Lasagna Soup

Source: This site, via Pinterest, with some alterations based on what I had in my cupboards/fridge

Servings:  8

Ingredients:
for the soup:
2 teaspoons olive oil (skipped this because I was using ground beef)
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage (I had about 3/4 lb ground beef in the fridge - it seemed to be a perfect amount.  Double would be a ton of meat, I think!)
3 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced (I had three, so I used three.)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste (I learned that you can freeze your leftover tomato paste (you know how you get a 6 oz can but only need a tablespoon or two in recipes? annoying!) to use for later - I just scooped out 2 tablespoon sized blobs onto some waxed paper and popped it in the freezer till they were frozen solid, then moved the cubes to a ziplock baggie till I'll need it again in the future.)  (Another note: sometimes when I don't have any tomato paste around, I just leave it out and sub a can of tomato sauce instead - no browning - and it turns out fine.)
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (I used one 14.5 oz can of Italian stewed tomatoes and one 14.5 oz can of regular stewed tomatoes.)
2 bay leaves (I don't have regular bay leaves, but I had some random crushed ones that I just added a few shakes of)
6 cups chicken stock (I used three 14.5 oz cans chicken broth + 1 can water)
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta (I broke up 6 big lasagna noodles that I had in an open box and added a handful of rotini or macaroni)
1/2 cups finely chopped fresh basil leaves (I didn't have any fresh basil, so I just added a few shakes of dried)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta (I used 1 cup cottage cheese)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage (or ground beef), breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock (and basil, if you're using dried). Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil (if it's fresh) and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Notes:
Oh my!  Was this ever delicious.  I love lasagna and I love soup and this was the perfect combination of the two.  Holy smokes, it was amazing.  Paired with a slice of homemade French bread (the other loaf from the recipe I made last week), it made a marvelous wintery (it's winter here in Colorado, in case you hadn't heard) meal.  Make it today!

Sausage and Beans with Rice

Source: Peggy Elwood (I think she got it from a Quick Cooking magazine back in the day)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup chopped onion (I probably used 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (Again, I used a lot - closer to a cup - of a mixture of orange and yellow bell peppers - very fallish color pallete!)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb smoked sausage cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked rice (I think I put more like 3 heaping cups)
1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used chicken broth because that's what I had)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard (I just had regular yellow and it worked fine)

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper, garlic and sausage in oil until onion is crisp tender. Stir in the rice and beans. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix brown sugar, ketchup, vegetable broth and mustard and then pour over other ingredients. Stir to mix.  Heat all together and serve from the skillet.

Notes:
I love this meal for a few reasons: a) it's delicious, b) it's quick, and c) it's all in one pot (well, minus the rice cooking step, but I hear you can use minute rice if that's your thing).  Yum, yum, yummy, yum.

Homemade Bean with Bacon Soup

Source: Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
8 slices bacon
1 cup diced onion
1 large carrot, diced fine (this isn't in the original recipe, but when I made the soup a second time I decided it needed some orange - I'm pretty sure Campbell's has some carrot specks in theirs, too - I really love the pop of color it adds)
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz diced smoked ham (about 2 cups)
2 red potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces (2-2 1/2 cups)
2 cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained (I used dry beans instead - soaked overnight and then cooked in the crockpot for ~5ish hours.  4 cups cooked is ~2 cans-worth.  I froze the rest in ziplock baggies for easy use in the future when a can or two of beans is called for.)
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (Mine wasn't smoked, though I'm sure it would be delicious.)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (Didn't add any salt because the ham and bacon are salty enough for me.)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 14 oz cans chicken broth (I did 2 cans broth + 1 can water.)
optional: 1/2-1 teaspoon liquid smoke (I splurged at the store - like $1.50 for a little bottle, but a little goes a LONG way - it's a fun and delicious little addition!)

Directions:
Slice bacon into bite-size pieces. Cook in a large stock pot until crisp. Remove bacon to drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 Tablespoon bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest.

Add diced onion and garlic to pan with reserved bacon drippings and saute for about 2 minutes. While you do this step contemplate if there anything in the world that smells as good as garlic and onion sauteing in bacon drippings.  (Mmmhmmm - yummy!)

