Recipe to Reality: Tuscan Bean Soup

Well, New York has truly said its farewells to summer and has welcomed autumn with open arms.

The leaves in the Hudson Valley are truly a stunning sight at this time of year.

Golden yellow, crisp orange, and deep reds are all around.

With these gorgeous leaves comes cool weather which makes it the perfect time for soups and stews.

Here's another delicious soup to add to your collection.

This recipe is adapted from Emeril Lagasse and was found through Food Network Online.

Serves 8
Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Here's What You'll Need!

• 1 14 oz. can dark red kidney beans
• 1 14 oz. can cannellini beans
• 1 14 oz. can chickpeas
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1 8 oz. container of diced pancetta
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large potatoes, cut into chunks
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used ones with garlic and oregano too)
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lb. elbow pasta
• 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
• Parmesan cheese for serving

Looks like a ton of ingredients, but so easy to make and so flavorful!

Put it All Together!

1. In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and the pancetta to render the fat. Cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. 

1. Saute the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and potatoes for about 3-4 minutes or until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

1. Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, chickpeas, and cannellini beans along with the chicken stock.
2. Add the herbs-rosemary, thyme, Italian seasonings, bayleaf, red pepper flakes, as well as more salt and pepper. 
3. Cook for 15-20 minutes (until potatoes are tender) and then add the handfuls of spinach and allow to wilt. (If you want, add some elbow pasta in about 8 minutes before soup is done)
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread and get ready to warm yourself up from the inside out.

I am a huge fan of very hearty soups, so if you like your soup with more broth just add less of everything I added!

Looking forward to more soups and stews as fall leads us to winter :)

Stay Savory,

Recipe to Reality: Tortellini with Pancetta & Peas

My husband lovingly refers to me as a "Pastatute".

Now, I know what you're thinking! Put it out of your mind!

The nickname refers to the fact that I love pasta more than any other dish out there!

Whenever I am asked the question: "If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?" My answer is always: pasta.

It is incredibly versatile and can be the foundation for a myriad of flavors.

Also, my mom's pasta with meat sauce is unbelievable! Even though it's slightly morbid, every time I have her pasta I can't help think that it is the meal I'd want to eat before I die.

So, that sums up my feelings about pasta.

You may be thinking, "Well, I don't see that many pasta recipes on her blog!" That's because I try not to make it that often, because of course, it's full of carbs!

But this tortellini recipe was too good to not share ^_^

I found the recipe from the Food Network Magazine.

Here's What You'll Need!

• Salt
• 1 lb. cheese tortellini
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 4 oz. chopped pancetta (Basically Italian bacon. Sometimes you can find at butcher counter. Boar's Head also sells pre-cut pancetta cubes which is what I used)
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 tbs. tomato paste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Put it all Together!

1) Boil a pot of salted water, big enough to hold the pound of tortellini and cook according to directions.

2) While you are waiting for water to boil, start making the sauce. Add olive oil and pancetta to a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Allow pancetta to crisp up, about 3-4 minutes.

3) Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and let the flavors meld together, for about a minute or two.

4) Take a cup of the pasta water and add that to the pancetta, garlic, and tomato paste and allow to reduce by half (about 3-4 minutes)

5) Add the heavy cream and frozen peas and reduce heat to simmer. Allow sauce to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.

6) Drain your tortellini when they are done cooking, and combine with the sauce. Stir to coat, season with fresh parsley and Parm! 

This recipe is quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious! A perfect weeknight meal!

Stay Savory,

Recipe to Reality: Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu

 Between all the season premieres (anyone watch How I Met Your Mother last night?!) and paper grading I've been doing, I haven't had much time to post! I'm still cooking, but have a queue of recipes that are just waiting to be discussed!

This Inside Out Chicken Cordon Bleu from the Food Network Magazine had all of the flavors associated with the traditional dish, without the extra carbs of breading. The nutty gruyere cheese paired with the sweet black forest ham really put this chicken on a pedestal!

Serves 4
Total Time: 35 mins

Here's what You'll Need!

• 3 tbs. fig jam
• 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 package thinly sliced chicken breasts
• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• 1/4 lb. black forest ham
• 5 tbs. olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tbs. red wine vinegar
• 4 stalks of broccoli

Put it All Together!

1) Mix the jam, thyme, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.

2). Trim your chicken breasts and paint each breast with some of the fig jam mixture. You should only have used half the jam mixture after painting each breast.

3) Next, place a handful of the gruyere cheese on top of each breast.

4) Wrap a slice or two of ham around the chicken and cheese.

