We really had a nice time over the holidays but are thankful that the rush is over. Now we can sit back and just enjoy Winter. We were so blessed this morning by the snow falling on our way to church. Doesn't happen often here so when it does, it's exciting for everyone (including the drivers). Having grown up in a snowy state, Hubby gets a little perturbed by the folks driving 20 mph just because they see a few flakes of snow (when the roads are nothing but damp). Can you blame him? Still, the slow commute to church was well worth the view and the pure, clean snow was a great reminder that God wants to bless us all in a fresh, new way this year.
Speaking of Winter, one of my favorite things about this time of year is homemade soup. Yep, it's simple, ol' soup. Soup is tough to get away with making in the summer because it's hot and that's when salads are "in" (yipee.). During the Winter you don't have to be sick to crave soup. You can make it as often as you want because it's the great comfort food of the season. Plus, there are many varieties, most are sooo easy to make, it warms your belly, can be fun to slurp (in other countries it's perfectly normal!), and is a sneaky way to slip the veggies in. I recently made this recipe (adapted from Allrecipes.com) along with easy homemade foccacia and it was yummy. Do you have a favorite soup recipe to share?
Italian Sausage Soup
1 pound Italian sausage (I use mild, turkey or chicken Italian sausage)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 boxes+ of chicken broth (the original recipe calls for beef broth)
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes with juice
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Approx 2 Cups prepared Orzo pasta or rice (I used left over brown rice)
Grated Parmesan Cheese (topping)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Approx 2 Cups prepared Orzo pasta or rice (I used left over brown rice)
Grated Parmesan Cheese (topping)
On the stove top, brown sausage with onion and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in beans with liquid, pasta (or rice) and zucchini. Add more broth depending on how much liquid you like in soups. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes. Top with cheese. Enjoy!
*** I used a Slow-Cooker (a.k.a., "Crockpot") and just browned the sausage, onion and garlic first. Place rest of ingredients (except zucchini, spinach and pasta/rice) in Slow-Cooker on low for 6-8 hrs. Add Zucchini and Spinach approx 2 hrs before complete. Add pre-cooked pasta or rice at the end.***
*** I used a Slow-Cooker (a.k.a., "Crockpot") and just browned the sausage, onion and garlic first. Place rest of ingredients (except zucchini, spinach and pasta/rice) in Slow-Cooker on low for 6-8 hrs. Add Zucchini and Spinach approx 2 hrs before complete. Add pre-cooked pasta or rice at the end.***
1 comment:
My favorite soup is actually very similar to that one, substitute with HOT italian sausage & shredded cabbage and that is it. By the way - on the resolutions - I'm officially on a health food kick after a fabulous cookie eating day in Hawaii. If I'm actually going to run 13 miles I need to make sure I've got the good energy food in me even though cookies taste sooo good. Try the Skinny Cow fudge bars - they are yummy & they have 4 g of fiber!
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