Italian Wedding Soup

My husand had Italian Wedding Soup at a restraunt recently and asked me to make it at home.  I did a quick google image search and had him pick out a picture of the soup that looked the most like what he'd had at the restaurant.  That brought us to this recipe:
http://castirondarling.blogspot.com/2009/11/italian-wedding-soup.html

Instead of buying frozen meatballs or making them from scratch I decided to use Jenny-O Turkey Store Hot Italian Sausage.  I've used it before when making spaghetti and meatballs, and it's a quick, tasty and healthy option.  I decided to use them for this soup, and I really think that they make the soup.  There's no need to add extra seasoning because the meatballs will season the broth.

....and because I can't ever just follow a recipe as is here is what I wound up making...


INGREDIENTS

- One (19.5 oz) Package Jenny-O Turkey Store Hot Italian Sausage
- 1 Celery stalk, diced small
- 1 Medium yellow onion, diced small
- 1 Carrot, diced small
- 2/3 cup Pearl barley
- 8 Cups Low sodium chicken broth
- 2 Cups Baby spinach, roughly chopped or torn
- Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Remove the turkey sausage from it's casing and form bite size meat balls.  Over medium high heat brown six to eight meatballs at a time in a large soup pot (no oil needed).  The meatballs don't need to be cooked all the way through at this point. Brown each batch and then remove them from the pot and set them aside.  Once all of the meatballs are browned and removed from the pot add the diced onion, celery, and carrot.  Once the onions are translucent add the barley and the chicken stock.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Place a lid on the pot and tilt it so that there is a little bit of a vent.  Reduce heat until you have a low rolling boil.  Continue cooking for 30 minutes and then add the meatballs back into the pot.  Cook for another 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through and the barley is tender.  Turn the heat off and add the baby spinach.  It will wilt quickly.   Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

This will yield about 6 servings.  The calorie count is just under 230 calories per serving....so of course I had a ton of yummy French bread with mine ;)

Baked Salmon with Sauteed Zucchini & Squash

What You'll Need for the Salmon:

- 2 Center Cut Salmon Fillets

- Olive Oil Spray

- Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

- Dried herbs of your choice (I used thyme)

-Lemon wedges (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Rinse salmon fillets and pat dry.  Spray baking dish with olive oil spray.  Place fillets in baking dish and spray them with olive oil spray (you can also brush them with olive oil if you don't have the spray).  Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, and herbs.  Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on thickness).  Serve with a lemon wedge or two on the side

What you'll Need for the Zucchini & Squash:

- 1 Medium sized yellow squash sliced into rounds

- 1 Medium sized zucchini sliced into rounds

- Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

-1 TBS Olive Oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat.  Place zucchini and squash in the skillet in a single layer and cook for about three minutes.  Flip the zucchini and squash rounds over and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Cook for another three minutes.

I served this with whole grain rice from the natural food section of my grocery store and whole grain wheat French bread.

Creamy Hummus Salad Dressing

What You'll Need:

- 2 TBS Prepared Hummus (I used Roasted Garlic Hummus)

- 1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Juice from one lemon wedge

- Ground pepper to taste

Combine hummus, EVOO, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.  Drizzle over salad or use as a sandwich spread.

Spicy Baked Garlic Orange Tofu and Green Beans

What You'll Need For the Baked Tofu:

- 1 Package of Extra Firm Tofu

- The Juice of One Orange

- 2 TBS Old Bay Seasoning

- 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced

Whisk together the juice of one orange, minced garlic and the Old Bay Seasoning in s small bowl and set aside. Drain any excess liquid from the tofu and then cut it into bit sized cubes.  Place in a shallow dish and pour marinade over the tofu.  Cover and refrigerate (the longer you let it marinate the better....anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight).  When you are ready to bake the tofu preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with olive oil or other cooking spray.  Place the tofu in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, turn the tofu and bake for another 15 minutes.

What You'll Need for the Sauce:

-Juice of two oranges

-1 TBS Old Bay Seasoning

Whisk together the juice and Old Bay Seasoning in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and stir constantly.  As the mixture boils it will reduce and thicken.  Once it has reduced to about four or five tablespoons it's done.  Drizzle over tofu before serving.

