Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is one of those things that any and every Italian restaurant seems to have. It's like the "dime a dozen" version restaurant style. Not without good reason, however. Minestrone is light, yet hearty at the same time, and it is totally one of those quintessential Italian dishes. Every restaurant has their own version of minestrone, which undoubtedly has been passed down through the family for generations. But why bother going all the way out to a restaurant when I can make it at home in under 30 minutes?

Minestrone Soup

Adapted from: Kraft Foods

1 pound frozen Italian-style vegetable mix
2 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 (14.5 ounce) cans fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil and oregano, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed
1 cup medium-sized pasta, uncooked (such as rotini, wheels, medium shells)
1 (7 ounce) package Mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except cheese. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is done and pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese and serve.

Serves: 8

I mean really, how simple can you get? The only prep required for this meal is cutting chicken. And opening cans. Soooo difficult, I know. And at least with this version I can throw my own veggies in rather than suffering through squash or cauliflower or some other veggie I could really do without. Definitely going to be saving this to use again for a rainy day.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 408	Calories from fat 77
% Daily Value
Total Fat 8.5g	13%
Saturated Fat 4.0g	20%
Cholesterol 39mg	13%
Sodium 520mg	22%
Total Carbs 51.0g	17%
Dietary Fiber 17.3g	69%
Sugars 6.3g
Protein 32.9g
Vitamin A 68%	Vitamin C 29%
Calcium 29%	Iron 34%

Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon

Ah bacon, we meet again! How I love you so. To me, fettuccine alfredo is just fettuccine alfredo, and there is usually nothing special about it. I've tried jarred versions and homemade versions of the sauce and... it is what it is. Slight variations on a theme, but usually no "wow" factor. Until it met bacon. The crunchy-smoky-chewy-salty-meaty awesomeness that is bacon pairs excellently with the smooth-creamy-understated alfredo. The bacon is the star in this dish and the alfredo is the chorus-line doing high kicks in the background -- you notice and appreciate it, but that's not what you came for.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon
Adapted From: Cooking Light, January 2010

8 ounces dried fettuccine
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

And what makes this dish even better is that it almost qualified as a healthy dish! Yay for second place! It only has 347 calories, 12.6 g fat (5.4 g saturated fat), 20.5 g protein, and 37 g carbs. However, it does have 75 mg cholesterol and 916 mg of sodium (over 60% of the %DV, yikes!). So enjoy this dish, but only in moderation! ;)

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 347	Calories from fat 114
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.6g	19%
Saturated Fat 5.4g	27%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 75mg	25%
Sodium 916mg	38%
Total Carbs 37.0g	19%
Sugars 3.4g
Protein 20.5g
Vitamin A 8%	Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 27%	Iron 14%

Zuppa Toscano

When I was younger, I absolutely loved going up to Louisville to play in soccer games and tournaments. Yes, I loved playing the game, but I also loved that we would go out to eat at Olive Garden afterwards. I loved loved loved their breadsticks, and would always eat waaaay too many before my meal came.

Over the years though, I've become more and more disenchanted with Olive Garden. I used to think it was some of the best Italian ever... my how my palate has changed. Dispite living maybe 5 minutes from OG, Adam and I never really bother considering it as a choice to dine. The last few times I've been, all the dishes have been so underseasoned and plain.

However, I did try their Zuppa Toscano soup not too long ago and it was pretty decent. Enough so that when I saw a recipe for it on Julie's Foodie, I decided to give it a go.

Zuppa Toscano

From: Julie's Foodie

1 pound spicy Italian sausage - crumbled

1/2 pound smoked bacon - chopped

4 cups water

2, 14.5 ounce cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth

2 large russet potatoes - cleaned, cubed

2 garlic cloves - peeled, crushed

1 medium onion - peeled, chopped

2 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard (Like Julie, we used Spinach)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside.

Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.

Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.

Add spinach and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

To be honest, I, uh, didn't make this -- Adam did. So I'm not 100% sure how fast or easy this came together. Although I do know we either got a weird Italian sausage or didn't drain it well enough, because we had a really bad orange oily film on the top of the soup that we had to attempt to strain off.

