Chickastrone Soup

Rob was sick so I attempted to make him Chicken Noodle Soup … long story short, I added tomatoes to the broth which turned the yellow soup, a funny shade of red. After I had my little cry, I decided to add more veggies and call the soup Minnestrone. The soup turned out yummy and hearty. I play with the addition of new veggies and fresh herbs if I have them on hand. This soup freezes well, is great as a leftover and works well at dinner parties. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 box chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
6 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts (skinless) - OPTIONAL
2 carrots – diced
3 zucchinis - diced
½ yellow onion - diced
4 cloves garlic - minced
½ cup frozen white corn
1 cup frozen spinach (I don’t defrost the spinach before I measure it out)
1 can diced tomatoes (8oz)
1 cup dried pasta (any kind)
Add whatever other veggies you have (mushrooms, celery, parsnips, etc)

Seasonings:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried Italian Herbs (mix of oregano/basil/parsely)
½ tsp dried celery seed
3-4 cups water

Directions:
Bring chicken broth and 3 of the 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized stock pot. Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to med/low. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to the pot and add all of the remaining ingredients. Simmer the soup for at least 1 hour. I simmer for 2 hours or longer -- until the chicken falls apart into shreds, and the pasta breaks apart into little bits. I like it when the veggies are small and not chunky. If you prefer a chunkier soup, perhaps if you are serving it at a dinner party, then simmer for less time. Add the 4^th cup of water if the soup gets too thick as it simmers.

White Bean Chili with Sausage

Once you do all of your chopping, this dish is really "dinner in a flash".

Ingredients:
4 Italian Sausages, chopped or crumbled (depending on the kind you buy)
1 can white cannellini beans - drained
1 red bell pepper - large dice
3/4 cup frozen white corn
3/4 yellow onion - large dice
3 garlic cloves - minced
2 jalepeno peppers - seeded and minced
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (use 1 teaspoon if using regular table salt)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Heat a medium size pot or dutch oven then add olive oil, salt, pepper, and onion. Saute till onions are translucent then add garlic and sausage. Saute sausage till brown then add all of the other remaining ingredients. Cook on HIGH until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to MED-LOW, cover the pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

**Trader Joes sells a pre-cooked Italian Sausage with fennel seeds. The fennel flavor is a nice compliment to the other ingredients.

Bruschetta Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups dried pasta (rigatoni, penne, farfalle, etc.)
3 tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (roughly chopped)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder (for pasta water)
2 tablespoons salt (for pasta water)
1 tablespoon dried italian herbs (oregano, basil, or a mix of both)
additional salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
Place a pot of water on high and add garlic powder, dried italian herbs and salt. Once the water comes to a boil add the pasta and boil till the pasta is "al dente" (approx 8-10 minutes). Drain all of the water from the pasta (don't rinse) and place in a bowl to cool. Chop fresh basil and tomatoes then add to pasta bowl. Toss in all remaining ingredients. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

Note, if your sundried tomatoes come packed in olive oil then you can use the oil from the tomato jar, instead of fresh olive oil.

Spoonbread (Cornbread Casserole)

This recipe is perfect as a side dish for dinner or brunch.

INGREDIENTS:
1 can creamed corn (17 0z)
3/4 can whole kernal corn (11 0z)
1 box corn muffin mix (8.5 oz)
8 oz sour cream
2 eggs (beaten)
1 stick of butter/margerine (melted)

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter and mix with wet ingredients (corn, sour cream, eggs)
Combine the box of muffin mix with the wet batter, then pour into a greased baking dish
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

** Dairy does crazy things to the digestive tracks of my family. I often substitute, IMO (non-dairy sour cream) for the regular sour cream that is called for in this recipe. You can't tell the difference.

Pork Adobo

Yummy yummy for your tummy !!! This recipe is Uncle Rob's favorite dish so it's only fitting that it is the first recipe posted to the site. Prep time for this dish is about 5-10 minutes, doesn't get easier than this : )

Ingredients:
3 lbs pork shoulder or butt
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt (kosher)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Cut pork into large cubes/chunks. Place flour, ground pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add pork cubes to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.

Heat a large frying pan or dutch oven on HIGH. Add oil to the pan and gently add the pork cubes. Sear the pork cubes on all sides and then add all remaining ingredients (garlic, liquids, bay leaves). Bring the sauce to a boil, then allow stew to simmer on LOW for about thirty minutes (cover pot with a lid). Stir occasionally. Remove lid after 20 minutes and the sauce will thicken. Serve over rice