Tag: easy recipe


Apr
2015

Ham Vegetable Bean Soup!

categories: Dinner, Healthy Living, Recipes, Soup

Easy to make and a great way to use up left over ham, this ham and bean soup is filled with vegetables and chunks of sweet ham. Use your favorite beans! Not a bean fan? You can leave them out and have a hearty ham and veggie soup. The addition of chili powder, cumin, and a squeeze of Sriracha gives the soup a little kick!

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When I make a ham we always have TONS of leftovers. I save the bone to make this soup, but it would be just as tasty with just leftover diced ham. Don’t worry if you don’t have the bone! The addition of more chicken or vegetable stock would make up for the missing bone broth.

Homemade soups are easy to freeze and easy to thaw! Perfect for dinner in a pinch!

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Ham Vegetable Bean Soup
(Makes a lot!)

Ingredients:
1 meaty Ham bone
1-1/2 cups ham diced into bite size pieces
1 cup celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 vegetable broth bullion cube and 4 cups of water
1 14.5oz. Chicken stock
1 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 16oz. bag 10 bean dry beans, pre-soaked or 3 cans of your favorite beans – kidney beans, canellini beans, pinto beans, etc.
Drained.
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Chili powder
1/2 tbsp. Cumin
Squeeze Sriracha to taste
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat olive oil on low in the bottom of a large stock pot.

Add garlic and cook until golden and softened – a few minutes.

Add vegetable bullion cube, chicken stock, and water.

Mix well until cube is completely dissolved.

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Add the ham bone, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.

Cook for one hour on medium high heat.

Add diced ham, onions, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, and beans.

Cook an additional 2 hours.

Remove the ham bone. Scrape off any additional chunks of ham.

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Serve as a meal or as a yummy starter!

Enjoy!
Ciao!


Jul
2014

Kale Ricotta Ravioli Recipe And Homemade Ravioli Tips!

categories: Dinner, Healthy Living, Homemade Italian, Recipes

Eggs plus flour plus water equals homemade pasta! Surprised? The ingredients are extremely basic. The process takes practice, and a whole lotta patience!

Ravioli ... A little pocket of a surprise taste explosion. I love creating different flavor combinations!
Ravioli … Little pockets of taste explosion! I love creating different flavor combinations!

I am very “old school,” so everyone says, and old school ravioli making involves a hard surface, eggs-flour-water, a hand crank pasta machine, some filling, a knife, and a fork. I do not use pasta making KitchenAid attachments or ravioli cutters. I’m so fancy. Ha!

One big beautiful dough ball!
One big beautiful dough ball!

Kale Ricotta Ravioli
Makes approx. 3 dozen 3″X 3″ ravioli

Ravioli Ingredients:
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 cup water
Extra flour for surface.

Filling:
2 cups ricotta
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup kale, finely chopped

Fun Fact: One is Raviolo and the plural is Ravioli.
Fun Fact: One is a Raviolo and the plural is Ravioli.

Directions:

Clean your work surface. If it is porous, cover it with waxed paper.

Wash your hands!

Crack the eggs on top of the flour pile and mix with your hands using a squeezing molding motion.

Add water 1 tbsp. at a time and continue kneading until a dough ball forms.

If the dough is sticky, add 1 -2 tbsp. flour. If the dough is dry and cracked looking, add water 1-2 tbsp. at a time.
This is the trickiest part. I always keep a pile of flour and a a little bowl of water right on the work surface. So many external factors are involved with dough making including humidity and air temperature.

When you feel that the dough ball is malleable and well mixed, break off a handful of dough and flatten it into an oval.

Sprinkle some flour on the pasta machine and work surface.

Starting at #1 setting, feed the dough through the machine while turning the crank in one fluid motion. Repeat at #3 and finish on #6.
(I have the craziest pasta machine ever! The numbers are backwards, so I start with #7. Took me minute to figure it out!)

Trim the ends to leave a rectangle shape. That way the ravioli will be square.
Trim the ends to leave a rectangle shape. That way the ravioli will be square.

Place 1 tbsp. of filling on the dough approx. 1 inch apart.

A skinny rectangle and filling closer together will make smaller ravioli. See photo!
A skinny rectangle and placing the filling closer together will make smaller ravioli. See photo!

Fold the dough over and press finger between filling.