Add diced ham, beans, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to pan and stir to combine. Then add the broth and the potatoes. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and stir in bacon and liquid smoke to taste if you choose to use it.

Take 3 cups of the soup and place in the blender (leave the plug in the lid off to let steam escape and cover with a paper towel to avoid splashes while you blend). Blend until completely smooth. You could also use an immersion blender in place of a blender if you have one.

Add blended soup back to pot and stir to combine. Add additional salt and pepper  to taste. The need for salt really depends on the ham and bacon you use so she kept it low on purpose. Ladle into bowls and top with extra bacon if desired.  It's also great with some crunchy croutons on top!

Makes about 8 cups.

Notes:
One of my most favorite Saturday afternoon meals growing up was a piping hot bowl of Campbell's Bean With Bacon Soup and a piece of toast with cheese on top.  And a glass of milk.  Mmmm.  Delicious memories.  When I stumbled across this homemade version, I knew I had to give it a whirl.  It did not disappoint!  Hearty, warm, delicious.  And I'm sure a little more on the healthy side than the canned stuff.  I will be making this one again, for sure.

Italian Vegetable Soup

Source: Allrecipes.com, with a few alterations by me, based on what I felt like at the moment

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (I didn't have any on hand, so I just left it out)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (I only used 1 small 8 oz. can)
2 (19 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water (I used three tomato cans + 1 tomato sauce can of water)
5 teaspoons beef bouillon granules (I only added 4 ... I think)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I added 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I added 1 tsp)
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn (I decided to leave this out because it was so full of other good stuff, I didn't think anyone would notice - and then I could save my corn for something else)
1 (15 ounce) can green beans
1 cup macaroni

Directions:
Place ground beef in a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain excess fat. (Since I didn't have or use ground beef, I heated a couple tablespoons of oil in my pot and then added the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauted for a few minutes, until the onions became soft.  I also seasoned these veggies with seasoned salt and pepper - just a few shakes.)  Stir in onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, water and bouillon. Season with parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer for 20 minutes (or longer - I did about an hour and I say the longer the better!).
Stir in cabbage, corn, green beans and pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente. Add more water if needed.  (I read in some comments on the recipe that many people don't like their pasta to go mushy - if you're that kind of person, you can boil your noodles separately and just add a few to your bowl.  Then, when you reheat your leftovers for a midnight snack or lunch the next day, just add a few more cooked noodles and you don't have the soggy, mushy problem.  Me?  I just cooked them in the soup and I'll enjoy the soggy mess tomorrow!)

Notes:

It snowed today in Colorado - pretty much all day long - beautiful, white, fluffy snow!  It was gorgeous.  And it made me want soup.  I knew I didn't have any meat (well, one lowly frozen chicken breast in the freezer) but I figured I could find something full of vegetables and flavor anyway.  And I did.  This was it.  Really quite delicious.  I especially loved all the kidney beans.  And the cabbage was a nice touch, since I had half a small head in the fridge and didn't know what I would do with it.  We enjoyed this soup with a hot slice of freshly baked French Bread and it was a delightful little dinner.

French Bread

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoon oil
5 ½ -6 cups flour-stirred before measured

Directions:
Dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof -or sit- for a few minutes until it bubbles. Then add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and beat well. Add in 2 1/2 -3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky – but be careful not to add too much flour. Knead for a few minutes.

Leave the dough in the mixer to rest for 10 minutes and then stir it down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds  or, if you're like me and don't have a mixer, just use a spoon to stir it/punch it down) and then allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat for a total of 5 times. Then turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into two equal parts. Roll each part into a 9×13 rectangle. Roll dough up, starting from long edge of loaf to seal. Arrange seam side down on large baking sheet that’s been sprinkled with corn meal, allowing room for both loaves. Repeat with second part of dough. With a sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an angle on the top of each. Cover lightly; allow to rise 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash (one egg beaten slightly with 1 Tbsp of water). If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Notes:
(Read Mel's helpful instructions about yeast dough and flour usage on her post if you're new to the yeast world.)  I knew I wanted something warm and bready to dunk in my Italian Vegetable Soup that I made tonight, and I remembered that I had read a recipe for homemade French bread on Mel's site a while ago.  I found it easily and I'm SO glad I did.  This was outstanding!  And it really looks and smells and tastes like the French bread from the bakery in the grocery store.  (I can't say whether it is true to the real stuff from France, but by golly it was good enough for me!)  I was so excited!

