This was one of the first food images that I came across on pinterest.com (follow me here!) that I pinned and yes, it’s now the first recipe I’ve made from my Savory Snacks board. Not a bad choice. I changed it up a bit and made it a spinach lasagna soup and also decreased the meat a bit (using chicken sausage for the regular pork).

Cooking the noodles separately will let you easily save some of it for lunch the next day (I hate it when pasta sits in soup overnight and soaks up all the liquid).

As a funny anecdote, this recipe is originally (I think) from a Disney site at go.com which is the name of the web property that Disney turned infoseek.com into, which is my old company. I actually worked there when Disney bought us. By the way, I think . . . → Read More: Cooking with Pinterest: Spinach Lasagna Soup]]>

This was one of the first food images that I came across on pinterest.com (follow me here!) that I pinned and yes, it’s now the first recipe I’ve made from my Savory Snacks board. Not a bad choice. I changed it up a bit and made it a spinach lasagna soup and also decreased the meat a bit (using chicken sausage for the regular pork).

Cooking the noodles separately will let you easily save some of it for lunch the next day (I hate it when pasta sits in soup overnight and soaks up all the liquid).

As a funny anecdote, this recipe is originally (I think) from a Disney site at go.com which is the name of the web property that Disney turned infoseek.com into, which is my old company. I actually worked there when Disney bought us. By the way, I think Go.com is a dumb name, I’m really surprised they kept it all these years. No, I’m not bitter (yes I am!). Kidding! Um , not really…

Anyway. No matter what the source is, this soup is pretty good and a perfect Fall/Winter meal. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day, just keep the noodles and soup separate until you’re ready to reheat, so you don’t loose all the broth to the noodles.

Lasagna Soup
Adapted from Disney’s Family Fun at go.com..(hahahahahaha)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 pounds uncooked Italian (pork or chicken) sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and then squeezed of excess liquid
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (or 4 oz fusilli pasta)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 ounces ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (or a couple of slices fresh mozzarella)

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon (or use a potato masher — wow, that works great!, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. The soup will reduce a little as it simmers and get all rich and tasty.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a separate pot of salted, boiling water, until tender. Drain. Season with soup salt and black pepper to taste.

To serve divide the cooked lasagna noodles (or fusili) between 4 bowls and ladle the soup over the pasta.

Top with a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta-Parmesan mixture and sprinkle with a little mozzarella cheese.

So, hey, here’s something fun to do with millet! It’s kind of like risotto (except, not really), but it is creamy and delicious. And, you don’t have to stir in continuously like real risotto. Just simmer under a cracked lid, stirring every so often.

I was actually surprised at how good this was. I think jwa was too. You know, I think he’s kind of humoring me with all the new, out-of-the-ordinary grains and stuff, but this one he really liked. He seemed pleasantly surprised by that.

Sorry, I don’t have a good image of the roasted butternut squash, just believe me, it was there and I roasted it. Also, it’s very apparent that I really need to replace my one burnt out light above my stove top. Buying an appliance bulb tomorrow, I think, because one light bulb there just isn’t enough for good pictures. . . . → Read More: Millet Risotto with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese & Leeks]]>

So, hey, here’s something fun to do with millet! It’s kind of like risotto (except, not really), but it is creamy and delicious. And, you don’t have to stir in continuously like real risotto. Just simmer under a cracked lid, stirring every so often.

I was actually surprised at how good this was. I think jwa was too. You know, I think he’s kind of humoring me with all the new, out-of-the-ordinary grains and stuff, but this one he really liked. He seemed pleasantly surprised by that.

Sorry, I don’t have a good image of the roasted butternut squash, just believe me, it was there and I roasted it. Also, it’s very apparent that I really need to replace my one burnt out light above my stove top. Buying an appliance bulb tomorrow, I think, because one light bulb there just isn’t enough for good pictures.

Oh yeah, so cooking it this way (lid askew, stirring occasionally), was not actually one of the ways to cook millet that was discussed in class. But, you know, I like to live dangerously and it seemed to work out pretty well. I’m calling it for this is an okay way to cook millet!

Millet Risotto with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese & Leeks
1 tbsp olive oil (plus a little more for drizzling)
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
1 large shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 cup peeled & diced butternut squash
1 cup Millet
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium if not homemade)
2 tbsp goat cheese (if you add a third tablespoon in there, I won’t tell anyone)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup pine nuts
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the butternut squash out on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Roast until soft, and a little golden in places, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside.

In a pot, heat the olive oil and saute the leeks and shallot until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and saute for another minute or two. Add the millet and cook until slightly toasted. About 3-5 minutes.

