 quarts of chicken broth and I think that is way too much. I think it would be best to only put in 1 quart while the beans cook and add more if it needs it. I ended up ladling some out because the soup was too thin. I also had to let the soup simmer longer than the recipe called for so that it would reduce some of the broth and thicken the soup. I garnished the soup with Romano cheese and crumbled bacon. It was delish! Jeff said it reminded him of Campbell's White Bean and Bacon soup. I'm not really sure what to make of that.

Rosemary White Bean Soup
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

1 lb. dried white cannellini beans
4 cups sliced yellow onions (I just used 1 yellow onion, chopped)
1/4 c. good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary (6 or 7 inches)
2 quarts chicken stock (again, I think just 1 quart and then adding more if necessary)
1 bay leaf
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, cover the beans with water by at least 1 inch and leave them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 1o to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes. Add the drained beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf.



Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. (I used an immersion blender.) Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Pumpkin Puree

I really try to stay away from anything canned like The Plague. I usually try to use unprocessed food anytime I can. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't ever use processed food. I just prefer not to if possible. So, I thought I would make fresh pumpkin puree to make some pumpkins muffins. I make my own baby food, so I figured this wouldn't be too different. Hmm... think again. Who knew that cutting, gutting and cleaning a couple of tiny pumpkins would take so long? Certainly not me. It took forever. Before I was done the 3-year-old must have said the word "mama" about 200 times and the 9-month-old was trying to pull up on my legs. They both needed a lot of attention this morning. But it sure does make for some delicious baked goods. And, bonus, babies love it too!


Pumpkin Puree

2 Sugar Pie Pumpkins
water

This yields about 4.5 cups of puree. Freeze anything that is not used immediately.

To make pumpkin puree, use the pumpkins that are designated as "pie pumpkins" because they are sweeter than the really big ones. I'm sure the big ones would also work, but I have not tried it. Preheat oven to 400°. Clean out the pumpkin like you would a cantaloupe — cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and slimeyness. (I actually did it like a jack-o-lantern, cutting a hole in the top and scooping from above. That may have been what took so long.) Cut the pumpkin halves into quarters and place them skin side down on a baking sheet. Roast them for 45 minutes to an hour. The skin on the bottom should be bubbly and should peel away from the pumpkin meat easily. Once the pumpkins have been peeled place them in small batches in a food processor (or other mashing device.)

Puree the pumpkin until it is smooth. Add water slowly while the motor is running if it seems dry.

And there you have it. Just like the stuff out the can. Sort of.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Italian Sausage, Green Olive and Mushroom Pizza

I have said before that I love cheese. It really could be one of the best foods on earth. I love it. And so it only makes sense that I love anything that has cheese as a main ingredient. I decided to make pizza a couple of Saturdays ago to watch the Texas game. And boy, was it good. I didn't make the dough, I guess I am just not quite that crafty. Really, I am just scared of making a bread product. For some reason I have this strange fear of yeast. Maybe some day... But for now I will continue to buy the frozen pizza dough at the store*. It's just so easy.

To the Texans out there: Central Market has great frozen dough that they make there at the store. I think it is $0.99.

Italian Sausage, Green Olive, and Mushroom Pizza

1- 1lb. ball of frozen pizza dough
marinara sauce
3/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage, browned
1/2 c. sliced green olives
1 container of sliced white button mushrooms
Italian 4 cheese blend

I let the dough defrost in the refrigerator. 30 minutes before baking I set it on the kitchen counter to warm up to room temperature. I then stretch and roll out the dough and put it on a metal pizza pan. Brush the dough with olive oil. I bake the dough for 15-20 minutes at 425° before topping it. Once the dough is baked, I put a bit of marinara sauce on it. Then I top it with sausage, green olives, mushrooms and enough cheese to cover the top. Bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes or until bubbly. And there you have it. Easy peasy.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Beef Bourguignon

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is the ultimate comfort food. I know, I know... You thought that Tyler had the market cornered on the ultimate dish. Well, he must not know about this, otherwise I think this would be his ultimate beef dish. This particular recipe is even better than others because it is made in the slow cooker. You just throw everything in and let it go for about 8 hours and voila! you have an authentic (at least I think) french boeuf bourguignon. This dish kind of reminds me of a sophisticated pot roast, definitely not your grandma's pot roast. Unless your grandma is french, or Ina Garten. You can taste the red wine, but it is not as heavy as I thought it would be.

