Barefoot Contessa’s Winter Minestrone Soup

This soup was great and I loved the pancetta and butternut squash in it….awesome.  I altered the recipe a little and didn’t add the second can of tomatoes or the white wine.  I thought that it was great without them.  Next time, I think I’d add less pasta and more white beans to keep it a little healthier.

INGREDIENTS
Good olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch-diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) carrots (3 carrots)
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (26-ounce) can or box diced tomatoes, such as Pomi
6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup good dry white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto or homemade

DIRECTIONS
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick, I add more chicken stock.  Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.

Chicken Marsala

We make chicken marsala all of the time and this is such a great recipe.  It can be served over pasta or mashed potatoes. 

INGREDIENTS
4 thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast
3 tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. majoram leaves
1 tsp. minced onions
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. basil leaves
3/4 tsp. parsley flakes

DIRECTIONS
Mix flour, garlic, majoram, onions, salt and pepper in shallow dish.  Reserve 1 tbsp. flour mixture.  Coat chicken with remaining flour mixture.  Heat 2 tbsp. of the butter and oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.  Cook several of the chicken pieces 3 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Remove from skillet.  Keep warm.  Repeat with rest of chicken.  Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender.  Mix broth and reserved flour mixture.  Add to skillet along with wine.  Bring to boil, stirring to release browned bits in bottom of skillet.  Stir in remaining 1 tbsp. butter and basil.  Cook 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.  Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

This breakfast cake was wonderful and we actually ate it for dessert this week instead of for breakfast.  Everyone in my family really liked it and it was so light and fluffy.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk***

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
*** To make homemade buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1-cup line. Let stand for five minutes.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.   Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.  Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.