for cozy winter days...

So, after a little bit of hiatus, I'm back!

Since it's been a while, I figured that I'd post with something warm and cozy for the winter months . . . a hearty turkey meatball soup! I found this recipe off Pinterest while I was looking for something to do with kale. Kale is one of those random ingredients that I occasionally buy but never really know what to do with. That's when looking for recipes come in handy. ^_^;

For the soup, I decided to add my own twist to it by including some dried pasta. Again, I wanted a really hearty soup and this was going to be used for more of a lunch/dinner type of entree. I also changed the taste profile...the cumin and the star anise seemed really weird to me so I omitted them in my soup.

All in all, the ending result was nice...savory and lemony, hearty and filling like I wanted it. Add a couple slices of toasted and buttered sourdough and his was the perfect good eats for a cold day. This does make a big pot of soup, so be prepared to have leftover for a couple of days! Enjoy!

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Lemony-Garlic Turkey Meatball Soup with Pasta and Kale
(adapted from The Holisitc Ingredient)

For the Meatballs:
1 lbs. ground turkey
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped leeks, white part only
handful fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried mint leaves, crumbled
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp olive oil
additional oil for cooking

For the Soup:
1 medium onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
5 peels of lemon
1 tbsp minced bottled garlic
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
12 cups (3 quarts) low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp fish sauce
1 (6.5oz) pkg dry cheese tortellini pasta
10-12 kale leaves, stems removes and torn into smaller pieces
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil for cooking

 
Make the Meatballs:
Combine all ingredients for meatballs and mix well until well incorporated.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Roll mixture into small meatballs, size smaller than a ping-pong ball. Fry meatballs for 7-8 minutes, turning them throughout so they are golden-brown on all sides. Set aside on some paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Make the Soup:
Over medium-high heat, add some oil to a large soup pot. Once hot, add the onion, celery, carrot, and lemon peels. Saute for a few minutes, then add garlic, thyme, chicken broth, and fish sauce. Season with salt and pepper then bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the dried tortellini. Continue cooking until tortellini is al-dente. Reduce heat to medium, add the meatballs, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Prepare the kale and add to the soup, stirring through, then cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat then add the lemon juice. Stir and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Let sit for 5 minutes off heat before serving.

Makes about 8 to 10 servings.

falling out of line.

Sometimes I suck at using ingredients in season. Like this dish... I should've made this during November when all the squash was in season and reasonably cheap. But did I do that? NOOOOOOOO.... I just went ahead and made it now... when fall is long, long, gone and spring is about to start in a few weeks. *sigh*

Well... can't really help it, really. I live in Guam where it's perpetually always summer. And since I get tired of doing potatoes and frozen vegetables, I decided that some squash was in order. I haven't had acorn squash in a long time so this was a nice little dish to put together. I halved the recipe since it was just the hubby having dinner. Relatively easy with some surprising elements! Case in point: boiling the lemon for a couple of minutes took the bitterness away!

After the boiling, the lemon slices were edible afterwards (pith and all) and were pleasantly sweet. The taste reminded me of sweet lemons I bought at a farmer's market right before I left San Diego. Must remember to do that for future recipes that call for lemon slices in the dish.

For the pilaf, I decided to take a shortcut of sorts and used a boxed mix in order to replicate this pilaf. I basically added some veggies to it and called it a day. Ah, laziness! Anyhoo, here's what I did...

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>

Chicken Thighs with Roasted Acorn Squash and Canadian Maple Syrup
(from Fresh Canteen)

5 pcs chicken thighs
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 green onions, green and white parts thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds
olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
butter
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 (1 to 1.5lbs) acorn squash

Preheat oven to 425F

Prepare Chicken:
Bring a small pot of water to boil & add the lemon slices, boil for 1 1/2 minutes & remove slices. Cut each slice in half. In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, add 1 Tbsp olive oil, chopped sage, garlic, coriander, 1 tsp salt & a good grind of pepper. Add the chicken, lemon slices & toss to distribute the mixture, set aside

Prepare the sauce & squash:
In a small sauce pan melt over medium heat 2 1/2 Tbsp butter, maple syrup, chili powder & a good pinch of salt. Simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, set aside. Place the squash stem side down or cut the bottom point of the squash so it will sit flat. Using a sharp chefs knife, cut the squash in half & remove the seeds. Slice the squash in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices (if you want to peel the squash, use a vegetable peeler after the squash has been cut in slices). Place the squash in a bowl & toss with the maple sauce.

Cook the chicken:
Spread the squash on a medium to large rimmed sheet pan or an oven proof pan large enough to hold the squash & chicken without crowding. Place the chicken on top of the squash. Roast for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark sprinkle the green onions over the chicken & squash. Continue roasting for another 15 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.

