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Minestrone Soup

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Delicious Minestrone Soup

I know it’s getting towards spring, but it is still cold in parts of the country so I am sharing my new favorite recipe for minestrone soup.  It’s not actually cold where I live…it was actually 75 degrees last weekend and in the 80’s this weekend.  You still got to have soup though!   I made this soup twice in the last few months.

Minestrone Soup

My boyfriend loves minestrone soup so I am always experimenting with new recipes and versions.  I, on the other hand, can take it or leave it.  I usually enjoy minestrone soup the first time around, but then I am over it by leftover time.   I loved this minestrone soup recipe the whole time probably because of the addition of pancetta and pesto.  I whipped up my super quick recipe for French bread for the side and it was some happy eating.  I happened to have enough leftover pesto in the freezer for both batches I made.  It also gave me an excuse to use my new Le Cruiset Dutch Oven I won in a raffle at my work’s sample sale.  Woot woot!  She’s a beauty, isn’t she?Chopped Veggies for Soup

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Minestrone Soup
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Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 4 oz. pancetta, diced
  • 1½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups diced carrots
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 2½ cups diced peeled butternut squash
  • 1½ tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
  • 6-8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1½ tsp. fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 15-oz. can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup uncooked small pasta, like tubetti
  • 8-10 oz. fresh baby spinach
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoon store-bought pesto
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Next add in onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic and thyme, cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened.
  2. Add diced tomatoes, 6 cups of chicken stock, a bay leaf, salt, and pepper into the pot. Bring soup to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Cook pasta in a separate pot according to package directions.
  3. Throw out the bay leaf. Add in cooked pasta and beats and allow them to heat up in the soup. If the soup gets too thick, add in additional chicken stock. Add spinach to soup and stir until spinach starts to wilt. Stir in white wine and pesto. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with warm fresh bread. Enjoy!

Source– Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

More Soup Please!
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Chicken Chili with Corn Muffin Croutons

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Chicken Chili with Corn Muffin Croutons from 2 Sisters 2 Cities

I would love to post about cookies for another month straight, but we are trying to move our focus to some easy and delicious dinner options.  As promised yesterday, here is one of my favorite recipes for chili!  This chicken chili with corn muffin croutons is so tasty and I’ve been making it every winter since it was first printed in Martha Stewart Living in September 2010.  I’ve made some adjustments to the original recipe which I found a tad too spicy (and I like spicy!)  I cut up the fresh corn muffins I made, tossed them with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, and baked them for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Topped with the corn muffin croutons and sour cream, this chili makes the perfect weeknight winter meal.

Chicken Chili prep

I love how this recipe starts off with fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic.  Broiling them for a few minutes give them a nice char which really amps up the smoky flavor of the chili.  I also think this recipe calls for just the right amount of beans- I dislike it when chili has so many beans that you are full after two bites!  In case you do have any leftovers, I highly recommend serving this up for lunch the next day in the form of nachos (as recommended in the original article.)  Top some tortilla chips with the chicken chili, pickled jalapeños, and grated cheddar cheese and heat up.  Add some more sour cream and salsa to finish off your nachos.

Chicken Chili with Corn Muffin Croutons

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Chicken Chili with Corn Muffin Croutons
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Ingredients
  • 10 plum tomatoes, tops cut off halved lengthwise
  • 2 poblano peppers, halved and seed
  • 1 white onion, peeled and halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder (use less if you prefer less spicy)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler. Arrange tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Broil until they start to char (about 5 minutes.)
  2. Allow to cool slightly and pulse tomatoes and jalapeno in food processor until chunky. Chop onion and mince garlic.
  3. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook until onions and garlic are soft and golden (about 5-9 minutes.) Add chili powder and salt. Continue to cook for another minute. Stir in chipotles, and raise heat to high. Add tomato-jalapeno mixture. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and cook until mixed. Add chicken stock and allow chili simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Add beans; simmer for at least another 10 minutes. Serve with corn muffin croutons and sour cream.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, September 2010

What ingredients are in your favorite chili recipe?

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Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

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Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Today is just one of those days…I’ve been feeling seriously back-logged and have been in a bad mood all day.  My to-do list is miles long and the piles of laundry to be folded are mountain high.  I have no groceries for dinner and every room needs to be cleaned.  And the cold, rainy weather outside is not helping either.  However, this homemade hot chocolate mix was able to seriously change my mood around!

When I was a freshman in college, I remember there was a cafe in Harvard Square that had the most amazing hot chocolate.  It was so rich and creamy- the perfect cup of chocolate on a cold winter day.  I don’t even know if it exists anymore, but I often think back to that cup of hot chocolate.  I’m happy to report that this hot chocolate mix is up to par with my nostalgic memory.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Since it’s in powder form, this homemade hot chocolate mix would be a great gift to make for the upcoming holiday season.  I would say this mix would make 5-15 bags, depending on how small or large you bag the mix.  Or you could just keep it all to yourself to enjoy!

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Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
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Recipe type: Drink
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Cook time: 
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Serves: 45
 
Ingredients
  • 16 oz. high-quality semisweet chocolate (I used 3 large Ghiradelli bars)
  • 5 oz. dark chocolate
  • 2 and ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 and ¼ cups Dutch process cocoa (I used a blend of natural and Dutch process cocoa)
Instructions
  1. Using a food processor, pulse the semisweet and dark chocolate until finely ground (I first processed the chocolate using the mandoline attachment, and then finished off using the metal blade.) Add the ground semisweet and dark chocolate in a large bowl. Mix in the sugar and cocoa. Whisk hot chocolate mix together to blend.
  2. To serve, mix 2 tablespoons of mix with 8 oz. of milk over medium heat. Alternatively, you can heat up the milk for 2-3 minutes in the microwave.
  3. The homemade hot chocolate mix can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to six months.

Source: Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

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