How Can Risotto Be Dirty?

When it's speckled full of sausage, red peppers, onions and mushrooms, that's how!


Giada DeLaurentiis' recipe for Dirty Risotto was my first attempt at making risotto a little over a year ago. Needless to say, I fell in love.

Risotto is not a quick dish and it is one that requires a good deal of patience, attention and a little bit of arm muscle! In order to prepare the dish perfectly, a small amount of chicken broth is added to the rice mixture and stirred constantly until it is almost completely absorbed. Repeat. Repeat. Keep repeating until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice. The result is tender, creamy goodness. You won't be disappointed!

Dirty Risotto
(Source: Giada DeLaurentiis)

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 oz pancetta, chopped (I omitted this and just used extra sausage)
6 oz Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 oz button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

Chicken Spinach Parmesan

Nick was reading his latest issue of Men's Health when he came across this recipe and asked me to make it one night. It seemed like an easy enough recipe with ingredients we always have on hand, so when we were trying to decide what to have tonight I figured this would easy to whip up. This was a very easy meal to make and incredibly tasty. I used sauce that I had in the freezer and served the meal over whole wheat penne pasta. A great healthy alternative to traditional chicken parmesan!

The adaptation below includes changes I made to amounts because the Men's Health recipe was only for a serving of one. (Usually I will eat one chicken breast and Nick eats two.)


Chicken Spinach Parmesan
(Adapted from: Men's Health, September 2007 Issue)

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup marinara sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
1 6-oz. bag baby spinach

1) Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

2) Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, pressing lightly so the crumbs stick.

3) Saute garlic in the olive oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side, until browned.

4) Top chicken with warmed marinara sauce. Add spinach to the pan a little at a time, turning with tongs, until wilted (about 6 minutes).

Itsy Bitsy, Teenie Weenie...

Meatloaves!

(sorry for the dark pics tonight)

A classic American dish with more varieties than Heinz 57 (yes, a shameless plug for my hometown!). These individual-sized meatloaves cooked up significantly faster than a large traditional meatloaf and the seasoning mix made them taste like huge meatballs! An additional benefit is having leftovers ready to go and not needing to be sliced up.

I served these with garlic mashed potatoes - the recipe is also posted below.

Teeny Tiny Italian Meatloaves
(adapted from Amber's Delectable Delights)

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1/4 onion, grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Gently mix 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce with the remaining ingredients.

3) Divide into four equal portions and form into desired shape. Place onto greased baking pan.

4) Smother each loaf with remaining spaghetti sauce and top with extra mozzarella cheese.

5) Bake for 40-50 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(source: Sugar & Spice)

4 medium sized red potatoes (about 3.5 cups cubed), scrubbed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

1) Cube potatoes and place in pot with peeled garlic cloves. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes; drain.

2) Place in a bowl with remaining ingredients and mash or beat with electric mixer.

Continuing the Mediterranean Tour...

Tonight was a stop in Italy. Although stuffed peppers are not an inherently Italian dish (sshhh, don't tell my Grandma!), this version certainly tasted like it was straight from the old country! The addition of the parmesan cheese and using spaghetti sauce versus plain tomato sauce made all the difference. This is my new official stuffed pepper recipe!


Italian Stuffed Peppers (adapted from Lunch with Lynn)

4 large bell peppers
1 cup cooked rice
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce (I used homemade that I had in the freezer)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Cut the tops off of peppers and clean out seeds and membranes. Place in baking dish that has a small amount of water on the bottom (it will keep the peppers from sticking and keep them moist).

3. Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic, crumbling the meat. Season with salt, pepper and a couple of dashes of Italian seasoning. Drain beef mixture.

4. Mix beef mixture, rice, parmesan cheese and almost all of spaghetti sauce in a bowl. Stuff an equal amount of filling into each pepper. Top with a spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on each pepper.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

**What I Would Do Differently**
The peppers were still pretty raw when they came out of the oven, so next time I would boil them quickly to get them started before stuffing them and baking them.

Polenta & Meatballs

Nope, not spaghetti and meatballs! I had never tackled polenta, but my grandma makes it often and Nick really likes it so I thought tonight I would give it a shot. My grandma serves hers a million different ways - with sauce, with bacon and sausage, cut and fried, etc. I decided for my first attempt I would go the easy route and just make it mushy with meatballs and sauce. It turned out great! I think next time I am going to try baking it with some sort of meat and vegetables... stay tuned!


To make the polenta, I followed the directions on the back of the Quaker Corn Meal canister:

4 cups water
1 cup corn meal
1 tsp. salt

Boil 3 cups of the water (I added chicken bouillon here to create a chicken broth). In a separate bowl mix 1 cup of water, corn meal and salt. Slowly add corn meal mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Once the mixture begins to thicken, turn the heat to low, cover and let cook for 5 minutes.