Overall though, it was pretty good. Nothing overly spectacular, but I'd probably make it again.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 389	Calories from fat 246
% Daily Value
Total Fat 27.4g	42%
Saturated Fat 10.2g	51%
Trans Fat 0.1g
Cholesterol 79mg	26%
Sodium 1158mg	48%
Total Carbs 14.1g	5%
Dietary Fiber 2.1g	8%
Sugars 1.6g
Protein 20.7g
Vitamin A 15%	Vitamin C 29%
Calcium 4%	Iron 9%

Ham, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomato Calzones

Everybody loves quick and easy meals, especially when they are super tasty. This recipe definitely fits the bill.

I was getting a little tired of chicken -- it does seem like we have it quite an awful lot. I happened to be looking through the quick and easy section on Cooking Light's website, hoping to find some quick recipes for those days I just didn't feel like cooking, and I ran across these calzones. They seemed easy enough to throw together, and there wasn't a lot of prep involved (perfect).

Ham, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomato Calzones

From: Cooking Light

1 cup part-skim ricotta
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
3 ounces lean ham, chopped
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and chopped
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 9 ingredients.

Divide dough evenly into 5 pieces; pat each dough piece into a 5-inch circle. Spoon about 1/2 cup spinach mixture onto half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold dough over filling until edges almost meet. Bring bottom edge over top edge; crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Place calzones on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 14 minutes or until browned.

Serves: 5

True to its classification, these were super easy and super quick to throw together. And yes, they were definitely tasty.

I used the Pillsbury Pizza Dough (it was the only stuff I could really find), and I'm not sure I'd use it again. I think homemade dough would make these really awesome. Anybody have any good recipes?

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 555	Calories from fat 304
% Daily Value
Total Fat 33.8g	52%
Saturated Fat 11.6g	58%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 37mg	12%
Sodium 834mg	35%
Total Carbs 41.8g	14%
Dietary Fiber 4.9g	20%
Sugars 2.6g
Protein 22.0g
Vitamin A 125%	Vitamin C 42%
Calcium 39%	Iron 24%

Pasta Carbonara

A while back I discovered what seemed to be a pretty good recipe for Fettucine Carbonara with Gorgonzola Cheese. However, after replicating it again at a later date (once I didn't have the cold), there was something off about it. It seemed chunkier, definitely not smooth and creamy as it should be.

Well, I'm not all about having temperamental recipes, that only work when they want to, so I went in search for a new one. Lo and behold, Confections of a Foodie Bride posted a much quicker and much easier recipe on her blog just a short time later.

I was very excited to see this -- not only did this one not seem to have five million calories as most carbonara recipes do, but I also liked the fact that I didn't have to prep for forever either.

Pasta Carbonara

From: Confections of a Foodie Bride

1 lb Pasta

6 oz Pancetta, diced (I used bacon instead)

1 egg

3/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Ground black pepper

Salt

Cook pasta as directed. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Place pasta in a large bowl.

Dice the pancetta into small cubes and cook until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and add to pasta. Add the egg, Parmesan, and as much cracked black pepper as you can enjoy to the bowl with 1/4 cup of pasta water. Stir and mix well. The cheese will melt and the egg and water will create a creamy coating on the pasta. Add additional pasta water, if necessary, and stir. Salt, to taste.

Yields: 4 servings

I'm not totally sure I fell in love with this recipe like she did, but it wasn't bad. I felt like a lot of the cheese got caught up in the bowtie crinkles, so that may have had something to do with it. Overall, I think this still beats out my other odd-tasting Carbonara, so this is my "go-to" for the moment.

We rated it:

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 653	Calories from fat 241
% Daily Value
Total Fat 26.8g	41%
Saturated Fat 9.8g	49%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 193mg	64%
Sodium 1353mg	56%
Total Carbs 63.5g	21%
Protein 37.2g
Vitamin A 4%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 24%	Iron 27%

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce

Wow. So life has been pretty hectic as of late, and to be quite honest, I haven't quite been in the blogging mood. However, this recipe I just have to post. I have made it multiple times since discovering it, and have passed it on to my family, which in turn has made it and passed it on to friends. It's that good.

Oh, and did I mention it's super easy? I rate this:

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

From: Southern Living, July 2007

Ingredients:
1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 tablespoons white wine
2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips

Preparation:
Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.

*1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.

**1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.

Serves: 6

I definitely took the short cut with the canned diced tomatoes, and I also used tortellini instead of ravioli as well. I have yet to run across alfredo sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, so I've been using Classico's Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo and it is just delicious!

