Healthy and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

January 11, 2015 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Tender bites of chicken, with chunks of carrots, celery, and onions, surrounded by fluffy egg noodles, swimming in a rich and flavorful broth. Healthy and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup is hearty, filling and nutritious. It’s the perfect thing to fill your tummy, and warm you up on a freezing cold night.

A belated Happy New Year to you!!! What a crazy year 2014 was! I’m just glad that last year is behind us, and I’m looking forward to everything that 2015 has in store. I hope you’ve had an excellent start to the new year so far!

The last two weeks have sure been busy around here. Besides the normal day-to-day routine of work, errands, laundry, cooking, fun, etc., we’ve also had a few other adventures. We had a very fun (and quiet) New Year’s Eve celebration at home. William loved going to a friend’s bowling birthday party last Sunday. He’s starting to become quite the bowler, and is especially good at Wii bowling. (Today he bowled over 200!) Andrew and I had a wonderful and super relaxing date night out on Friday night. We went to Crispelli’s, and enjoyed amazing brick oven pizza. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to have a night just to focus on each other.

This week was also the one year anniversary of my first post on Elizabeth’s Home! It seems like yesterday that Andrew and I were hard at work trying to get Elizabeth’s Home up and running. I can’t believe we’ve been posting for a whole year! We celebrated last night by popping a special bottle of Santa Margarita wine.

We first tasted this wine when we were in Santa Margarita, Italy on our honeymoon. Ever since then this wine has become a very special and sentimental favorite for us. Here are two pictures of Santa Margarita from our honeymoon.

I’m so thankful for Andrew and all that he does for this blog! I am also thankful for you, my wonderful and loyal followers! I am honored that you keep coming back to read about our lives, and to share in the enjoyment of our favorite recipes. I’m so excited to share many more memories and fun recipes with you in 2015!

Here are a few pictures from the last two weeks:

After all of the delicious and filling holiday goodies, here’s a great recipe to help lighten up your new year’s resolutions. There is just something so wonderful about a nice warm bowl of soup. This soup is EASY to make and comes together pretty fast. I love the depth of the flavors, with the juicy chicken and tender veggies. It is just sooo yummy! Another plus is that it even freezes well, too! This was one of my many recipes that I made a triple batch of right before Charlie was born. It’s always nice to have a stash of homemade chicken soup on hand whenever you might need it!

Sometimes I use organic chicken broth or stock with this soup, but lately my favorite thing has been Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base-Reduced Sodium. It’s super easy to keep around, and it basically lasts forever in the fridge. It’s especially great if your recipe only calls for a cup or two of chicken broth, but I’ve also been using it with this soup and we’ve been loving it!

As the temperature continues to drop, and you’re searching for that good-for-you comfort meal, this Healthy and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup is just what you need! This soup makes the perfect meal for many occasions. Comforting on a chilly night, nourishing during sickness, or just delicious anytime. I love to serve it with a green salad and crusty french bread or crackers.

Healthy and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 quarts all-natural chicken broth or stock (reduced-sodium)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 teaspoons dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley added after cooking)
1 bay leaf
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cubed (1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups wide egg noodles
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and salt. Stir together and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then cover and cook until veggies are slightly softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the broth, thyme, dried parsley (if using), and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken and stir in the noodles, and continue cooking over medium-high heat until pasta is cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste, and add fresh parsley if using.

Notes

To cook the chicken: Place raw chicken breasts in a medium sauce pan and add water to just cover. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder to the water. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Carefully remove chicken from pan and set aside on a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred or cube chicken.

To freeze: Cook soup as instructed and omit noodles. After freezing, reheat soup and add dry noodles when simmering, and cook until noodles are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

http://elizabethshome.com/healthy-and-easy-chicken-noodle-soup/

Feel free to check out my first version of this Quick Chicken Noodle Soup on my old blog. 🙂

Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera

October 12, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Perfectly cooked pasta surrounded by fresh spinach, broccoli, tomatoes and green peas. Sautéed in a flavorful white wine sauce, and topped with a heaping helping of parmesan cheese. Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera packs a ton of veggies and rich flavors into a little bowl of fall perfection.

It’s Sunday, and we know what that means. Time to catch up about our week, and share another fun recipe. Thankfully it was a relatively calm week around here. The boys and I had lots of fun at the library for story time, ran some errands, and even had a few very fun playdates! Charlie had his four-month checkup on Thursday, and I am happy to report that he is healthy and doing well! He weighed in at 13 pounds 4 ounces, and is now 25 1/2 inches tall. He was a trooper for his appointment, and I even survived taking all three boys to the appointment by myself 🙂 We had a lot of (much needed) low-key family fun this weekend, as well! Here are a few pictures:

It seems like fall is officially here, and the temperatures are dropping. What could be a better way to welcome the cooler weather than by cooking up a huge bowl of this light, flavorful pasta dish. Overflowing with fresh veggies and tender whole wheat pasta, this is one recipe that you will definitely want to add to your fall (or anytime) favorites!