My assistant Bella helped me! See here how to space the spoons of filling.
My assistant Bella helped me! I assisted my grandparents in making thousands of dozens of ravioli. I remember the feel of the dough between my fingers, the smell of the dough, the smell of my grandparents, and the sputter of the pot of sauce cooking in the background. I knew with absolute certainty the taste and the bite of a perfectly cooked raviolo. I teach my kids and through repetition it will become easy for them. I hope they will make ravioli for and with their families, as I do, from the heart.

Cut with a knife into squares.

Press and seal the raviolo’s edges with a fork.

Press hard so that the dough adheres and so that the ravioli wont lose their filling in the water!
Press hard so that the dough adheres and so that the ravioli won’t lose their filling in the water!

Add the ravioli to salted boiling water and remove with a slotted spoon when the ravioli are floating.

When they are floating, spoon them out with a slotted spoon and add the second batch to the water. I cook 12-20 at a time (depending on the pot) to ensure even cooking.
When they are floating, spoon them out with a slotted spoon and add the second batch to the water. I cook 12-20 at a time (depending on the pot) to ensure even cooking.

I made a quick SanMarzano pan sauce.

Enjoy! Always top with fresh grated Parmesan!
Enjoy! Always top with fresh grated Parmesan!

Ciao!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Apr
2014

Twofer Tuesday!! Quinoa Black Bean And Lentil Chili Turned Tostadas! Si, Señora!

categories: Crockpot, Dinner, Healthy Living, Recipes

Superfoods that taste super good?? Yes!  Incorporate quinoa as a substitute for meat, rice, and pasta to come up with your own fun new recipes!  Shhhh! They will never know!

Twofer Tuesday!!!  Two meals in one!

Quinoa Black Bean and Lentil Chili

Ingredients:

1 15.5oz.can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup lentils,washed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 35oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
4 carrots peeled, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked according to package. (2 cups water for 1 cup uncooked quinoa)
4 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. paprika
Salt/pepper

Red lentils! Add a splash of color to your meals!
Red lentils! Add a splash of color to your meals!

Directions:

Heat a frying pan on low/medium heat.
Add olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots and celery.

Don't burn your garlic! No brown! No snap crackle pop! If it burns throw it out and start over!
Don’t burn your garlic! No brown! No snap crackle pop! If it burns throw it out and start over!

Season with spices-chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Cook until the carrots begin to tenderize.
Add tomatoes, lentils and ingredients from pan to a stock pot.

Let lentils cook in tomatoes for a few minutes. Stir well.
Let lentils cook in tomatoes for a few minutes. Stir well.

Cook on low covered for 45 minutes.
Add cooked quinoa and heat through. (5-10 minutes)

The smell is amazing!! Spice it up with some red pepper flakes and hot sauce of you need a kick!
The smell is amazing!! Spice it up with some red pepper flakes and hot sauce if you need a kick!

Twofer Tuesday! This dish becomes your Mexican tostada base for another meal! Toast your tostada shells.  Heat your chili. Add toppings of your choice like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese and avocado!

Serve with Corn bread! Enjoy !
Ciao!


Apr
2014

Warm Apple Pie Oatmeal! A Special Treat For A Rainy Weekend Morning!

categories: Breakfast, Fun for Kids, Healthy Living, Recipes

Warm Apple Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients:
2 apples chopped with skin
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tbsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. sugar
1 pat of butter 1/8 inch thick to coat pan.
1 cup water
1 cup Quaker quick oats

Do you have one of these apple corer dividers? So easy to use!
Do you have one of these apple corer dividers? So easy to use!

$9.99 on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004OCKT/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Directions:

Put a frying pan on medium heat.
Coat pan with butter, it will melt.

Stir and coat apples well with the spices.
Stir and coat apples well with the spices.

Add apples and spices and cook for 10 minutes until apples soften.

This would also be delicious with pecans! I didn't have any this morning!
This would also be delicious with pecans! I didn’t have any this morning!

Add water and when it is simmering add oats.
Cook an additional 3-5 minutes!
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and serve!

Warm Apple Pie Oatmeal!!
Warm Apple Pie Oatmeal!!
My monkeys wanted theirs topped off with a squirt of whipped cream! Love them!
My monkeys wanted theirs topped off with a squirt of whipped cream! Love them!

Ciao!