Nick's Grade: A!

~Below are recipes for my meatballs and sauce~


Chelle's Meatball Recipe

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 slice bread
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Soak the slice of bread in the milk until mushy and falling apart. Shred the bread and add milk and shredded bread to remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and form into balls. I usually get approximately 20 meatballs out of this recipe.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

If I am also making sauce, I will slightly under cook them and then add them to my sauce to finish cooking in there.

My sauce recipe can be found here.

Calzone Wanna-Be

On the nights that Nick goes to the gym he usually just wants a protein shake and some type of carb (couscous, pasta, etc.) when he gets home, so I never plan on making meals on those evenings. Well, tonight I decided that these nights are perfect for trying things that I like that I know Nick won't eat. And so tonight...

The poser calzone ;-)

I have never made a calzone before and I figured before I went experimenting with precious pizza dough I would try my hand at it with some crescent rolls first. These were really good and I can't wait to try them out with even more fillings and I think I just might progress to pizza dough ;-) This filling was inspired by a sandwich I always used to get at Quaker Steak & Lube that has grilled chicken, mushrooms, onions and mozzarella cheese. Yum! Oh Pittsburgh, how I miss thee!!


Chicken, Mushroom & Onion Calzone

2 chicken breast halves, boiled and shredded
Mushrooms, sliced - about a handful
Onion, sliced - about 4 or 5 half-onion slices
Mozzarella cheese - a couple handfuls
Crescent roll dough - 1 tube (I used reduced fat)

Saute mushrooms and onions in about 1 Tbsp. of butter. Remove from heat and combine with chicken and cheese. Break the crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles, press seams together and press out to about 5x6 rectangles. Add an equal amount of the filling to each rectangle and then fold over and seal shut.

For two of mine I brushed with egg and rolled in Italian-style bread crumbs. I thought this added to the flavor because I pretty much suck at seasoning and always forget to do so ;-)

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

I ate two of these for dinner... at 90 calories each for a crescent roll and using boiled chicken and veggies and just a little cheese, this is a pretty low fat meal as well!

6 Years and Tiramisu

Yesterday marked the 6-year anniversary of Nick's and my first date. For anyone who cares, our first date consisted of going to play miniature golf at Wildwood, dinner at The Clubhouse, and then back to my house to watch Gone in 60 Seconds. Last night we celebrated the occasion by having dinner at Outback Steakhouse and coming back home for dessert and to watch The Prestige.

The happy couple, now married... 6 years later...


And now, for the REAL reason you are actually reading this blog... you were hoping there was something about tiramisu in here! I had never attempted it before but have been wanting to for a long time, and thought that it would be a perfect dessert to top off our celebratory dinner. Nick really liked it, but I was very disappointed with how it turned out.

I judged my tiramisu by the standard that I love - the desserts served at The Olive Garden and Bravo! restaurants. Each of their tiramisu desserts absolutely melts in my mouth and I was hoping to achieve that same result. Unfortunately I did not do a good enough job at soaking the lady fingers - the recipe specifically said to just dab the bottom in the coffee/liquor mixture, so that is what I did. However, this definitely did not soak them and they were still a little "solid" when we ate it. Also, the custard mixture just tasted WAY too cheesy and dense for me - not light and airy like I was hoping.

I am posting the recipe below and would love for any feedback or suggestions if you have made a successful tiramisu before, because I really want to try to perfect it. I AM Italian, after all ;-)


Olive Garden Tiramisu (adapted from International Recipes)

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups mascarpone cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
20 to 24 lady fingers
1/4 cup cold espresso
1/4 cup Kahlua coffee liquor
2 tsp. cocoa powder

1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat so water is simmering. Whisk egg yolks, milk and sugar together in a medium metal bowl, then place the bowl on top of the saucepan. Stir the mixture often for 10 minutes. After the sugar dissolves the mixture should begin to thicken and turn light yellow. Remove it from the heat to cool.

2. Use an electric mixer to combine mascarpone, cream cheese and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix until mostly creamy, but with a few small chunks remaining.

3. Add egg yolk mixture to the cheese mixture and mix just until well-combined.

4. Combine espresso and Kahlua in a small bowl. Pour this mixture into a shallow plate or pan. One-by-one touch the bottom of each lady finger in the espresso mixture. The lady finger will quickly soak up the espresso/Kahlua mixture, but you don't want the entire lady finger soaked - just a dab will do. The top half of each lady finger should still be dry. Arrange the soaked lady fingers side-by-side on the bottom of an 8x8 pan.

5. Spoon half of cheese mixture over the lady fingers, then add another layer of soaked lady fingers on top of the cheese mixture.

