Classic Minestrone Soup

Oma J. 

Recipe Found HERE

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, ½" dice 

1 cup celery, ½" dice

1 cup carrots, ½" dice

1 cup zucchini, ½" dice

1 cup yellow squash, ½" dice

1 Tablespoon, minced garlic

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

28 ounces diced tomatoes, canned with juice

4 cups unsalted vegetable stock, plus more to thin out soup

1 teaspoon (10 g) kosher salt

2 sprigs rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chopped oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried

15 ounces cannellini beans rinsed and drained

1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut ½" pieces 

black pepper, to taste

1 cup dried ditalini pasta, optional 

2 teaspoons chopped parsley 

Spinach, add handfuls of spinach to individuals servings if desired

• 
  

Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, add the onions, celery, and carrots, and sauté until lightly browned, 5 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. 

Add tomato paste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon salt, rosemary, bay leaf, and oregano, and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium and bring the liquid to a vigorous simmer. 

Add beans and pasta to the pot, and cook until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Add green beans to the pot and cook until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. 

Remove rosemary sprigs and add more vegetable broth to thin out the consistency, about 1 to 2 cups. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Recipe Found HERE

I typically will double this recipe and freeze extras for later.

4 Tablespoons (50 grams) raw or turbinado sugar 

1/4 cup dark (95 grams) light or dark brown sugar (I cut this in half from the original recipe)

1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature for a hand-mixer; cold is fine for a stand-mixer 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 

1 large egg 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

3/4 cup (95 grams) whole wheat flour 

1/4 cup (25 grams) wheat germ, wheat bran, oat bran, or finely chopped nuts (I like pecans) 

1 1/2 cups (120 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup (6 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped into chunks 

Flaky sea salt, optional 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, beat sugars, butter (if cold, in chunks), and salt together until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until mixed. Sprinkle baking powder and baking soda over batter and beat until very well-combined, then a few more times around the bowl. Scrape bowl down. Add flour, wheat germ, oats, and chocolate and mix just until the flour disappears. 

Arrange 3-tablespoon mounds of cookies 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each with a couple flakes of sea salt. I like to throw them in the freezer for 20-30 min so they don't spread as much when baking. 

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies will be golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let set up on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 

Extra dough will keep in fridge for 3 days, and longer in the freezer. I like to scoop then freeze it on a tray; once solid, I’ll pack them tightly in a freezer bag. You can bake them directly from the freezer; it usually only takes 1 to 2 minutes longer. 

Shredded Chicken for Recipes

Recipe Found HERE

3-4 pounds chicken, about 4-6 large breasts

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder 

Place chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot. Pour chicken broth and seasonings over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken from crockpot and shred with two forks or in KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment. Use the chicken right away in your favorite recipes. Or, allow chicken to cool and portion into zip-top bags and freeze for up to two months.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Recipe Found HERE

I like to add 5-6 carrots and double the chicken.

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 

2 carrots, chopped 

1 onion, chopped 

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper 

1 cup farro 

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

1 wide strip lemon zest (removed with a vegetable peeler), plus the juice of 2 lemons 

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed 

3 large eggs 

Optional Pita Bread with Feta:

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces) 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for topping 

2 pitas, halved 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (for the pita bread). 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the farro and cook, stirring, until toasted, 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and 3 cups water; cover and bring to a boil. Add the lemon zest, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until the farro is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken. 

Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a bowl; drizzle 1/2 cup of the hot broth into the eggs, whisking constantly. Gradually stir the hot egg mixture into the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

Pita Bread with Feta:

Combine the feta and dill in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Fill the pita halves with the feta mixture and lightly brush with olive oil. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Top each serving of soup with more dill; season with pepper. Serve with the stuffed pitas.

Creamy Herbed Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe Found HERE

Egg noodles, frozen Reams noodles, or homemade noodles 

2 Tablespoons butter (divided) 

2 Tablespoons olive oil (divided) 

2-3 chicken breasts, seasoned 

Season chicken with: 

salt 

pepper 

Italian seasoning 

smoked paprika 

garlic powder 

onion powder 

1/2 large yellow onion, diced 

4 stalks celery, diced 

3-4 large carrots, diced 

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning 

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste


8-10 cloves garlic, minced
 

1/2 cup dry white wine, optional 

6 cups chicken broth 

2-3 cups diced potatoes (optional) 

1 teaspoon chicken bullion 

1 Parmesan rind 

1 bay leaf 

1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream, to taste 

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

1/4 cup fresh parsley, to taste 

2 Tablespoons fresh dill, to taste 

1 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, to taste 

1 Tablespoons fresh thyme, to taste


1 lb egg noodles, cooked separately 

Cook egg noodles in salted water, drain, and set aside. 

In a large pot, heat 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear chicken breasts until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side, then remove and set aside. 

Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter and olive oil. Sauté onion, celery, and carrot with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes for 5-7 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in wine and simmer for 2 minutes. 

Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Stir in diced potatoes, chicken bouillon, Parmesan rind, and bay leaf, then return the chicken to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender. 

Remove chicken, shred it, and set aside. 

Remove Parmesan rind and bay leaf. 

Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, parsley, dill, rosemary, and thyme. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over the cooked noodles.

Pasta Salad

Nikki H.

1 box of tricolor fusilli

Red bell pepper

Baby cucumbers

Olives

Baby spinach

Little mozzarella balls

Carrots

Artichoke hearts

Sundried tomatoes

Newman's Own Family Italian dressing

No-Bake Cheesecake

Oma J.

Cheesecake Recipe Found HERE, Blueberry Sauce FOUND HERE 

Ingredients for the Crust: 

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, from 14 whole crackers 

1 Tbsp granulated sugar 

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 

For the Cheesecake Filling: 

16 oz cream cheese, 2, 8-oz blocks, room temperature 

2/3 cup granulated sugar 

2 Tbsp sour cream 

2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed 

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 recipe blueberry Topping (below), to serve 

Instructions Blueberry Topping: 

In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the blueberries breakdown and the sauce is syrupy, about 8 minutes. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Stir it into the pan along with the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. 

Spoon over the cooled cheesecake before slicing. 

How to Make No-Bake Cheesecake: 

In the bowl of a food processor, coarsely break up graham crackers then pulse into fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a bowl, add 1 Tbsp sugar and 8 Tbsp melted butter. Stir to evenly moisten crumbs. Line a 9-inch round springform pan with a round of parchment paper and press crumbs into the bottom of the pan going 1/2" up the sides. Freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate 30 minutes for crumbs to set. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium/high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy and completely smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add sour cream and lemon juice and beat for another minute until well incorporated. 

Wash the mixer attachments and then in a second large mixing bowl, beat heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until whipped and stiff peaks form. 

Using a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined, scraping from the bottom of the bowl as you mix. 

Pour half of the filling over the cooled crust. Spoon 1/4 of the cooled blueberry sauce over the first cream cheese layer and lightly swirl over the top. 

Pour on the remaining cheesecake mixture and smooth out the top. Spoon and swirl 1/4 of the blueberry sauce over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to fully set. To serve, top individual slices of cheesecake with the remaining blueberry sauce. 

TO FREEZE To Freeze, wrap the cheesecake in several layers of plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.