Add the wine and let it absorb for a minute or two, then add all the chicken broth. Stir and lower the heat so it’s only lightly boiling. Crack the lid over the top and stir occasionally, until most of the broth is absorbed and the millet is tender, about 20-30 minutes (depending on how soft you like your millet).

Add the roasted butternut squash and then the cheeses. Stir it all together, it should be pretty creamy. If it’s too creamy, you can always add a splash more broth.

Add the parsley (or cilantro) and pine nuts and mix it all together and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve drizzled with a little olive oil. You may be tempted to serve with more Parmesan cheese too, but honestly, you probably won’t even need it! But if you want to, it’s okay.

Recently, I got a bag of Garbanzo & Fava Flour* to make falafel with but I kind of forgot all about making falafel, so the bag has just sat around being lonely. So sad. Luckily, I remembered about the flour today and did some searching for something interesting to do with it and I found…Socca!

According to Mark Bittman, Socca is a street food in Nice that is kind of like a chickpea pizza. I kind of thought it was like a hummus-y, falafel-y pie. Either way, it was delicious.

The Nice version is usually just the flour, water, olive oil, salt and pepper, while in Genoa, they add onions and rosemary. I chose to do more of the Genoa style, but also with garlic because it is near impossible for me to make anything savory without garlic in it. I also added zucchini and Parmesan Cheese to the . . . → Read More: Socca (Genoa-Style) Plus With More Stuff!]]>

Recently, I got a bag of Garbanzo & Fava Flour* to make falafel with but I kind of forgot all about making falafel, so the bag has just sat around being lonely. So sad. Luckily, I remembered about the flour today and did some searching for something interesting to do with it and I found…Socca!

According to Mark Bittman, Socca is a street food in Nice that is kind of like a chickpea pizza. I kind of thought it was like a hummus-y, falafel-y pie. Either way, it was delicious.

The Nice version is usually just the flour, water, olive oil, salt and pepper, while in Genoa, they add onions and rosemary. I chose to do more of the Genoa style, but also with garlic because it is near impossible for me to make anything savory without garlic in it. I also added zucchini and Parmesan Cheese to the top to make it more like a pizza. Although those additions are not traditional, they were quite tasty.

The best thing? It is ready in lightening speed. Get a plate and let’s go.

Socca (Chickpea Pizza from Nice and also other places like Genoa)
Adapted slightly from a recipe by Mark Bittman
1 cup chickpea (garbanzo) flour (or garbanzo and fava flour, which is what I used)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp, at least, ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
Optional:
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced, then halved
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
Optional More Stuff:
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Heat your oven to 450 degrees and put a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet in oven. Sift chickpea flour into a bowl; add salt and pepper; then slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Cover, and let sit while oven heats, or as long as 12 hours. The flour will have absorbed a bit of the water and be slightly thicker and creamier after sitting.

If using onion, rosemary, and garlic stir them into batter after it has rested. Pour about 2 tablespoons oil into the hot pan, and swirl to cover pan evenly. Pour in batter. It should sizzle. Nice!

If you are using the zucchini and cheese, spread the zucchini out decoratively on top and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pancake is firm and edges set. Heat broiler, and drizzle the top of your socca with 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set socca a few inches away from broiler for a few minutes, just long enough to brown it spottily.

Cut it into wedges and serve hot. Delicious! Or you can even make a light meal out of it with a salad on the side.

* I do still love the gluten, of course…this flour just happens to be gluten free!

This was sort of a happy accident in that I had no idea what to make for dinner and then I absentmindedly pulled a magazine from my desk drawer and came across this recipe. After doing a mental inventory of the fridge and cabinet I discovered that yes, I had all the stuff at home and yes, this is what I would be making for dinner. Happy! Accidental? Hmm, well, maybe not.

Anyway, this was very good! Creamy and orangey and cheesey. With healthy carrots on top.

And yeah, you can have fun with the leftovers too. Although, I did bake rather than fry my risotto balls but still quite delicious. Okay, let’s go with the recipe.

Risotto All’Arancia con Carote (or Orange Carrot Risotto) Adapted from a recipe in La Cucina Italiana Magazine — about 3-4 servings) 3 medium carrots, diced 1 large orange 3 tbsp olive oil (divided) 1 shallot, . . . → Read More: Risotto All’Arancia Con Carote (or Orange Carrot Risotto)]]>

This was sort of a happy accident in that I had no idea what to make for dinner and then I absentmindedly pulled a magazine from my desk drawer and came across this recipe. After doing a mental inventory of the fridge and cabinet I discovered that yes, I had all the stuff at home and yes, this is what I would be making for dinner. Happy! Accidental? Hmm, well, maybe not.