I got this recipe from Aggie's Kitchen, so if you would like it just mosey on over here and try it yourself! I made my beef bourguignon just like Aggie did. The only thing I did differently was using large-cut carrots instead of baby carrots, and I used beef broth instead of water. I also served my beef over the mashed potatoes and I highly recommend it.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

CEiMB: Chop Suey

This week's Craving Ellie In My Belly recipe was for Chicken Chop Suey. This is a recipe that if I had come across it myself it wouldn't have jumped out at me as something that I have to make. But, I made it anyway. It looked pretty good when I was making it, I must admit. Then we sat down for dinner and Jeff took a bite he said, "This is good. It tastes like it's from a restaurant. A good restaurant." He is a bit biased and is never short on compliments (which is sweet,) but I had to taste for myself. I tasted it and after adding some extra soy sauce and some Sriracha I thought it was just as good as he said it was. I love that I can make at home something as good as takeout from a Chinese restaurant!





Bon Appetit!
Jen

Salmon With Lemon-Cilantro Viniagrette

Ah that's better. This picture looks much more appetizing than the pictures I've been taking of food lately. Geez, a cooking slump and a picture slump. Let's hope that's over! I saw this salmon recipe in Real Simple this month and, based on the name, it sounded great. And the picture looked great. So, I made my list for the week to include this recipe and went to the store. When I got home and actually read the recipe, it didn't sound quite as good. So, I changed it up quite a bit. Even with the changes this meal was pretty lackluster, but the salmon was great. I think the couscous just needed a little something extra.

I really love salmon cooked on a cedar plank on the grill (probably more than any other way I have had it), but we have had to take a break from that because we used to have it all the time. After taking a hiatus from the cedar plank, I'm happy to report that it has made it's return.



Salmon With Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette
adapted from Real Simple

1 cedar plank
1 lb. piece of salmon fillet
extra virgin olive oil
zest of one lemon
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 c. whole wheat couscous, cooked according to the box
2 T lemon juice
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. cilantro
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Soak the cedar plank for at least 30 minutes before cooking with it on the grill. Once soaked, place the salmon fillet on the plank and season. Brush the salmon with olive oil. Then top with garlic, lemon zest, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Put the cedar plank on the grill and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 150°.

While the fish cooks, make the couscous according to the directions on the box.

While the couscous is cooking, make the lemon-cilantro vinaigrette. In a bowl, mix together the cilantro, green onions, olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the couscous is finished cooking mix in the vinaigrette. I served the salmon over the couscous with steamed broccoli on the side.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Vegetable Soup with Italian Sausage

No picture again. I can't seem to make the pictures of soup look good. Anyone have any tips for making soup look appetizing? They all look like a bowl of really gross slop. And who would want to make slop for dinner? Certainly not me. This soup was good and it made a ton. I think we ate it for 4 days. I guess I could have frozen some for a later meal, but I just couldn't part with it.

Vegetable Soup with Italian Sausage

1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small to medium yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
4 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 lb. of red fingerling potatoes
2 squash, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
2 32-oz. boxes of chicken broth
1 26-oz. box of chopped tomatoes

In a large stock pot, brown sausage in the olive oil. Once browned, remove the sausage from the pot. Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in the sausage drippings. Next, add potatoes, squash, zucchini, chicken broth and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours. Serve hot with a crusty whole grain bread.
Note: This soup is much better the next day.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Chicken Posole

And the cooking funk continues. Maybe it is because every time I cook these days I end up with some sort of injury. Be it second degree burns from boiling pasta water or slicing open my finger while chopping onions, it has really turned me off. I am trying to get back to cooking though. Last weekend I made a pot of posole and it was delicious. If you don't know, posole is a Mexican soup made with pork (but I used chicken), Ancho chile, and hominy. I got the recipe from the October issue of Real Simple. The title of the article said it all for me: "A Month of Easy Dinners." Now that is my kind of dinner. The posole certainly was easy.

Chicken Posole
Adapted from Real Simple- October 2009

1 T olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 32-ounce container chicken broth
1 24-ounce box of chopped tomatoes, with juices
1 to 2 T ancho chile powder
2 cups of cubed cooked chicken breast
1 15-ounce can of hominy, drained and rinsed
1 lime, cut in wedges
1 avocado, sliced

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and 1/4 t. of salt, pepper, and chile powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown.

Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken and the hominy and simmer unitl heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with lime and avocado.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

p.s. no picture just yet... stay tuned.