Vegetable and Italian Meatball Soup

This vegetable soup is sure to keep you satisfied with plenty of Italian sausage and cannellini beans (white kidney beans).  And it's packed with tomatoes and vegetables ~ and seasoned with aromatic herbs de provence. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mini Italian meatballs (see recipe below); or substitute a vegetarian replacement
• 2 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 quarts water
• 1 quart low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 2 cups celery, diced
• 2 teaspoon herbes de provence (or substitute your favorite seasonings)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 cup of dried, cooked per package directions)
• 12 ounce package frozen french style green beans
• 12 ounce package frozen corn

Directions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. 
2. Add tomatoes, water, broth, meatballs, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery and seasonings and bring back to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. 
3. Add cannellini beans, green beans, and corn; bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.

Meatball Ingredients:

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix until fully combined.
3. Roll into small balls (1/2").
4. Bake on foil-lined baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until browned.

White Cake with Strawberry Filling and Buttercream Frosting

It's hard to beat the price or convenience of a cake mix... or the consistency, coming out with a perfect texture each and every time. However, there are two main reasons to make homemade cakes: 1) tastiness and 2) healthfulness (no additives or preservatives). This is a epicurious.com recipe that I've found to be simply delicious each and every time!  I paired it with a strawberry filling and buttercream frosting.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 6 large egg whites (about 3/4 cup), room temperature
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, but not melted
• 1 pound fresh strawberries for filling (see recipe below)
• Butter cream frosting (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set oven rack to middle position. Spray the bottom of 2 9" round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, lightly spray again, and then lightly dust with flour.
2. Whisk together milk, egg whites and extracts in a small bowl until blended.
3. Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until there are no visible powdery streaks, but mixture is still coarse.
4. Slowly add milk mixture to dry ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until fully blended, scrapping sides of bowl as needed. 
5. Pour batter into prepared pans, using spatula to evenly distribute batter around edges. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, ensuring pans are at least 3 inches apart and 3 inches from oven walls. (If oven is too small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion.)
6. Allow cakes to cool 5 minutes before inverting them to wire racks to cool completely.
7. While cake is cooling, make strawberry filling and icing (see recipes below). 
8. Frost cooled cake: 

• Place bottom cake layer on serving plate; place wax paper around cake edges to collect frosting drippings. Place thin layer of frosting on top of bottom layer; place strawberries on top of the frosted bottom layer. 
• Place remaining top layer on a separate plate; place thin layer of frosting on top layer; place layer, frosting down, on top of bottom layer. Use the balance of frosting to frost top of cake. 

For the filling:

Rinse, hull and slice strawberries; place on paper towel to drain off excess water. 

For the frosting:

• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened

Using an electric mixer, cream together all the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy. 

Cruciferous Vegetables in a Bowl

This soup recipe is similar to my Split Pea & Cruciferous Veggie Soup but includes less peas and more cruciferous vegetables ~ and it includes water chestnuts for some added crunch. Also, the vegetables are not chopped in a food processor but cut into chunks.

My husband loves this soup! The recipe makes a big batch so it serves as our lunch or dinner staple for the week. Like most soups, it gets better with age. Enjoy ;o)

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces dried green split peas
• 12 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash original blend salt-free seasoning (or our favorite seasoning combination)
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 or 3 bay leaves
• 2 cups brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
• 2 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 2 cups collard greens, roughly chopped
• 2 cups turnips, peeled and cubed
• 2 cup bok choy, sliced
• 2 cups rutabaga, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups celery, cubed
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts, if desired
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place first 5 ingredients in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Mash about 1/3 of the peas with a potato masher.
2. Add the prepared vegetables, and salt and pepper, if desired, and bring soup back to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook an additional 40 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. 

Beef and Vegetable Soup

My mother made huge batches of delicious Beef and Vegetable Soup when I was a child. If she used a recipe, I never saw it. This recipe is similar, although it includes some additional vegetables (i.e., leeks, parsnips and hominy) and just a touch of ground cloves, which give the soup a pleasant distinctive smell and slightly sweet taste.

Yield: 7-8 quarts

• 1 1/2 pounds lean beef (boneless), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt  
• 1 pound (about 4 cups) cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 yukon gold potatoes (skins on), cubed
• 2 leeks, dark green ends cut off and discarded; white and pale green part thinly sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise and then cut into  2" pieces
• 6 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed
• 1 large green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1/2 small package of frozen baby lima beans
• 1/2 small package of frozen cut green beans
• 1/2 small package of frozen baby peas
• 1 15.5-ounce can golden hominy, drained (or substitute corn)
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 additional teaspoons salt

Recipe

1. Over medium heat, brown beef in large kettle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add salt and 4 quarts water; increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
2. Add cabbage, potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, parsnips, green pepper, canned tomatoes and tomato paste. After it returns to a boil, reduce heat; cover with lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, increase heat and bring back to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 2 hours.

Spinach Balls

I used to make spinach balls occasionally and don't know why I quit! This recipe was inspired by an old Angels & Friends II Cookbook (Mrs. James Joseph). I made it twice over the Christmas season, and it received rave reviews. Instead of using herbed bread stuffing mix, I use plain dried bread crumbs and add my own spices. Try it next time you have to take an appetizer or side dish to an event ;o)

Ingredients:

• 1-10 ounce package frozen spinach, chopped
• 1 cup dried bread, crushed into small pieces
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon original Mrs. Dash (or your favorite seasoning/seasoning combination)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook spinach, per package instructions and drain very well.
3. Mix all ingredients together and shape into balls (for uniform balls, use cookie dropper utensil)
4. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.