Anyway, this was very good! Creamy and orangey and cheesey. With healthy carrots on top.

And yeah, you can have fun with the leftovers too. Although, I did bake rather than fry my risotto balls but still quite delicious. Okay, let’s go with the recipe.

Risotto All’Arancia con Carote (or Orange Carrot Risotto)
Adapted from a recipe in La Cucina Italiana Magazine — about 3-4 servings)
3 medium carrots, diced
1 large orange
3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4-5 cups hot chicken broth (homemade or low sodium)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and fresh chopped rosemary leaves (plus more Parmesan for garnish)

Steam the carrots until tender, about 4 minutes. Alternatively, you can also saute them in a little olive oil until tender, also about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

Zest the orange peel with a microplane grater and the juice the orange. Keep the zest and juice separate.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat and saute the shallot and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and orange zest and stir to coat with oil. Cook about 3 more minutes. Add the wine and orange juice and stir until absorbed. Then, add the hot broth by 1/2 cupfuls, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is mostly absorbed to add the next.

Add the cheese and butter to the last addition of broth. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Let that last addition of broth cook down until the desired consistency. You may not use all the hot broth. Start tasting for doneness when you have about 1/3 of the broth left to add).

To serve, spoon risotto out into bowls and make a small indentation in the center of each. Add the carrots there and sprinkle it all with the chopped rosemary and a small drizzle with remaining olive oil. Garnish with more cheese if desired.

Leftovers?

Make Risotto Balls! (Arancini)
Take any leftover risotto and form little balls (I also added some chopped green onions and cilantro to mine — leftover from brunch), hiding a bit of mozzarella or goat cheese in the middle.

Chill to firm and then roll in a beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs (I used panko).

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and spray a lined baking sheet with canola or olive oil spray. Lay the risotto balls on the sheet and spray with more oil. Bake about 30 minutes. Flip them over once, about half way through cooking time.

Let cool briefly and then devour!

Goat cheesey interior goodness…

Oh, wow, having a cold is horrible. It’s been so long since I’ve been sick, that I couldn’t really remember how annoying it is to be under the weather. But, last weekend it all came back to me. It started with a lump in the throat and then the fun continued on from there — fever, chills, stuffed up nose, aches, pains, coughing. Grr! And to top it all off, this cold started while we were on a previously-had-to-be-postponed trip to Seattle to see the Battlestar Galactica exhibit.

Luckily, it’s been about six days now and I think I’ve mostly recovered and ohmygod!, am I sick of canned soup. By the way, you know you’re sick when canned soup sounds good (and you have absolutely no interest in making soup — an endeavor you normally love).

So, here’s to good health! Let’s celebrate with some tasty, . . . → Read More: Risotto with Savoy Cabbage and Chicken Sausage]]>

Oh, wow, having a cold is horrible. It’s been so long since I’ve been sick, that I couldn’t really remember how annoying it is to be under the weather. But, last weekend it all came back to me. It started with a lump in the throat and then the fun continued on from there — fever, chills, stuffed up nose, aches, pains, coughing. Grr! And to top it all off, this cold started while we were on a previously-had-to-be-postponed trip to Seattle to see the Battlestar Galactica exhibit.

Luckily, it’s been about six days now and I think I’ve mostly recovered and ohmygod!, am I sick of canned soup. By the way, you know you’re sick when canned soup sounds good (and you have absolutely no interest in making soup — an endeavor you normally love).

So, here’s to good health! Let’s celebrate with some tasty, creamy risotto!

This was a dish born out of having half a head of savoy cabbage leftover from making lamb cabbage rolls and having no idea whatsoever what to do with that half a cabbage head. Make more cabbage rolls?? It was starting to look like that when I found this recipe online.

This was very good and comforting, with just a bit of heat from the chicken Sicilian-style sausage I used.

Risotto with Savoy Cabbage and Sausage
risotto con verza e salsiccia…Adapted from La Cucina Italiana Magazine
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 chicken Italian sausages, removed from casings
1.5 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups lower-sodium chicken broth, heated to a simmer
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add cabbage and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add sausage and stir to combine. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

Add wine and 1 cup broth; cook, stirring, until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup more broth and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed.

Repeat, adding liquid in 1/2 cupfuls, until rice is tender yet still slightly firm to the bite (you may not use all the broth).

Stir in the tablespoon butter, most of the parsley and the cheese. Taste. Add a bit more cheese. (Repeat that last step a few more times). Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately, garnishing with the leftover parsley. About 4-5 servings.