6. Spoon the remaining cheese mixture over the second layer of lady fingers and spread it evenly.

7. Put 2 tsp. of cocoa powder is a sifter or tight-mesh strainer and gently tap the side to add an even dusting of cocoa powder over the top of the dessert.

8. Cover and chill for several hours.

Yield = 9 servings.

Nick's Grade: B
Nick's Comments: If the lady fingers had been soaked the whole way through this would be an A+. The flavor is great.

Unfortunately, I didn't like the flavor as much ;-)

UPDATE!! I took the tiramisu out of the fridge around 5pm which was about 24 hours since I originally made it, and the lady fingers were perfectly soft. So that might solve my lady finger problem (let it sit overnight) but the tiramisu overall was still too cheesy-tasting for me!

Mangia on Pizza!

My good friend Kayte gave me a recipe for homemade pizza dough and I finally got around to making it last night. Thursday nights always feel like the cusp of the weekend and I love eating casual, yummy foods on those nights.

This recipe was amazingly simple and really easy to put together! I did roll the dough but it came out too thin in the center and too thick on the outside. Kayte said that when she worked the dough with her fists she got better results, so I will definitely do that next time. Other than that, this tasted like real, authentic pizza dough! Oh, and I did pre-bake the crust (7-10 minutes) before adding the toppings and it made it nice and cripsy!

I got two large-size crusts out of this recipe.

I have also included my recipe for pizza sauce below!

(I apologize for the string of crappy pictures - I don't know why they have been sub par lately!)


Homemade Pizza Dough

2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1-1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F / 45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit 10 minutes.

2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2-1/2 cups of the flour.

3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until doubled in size; approximately 1 hour. Punch down the dough and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax a little before rolling out.

4. I cut the dough in half at this point - half the recipe was more than enough for one large-size pizza. I shaped the second half into a tight disc, wrapped in Glad Press n' Seal, placed in a ziploc freezer bag and froze for another use.

5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise 15-20 minutes before topping and baking it.

6. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Source: Nestie KayteandRob


Pizza Sauce

**This recipe yields enough sauce for two large pizzas.

15 oz. tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients.

Baked Pasta

I had never made a baked pasta dish before this weekend, but I thought it was something that my Italian in-laws would love, so I decided to give it a shot. I looked through tons and tons of recipes before deciding to make up my own. I also used a new recipe for sauce that I made by combining my favorite parts of different recipes. I definitely think this will be my new sauce recipe! I added the recipe for the sauce at the bottom of this post.


Baked Ziti

1 pound tube shaped pasta (I used mostaccioli because we had it in the pantry)
3 cups spaghetti sauce (my recipe is below)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, cut into chunks and cooked
1 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
8 oz. mozzarella, diced
Shredded mozzarella

1. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and put into a large bowl.

2. Toss pasta with 3 cups sauce, sausage, 1/2 cup Romano cheese, and diced mozzarella.

3. Pour into 13x9 glass baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup Romano cheese and handful of shredded mozzarella sprinkled on top.

4. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake additional 15 minutes until sauce and cheese are bubbling.


Spaghetti Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
2.5 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
1.5 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 bay leaves, whole

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is tender.

2. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil, water, salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaves.

3. Stir and bring to a boil. Stir and lower heat to a slow simmer. Cook 3-4 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Nick's Birthday Dinner: A Recap

I'm still updating from the weekend! On Saturday I had Nick's parents and his brother over for dinner to celebrate his birthday (which actually occurs during the lost moment in time between February 28th and March 1st - yep, a Leap Year baby!!). After wrangling with ideas for dinner, I decided to go with a tried and true favorite. I have made Giada's Dirty Risotto countless times and it has always been met with rave reviews. I served it simply Italian style - with a loaf of crusty bread and a romaine salad.

Risotto is a traditional Italian dish made with a short grain rice, usually referred to as arborio rice. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. It originated in North Italy, specifically Eastern Piedmont, Western Lombardy, and Veneto where rice paddies are abundant. It is one of the pillars of Milanese cuisine. When risotto is cooked, the rice is first cooked briefly in butter or olive oil until briefly coated and the rice starts to turn translucent, before the broth is added.

Patience is the name of the game when it comes to cooking risotto! You can only add about a ladle of broth at a time and must contstantly stir the rice mixture until the broth is almost completely absorbed before adding more. It takes some time, but the result is more than worth it!!

Unfortunately in the midst of getting dinner prepared I forgot to take a picture of the dish, but the recipe is below. If you like risotto, or want to try something new, I highly recommend this recipe!

