Italian Wedding Soup

Two blogs in one day! I'm a maniac. I've been meaning to post about Italian Wedding soup for a while and with Steph's cream of asparagus soup post, I decided to make it a soup day. Let's get to it:

This is a Giada receipe that I fanangled a bit. Fanangled is totally a word. Start by making the most important part - the meatballs! Finely chop one medium yellow onion, and saute it in a small frying pan a two count of olive oil and 4 chopped cloves of garlic and 1/3 cup of chopped fresh parsley. Cook over medium heat for around ten minutes, until the onions are tender and just beginning to color. Remove from heat and let cool. In a mixing bowl combine the cooled onions/garlic/parsley with 8 ounces of ground pork, 8 ounces of ground beef (20% fat, just do it), one large egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, one teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. Get right up in there and mix everything together with your hands, then shape into small bite-sized meatballs - around one inch or so. Place on a plate or small baking sheet and refrigerate for fifteen minutes.

Get out your soup pot and heat a four count of olive oil over medium high heat for a couple of minutes. Cook your meatballs over medium heat in the pot (you may need to do this in batches to avoid over crowding), just to nicely brown the outside - they won't be cooked through so no chef tasting! You'll finish cooking them in the broth. Once you've removed the browned meatballs, de-glaze the pot with 1/2 cup of white wine. Next add ten cups of chicken stock, salt/pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Carefully add your browned meatballs back to the pot and cook through, this will take five minutes or so. Next add one bag of baby spinach leaves (note - Giada uses one pound of chopped escarole, which I may try next time, I think it will hold up better than the spinach for leftovers). Cook the spinach for a few minutes (note - escarole will take longer, around ten minutes, so I would add that with the meatballs) over medium heat. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together two large eggs with 2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add this mixture to the soup slowly, while stirring with a fork to make long strands of egg. Stir carefully for another minute, taste for seasonings and add if necessary, then add the juice of 1/2 lemon (or a whole lemon if it's small). You're done! Pretty simple, right?

Get to it and let me know what you think about spinach vs. escarole.

xo

d

Guest Blog! Cream of Asparagus Soup

And now dear friends, it's time for a long overdue guest blog. This one comes from my lovely and fabulous cousin Steph, who I hope will become a frequent contributor. In her first guest blog, she treats us to a delicious recipe for cream of asparagus soup - a recipe that I am soon to try. Peruse, enjoy, and let us know what you think! Take it away, Steph:

I made this soup for a Valentine’s Day party. Some mommy friends and I got together while our beauties played and this is what I served them. They ranted and raved over it – even my mom (who is not an asparagus lover) really enjoyed it.

First, I sautéed some onions and garlic in some butter (I suppose you could use EVOO if you wanted… I am a fan of the buttah). Maybe ½ an onion and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Once those become soft, add 2 bundles of asparagus that have been sliced into 1 inch pieces. The size doesn’t really matter because you will be blending it all up anyway. Make sure to remove the bottom 1/3 of the asparagus. It’s kind of woody and not really yummy to eat. Sauté that for a couple minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a teeny tiny bit of cayenne pepper (and by teeny tiny, I really mean teeny tiny, you don’t want that to over power). Then add 2 boxes of chicken broth – or 1 box of broth and the same amount of water. If you use water, you will need to add a tablespoon or so of chicken base for extra flavor. Boil the asparagus until it’s tender. At this point you can either bust out your handy dandy emersion blender which is one of Dana’s favorite kitchen tools or let the soup cool and in batches, put in the blender and blend until smooth. MUST. LET. COOL….or you will have an asparagus explosion on your hands.

Once everything is blended until smooth, add it back into the soup pot. Add a 16 ounce container of sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt would probably work too if that is more up your alley). Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Be careful how much salt you add because ….wait for it… you will be adding some roasted asparagus and homemade croutons to the soup!! Yes please! If the soup seems too thin, make a quick rue and add that to the mix. I used 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1 ½ tablespoons of flour. A nice loose rue will help to tighten up the soup a little bit. Make sure to cook the rue for a couple minutes so you don’t get the raw flour taste.

Now, on to the roasted asparagus and croutons. Slice another bundle of asparagus in 1 – 1 ½ inch pieces (discard the bottom 1/3 again). Put them on a baking sheet and coat them in EVOO,

salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for a half hour or so (until they are soft). For the croutons, cut up some French bread or some other kind of dense bread into 1 inch cubes. Drizzle with EVOO, garlic salt, and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for a half hour or so (until they are kind of crunchy). Serve soup with a few roasted asparagus pieces and some croutons on top. It is delish!!! And easy peazy lemon squeezy!!

Grandma Lillian's Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Last month I got the rare treat of a visit with my dear Aunt Sandy and cousin Tricia, when Tricia's husband Johnny was at a conference in Anaheim. Adam and I drove down to have dinner with Tricia and Sandy and it was delightful. As we chatted, I mentioned to Sandy that I hadn't had chicken and wild rice soup in forever and wondered if she could send me Grandma Lil's recipe, to which she readily agreed :) The recipe came this week, and today was the perfect day to try it: cold and rainy. As I typically do, I altered the recipe just slightly (love you Grandma!), but it's mostly OG. Oster-cousins: do you have any additions/alterations? Mom says Aunt Kay puts duck in her version and that sounds divine.

