Fall Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 of a container of sliced mushrooms
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery ribs, chopped with greens
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 stalks fresh rosemary
• 1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 4 -5 cups chard leaves, trimmed of tough ends and veins and coarsely chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) cannellini beans, drained
• 1 (14 ounce) petite diced tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken broth, plus more depending on how thick you like your soup
• 1 cup ditalini - or any small pasta you have (we used a mix of small shells and bowties)
• grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a soup pot over med-high heat; add olive oil.

2. Add in the bacon; cook until crisp. Remove it from the pan to cool.

3. Add in the red pepper flakes, garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and celery; cook 5-6 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly browned. Do not add seasonings yet - your mushrooms will get tough!

4. Season with salt and pepper; add in rosemary stems; add in eggplant, zucchini and chopped greens; stir them in to the pot until all the greens wilt down, 2-3 minutes.

5. Add in the beans, tomatoes, broths, and cheese rind; cover with lid and bring to a boil.

6. Uncover and add ditalini pasta; cook for 7-8 minutes at a rolling simmer, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente.

7. Remove pot from heat; remove the now bare rosemary stems; adjust salt/pepper to taste. Add the bacon back in.

8. Ladle soup into shallow bowls; top with grated cheese; serve with crusty bread.

Adapted from: Rachael Ray, 365 No Repeats

Aussie Meat Pies

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 and 1/3 pounds ground chuck
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, or whatever your package of puff pastry calls for.

Lay out the sheet of puff pastry on a cutting board. Cut it into 6 roughly equal sized rectangles and arrange on a cookie sheet. Season the pastry pieces with a little salt and pepper, and bake according to package directions or until golden brown all over, about 12 minutes. Cool on a cookie rack for 5 minutes.

Warm up a deep-sided pan over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the beef and break it up well as it browns. When the beef is no longer pink add the onion and saute over medium-high heat until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and let cook for a couple of minutes. In a small bowl, combine the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and brown sugar, then whisk in the beef broth. Pour the broth mixture into the pan and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the grill seasoning over the beef and turn down the heat to low. Let the contents of the pan simmer until thickened - a few minutes.  If you are like me and forget about it a bit and the sauce gets too thick, just add in some more broth to thin it up.

To serve, gently pull apart one of the puff pastry pieces in half, like a hamburger bun. Place the bottom piece of the pastry in a shallow bowl. Spoon over roughly 1/6th of the meat mixture and crown with the bronzed, puffy peaked top piece of the pastry. 

Adapted from: Rachael Ray, 365 No Repeats

Steak and Asparagus Sandwich

Prep Time: 12 min | Cook Time: 14 min | Makes: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted, kept chilled ( 1 box comes with 2 sheets 9 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef skirt or flank steak
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 springs rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
• 1 small bunch thin asparagus
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (also good with blue cheese)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven 400 degrees F.

Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill on high. With a sharp knife, cut the thawed but chilled puff pastry sheet in to 4 squares and arrange on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

While the oven preheats, chop the woody ends off of the asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1" pieces, place on a baking sheet and toss with 1-2 T olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper.

Cook the asparagus along with the puff pastry according to package directions, or until golden brown all over, about 12 to 15 minutes.

While the puff pastry is cooking, season the skirt steak with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Grill meat 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove meat and let it rest 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.

In a bowl, toss together the grilled chopped asparagus, and cheese. Season the mixture with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Slice the rested steak thinly across the grain. Top each golden brown puff pastry square with some steak slices. Top the steak with the asparagus salad and serve.

Adapted from: 365 No Repeats - Rachael Ray

Pumpkin Polenta with Kielbasa and Black Beans

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1 turn of the pan
• 1 Kielbasa sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t oregano
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 14 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup quick-cooking or instant polenta
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup shredded swiss cheese

Directions:

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO (1 turn of the pan) and the kielbasa. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, then add the onion and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the black beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon and heat through, another 1 to 2 minutes.
In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and butter to a boil and stir in the pumpkin. Return to a boil, whisk in the polenta and stir until it masses together, 2 minutes. (Watch out for splatters.) Remove the polenta from the heat and add the thyme, salt, pepper and cheese. Adjust the seasonings. Pile the polenta on plates and top with the sausage and beans.
Adapted from: 365 No Repeats - Rachael Ray

Mini Chicken Sausage Meatballs with Gnocchi and Tomato Sauuce

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Makes: 4 servings, 27 (1-inch balls) | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 teaspoon, 1/3 palm full, fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup tender sun-dried tomatoes (available in pouches or tubs in produce section)
• 1 cup, 20 leaves fresh basil, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some to drizzle
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, eyeball it in your palm
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Pepper
• 1 pound gnocchi, potato dumplings, from refrigerated or frozen foods section of market
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, 1/2 cup – a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at table