Dirty Risotto

Ingredients:
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 T. butter
2 oz. pancetta, chopped
6 oz. Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 oz. button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. Arborio rice
3/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms and saute until tender,s craping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering brother and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bit and the mixture is creamy, about 25-30 minutes total.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 of the parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining parmesan and serve immediately.

Source: Giada DeLaurentiis - The Food Network

THE CAKE!!!

Nick's favorite type of cake is yellow batter with chocolate, surgar-rich frosting. In years past I have always just bought box cake mix and a can of frosting. Since I am on my new cooking kick I decided that this year it HAD to be made from scratch! It definitely took a lot of time, but I think it turned out really well. The cake came out in more of a sponge cake texture than a fluffy yellow cake, but it had great flavor and the icing was perfect! I topped the cake with some dark chocolate shavings. Below are a couple of pictures and the recipes that I used.



Four-Egg Yellow Cake
Three 8- or 9-inch round layers

This is a slightly modernized version of the old 1-2-3-4 Cake.

2 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla OR 1 tsp vanilla + 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8x2-inch or 9x2-inch round cake pans or line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper.

1. Whisk together thoroughly in a bowl: sifted cake flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Combine in another bowl or in a liquid measure cup: milk and vanilla extract.

3. Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat on high speed until light, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in one egg yolk at a time. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 parts, beating until smooth.

4. Using clean beateres, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating on high speed. Beat until the peaks are stiff but not dry. Use a rubber spatula to fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Divide the batter among the pans and spread evenly.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.

Source: Joy of Cooking cookbook


Chocolate Buttercream Icing

YIELD: 3 cups

Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (I used butter flavored Crisco)
1/2 cup butter or margarine (I used butter)
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
3-4 T. milk
Light corn syrup**

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

**Add 3-4 T. light corn syrup per recipe to thin for icing cake.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use.

Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Source: Wilton

Snowed In... with a version of Chicken Marsala

Today is our first big snow of the season and the first one in our new house. It feels pretty cozy all hunkered down here! I decided to make a modified version of one of the most popular Italian dishes around - Chicken Marsala. Since Nick doesn't care much for the wine taste I modified it with a little butter and chicken broth.

***In order to make the actual Marsala dish, simply replace the first 1/2 cup of chicken broth with Marsala wine and you'll have the traditional recipe!***

I served it with brown rice and steamed veggies. Enjoy! :)


Chicken Marsala - without the Marsala!

1 lb chicken cutlets (I buy the Purdue Thin cuts)
Flour
Salt & pepper
3 T. butter, divided
1 T. olive oil
1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/4 c. chicken broth, divided

Season cutlets with salt & pepper. In a large, heavy skillet or saute pan, melt 1 T. butter and 1 T. of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Dredge the cutlet in the flour, shaking off the excess, and add the cutlets to the pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt 1 more T. of butter, then add the shallot and garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, season with salt & papper, and saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and sprinkle ~1 T. of flour and mix into sauce to thicken. Simmer for approximately 2 minutes. Add another 3/4 cup of chicken broth and simmer for 4 minutes.

Add an additional 1 T. of butter to the sauce, as well as ~1 tsp. of flour, mixing quickly to incorporate the flour. Return the chicken cutlets to the sauce and turn to coat them. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Italian Wedding Soup

Wedding soup is definitely an Italian tradition that both Nick and I grew up with. The last time I tried to make the soup it came out lacking some flavor and a little watery. I played with some recipes and came up with what's below, and it's amazing! SO tasty and hearty - we loved it!

Note: This recipe makes a very thick and hearty soup. If you prefer a broth-ier soup, add an additional can or two of chicken broth.


Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, grated
4 T. grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
2 T. bread crumbs
1 tsp. dried basil
1.5 tsp. dried parsley
2 egg whites

Combine all ingredients and shape into small (1/2") meatballs. I refrigerated mine for a few hours and it helped to set the shape so they didn't fall apart in the soup.

Shredded chicken:
Place 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into a stockpot and cover well with water. Bring to a boil and boil until completely cooked. Shred chicken and set aside. Empty water from stockpot.

Soup:
2 T. butter
1 small onion, diced
1/2 c. sliced carrots (approximately 2 carrots)
1/2 c. sliced celery (approximately 2 stalks)
1 clove minced garlic
12 c. chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
3/4 c. acini di pepi or other small pasta (I used orzo because we had it in the house)
8 oz. fresh spinach

Melt butter in stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, and cook until veggies are tender, but not too soft.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drop in meatballs and cook about 7 minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Add spinach and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in shredded chicken. Cover again and allow to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. You can eat as soon as the chicken is re-heated, but allowing it to simmer for a little longer allows all the new flavors to meld together.

We enjoy eating the soup with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese sprinkled on top.

Source: Mixture of MrsWindyCity (from The Nest What's for Dinner board) & my mom's recipe