This recipe was inspired from a restaurant we loved in Atlanta, called Figo. I remember having this dish quite often when I was newly pregnant with William, and we were going through a move. When I was pregnant with James a few years ago, I was seriously craving this meal, and was more than inspired to recreate it at home. I pulled up the menu on their website to gather all of the information I could on this one, and then put my thinking cap on. With a few tests and tweaks, I am so excited to say that I think this recipe is even BETTER than the dish from Figo. It’s just that good! I love how the curly pasta soaks up the flavor of the white wine sauce and the fresh veggies. The extra-virgin oil and parmesan cheese add the perfect depth and richness. This can be a great “meatless” meal, or add strips of grilled chicken for some added protein.

Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera is an easy to make, one bowl meal that is sure to satisfy your entire family.

Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

16 ounces whole wheat fusilli pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 Roma tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed and diced
3 cups broccoli florets, bite size
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly torn
1 cup green peas
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon good quality extra-virgin olive oil,
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Instructions

In a large pot, bring water for pasta to a boil. When water is boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pasta to the water and stir. Cook until al dente, drain pasta, then move to a large bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon (good quality oil), loosely cover pasta with foil and set aside.
Now, in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, broccoli and wine, and cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender, stirring often. Add spinach and peas and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Move sauce to a serving bowl, and toss with 1/4 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
To serve, spoon 1 1/2 cups of pasta and 1 cup of sauce in a bowl and gently stir together, top with cheese and serve.

Notes

For multiple servings, combine all of the pasta with the sauce in a large serving bowl. Toss together and then divide into individual bowls, passing the parmesan as you go.

http://elizabethshome.com/whole-wheat-pasta-primavera/

Check out my earlier version of this Pasta Primavera recipe on my old blog.

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella

August 7, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Beautifully ripened tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, garlic, basil, and perfectly cooked pasta, tossed together to create a great summer dish. Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella is an easy to make, simple recipe, that is sure to be a crowd pleaser for any occasion.

Let’s celebrate, it’s Thursday! There’s just something so wonderful about Thursdays. I guess it’s the fact that most of the work week is complete, and the thrill of the upcoming weekend is finally within reach. Let’s enjoy our evening, and be thankful for a great day. I’m celebrating with a special #tbt (Throwback Thursday) post!

William was just 19-months-old when we headed off to Europe with him (for the third time). Everything I had read before we left, said not to take your toddler to Rome, especially in the month of July. However, being fairly adventurous travelers, and completely up for a challenge, we decided to embrace an incredible opportunity. What an amazing trip it was! We are so blessed to have had this experience, and we cannot wait for our next time abroad. (Although with three little ones, we might have to plan it out just a bit more ;)).

Come join me as we stroll through a few pictures from our journey to Rome, back in July 2011.

The food in Rome, and Europe in general, is out of this world! Nothing says “Italy” more than a giant bowl of pasta. One of my favorite meals from our trip was this amazing dish. We were at a darling little restaurant that was located down a popular alley. Thankfully, we were just early enough to beat the dinner crowd. We learned that timing was an important factor when in Rome, in July, with a toddler. That night we enjoyed our dinner outside on the patio. The street was bustling, and a musician was playing nearby. What a fantastic way to dine in Rome! I ordered this wonderful pasta dish with short pasta, tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella, (as you can see). It was so yummy, and yet so simple. I enjoyed this meal so much on our trip, that I knew it would be a great one to recreate at home!

When summer roles around, there are a few flavors that I often feel compelled to work into our menu. I just adore the combination of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil! The ripeness of the tomatoes play a huge role in the end result of this recipe. Try to find the freshest, ripest tomatoes that you can. When it comes to preparing the basil, here is an excellent visual of the best way to thinly slice (chiffonade) basil.

Thanks for joining me on our flashback to Rome! Now, put your feet up and relax. Imagine you’re sitting on the patio of a fine Italian restaurant, and enjoy the goodness of these fresh summer flavors.