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil for gnocchi. Salt boiling water but wait a while to drop in gnocchi.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place chicken in a medium bowl with bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grill seasoning and fennel seeds. Pile sun-dried tomatoes on top of each other in small stacks then slice into thin strips. Coarsely chop the thin strips and add to bowl. Stack the basil leaves together then roll them up into a log. Shred the basil by thinly slicing the log. Add the half the basil to the bowl. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the bowl. Mix chicken together, roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. To the hot skillet, add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan then the garlic, onions and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and season sauce with salt and pepper.
Drop gnocchi in boiling water and cook 5 minutes or to package directions.
Stir basil into sauce to wilt it. Drain gnocchi and arrange on a platter. Remove balls from oven and add to gnocchi, equally distributing them. Sprinkle cheese over meatballs and hot dumplings then top with sauce by carefully ladling it all over and around the platter.
Adapted From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/mini-chicken-sausage-meatballs-with-gnocchi-and-tomato-sauce-recipe/index.html

Week 2–Menu Plan Monday

Here is what’s for dinner this week!  Don’t forget to stop in every day for the recipe, or better yet – add me to your RSS feed so dinner just pops right into your in box!
At the end of the week you can find direct links to each recipe in the "Weekly Meal Plan" tab up top.
Monday – Mini Chicken Sausage Meatballs with Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce
Tuesday – Pumpkin Polenta with Kielbasa and Black Beans
Wednesday – Steak and Asparagus Sandwich
Thursday – Aussie Meat Pies, Made Quick
Friday – Fall Minestrone Soup
Saturday – Meatballs with Gnocchi in a Tomato Gravy

Chicken With Rice Pilaf Soup

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Makes: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 T butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leave, chopped
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart broth
• 2 lbs chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 lemon, juice of
• hot sauce

Directions:

Bring chicken broth and butter to a boil. Stir in rice and orzo. Cook for 15-18 minutes until done, set aside.

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add the stock, bring up to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

Add the parsley, dill, the lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste. Remove the bay leaf.

Divide the cooked rice among 4 serving bowls; ladle the soup over the rice, making sure to distribute the chicken and veggies evenly among the bowls.

Adapted from: 365 No Repeats – Rachael Ray

Chicken in a Fresh Tomato and Eggplant Sauce With Spaghetti

Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Makes: 4-6

Ingredients:

• coarse salt
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small firm eggplant cut into a small dice
• 2 small summer squash or zucchini cut into a small dice
• 1 1/3 lbs chicken tenders, cut into small bite-size pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 4 tomatoes cut into chunks
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• crusty bread

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; when boiling, salt the water and cook pasta al dente; drain pasta, but reserve ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons oil; add in eggplant and squash; cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes

Add in the onions and garlic; season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes; continue to cook 3-4 minutes.

Add in the chicken and cook to lightly brown, about 4-5 minutes.

Add in white wine and chicken stock; bring to a simmer; cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes and pasta water; cook until the tomatoes are warm

Add in the parsley and cooked pasta; toss to coat, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce tightens up around the pasta.

Turn off the heat; add in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; toss to coat the spaghetti.

Serve warm with crusty bread.

Adapted from: 365 No Repeats – Rachael Ray

Ham and Swiss Crepes with Chopped Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 pint red cherry tomatoes
• 1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse black pepper
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped into bite-size pieces
• Vegetable oil, for cooking crepes
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced Black Forest ham, chopped into ribbons

Directions:

For the crepe batter, combine the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and milk to the well and whisk to combine. Stir in the melted butter. Cover the batter and set aside for 20 minutes

While the batter is resting, halve the red and yellow cherry tomatoes and add them to a salad bowl. Add the basil, parsley, balsamic vinegar, EVOO, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Add the cucumbers and onions.

Preheat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Cover the bottom of the skillet with just enough batter to coat, lifting and shaking the skillet to help the batter along.

Let the crepe cook and lightly brown on one side, just about 1 minute.

Turn the crepe with a rubber spatula, lifting up the edges, then use a toothpick or your finger to flip it over. Once it is flipped, scatter some of the cheese and ham on top.

Season with a little salt and pepper, then fold the crepe over and continue to cook until the cheese starts to melt. Transfer the crepe to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat this 7 more times to serve 2 crepes per person.

Adapted from: 365 No Repeats – Rachael Ray

Chicken with Satueed Brussels Sprouts with pancetta and Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

• 10 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• juice of 1 lemmon
• 6 tablespoons EVOO
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 lbs chicken breasts
• 6 slices pancetta (or bacon)) chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 pints brussels sprouts (I used cabbage sprouts), thinly sliced
• 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°

In a shallow dish, combine the sage, half of the parsley, the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken, coat thoroughly, and marinate for 5 minutes. While it marinates prepare the ingredients for the sprouts.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the chicken and brown 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a shallow baking dish and bake another 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Add thet pancetta and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts, 1/2 cup of the chicken stock, and the balsamic vinegar, stir to combine, and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are tender.

Adapted from: 360 No Repeats – Rachael Ray