Spaghetti & Meatball Soup

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Kitchen Trial and Error, a blog written by Kate.  Along with her husband Jason - chief taste-tester and occasional guest poster - and two adorable sons, Kate lives in Rochester, NY.  She never planned to become a blogger, but has found it's a great way to keep track of her recipes and all those kitchen trials and errors. 

I just started on the first page of her blog and started scrolling, and found so many amazing recipes.  Then I decided to check out Kate's Recipe List, which she has organized by year starting with 2010.  These are just a few of the recipes I want to try, and I haven't even made it through 2011.  YET.

• Carrot Cake Pancakes
• Apple Chicken Chili
• Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
• Creamy Barley with Tomatoes & Spinach
• Mocha Gelato

They all look amazing.  I can't stop!  I love that she's got them organized this way, because the older recipes will still get attention instead of getting lost in the archives.  However, I don't know if I'll ever make it up to the present day because there are so many I want to check out.

I finally settled on this Spaghetti & Meatball Soup (Spaghetti Stoup) because it just looked so good, and it would go perfectly with my fresh-baked Sourdough Bread. I'm pretty sure this is only the beginning, though.  I will be trying many of Kate's recipes!

Spaghetti & Meatball Soup
from Kitchen Trial and Error

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 pound spaghetti broken in half

Directions:

1. For meatballs: Use your hands to combine beef, egg, bread crumbs, and Parmesan.  Set aside.
2. Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven with olive oil and heat on medium.  Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and bay leaf and cook about 5 minutes, until vegetables start to soften.  Stir in basil, salt, and pepper.
3. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.  Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Roll meat mixture into small meatballs, about the size of a walnut.  Once all meatballs have been formed, drop them into the simmering soup and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Add spaghetti and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until the pasta is done and the meatballs are cooked through. 

Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread

Time saving tips:

• Mix the meatballs up ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.  You can even form the meatballs and store them in a covered container.  Just put waxed paper between the layers if you have more than one.
• Chop the onion, garlic, and carrots; store in covered container in refrigerator.

While it will still take the same amount of time, doing some of the prep early in the day or even the night before (whenever you have time) means, when it's time to make dinner, you just have to throw things in the pan - and you'll have a delicious soup in no time!

We really enjoyed this, and it was perfect with the sourdough bread.  I wasn't completely sure about just dropping the meatballs into the soup without baking or browning them first, but they were just perfect.  I will definitely make this again!

The soup was much thicker when we enjoyed the leftovers - as most soups are.  It was kind of like a really saucy pot of spaghetti, and just as tasty as the first time.  I have a hard time believing that some people refuse to eat leftovers.  Most things just get better and better each time they are heated up.

I think this would make a great dish to take for a potluck, just put it into a crock pot or slow cooker to warm it up.  My husband said that maybe I'd want to skip the carrots for that, but I really like the carrots in this.  Maybe grating them instead of chopping would let them be in there but disappear a bit more - so people like him wouldn't even know they were there.  But I would.

An InLinkz Link-up

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back and finally got the chance to make them today.  They are as good as I thought they'd be.  I especially love the tartness of the cranberries against the sweetness of the rest of the cookies.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from two twenty one

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups quick oats
• 3/4 cups dried cranberries
• 1-1/4 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugars; mix in egg and vanilla.
3. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together and stir in.
4. Fold in oats, cranberries, white chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans.
5. Roll into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup dipped in sugar.
6. Bake 12-14 minutes or until cookies are set and starting to brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

I mixed these up by hand, but the original recipe called for using an electric mixer. Either way works.  Just be sure your butter is really soft if you're mixing by hand.  When it's time to add the cranberries and white chocolate chips, etc., you'll want to mix those in by hand.

I added the coconut and pecans to the recipe, because they just sounded good with all the other ingredients.  I also flattened the cookies slightly before baking them because I just rolled the first pan I baked, and they didn't really spread out.  Even flattened, they don't spread out much, but that's OK - they're good!  I'll definitely make these again.

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Shish Tawook Chicken with Rice

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Sawsan's blog Chef in Disguise.  Sawsan lives in the Middle East, and her blog focuses on easy and authentic middle eastern, Levantine and Arabic recipes, as well as sharing exactly what it's like to be a woman in the Middle East.  This is one blog I am going to have to read thoroughly and visit often!

I love the description of middle eastern cuisine - "middle eastern cuisine is rich in healthy recipes that focus on fruits, vegetables, spices and making the best out of seasonal and fresh ingredients."  Sounds perfect to me!  Sawsan calls herself a 'food explorer' so her blog also contains recipes from around the world, many of them from her participation in SRC as well as a couple other recipe groups, but I really wanted to try one of her authentic middle eastern recipes.