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients

2.5 pounds tomatoes (about 5 large tomatoes, or 10-12 Roma tomatoes), halved and seeds and pulp removed, then diced into 1/8-inch chunks
20 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (see note below)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (good quality)
Salt and pepper, (fresh ground), to taste
16 ounces campanelle pasta (or substitute penne or fusilli)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (room temperature)
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

Combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, oil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir together, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit out (do not refrigerate) for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta until al dente, make sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella. Add some of the cooking water if needed to loosen the consistency of the sauce. Serve immediately, and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

To thinly slice (chiffonade) basil, stack 10 of the basil leaves on top of each other, then tightly roll them up the long way. Using a sharp knife, slice rolled basil into very thin slices. Then fluff and gently separate slices.

This is dish is usually served slightly warm from the heat of the cooked pasta. However, if you desire to have the cheese melted, or for a slightly different experience, this dish (or portions of it) can be placed in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, without further cooking the pasta or tomatoes. Leftovers can also be reheated in the microwave for a minute or two.

http://elizabethshome.com/pasta-with-tomatoes-basil-and-fresh-mozzarella/

Feel free to check out the earlier version of this Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella recipe on my old blog.

Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad

July 13, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Crunchy asparagus and tender mushrooms, sautéed with onions and garlic, and tossed together with fresh herbs and thin shavings of creamy asiago cheese. This Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad is a fresh, healthy favorite, that makes the perfect side dish for any occasion. No need to worry about keeping it cool or heating it up, this summer salad is made to serve at room temperature.

It has been another great week around here. I can’t believe Charlie was 6 weeks old on Friday! What an amazing time we’ve been having with him. He has even been starting to sleep a bit more at night! YAY! (Maybe the extra sleep has something to do with all of our adventures this week.) In addition to our normal day to day activities, this week also included a huge trip to Target on Tuesday, my 6 week post-baby doctors appointment and our weekly lunch with Andrew on Wednesday, a super fun date night out on Friday, a trip to Greenfield Village on Saturday (followed later with a date night in…which leads us to this recipe), and a relaxing and productive Sunday. Busy, but fun. 🙂 Here are a few pictures from our trip to Greenfield Village.Now, let’s talk about one of our favorite new creations, this Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad. The other day at Costco I picked up a huge bag of beautiful, fresh asparagus, and a big carton of mushrooms. They looked delicious and I figured they would be great if I (simply) roasted them in the oven and served them with the steaks that Andrew was going to grill this weekend. Well, somehow my idea to “keep it simple” quickly flew out the window and my wheels were turning. I was thinking how much we LOVE these Oven Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, especially as a side dish with steaks. But since I also had a huge bag of asparagus, and really wanted onions with our steaks as well, the chef in me was eager and determined to create a dish that incorporated all of my visions. 😉 So, I searched for some imagesthat would help to inspire me. (Sometimes I get my inspirations from the recipe itself, and other times I just need a picture to point me in the right direction. In this case, the pictures were all that I needed.)

This asparagus salad looked amazing with the creamy cheese! I loved the addition of the fresh herbs in this warm mushroom asparagus salad, and I jumped on the purple onion idea after coming across this image of roasted asparagus and mushrooms. So, now you have a little insight into how my mind works in the kitchen, and just how some of my recipes are created. 😉

This Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad is a great addition to any meal. Make it, leave it, serve it up and enjoy!

Summer Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Salad

Ingredients

1 large purple onion, sliced in half, then cut into 1/4 inch slices (crescent moons)
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 pound (medium thickness) asparagus, cut on diagonal, into 1-2 inch pieces
12 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup shaved asiago or parmesan cheese, (with vegetable peeler), plus more for serving
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (good quality)
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over high heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee on high for 1 minute without stirring, then cook for another minute, stirring. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing veggies to brown slightly, but do not over cook. (Asparagus and mushrooms should be just cooked slightly, and still have a little crunch to them.) Move veggies to a large serving bowl, and allow to cool until slightly warm, but not hot. Toss with cheese, fresh herbs, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cover loosely with foil and let rest together for at least 5 minutes, or until ready to serve. Serve salad at room temperature with additional cheese on top, if desired.

http://elizabethshome.com/asparagus-mushroom-and-onion-salad/

Oven Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

January 6, 2014 by Elizabeth 1 Comment

Healthy, delicious. HEALTHY. Mouthwatering. These oven roasted portobello mushrooms are not only tender and flavorful, but are also incredibly good for you! Slices of garlic, fresh parsley and extra-virgin olive oil. Ohhh my! Aren’t they beautiful?

To be quite honest with you, I sort of created this recipe by accident! It was a few months ago that I wanted to make a little roasted mushroom side dish to accompany some steaks that we were going to grill. I remember it was a super busy week for us, probably like most weeks, but this was one that I just couldn’t seem to find time to get to the grocery store. Thankfully, my sweetheart husband, Andrew, was more than willing to go to the store one night after work. So I emailed him my detailed list and then waited.

I’m always thankful when Andrew offers to go to the store for me, but at the same time, it can makes things just a bit more interesting. I mean, each loving trip usually results in us ending up with some new kind of snack or a different dessert to try. Then however, there are the times when they don’t have something that I wrote on my list, and that’s when the substitutions can possibly be left up to the shopper. Making the chef, me, have to be just a bit more flexible. I guess it’s that or lose the option of having a husband who is excited to grocery shop. So of course you know what I’m choosing!

Ok, so after Andrew got home from the store that evening, he was bringing in the bags of groceries and I was unpacking them. It looked like he had gotten everything on my list (with only a few impulse additions), until I pulled out BABY PORTOBELLO mushrooms! “These are NOT what I wanted!” I remember grouching to him. “I wanted REGULAR mushrooms!” I guess it must have been a long day or something, because in retrospect there probably wasn’t any reason to get so upset about mushrooms. He explained to me that the white mushrooms didn’t look as nice as these and that he really wanted to try them. I gave him a big hug and apologized for getting in a tizzy over something so silly as mushrooms. Then I brainstormed and did a little planning to create a recipe for this new development to our meal.

The next night when I made a special steak dinner for Andrew and I, guess which side dish was the biggest hit? Yep, these oven roasted portobello mushrooms have basically become one of our new favorite things of all time! So, I guess the moral of the story is that when you send your husband to the grocery store, you might never know what surprises are in store for you. But, with an open mind, you might just create something truly amazing. A great rule in the kitchen and in life 🙂

Note: Since this dish has quickly become such a hit in our house, I was more than excited to share it with my whole family on Christmas. So naturally when I offered to make it for such a large group, I made about five times what this recipe makes. However, with everything I love about this recipe, it wouldn’t be my first choice to make again for a large family gathering. The problem is that if you overcrowd the pan (or pans in my case on Christmas), the mushrooms don’t have enough room to really roast, and therefore get too watery. They still tasted great, and I did receive numerous complements on them, but they just weren’t as good as they normally are. So, while many recipes are ideal for making for large groups, my advice is that this is not one of those.

Oven Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

Yield: 2 larger, or 4 smaller servings

Oven Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 pound baby portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Snap off or trim stems. Cut mushrooms into quarters and place in a large baking pan. (Make sure to not overcrowd the pan or they will not cook properly and will be watery.)
Drizzle the oil over the mushrooms. Then add the garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper (to taste), and toss with a large spoon or hands to combine.
Bake at 450 degrees for 12-14 minutes, stirring halfway though cook time. Bake until tender but not mushy.

http://elizabethshome.com/oven-roasted-portobello-mushrooms/

Szechuan Beef with Broccoli

March 7, 2013 by Elizabeth 2 Comments

One of my husband’s favorite meals is beef with broccoli. On one of our very first dates, probably date number 4, Andrew took me to one of his favorite Chinese restaurants, Szechuan Empire. He was so excited to share it with me and could hardly contain his excitement as he told me about his love for his all-time favorite Chinese dish. Before Andrew, this was not my usual Chinese dish, or even one that I had ever tried. However, I remember I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it was.

I think it was a couple years back that I first got the idea to try and recreate Andrew’s favorite beef with broccoli at home. The first, probably six, attempts were yummy and did get eaten, but just weren’t quite there. It wasn’t until we filled our plates, and took our first bite of THIS recipe that we knew it was a winner!

Szechuan Beef with Broccoli

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Szechuan Beef with Broccoli

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs flank steak
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 heads broccoli, crowns only

Marinade:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce:

2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
5 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the cornstarch, baking soda, sugar, soy sauce, water and oil, and whisk together. Slice the steak, against the grain, into thin strips (about 1/4" thick). Add the steak to the marinade mixture and toss until meat is well coated. Cover and refrigerate in bowl for 1-4 hours.
Wash and cut up broccoli into (a bit bigger than bite size) florets, and set aside in large bowl.
In a small bowl, add the flour and brown sugar and stir together. Then add the soy sauce and sherry. Whisk together until smooth. Stir in garlic, and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the broccoli, cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until "almost done". Return broccoli to clean large bowl.
Using the now empty pan, over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. When shimmering, add the beef and half of the sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through. Add the broccoli and the remaining sauce and stir together. Cook for 1-2 minutes more until the sauce is nice and thick.
Serve immediately over white or brown rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce, otherwise the sauce will be too salty. If time allows, try to take the meat out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking to bring to room temperature.

http://elizabethshome.com/szechuan-beef-with-broccoli/