Alrighty, start with a rotisserie chicken for this soup, as it's my ultimate soup cheat. Skin, de-bone, and set aside. You'll need two cups of the chopped chicken. You should also start your wild rice at this point - the recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked wild rice, and it usually takes and hour, so get that going first. Slice six slices of bacon into lardons and fry in your stock pot with a one count of olive oil until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon then set aside, and pour out most of the bacon fat. Add one stick (yup!) of butter, then 1/2 cup of minced onions and cook over medium heat. As the onions are cooking, finely chop (or use your food processor if you don't like the texture of celery) 2 stalks of celery. Remove the leaves from the top of the stalks before you chop, slice those up and add to the onions. Add the minced celery, then chop up 1/2 pound of crimini mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Stir these veggies occasionally as you chop and be sure not to burn. Peel and slice up one cup of carrots and add to the pot. Add one teaspoon of dried dill and taste for seasonings, add s/p if needed. Deglaze with a few glugs of white wine (optional, I like the flavor it adds) and cook for a few minutes more to cook the wine out. Add 1/2 cup of flour and cook for a moment, stirring well to combine. Now pour in six cups of warmed chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly until the soup has thickened. Turn to medium low and bubble away for a few minutes. Taste again for seasoning, I added a few shakes of celery salt and more pepper at this point.

Now for some decadence: add 2 cups of half and half. Yum. I used whole milk that is lactose free because as we know, Adam does not tolerate lactose. Aunt Sandy also recommends whole milk, so use either. Simmer, stirring occasionally for a few minutes more. Be sure to taste for seasonings again before serving.

Ladle some of this thick, delicious amazingness into bowls, and crumble the crispy bacon on top. I served this soup with some crusty bread infused with rosemary on the side and it was heaven. Absolutely perfect for a rainy day, and I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow.

I'm so grateful to add this recipe to my repertoire, and it reminds me of sitting at Grandma's table. I still miss her every single day, so cooking her food makes me feel a little closer to her. Love you, Gram! Thanks Aunt Sandy for this precious food memory.

xoxo,

D

Guest Blog! Pumpkin, Barley, and Sage Soup

Well folks, I finally got her to do it.... here is a guest blog by my one and only momma! Enjoy:
Hi everyone, Dana's mom, Lynn, here. I guess I am a designated guest writer of Sunday Night Dinners, and have I got one delicious and savory fall soup for you, which happens to be very simple, also! I initially made it for myself a couple of weekends ago, when the boys were golfing in Northern Minnesota. (One of the perfectly warm, fantastically sunny weekends we have had in October in Minnesota this year.) I love the house to myself once in a while, I work at my projects, watch my TV shows (NO SPORTS! HGTV, Food Network, Cooking Channel) and always make myself a little gourmet meal to enjoy with a glass of wine and the quiet (hopefully with a nice sunset!). So, even though I was having a very busy day, I took the time to make this little soup, and ate it at 9pm! We Ostermans eat late.... Pumpkin, Barley and Sage Soup--Better Homes and Gardens, Everyday Easy 8 oz. smoked sausage links, chopped, or small dice ( recipe calls for andouille, which would add some heat. I used kielbasa)1 small onion, chopped1 tbsp snipped fresh sage1 tbsp olive oil1 cup quick cooking barley1 tsp chicken bullion granules( I use the Better than Bullion brand, and use a couple of spoonfuls to taste)4 cups water1 15 oz can pumpkin (I have not used pumpkin, first go around I used a sweet dumpling squash I baked in the microwave, and the next time, I used a small butternut squash, baked,)2 tbsp real maple syrup1 tbsp apple cider vinegar In a large saucepan, or Dutch oven, cook sausage, onion and sage in hot oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add barley, water and bullion. Bring to boil and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Stir in pumpkin(squash), maple syrup, and vinegar, heat through. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve in a warm bowl with 2 or three very thin slices of a Minnesota Honeycrisp apple (or any crispy apple in your area!), and enjoy! Makes four servings. So there you have it, very simple and so tasty! Give it a try some cool evening soon. For my dear daughter in NYC with a gluten allergy, and anyone else who eats gluten free, substitutes for the barley would be millett, quinoa, buckwheat (crazy name for gluten free wheat), or a can of cooked wild rice would be delish and very quick! Lesser known substitutes are amaranth and teff; celiacs would know these names! Lynn signing out--love you daughter, and all your recipes!! (I'd like to think that I had some tiny bit of influence on my daughter's love of cooking and good food!)**

**Blogger's Note: Yes you did, momma. You are an inspiration :)Well folks, I finally got her to do it.... here is a guest blog

Tortilla Soup Deliciousness

Hello again sports fans! It's time once again to make some SND! This week I made tortilla soup (inspired by Ina's mexican chicken soup) and as you can see, it was a rousing success! Let's get into it!

Start by mincing a large yellow onion. I wish I had a secret for tearless onion chopping, but I don't. Waterproof mascara is good for not looking like a nightmare when you're done, but for the life of me I can't make the tears stop when I am chopping those onions. Can you?

