Chicken Vegetable Tortellini Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole organic chicken breast or 2 split breasts
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and drained
½ cup freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 gallon fresh filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups of cannellini beans (fresh-cooked and drained, or canned and drained)
1 pound of fresh tortellini, cooked and drained
Grated Romano Cheese for serving (optional)

In a large stockpot, add olive oil, chopped carrot, onion, celery and garlic.  Sauté soup on medium-low heat until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add chicken, salt, spinach and water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to low heat and cover with a lid.  Simmer for approximately 4 hours.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

Remove chicken from stockpot, cool slightly and shred.  Add the shredded chicken, beans and tortellini to the stockpot.  Ladle soup and serve with grated Romano cheese.

Note:  For a gluten free option or those with gluten allergies or intolerances, replace the tortellini with quinoa, gluten-free pasta, or rice.

Let’s take a favorite classic comfort food, “The Grilled Cheese”, and switch it up a bit.

For each sandwich:

2 slices of whole grain bread
3-4 slices fresh tomato
4 slices of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Olive Oil
4 Fresh Basil Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat a griddle or frying pan.  As the griddle is heating, brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil.  Lay one slice of bread on griddle olive oil side down on pan.  Add two slices of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of the bread.  Layer the tomato slices and fresh basil leaves, sprinkling with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the remaining cheese slices, and top with the second slice of bread (olive oil side up).  Cover the sandwich with a small lid, steaming the cheese.  As the bottom (pan side) becomes golden brown, carefully flip the sandwich to brown the other side, still covering with a lid.  When golden brown on each side, remove from pan and cut in half or into triangles.

Great for lunch or an after-school snack.  Add a salad for a fast and light dinner.

On the 5^th Day of Christmas…

 Serve the stuffed tomatoes by themselves, with crackers or crostini, or among a crudité tray. Another easy and delicious appetizer recipe.  Without the crackers, they are a gluten-free alternative.  Love the red and green colors of nature.

Gorgonzola Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

 

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Gorgonzola Cheese
• Pistachio nuts, finely chopped

 

To prep, wash cherry tomatoes, slice and remove the top, and scoop and remove all seeds.  Crumble the gorgonzola cheese, and finely chop shelled pistachio nuts.  Stuff each cherry tomato with crumbled gorgonzola cheese and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts.   Serve on tiny plates, or serve on a tray as an appetizer assortment.

 

On the 4^th Day of Christmas…

With New Year’s Eve around the corner, we’re celebrating appetizers for a couple of days.  The next couple of apps are easy to prepare, gluten-free, and delish!

Stuffed Dates

Stuffed Dates with Goat Cheese

 

• Dried, pitted, dates
• Goat Cheese, at room temperature
• Balsamic Glaze (read the label for assurance of gluten-free options) 

Slice the top (length) of each individual date to allow for stuffing.  Stuff soft goat cheese into each date, arrange on a plate, and drizzle with a balsamic glaze.  Serve.

*Note:  Balsamic glaze may be found in most grocery store chains or gourmet stores.  A sprinkling of balsamic vinegar may be substituted.

On the third day of Christmas…  

Thinking up some appetizers for New Year’s Eve?  Try our Spinach Balls.  We served them on Christmas Eve, and switched them up for our gluten-free friends.  The recipe is taken from “MaMa Mia Cucina”, substituting bread for gluten-free bread.  A healthier fat may also be substituted, such as Earth Balance.

Spinach Balls 

1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 beaten eggs

3/4 cup melted butter

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup day-old bread cubes, crumbled  (or gluten-free bread cubes, crumbled)

Combine ingredients and chill for at least 1/2 hour.  Form into balls and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Serve warm, or at room temperature 

Great for parties, and can be prepared ahead of time.

ENJOY!

On the 11th Day of Christmas, enjoy the gift of  “Soup”.  My chicken vegetable tortellini soup recipe as written for the 2012 January/February editions of The Chester County Women’s Journal.  Nourish yourself, nourish others, share in a meal, and enjoy the warmth from the inside out.  Feel the comfort.

Chicken Vegetable Tortellini Soup 

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 whole organic chicken breast or 2 split breasts

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, sliced

1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped

5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 cups fresh spinach, washed and drained

½ cup freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

1 gallon fresh filtered water

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups of cannellini beans (fresh-cooked and drained, or canned and drained)

1 pound of fresh tortellini, cooked and drained

Grated Romano Cheese for serving (optional) 

In a large stockpot, add olive oil, chopped carrot, onion, celery and garlic.  Sauté soup on medium-low heat until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add chicken, salt, spinach and water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to low heat and cover with a lid.  Simmer for approximately 4 hours.  

Meanwhile, cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente.  Drain and set aside. 

