Vegetable Chicken Pasta Soup

I usually make this when there are veggies in the house that need to get used. Although this variation is utilizing zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, swiss chard, spinach and celery, you could really use most green vegetables, and any type of shell or small variety pasta. Enjoy!

Vegetable Chicken Pasta Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock

1 pound skinless chicken breasts-diced

1 bunch (1 cup) roughly chopped Sweet Basil

1 Yellow Onion-diced

4-5 cloves Garlic-minced

6-7 stalks Celery-thinly sliced lengthwise then chopped


1 cup diced Carrots

2 Zucchini-diced

2 Tomatoes-diced (or you can use whole stewed canned) 12 oz.

2 cups dry pasta (Fusilli or shell)

2 cups fresh Baby Spinach or Swiss Chard

½ Teaspoon dried Red Pepper flakes

2 cubed Chicken Bouillon

½ teaspoon Thyme

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

Salt & Pepper or Nature’s seasoning to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic and basil in a few tablespoons of Olive oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. Add chicken, stir and cover. Stir chicken every couple of minutes, cooking for about 10 minutes. Add dry spices, tomatoes, chicken stock, and cover.

Wash, dry & dice your vegetables. Remove middle section of red stems from swiss chard, before rough chopping & adding to soup. Add to pot, stir and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Ensure that you have enough broth to cover dry pasta noodles, add pasta, season broth, & cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until your pasta is tender. Serve.

Chicken Cutlets (Baked, not Fried)

....2012....and so I set out to "healthify" some of my frequent recipes, & family favorites. Just a small change can make a big difference to your health. Not to mention how several small changes add up in a good way.

The family loves chicken cutlets. Fried of course. So, to try & cut back I used the exact same recipe, but baked them. They were quite good. Good enough to EAT THAT IS!!!!

Baked Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breasts-cut horizontally into 2 pieces each

3 Eggs-beaten

1 cup Bread Crumbs-(I used Italian seasoned)

1 & ½ cups All Purpose Flour

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon Oregano

Salt & Pepper

2 teaspoons melted Butter combined with 3 teaspoons olive oil.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400. Grease a flat baking sheet with sides, with olive oil.

Whisk eggs in a small bowl, add salt & pepper & set aside.

In a medium shallow bowl, combine dry ingredients, spices, and cheese. Mix well.

Soak each piece of chicken in egg, then dredge into flour-breadcrumb mixture. Pat each side so that the chicken is covered completed & forms a solid crust. Place on pan, & repeat.

With a pastry brush, brush each side of the chicken cutlets with the melted butter & olive oil mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each piece of chicken over. Bake for a remaining 10 minutes or until golden brown & crispy.

Homemade Croutons

Let me tell you this. These taste 1000% better than store bought, pre-seasoned, and boxed croutons. Plus you can make them with your bread that's already a few days old, & isn't fresh enough to serve with dinner. Try it....Enjoy!

Homemade Croutons 

You’ll need:

1 Loaf Crusty, French or Italian style sourdough bread

¼ cup Olive oil

Red Pepper flakes

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper

½ teaspoon Oregano

Garlic/Onion salt to taste

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet (with sides). Cut bread into large bite sized cubes.

In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil over bread, stirring frequently. Stir well, and then add remaining seasonings, and cheese, stirring as you add them.

Once thoroughly combined, add to pan, and bake for 10 minutes.

Mix. Continue to bake for 5 minutes at a time until you have the desired crispiness. Remove. Cool & store in a large zip lock bag at room temperature. 

Pasta Fontina Rustica with Chicken Sausage

The hubby was getting "pasta" homesickness, so I knew it was time to make him what he likes best. I used a Williams-Sonoma recipe as a basic guide for this, but added a few of my own ingredients. I changed the dried herbs to fresh, and added mushrooms, and a few extra spices. I think it came out wonderfully. I used Penne, but you could also use any other ridged pasta. Enjoy!

Pasta Fontina Rustica with Chicken Sausage

*adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. Olive oil

1 yellow Onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh Garlic, minced

3/4 lb. Chicken sausage, with casings removed (about 4 sausages)

2 tablespoons fresh Basil (I used my fresh Basil infused in olive oil which I have in the fridge for an occasion just like this)

1 tsp. fresh Oregano

1-2 sprigs fresh Rosemary

¼ cup flat leaf Parsley-chopped

1/4 tsp. Red pepper flakes

1 can (28 oz.) Tomatoes in puree, tomatoes coarsely chopped and puree reserved

Salt, & pepper to taste

1 lb. Penne pasta

1 1/4 cups Ricotta cheese

½ pound sauteed fresh Mushrooms-chopped

2 cups shredded Fontina or Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into bite-size pieces, until no longer pink. After 2 minutes add mushrooms & cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Add the tomatoes, puree, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt.

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a baking dish.
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water, add the pasta, stir well and cook until barely al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the sauce, the ricotta and fontina. Spread in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake until the cheeses are melted and the tips of the pasta are crusty, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot.