Tag Archives: food

Kale, Bean, and Sausage Soup with Parmesan Cheese

The temperatures are dropping into the 40s this week which puts me in the mood for some warm soup! Kale, Bean, and Sausage Soup with Parmesan Cheese to be exact. The recipe actually calls for escarole but my grocery store didn’t have any so I used kale instead. Normally, the old me wouldn’t have even looked for escarole and would have automatically reached for spinach instead. But part of the point of this blog is to try new things and expand my palette so instead of taking the easy way out with spinach, I turned to kale, which I don’t think I’ve ever eaten before. A nutritious leafy green, kale wilts easily like spinach so it works well in soup like this. Mixed with sweet turkey sausage, fennel, and cannellini beans, this soup is satisfying and exactly what I want on a chilly evening.

The ingredients:

Cook together onion (I used shallot because it’s what I had on hand), fennel bulb, garlic, and sausage in olive oil.

When the sausage is browned and the vegetables tender, add in chicken broth, water, and beans.

While the soup comes to a boil, wash and chop the kale.

Add the kale into the soup and cook until wilted.

Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Kale for escarole
Shallot for onion

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Buttercakes with Sour Cream Frosting

Because MLB playoffs are in now full swing (bahaha! pun intended!), I made these Buttercakes with Sour Cream Frosting with the sole purpose of celebrating this time of year that we in Philadelphia call “Red October” (it’s a Phillies thing). While I would love to tell you about the amazing Phillies game I witnessed in person on Saturday evening, I’ll tell you instead about these yummy, baseball-themed cupcakes. They really are nothing more than frosted yellow cupcakes but the cake batter smelled so good, I wish I could’ve stuck a wick in it and called it a candle. Having never tried sour cream frosting before, I was a little skeptical. But the sour cream toned down the sweetness of the powdered sugar, similar to cream cheese frosting, and I loved it. Whether you want to make cupcakes to celebrate a birthday, a shower, or your favorite team, these cupcakes are winners!

The cake ingredients:

First, cream together the butter and sugar. Make sure the butter is room temperature – it’ll blend better.

Next, incorporate the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.

Carefully add the dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, until fully blended.

Look at the adorable baseball-themed cupcake liners I found!

Fill the liners 2/3 full and bake at 350ºF.

The frosting ingredients:

Cream together the butter and sour cream. Again, use room-temperature butter.

Slooooooooowly, add the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.

If you don’t have a pastry bag to frost the cupcakes, you can use a freezer bag with the corner cut off (like I did!), or spoon it on. Just make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely first.

Decorate as you wish and enjoy!

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Reduced-fat buttermilk

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Spinach, Apple, and Walnut Salad

If you’ve been paying attention, this week I’ve eaten peanut butter blondies, cheesy enchiladas and pizza. Um, wasn’t I supposed to be watching my weight? Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for a salad? I certainly think so! This time of year brings out my love affair for apples, particularly McIntosh, so I decided to grab a couple and make Spinach, Apple, and Walnut Salad. This salad mixes together baby spinach (I used spring mixed greens), chopped apples, toasted walnuts, and goat cheese (I used feta) and is flavored with a light lemon-honey vinaigrette. The apples are tart yet sweet, the toasted walnuts add a little crunch, and the feta provides a slight tang. This is one filling and tasty salad that isn’t boring and won’t leave you feeling hungry afterward.