Anyhooooo, chop the onion and quit whining. Throw it into a heated stock pot that has a five count of olive oil and sweat those puppies for five minutes or so. Chop four carrots and add them to the onions with some S & P. Cook the onions and carrots together for another ten minutes over medium heat, then add 4 chopped cloves of garlic. Stir, add a few glugs of white wine, and let that cook down for a few minutes. Next add 2 quarts of chicken stock, two 15 ounce cans of tomato puree, two to four (depending on how much heat you can handle, I used two) seeded and minced jalepeno peppers, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin, and 1 teaspoon of crushed coriander seed. Salt and pepper to taste here, it just depends on how salty the chicken stock is that you're using is. I also added a pinch of cayenne pepper, but use your own discretion on this. Stir everything together, then add a nice handful of chopped cilantro and the thing that gives this soup it's name: the tortillas! Slice 6 or so six inch fresh flour or corn tortillas in half, then crosswise into 1/2 inch strips and toss those into the soup. Don't worry - they're going to break down, thicken the soup, and give it some great texture. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for a half hour.

Whilst your concoction is simmering, shred your chicken. What chicken you say? Well you can cheat like I did and get a rotisserie chicken (ya'll know I love it - time and dish saver, plus you can snacky on the legs!) or you can roast the chicken yourself. I am all for not cutting corners on SND, but I just find rotisserie chickens to be really tender. If you want to roast the chicken, get three bone in skin on chicken breasts, rub them with olive oil and S & P, and throw them in a 350 degree oven (on a cookie sheet) for thirty five minutes. Let cool, then de-skin and de-bone. Same for the rotisserie chicken, de-skin and de-bone.

Okay, so throw your shredded chicken into the soup as well as a can of black beans that you've drained and rinsed, and another big ol' handful of chopped cilantro. Simmer for another fifteen minutes and you're ready to serve! Slice up some ripe avocado and have tortilla chips, sour cream, and your favorite shredded cheese at the ready for toppings. Hot damn! Go try it!

XO

d

Matzoh Ball Soup

Yeah yeah I haven't posted in a while....blah blah blah. I got engaged, what do you want with me? I'm busy planning a wedding here!

Oh yeah, Matzoh Ball Soup. This is a really good, super easy Sunday Night Dinner. Thanks to my dear fiance for teaching me this delicious recipe. Make it anytime you or your loved ones feel sick, you'll feel better in no time. If you like chicken soup with dumplings, you will love matzoh balls. Trust me, kids.

Start yourself off with a big stock pot. As you heat a three count of olive oil, roughly chop one yellow onion, 4-5 stalks of celery (leaves and all), and 3-4 carrots. You don't have to be too concerned with size or nice little conform pieces, you are going to strain these veggies out later. If you plan on eating your veggies (and you should, Grandma says so), then chop them into bite sized pieces. Toss the veggies in the olive oil and sautee for a few. You don't really want to get much color here, you are just softening the veggies. Add some salt and pepper, and if desired some fresh or dried dill. I'm not a huge fan of dill, but Adam is and says it is a major part of the recipe. Meh. I put in a pinch of the dried dill. The things we do for love.

Anyhoo, once you see a little color on the bottom of the pan, pour in three glugs of white wine and deglaze that stuff. Next add a 64 ounce can of chicken stock. I usually empty the can into the stock pot, then fill the can about up almost to the top with water, add that to the pot, then add four or five chicken bullion cubes. Bring this all to a boil, then cover the pot and lower to a simmer. Cook that for at least an hour, but the longer you cook it, the better it will get. Be sure to taste often for seasoning, you'll probably want to add some salt and pepper.

Once the soup has cooked for at least an hour, get your rotisserie chicken out that you bought at the market. If you want, you can poach some chicken in the broth, but I'm not a fan. I really think it tastes dried out. The rotisserie chicken is really flavorful. Pour the juices from the chicken into your stock, and then take the skin off, de-bone, and shred. Strain the veggies out of the soup and set those aside, then add the shredded chicken to the broth.

Time for the matzoh balls! Matzoh is made from un-leavened bread cracker crumbs. You can buy matzoh ball mix at the market, there is a brand called Manischewitz that is great. Be sure to get the Mix, not just the meal, or you'll have more work on your hands. While you're at the market, get the Manischewitz yolk-free noodles too.

So, after you've strained the broth and added the chicken, get out your trusty matzoh ball mix, and follow the directions carefully. The directions for the matzo balls say to boil some water to cook them in, but you should ignore that part and bring your freshly made stock to a boil and cook them in there. It's super easy, I know you can do it. In a separate pot, boil some water with a bullion cube for the noodles. Cook, strain, and set noodles aside. They only take 2 or so minutes, so be careful.

Okay! So you've followed the directions on the matzoh ball mix box and you're done! Get your bowls out, put some noodles in the bottom, followed by some of the strained veggies, and then broth, chicken, and of course one or two matzoh balls! You will have traveled back to delicious town, and will be welcomed with open arms. Enjoy, and Mazel Tov!