Plate your dish:
Serve family style or plate individually with some rice, making sure to share all the delicious pan juices from the chicken. Garnish with some extra lemon slices.

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Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Kale
(adapted from Cook's Hideout)

I tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup carrot, chopped match-stick size
1 cup kale, stem removed and chopped small
1 (4.3oz) box Rice-A-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice
1 2/3 cup water
1/4 cup dried cranberries
handful of pine nuts

In a medium saucepan over low heat, cook pine nuts for about 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted. Be careful not to burn. Once toasted, remove from heat and set aside.

Return pan to stove top and increase to medium-high heat. Add the butter to the pan and saute onions and garlic until fragrant. Add kale and carrots, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes or until just wilted. Stir in the rice and seasoning packet from the Rice-A-Roni box. Cook for 1 minute then add the water. Bring to a boil then cover, reducing heat to low.

Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff the rice and stir in dried cranberries and pine nuts. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes about 2 cups of pilaf.

secret sauce.

This morning was one of those "wake up and make something yummy and good for breakfast" kind mornings. I didn't know what exactly I was trying to do, but after looking in the freezer and spying a batch of biscuits I froze a few months ago, I decided that a breakfast sandwich was in order. So I got a bit of this, a little of that, and made my favorite eggs, and wah-lah! Breakfast was served!

I think what really made the sandwich extra yummy was the aioli I made on a whim. I've recently started making lunch for the hubby to take to work and have been trying to mix up the sandwiches I pack for him. I love making sandwiches so I'm always experimenting with fillings and spreads. Since I didn't want to pack him a plain ham sandwich, I whipped up an aioli to make it a bit more exciting.

I started with apricot preserves for something sweet to compliment the ham. Then I added some onion powder and smoked paprika to add a savory touch. Then, just to make things a little interesting, I added cayenne for a little spicy punch and that was it! The aioli was smokey, spicy, and went perfectly with the ham!

And you know what else goes great with a schmearing of aioli? This awesome breakfast sandwich!

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Spicy Smokey Apricot Aioli
(makes approximately 1/4 cup)

2 tbsp light mayo
1 1/2 tbsp apricot preserves
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried parsley

Stir together until fully combined. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before use.

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Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich with Deli Ham, Herbed Egg, and Garlicky Kale
(makes 2 sandwiches)

1 large kale leaf, stem removed and coarsely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp chicken stock
1 large egg
1 tbsp half and half or milk
3 stems Italian parsley, minced
dash onion powder
dash garlic powder
dash paprika
salt and pepper
olive oil
2 slices tomato
1 to 2 slice swiss cheese
1 to 2 slices deli black forest ham
2 warm biscuits
Spicy Smokey Apricot Aioli

In a small skillet, saute garlic with a little oil over medium-high heat. Add the kale and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. As kale starts to wilt, add the chicken stock and let steam, stirring, until stock evaporates and the kale has softened. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Return skillet to stove top, reduce heat to medium, and add some oil to the pan. In a small measuring cup, add egg, dairy, Italian parsley, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and whisk with a fork to combine. Pour the egg mixture in the pan and let cook until mostly set. Flip the egg, cook for a few seconds or until the egg is done, then transfer to the plate beside the kale.

Heat the slice of ham in the same skillet until slightly browned. Transfer to the plate with the other cooked ingredients and begin to assemble the sandwiches.

To make sandwiches, take one of the biscuits and open with a fork or knife. Spread aoili on the inside of both biscuit halves. Pile half of the kale, half of the egg, and half of the ham on the bottom half of the biscuit. Add half the cheese slice, a slice of tomato, and finish with the top half of the biscuit. Repeat with remaining biscuit and serve immediately.

rockin' the boat.

spaghetti squash is pretty awesome. it's definitely not something that i ate growing up. But ever since i tried it a couple of month ago, i've really started to like it. i had it microwaved the first time and it was okay. But this time around, i got off my lazy butt and roasted it in the oven. it turned out ten times better, got caramelized around the edges, and was fantastically awesome! bye bye, microwaved squash and hello oven-roasted goodness!!

Sausage, Kale, and Spaghetti Squash Boats
(from Paleo Grubs)

1 medium spaghetti squash or 2 small spaghetti squash
1 1/2 lbs. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften. Using a sharp knife cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the halves, with the cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until you can poke the squash easily with a fork. Let cool until you can handle it safely.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing the center stems and either tearing or cutting up the leaves. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken sausage and break apart with a spatula to crumble. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Add the kale and stir. Cook for a few minutes more to wilt the kale. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Once cooled, scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash with a fork to shred the squash into strands. Transfer the strands into the skillet with the sausage and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among the squash shells, and then top with pine nuts and parsley to serve.