Here are some that caught my eye:

• Middle Eastern garlic sauce “Toum” - a friend of mine shared her garlic sauce recipe a while back, but I really like the looks of this one because it doesn't have so much oil.  It looks simple and delicious.
• Chicken with Eggplant and Chickpeas - A blend of a Moroccan and Turkish dish that sounds absolutely amazing.
• Arabic lentil soup “Shorbat adas” - almost the official Ramadan soup in many homes
• And then I saw these Chocolate Sourdough Brownies - truth be told, I want to check out every single one of Sawsan's sourdough recipes!

In the end, I chose this recipe which Sawsan claims "is better than the shish tawook you get at the best middle eastern restaurant."  Never having it anywhere, I am going to have to take her word for it.  She must be right, because this chicken is amazing!!  Amazing.

We liked it so much I had to make it twice!  My husband says that this recipe needs to go into the regular rotation.  Not that I have an actual rotation, but there are certain recipes that I tend to make on a fairly regular basis.  And this will definitely be one of those.

Shish Tawook Chicken
from Chef in Disguise

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. skin-less boneless chicken cut into cubes or strips (I used thighs)
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 T mustard
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T plain yogurt
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Mix the marinade and add chicken, making sure to coat all the pieces. Marinate at least a half hour, preferably longer.  Note: mix this up in the morning, let it marinate all day, and it's ready to cook for dinner.  It can also be marinated overnight.
2. When you're ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.  (You know it’s done by trying to divide a piece with a spoon..if you do it easily…it’s ready)
3. Alternately, you can skewer the chicken and grill in the oven or on a grill.

Right before you're ready to cook the chicken, start the rice.  I used only half the onion, pepper, and tomato that the original recipe called for - because that's what I had.  You can use more if you like.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion finely diced
•  1/2 green pepper chopped
• 1 large Roma tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon all spice
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water

Directions:

1. Saute chopped onion in olive oil. When onion starts to soften, add the pepper and saute for an additional 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the tomato and spices; cook and stir for 5 minutes.
3. Add rice and water. Bring to a boil; lower the heat, cover, and cook till the rice soaks up all the liquid, 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let sit while you cook the chicken.  Fluff before serving.

This rice is amazingly good all by itself.  It might even be good enough to eat cold. With your fingers.  Just saying.  Even better is when you pile some of this chicken on top and plop some Middle Eastern garlic sauce “Toum” on top.  Yes, I had to make some of that, too.  So good!

We had a few leftovers the second time I made this, so I heated the rice and chicken together, and then we had it wrapped up in tortillas.  Pita probably would have been more appropriate, but I didn't have any. The tortillas were pretty good, though!

An InLinkz Link-up

Easy Peach Frozen Yogurt

I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and it looked super simple and good, so I just had to try it.  Frozen yogurt made from a just a few ingredients in a food processor.  Why not?

So I tried it, but the original recipe was more peach than yogurt.  While it was good, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting - so I tried again.  I think the result is pretty good.

Easy Peach Frozen Yogurt
adapted from Just a Taste

Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz. bag frozen peaches (or 4 cups fresh peaches, frozen)
• 1 frozen banana
• 3 T honey
• 1-1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into food processor and process until creamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Serve immediately or transfer to airtight container and store in the freezer.

I also stirred mine every hour or so once I transferred it to the freezer, though I don't know how necessary that was.  In the end, it freezes pretty solid so you'll want to let it sit out for a few minutes before you serve it up.  If you want smooth, creamy frozen yogurt like you'd get at the Frozen Yogurt place, serve it up and let it sit a bit longer, and then stir it to get the creamy consistency you want.  (or start eating it - slowly - and enjoy it both ways)

You get a nice cool treat without a lot of sugar, only healthy ingredients you don't have to feel guilty about.  What could be better?

I'm thinking strawberries would make some good frozen yogurt, too.  What fruit would you use?

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

We had this for dinner recently. I don't really know where the recipe came from in the first place.  It's one I have typed up in my recipe book, and I've had it for a while. 

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 carrot, sliced diagonally
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz. Angel Hair pasta
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Begin heating pasta water.  Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; add chicken.  Cook, stirring until chicken is almost cooked through.
2. Add carrot to skillet and cook for a couple minutes, then add garlic and broccoli and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until vegetables are crisp tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add chicken broth, basil, and Parmesan to skillet.  Stir to combine, reduce heat, and simmer while pasta cooks.
4. Before draining pasta, add a ladle of your pasta water to the skillet and set aside 2 or 3 ladles for later.  Drain pasta and add drained pasta to chicken and vegetable mixture in the skillet.  Stir to combine and heat for a few minutes on low.
5. Serve with additional Parmesan and fresh ground black pepper.

-- add your reserved pasta water to any leftovers before refrigerating.

I really should make this more often.  It's quite simple to make and very good. There are only 2 of us, so we had leftovers, and we enjoyed those, too!