The green beans were super quick.  The produce section of my grocery store has these little bags of veggies that steam in the microwave.  I microwaved them for a minute less than the instructions on the back called for.  Then i heated a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over high heat.  Once the pan was really hot I added the green beans and cooked them for about five minutes.  Then I just sprinkled them with salt and pepper.

Turkey, Spinach & Mushroom Frittata

What You'll Need:

6 Eggs (you could use 3 egg whites and 3 whole eggs)

2 TBS 1% milk

1 Tsp Salt

1 1/2 Tsp Pepper

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

3 Slices Deli Turkey

1 Tsp Garlic Salt

3 Scallions

2 Cups Baby Spinach, sliced thin

Olive Oil spray or other cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Beat together the eggs and milk.  Add the salt and pepper and mix to combine.  Set aside.  Spray a medium sized skillet with olive oil spray or cooking spray and heat over high heat.  Add sliced mushrooms and stir often as mushrooms brown.  When mushrooms are golden brown on both sides start adding the turkey by tearing the slices into bite sized pieces.  Reduce heat to medium high and add sliced scallions.  Once turkey is heated through add the spinach (tear it into bite sized pieces as you add it).  Continue cooking until the spinach is just starting to wilt (stirring often).  Sprinkle with garlic salt.

If the skillet you are using is oven safe then you can give the egg mixture a quick stir and then add it to the skillet.  Allow it to cook on the stove for two or three minutes and then transfer to the oven.  Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the center of the frittata has set.

If you aren't using an oven safe skillet you will need to transfer the contents of the skillet into a baking dish (spray the dish with the olive oil spray first).  Then add the egg mixture over the top.  Gently tap the baking dish on the counter to help the egg settle to the bottom of the dish.  Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the frittata has set (is firm)

For a fluffier frittata you can add 1/4 of low fat ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, or marscapone cheese to the egg mixture when you beat the eggs.  You can also add any kind of shredded cheese at this point (or you can wait until the last five minutes of baking and add it to the top). 

Three Bean Turkey Chili

What You'll Need:

- 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

- 1 Small Onion (diced)

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1 1/2 tsp Pepper

- 2 (15 oz.) Cans S&W Pinquito Beans (drained but NOT rinsed)

- 1 (15 oz.) Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

- 1 (15 oz.) Can Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)

- 1 (14.5 oz) Can S&W Diced Tomato with Green Chilies and Seasonings

- 1 (28 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)

- 1 TBS Ground Cumin

- 2 TBS Chili Powder

- Dash of Mustard Powder (optional)

- Dash of Garlic Powder (optional)

- Sliced scallions and or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Heat large pot over medium high heat.  Add ground turkey and break apart as it browns.  Once turkey has browned drain excess fat.  Add diced onion to the browned turkey and continue cooking until onions are translucent.  Add salt and pepper and stir.  Add beans, tomatoes, and seasonings and stir well.  Turn the heat up to high an bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Garnish with sliced scallions and/or cilantro and enjoy :)

Sauteed Chicken, Caramelized Onions & Roasted Sweet Potatoes



What you'll Need for the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

- 1 Large Sweet Potato (one is enough for two people)

- 1 1/2 TBS Olive Oil

- 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

- Four Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme or herb of your choice)

- Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces and toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat it. Add garlic and thyme and toss again. Spread sweet potatoes out on a baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until they are starting to turn brown and are crispy at the edges.

What You'll Need for the Caramelized Onions:

- 1 Yellow onion

- 1 TBS Olive Oil

- Salt

- Pepper

Peel the onion and cut off the ends.  Slice onion into thin strips.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add sliced onion and cook until onions are translucent.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Continue cooking over low/medium heat for about 15 minutes stirring often.  When they are done they will be a caramel brown color. The key to caramelized onions is cooking them slowly, so resist the urge to crank up the heat on the stove ;) Once the onions are cooked remove them from the pan and set aside.  You'll be using the same pan for you chicken.

What You'll Need for the Chicken:

- 1 lb Thin Sliced Boneless/Skinless Chicken

- 1 TBS Olive Oil

- Seasoned Salt

- Pepper

Add the oil to the pan and heat over medium high heat.  Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of seasoned salt (a tiny bit goes a long way) and pepper on both sides.  Place chicken in the pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes each side.