And it pretty much only takes as long to make as it takes to cook the pasta!

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 640	Calories from fat 189
% Daily Value
Total Fat 21.0g	32%
Saturated Fat 9.3g	47%
Cholesterol 51mg	17%
Sodium 4061mg	169%
Total Carbs 87.1g	29%
Dietary Fiber 0.5g	2%
Sugars 1.2g
Protein 25.1g
Vitamin A 9%	Vitamin C 9%
Calcium 7%	Iron 1%

I'm back!!

I know, I know, I have been MIA on here for over a month. Well, between moving, getting married, and moving again, I have been a bit on the busy side. And next week -- Adam and I run off to Mexico for our honeymoon. I am so excited!

While I did stop blogging there for a bit, I didn't completely stop cooking (ok, maybe I did for like a week or two...) so I do have a recipe or two to post.

One of the last big meals I made while I was still in Kentucky with my parents was this awesome Tortellini with Chicken and Pesto. Apparently it was so good my mom kept raving about it to my sister when they went to help her move from DC. My theory is -- she's just never had pesto before, although I must admit, it was pretty good.

Tortellini with Chicken and Pesto

From: Bon Appetit, October 1994

2 large bunches fresh basil (about 4 cups loosely packed leaves)

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 pound fresh cheese tortellini

2 cups diced cooked chicken

Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Puree first 5 ingredients in processor until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pesto to seal. Cover; chill.)

Cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.

Combine tortellini, chicken and 1 cup pesto in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Toss until mixture is heated through, adding reserved cooking water and additional pesto by tablespoonfuls until sauce coats pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Pass additional Parmesan.

Serves: 4

It was actually fairly simple to make and didn't take long at all. I would definitely make this again... once I get a food processor....

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 896	Calories from fat 479
% Daily Value
Total Fat 53.2g	82%
Saturated Fat 8.8g	44%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 97mg	32%
Sodium 661mg	28%
Total Carbs 61.8g	21%
Dietary Fiber 0.6g	32%
Protein 43.3g
Vitamin A 27%	Vitamin C 9%
Calcium 24%	Iron 12%

I guess it was good...

Can I just say that this was one of the most frustrating meals I have made in a long time? First off, Adam generously gave me his cold that he caught at work, and when I made this meal, it was in full swing. I couldn't taste or smell anything. Not really the best thing when you're trying to cook.

Then, I didn't prep well for this at all. Well, I prepped just fine for the first step, but after that... it all went downhill.

I forgot to cook the bacon, so there ended up being less in the final product than was supposed to be since I got impatient. I didn't grate enough cheese, forgot to chop the parsley, blah blah blah... just not good overall.

Well, I guess it turned out alright. According to Adam. And he apparently finished it off the following night (I had left for Kentucky by that point) and said it was super good. Looks like I'll be making it again soon -- maybe when I don't have a cold.

Fettuccine Carbonara with Gorgonzola Cheese

From: Epicurious.com (Bon Appetit, November 2000)

1 pound fettuccine

1/4 cup olive oil2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 8-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, quartered (I used broccoli)
1 1/2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, beaten to blend
8 slices cooked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta in heavy large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add artichoke hearts; sauté 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, cream, half and half, crushed red pepper, black pepper and salt and simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Add hot pasta to sauce and toss to coat. Remove from heat. Add eggs to pasta and toss well. Add bacon, 1/2 cup Gorgonzola, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and parsley and toss to incorporate. Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to thin sauce, if desired. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Gorgonzola and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over pasta and serve.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 687	Calories from fat 384
% Daily Value
Total Fat 42.6g	66%
Saturated Fat 18.9g	94%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 221mg	74%
Sodium 1520mg	63%
Total Carbs 43.9g	15%
Dietary Fiber 5.0g	20%
Sugars 1.1g
Protein 34.8g
Vitamin A 22%	Vitamin C 19%
Calcium 39%	Iron 22%

On Top of Spaghetti...

On top of spaghetti,
All covered in cheese,
I lost my poor meatball,
When somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table,
And onto the floor,
And then my poor meatball,
Rolled right out the door...

I can't help it. Everytime I make spaghetti, I think of that song. Did we even have meatballs? No.

Anyway, so it was Adam's birthday yesterday, and I asked him what he wanted me to make. "Spaghetti."

Spaghetti, you're serious?