The recipe does make two loaves, and since it's only me and Gregg around here, I decided to freeze half the dough for another time.  Mel suggests putting it in a greased ziplock before shaping and the final rise and tossing it in the freezer (that's what I did).  Then, when you're ready to use it, let it thaw 6 or so hours before you're ready to use it, then proceed with the shaping, final rise and egg wash and then bake it as usual (that's what I plan on doing).

One more note: I tried using whole wheat flour for part of it (I think I had about 3 cups all purpose and 2ish cups whole wheat) and it worked out beautifully!  A little bit denser than all-white flour bread, but super soft on the inside and a nice crust on the outside.  I will most definitely be making this one again!  Oh Yum!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Source: This site, via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 apple, cored and chopped (skins on)
1 cup water
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Then add the oats, apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Adjust the heat to low and let the oatmeal is simmer for 2-3 minutes while you stir and feel hungry. That's all there is to it. Serve it with a splash of milk and a little or a lot of brown sugar sprinkled on top.  Serves one hungry adult or two lucky children.

Notes:
Gregg is a big oatmeal eater in the mornings, and I've become so, too.  Usually we just have some brown sugar, raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon stirred in, but we had some diced fresh peaches mixed in one day that were divine and left me wanting to find some other fun variations on the theme.  I found this (and others including this version of peaches and cream oatmeal and banana coconut oatmeal that I'm excited to try) when I was snooping around Pinterest one day.  Good stuff!

Apple Cider Muffins with Cinnamon Crumble

Source: Jennelle Clark, in the USU Statesman Newspaper delivered to me by my sister, Heather

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup apple cider, "the real stuff that you have to shake before drinking"
1/4 cup buttermilk

For the cinnamon crumble:
4 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons cold butter

Directions:
To make the muffins, start by reducing the apple cider.  Place it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and let simmer gently, reducing to 1/4 cup.  This takes about 15-20 minutes.  Set reduced cider aside.  (Note: if you want to put a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves in with your apple cider while it is reducing, this will add extra spice to your muffins, not to mention make your house smell heavenly while you wait.)

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, or until it becomes fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.

Combine the buttermilk and reduced cider with butter-sugar mixture.  (Note: if you don't keep buttermilk on hand it's really easy to make your own.  Just put about a teaspoon of white vinegar into whole milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the batter.)

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until combined.  It's okay if there are lumps, it's worse to over mix the batter than to under mix it because it will make the muffin crumb tough and chewy instead of tender and moist.

Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins just over halfway full with batter and set aside while you make the topping.

To make the cinnamon crumble, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cut the butter into little pieces and add it to the flour mixture.  Use a fork, butter knife, pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour and sugar until a crumbly mixture - a streusel - forms.

Distribute the streusel evenly over the muffins (about 1 heaping tablespoon on each).  (Note: if you want to make a healthier version of these muffins, leave off the cinnamon crumble and replace half of the butter with applesauce.  This will also add to the apple flavor of the muffins.)

Bake at 350F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven up to 375F and finish baking until the muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the milddle of a muffin comes out clean, about 12 minutes.  (Note: If you want to add nuts to the crumble, chop and toast them ahead of time and then stir them into the crumble after you've already cut the butter in.)

This recipe should yield 1 dozen muffins.

Notes:
While my family was visiting us in Colorado last weekend, Heather brought a copy of the Statesman from that week with this delightful recipe inside.  We decided to give them a whirl on Saturday morning and they were quite delicious.  My only complaint is that it didn't make very many muffins - "should yield 1 dozen muffins" turned into 7 muffins for us, just enough for each of us in the apartment that morning to have 1 muffin each, as a little taste.  But they were definitely yummy and apple cidery!