Remove chicken from stockpot, cool slightly and shred.  Add the shredded chicken, beans and tortellini to the stockpot.  Ladle soup and serve with grated Romano cheese. 

GF Options:  For those with gluten allergies or intolerances, replace the tortellini with quinoa, gluten-free pasta, or rice.

 
“I tried the chicken vegetable tortellini soup recipe. What a perfect meal for the day when everyone starts to arrive home for the holidays and you’re not quite sure what time how many people will get in.  Yum – that one’s a keeper!  Thanks. Merry Christmas to you and yours, too! “

~ Carol Metzker

Today, December 26, 2011, marks the beginning of the traditional 12 Days of Christmas, and continues through January 6, in celebration of the Epiphany.  The Epiphany is otherwise known as ’The Little Christmas’, and the day the Wise Men followed the ‘star’, and arrived, bearing gifts to the newborn baby Jesus.   

As we celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, continue in the celebration in visiting family, friends, neighbors and community centers.  Bring food…share…and brighten anothers’ day.

In our Italian home, Baccala was prepared on Christmas Eve for dinner in celebration of ‘The Vigilia’.  I fondly remember my grandfather enjoying the leftovers of the many fishes. 

By request, I am including my grandmother’s recipe for Baccala as captured in “MaMa Mia Cucina”.  For more information regarding “The Feast of the 7 Fishes” tradition, please click HERE to read my former blog post.

Wishing you all a Merry 12 Days of Christmas! 

Baccala  (dried Codfish) 

1 pound of baccala

1 cup of flour

2 eggs, well beaten

ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup of canola or vegetable oil for frying

 

Find a tub large enough to soak the codfish in water for three (3) days, changing the cold  water 2 to 3 times each day.  After the third day, wash the fish well, removing remaining salt.  Pat dry with paper towels, dredge each piece in flour, and then dip in beaten egg (add ground pepper to the egg), and fry in hot oil on each side until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Place on a serving dish and serve with fresh lemon wedges. 

This is Christmas fish!  It was always served on our holiday table for the Vigilia.

A note of gratitude for each of you, and to each of you who joined me on October 20, 2011 at Bloomingdale’s in King of Prussia for the official book launch of the new revised edition of “MaMa Mia Cucina”.  The Cooking Demonstration Menu included ‘Noni’s Spaghetti Sauce’ (or Tomato Gravy as they say here in Philly) – the traditional aroma that called to me each Sunday morning in preparation for Sunday dinner.

A special note of thanks to my friends at Bloomingdale’s in King of Prussia for hosting our event, and to my friend, Christina Pirello, of the Emmy-Award Winning PBS Series, ‘Christina Cooks’, who graciously joined me in the book launch event, as she delivered the introduction.  Also a note of thanks to Pam Hessler of Pam Hessler Photography for the photography, and to Ken Middleton and Tanya Stroh of Middleton/Stroh Communications for the video.

For those who were not able to attend, I invite you to watch it on YouTube:

 

Sausage Stuffing for Turkey
Ripieno di Salsiccia per Tacchino

1 pound of sweet sausage (without skin)
1 stick of butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small carrot, diced
1 tablespoon dried thyme, or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage, or 2 teaspoons fresh sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons of fresh-chopped parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
15 oz bag of unseasoned bread cubes
1-1/2 cups homemade or canned chicken stock

In a skillet, crumble sausage and cook well.  Drain fat and set aside.  In a skillet, sauté́́e butter, onion, celery, mushrooms, and carrots until tender.  In a large bowl, add vegetables, seasonings and cooked sausage, bread cubes and chicken broth.  Combine well.  Reserve 4 cups to stuff a 14-18 pound turkey.  Place remaining stuffing in a buttered casserole pan.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I remember Thanksgiving being more about the stuffing than about the turkey!  This is our traditional family favorite ~ I hope you enjoy it.

NOTES:
Vegetarian Options:  Omit the sausage.  Great vegetarian options would be to stuff portabella mushrooms or a squash of your choice.  Bake.

Gluten-free Options:  Substitute gluten-free bread for traditional.  Also, if you purchase chicken stock, read the labels to ensure the ingredients are gluten-free.

With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, do you have a friend or family member that may enjoy a gluten-free dessert?

Our Favorite Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie

¼ cup sugar
½ cup sweet rice flour, quinoa flour (or gluten-free baking mix)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoons alt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1-13oz can evaporated milk
2 eggs
1-16 oz can pumpkin
1-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream for serving (Optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9-1/2 inch pie plate.  Beat all ingredients until smooth – 1 minute in a blender on high, or 2 minutes with a hand mixer.  Pour into the prepared pie plate.  Bake for 50-55 minutes until custard is set and knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.  Cool and refrigerate.  Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Note:  For dairy-free options, replace the evaporated milk with almond milk; replace the whipped cream for a dairy-free topping or dairy-free ice cream.