Minestrone Soup

adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small/medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, thinly sliced or about 1 cup of julienned carrots (I buy these in bags from store so I can do this step faster)
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1 small zucchini, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (2 tsp minced garlic) 
1 c fresh french cut green beans, chopped into thirds
2 15-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15-oz cans white beans like Great Northern or Canalini, drained
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, drained (blend if desired)
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
32 oz vegetable broth (that’s 4 cups)
3 c hot water
1/2 c ditalini or other small shell pasta
1-2 c loosely packed fresh spinach leaves, hand broken into about half or thirds

Instructions
Heat a large stock pot to medium high heat.  Add olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Add onions, carrot, and celery and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 4-5 minutes or until onions start to look translucent.  

Add green beans, kidney and white beans, tomatoes, seasonings, broth and water and stir to combine.  

Bring soup to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, until carrots and celery are tender. Add zucchini and pasta and cook until pasta is soft, 8-10 minutes.  

Remove pot from heat and stir in spinach. Replace lid and let soup sit for five minutes before serving.

Observations

One of my running friends recommended I try this recipe. I'm so glad I did! The ingredients list is a little daunting. But for a soup that warms you up during the cold winter months and makes you feel good with all those vegetables, it's worth the effort to make it! And really, when you can throw everything in one pot, clean up isn't so bad. 

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken

from sallysbakingaddiction.com

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 c chicken broth (I recommend reduced sodium)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (I use closer to 1.5 Tbsp)
• 1/4 c finely chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes¹
• 3 tbsp heavy cream²
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
• optional: lime wedges and more cilantro for garnish, steamed asparagus for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. If the chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them down so they're all even. This way all the breasts will cook through similtaneously. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
3. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning once. You want the chicken nice and browned on the outside. (It doesn't have to be cooked all the way through yet.) Set chicken on a plate and cover tightly with foil until step 5.
4. Remove skillet from heat and add the broth, lime juice, onion, cilantro, and red pepper. Return to heat. Cook and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to around 1/4 cup. (During this time you can steam some veggies to have on the side, like asparagus.) Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the cream and butter. Stir until butter has melted.
5. Add chicken to the sauce and place the skillet in the preheated oven. Bake uncovered until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.
6. Serve chicken with sauce spooned on top and any of the listed optional garnishes. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat to your liking.

Recipe Notes:

1. Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your liking. This amount made the chicken mildly spicy. The cream in the sauce mellows out the spice.
2. You can use whole milk instead, but for the thickest, richest sauce I highly recommend heavy cream. If using whole milk, make sure it is at room temperature to help prevent curdling.

Observations 

I used 6 chicken breast halves. For the first steps I had to cook them three at a time in the pan because they were so large. At the end I put them all in the same pan to go in the oven. I just made sure to scoop sauce over the chicken once while they cooked in the oven.

I also doubled the sauce. 

Our whole family enjoyed this recipe.

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

from Cooking Light Magazine, Dec 2017 issue

Ingredients

2 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c packed brown sugar
4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c molasses
1 tbsp whole milk
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c powdered sugar

Directions
Place first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; beat at medium speed until combined. Add butter; beat 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add molasses and milk; beat just until combined. Divide dough into 2 portions; wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 36 balls (about 1 tbsp each). Place granulated sugar in a small dish. Place powdered sugar in a small dish. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until set but slightly soft in the center. Cool 5 minutes on wire racks before serving, or cool completely before packaging. 

Observations
Two things to keep in mind with this recipe:

1. You need two hours to chill the dough before you cook it! That means you can't whip it up right when the kids get home from school so take the extra time into account when you're planning.

2. If you leave these cookies in the oven until you think they are done they will probably end up hard. So remember to take them out when they are still a little soft in the center.

Boys rating: 4.5 stars