"My mom always makes me spaghetti for my birthday."

If you say spaghetti, I'm going to make you something else.

"No, it's a tradition! I always have spaghetti on my birthday!"

You're serious?

So I made him spaghetti -- for his birthday. However, I felt bad enough making him spaghetti, that I didn't want to add to that by throwing some noodles and Prego together. So I made my first homemade marinara sauce.

I slightly altered the recipe, using 1 can whole tomatoes, 1 can diced, and 1 can crushed -- and I think it made the consistency much better than had I used 3 cans of whole tomatoes. It was definitely much chunkier than Prego, and it was definitely better (more tomatoey, but better). :)

It's a good thing that marinara is designed to simmer for a while to capture all the flavors... I was just about to start making the spaghetti noodles when I realized I forgot to add the ground beef -- and it was still in the freezer. Like I said, I'm glad marinara is supposed to simmer for a while, because it definitely took almost another 1/2 hour longer than supposed to, to finish the meal. Oops. It still tasted good.

Quick Marinara Sauce

From: Food Network Kitchens

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tbsp.)

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3 (28 oz.) cans whole, peeled, tomatoes, roughly chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped

2 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium (no, make that large) saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with about half of their juices (discarding the rest), the herb sprigs and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until thickened.

Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Serve or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

Serves: 12 (about 1/2 cup each)

Nutrition Facts - Marinara Sauce ONLY
Amount per serving
Calories 79	Calories from fat 44
% Daily Value
Total Fat 4.9g	8%
Saturated Fat 0.7g	3%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 398mg	17%
Total Carbs 8.5g	3%
Dietary Fiber 2.5g	10%
Sugars 5.3g
Protein 1.9g
Vitamin A 34%	Vitamin C 43%
Calcium 3%	Iron 5%

My First Risotto

If you had asked me 6 months ago what "risotto" was, I probably would have given you a blank stare. Then asked why you expected me to know what it was. After finding out what risotto was, and how you made it, I would have rolled my eyes and told you to make it for me sometime.

That was 6 months ago. Now here I am, in love with the Food Network, Top Chef, and Hell's Kitchen. My, how things change.

Oh, and risotto is a rich and creamy, traditional Italian dish made with a high-starch such as arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano. At least according to Wikipedia anyways. And delicous. Did I mention that part yet?




I was a little worried after searching through different recipes, risotto is creamy rice -- one that could be, and often is, used for a first dish, or a side dish. But here I am trying to make it a main dish. For a guy.

I finally settled on a tasty version from epicurious, which came from Bon Appetit. "Risotto Con Parmigiano-Reggiano." I love cheese. Sounded good to me. Thinking about Adam though, I knew I had to incorporate some sort of meat into the dish. And we had just had chicken last night. What to do?

Bacon!



I decided to throw a little bit of bacon and some sun-dried tomatoes into the mix to see what would happen. And surprisingly, it worked. The bacon and tomatoes didn't have an overpowering presence in the dish, mostly just when you had a bite of one. Which was alright with me -- the Parmesan-flavored rice was simply great on its own.

It was actually much easier to make than I had anticipated. It was just a little tricky trying to cook bacon, grate some cheese, and stir risotto all at once. That's what Adam's for though... :)

I would definitely make this again, or at least another variation of it.

Risotto Con Parmigiano-Reggiano

From: Bon Appetit, May 1997

5 c. (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter

1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 c. arborio rice

1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Shaved Parmesan cheese

Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover saucepan.

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion; saute until very tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 c. warm broth. Boil gently until broth is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add another 1 c. broth; stir until broth is absorbed. Add remaining 2 1/2 c. broth, 1/2 c. at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is tender and amixture is creamy, about 25 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp. butter and 1 c. grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and shaved Parmesan.

There are so many variations you can use with this recipe, or just simply make it as is. Either way, it's so good (as shown by Adam's plate below)!

Nutrition Facts - Entrée Portion
Amount per serving
Calories 503	Calories from fat 172
% Daily Value
Total Fat 19.1g	29%
Saturated Fat 11.7g	59%
Cholesterol 53mg	18%
Sodium 559mg	23%
Total Carbs 63.1g	21%
Dietary Fiber 2.7g	11%
Sugars 2.1g
Protein 17.5g
Vitamin A 13%	Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 30%	Iron 11%