5) Heat 2 tbs. of olive oil over medium high heat in a medium sized nonstick skillet. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Then flip the chicken and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.

6) Cut broccoli florets off the stalks and blanch in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and rise with cold water to stop the cooking process. Mix the leftover jam with the shallot and vinegar and drizzle on chicken and broccoli.

Enjoy a healthy (but fancy!) weeknight meal at home!

Stay Savory,

Recipe to Reality: Hearty Meatball Stew

There's nothing I love more than fall for a number of reasons.

1) Cooler weather! This means I can start pulling out my sweaters, scarves, and leggings!

2) Pumpkin everything! Need I say more?

3) Soups and Stews galore!

Although my husband is not the biggest soup/stew fan, I find it very comforting to make one pot meals that taste great the day of and even better the day after.

This week I decided to make Giada DeLaurentiis' Hearty Meatball Stew, which I have made once before, but this time I made my own meatballs from scratch for the first time and they came out delicious!

Here's What You'll Need! (Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis' Hearty Meatball Stew)

For Meatballs:

• 1 slice of potato bread, torn into pieces
• 1 lb ground meatloaf mix (beef, pork, & veal)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

For Stew:

• 1 tbs. flour
• 4 tbs. olive oil
• 1 small red onion sliced, about 1 cup
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 2 small red potatoes, cut into pieces
• 1 cup frozen green beans, cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (I used the one with garlic, basil, and oregano)
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine

Put it All Together!

1) Put the torn bread and 3 tbs. of the water into a big bowl and use a spoon to mash the bread to a thick paste. Add your ground meat, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and use your hands to thoroughly combine ingredients. Form the meat mixture into about 14-16 meatballs and store on tin foil until ready to use them.

2) Sprinkle the meatballs with flour, and roll them around to try and coat as much as possible.

3) Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat for one minute. Then add 2 tbs. of olive oil to your pot.

4) Drop the meatballs into the pot trying to space them a little bit apart.Cook for two minutes until the bottoms and browned, and then rotate the meatballs cooking for another 2 minutes. Continue until all sides are browned and you can't see any more pink. Then remove meatballs from pot and reserve on a plate.

5) Heat another 2 tbs. in the pot and add the onions, peppers, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. 

6) Then add potatoes, beans, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth. Return meatballs to the stew and bring the stew up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until meatballs are cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. 

I decided to serve my stew in a sourdough bread bowl from Panera instead of over rice, but feel free to be creative with your serving style!

A perfect dish for the incoming autumn weather!

Stay Savory,

Sweet and Savory Originals: Strawberry Lemonade Pops

Good morning sweethearts! Today I'm introducing our new series Sweet and Savory Originals! Unlike Recipe to Reality, in this series we will be sharing delectable treats as well as meals that have came straight out of our heads and onto your plate! Today's sweet and tangy creations are strawberry lemonade pops! Inspired by McCafe's citrusy Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, these shivery delights are sure become a staple at family BBQ's. Plus, they take only TWO ingredients to make and some simple materials you can find just about anywhere for pennies!

You will need:

Strawberries (the amount depends on the size of the ice pop mold you have on hand)

Lemonade (as much as will fill the mold)

Ice pop mold

Knife

Cutting Board

Ready to go!

I purchased my mold at Christmas Tree Shops

1: After the strawberries have been washed, start cutting into circles. The amount that you will cut depends on the size of your molds, but for my rectangular one it took about a strawberry per pop, or about four medium slices.
2: Place half of desired amount of strawberries into the molds.
3: Pour lemonade into the molds. This tangy citrus drink can be freshly squeezed or from a 'just add water' packet, depending on your personal preference.
4: Place the remaining strawberries into the ice pops. Note: when you poured in the lemonade you may have notices your first strawberries floated
to the top. Now is the time to place all strawberries how you would like them as they probably will not float all over the place- this is because of the volume of strawberries in the mold.

 5: Place molds in freezer overnight or for about 12 hours.For an explanation on taking them out of their molds to be enjoyed please watch the video below.

And wa-la! These delectable frozen treats were super simple and easy to make- and they're versatile too! Enjoy them for breakfast, an after workout snack, or as a healthy dessert! The flavor of the lemonade is definitely there as well as a hint of strawberry. These ice pops are no doubt visually appealing as well-because the lemonade is translucent, it is easy to see the strawberry slices throughout. This tasty snack looks like it could have came out of Food Network Magazine! It is also perfect for any girly girl as well. The fruits emitted a red juice, turning the lemonade pink!

Stay sweet, Candee