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. 🙂

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

December 1, 2014 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Rich, velvety, and packed with flavor. Fresh cauliflower, onions, garlic and spices, pureed together and simmered to perfection. Creamy Cauliflower Soup is rich, healthy, and loaded with nutrients.

I hope you had a spectacular Thanksgiving! It has been a whirlwind of a weekend around here. Birthdays, Thanksgiving, and even a parade, oh my! 🙂 We cooked and relaxed on Thanksgiving morning, and then headed over to my in-laws for an early family dinner that evening. Friday morning we bundled up and headed to the Santa Claus Parade with my parents. The boys loved seeing the fire trucks and police cars. After a full hour of watching the parade, Santa finally made his appearance. We were all FROZEN, but the boys were so excited to see him, that it made it all worth it. (Note to self for next year, if it’s that cold again, go late! ;))

Another highlight of our weekend was William’s 5th birthday party. His actual birthday is on Tuesday, but we’re celebrating a bit early this year. I can’t believe that my first baby is (almost) FIVE! Where did the time go? William and his buddies had such a blast today! Dinosaurs, ornament making, cupcakes and friends, what could be better? William loved his party and we are all so thankful for wonderful friends and family. James was fascinated with the older kids and joined right in on the action, and Charlie was content just hanging out. What a perfect afternoon!

Here are a few pictures from our weekend, and William’s birthday party.

Who knew that rich and healthy could be found in the same bowl?! If you’re feeling like the Thanksgiving weekend has set you back a bit, replenish your system with a giant bowl of this nutritious Creamy Cauliflower Soup!

I created this soup right before having Charlie, as one of our many freezer meals to enjoy after his arrival. I remember looking at Andrew one night in the kitchen, probably around 9:00, and asking him if we had enough food for after the new baby. (Let’s be honest, with BOTH of our freezers packed with over 60 meals that I had already made, of course we had enough food ;)). However, as I looked at him, and remembered the two huge heads of cauliflower that were sitting in the fridge, I somehow talked us both into the idea that we could always use a few more meals.

It might have been late, but that didn’t stop me from whipping up a new kitchen creation. There was just something about cauliflower soup that sounded so yummy. Cauliflower, onions, garlic, broth, wine, and spices, how could you go wrong? Once I got the flavors just where I wanted them, I went to work on the texture. At first, I didn’t want to mess around with having to wash out our blender (I guess I was just being lazy), so I tried to mush up some of the veggies with a potato masher. After a few minutes of hardcore smashing, I just wasn’t loving the consistency that I was getting. Soooo…. ladle soup into blender, turn on for 20 seconds, and voila! Creamy, velvety goodness! I decided to reserve a bit of the cauliflower mixture, because as much as I wanted a pureed soup, it still needed to have some texture. This Creamy Cauliflower Soup comes together in no time, and is the perfect light addition to any meal. Serve it as a vegetarian entree with extra cheese and a side salad, or enjoy it before your meal as the perfect appetizer. This soup is tasty, filling, and super good for you! If you’re craving something a little more on the hearty side, you can always add a touch of cream. Otherwise, enjoy it without, for a little “post-Thanksgiving rejuvenation”. I love it both ways! However you cook it up, you will love diving into a huge bowl of this Creamy Cauliflower Soup goodness.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 large heads cauliflower, chopped
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Instructions

In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir. Cook for about 7-8 minutes until onions are tenders, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add cauliflower, broth, wine and parsley, and stir. Then cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is soft.
Reserve 2 cups of the cooked cauliflower mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Carefully ladle remaining cauliflower mixture into a blender or Vitamix, and puree until smooth. (Working in two batches if needed). Return soup to stock pot, add reserved 2 cups cauliflower mixture to the soup, and 1/2 cup cream (if using), and stir. Heat soup over medium heat until hot. Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon into bowls and serve with parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

This soup is delicious with or without the cream. For a richer soup, add the heavy cream, and for a lighter soup, omit. If freezing this soup, make sure to add the cream after it has been frozen, when reheating.

http://elizabethshome.com/creamy-cauliflower-soup/

If you’re looking for another healthy creamy soup recipe, be sure to try my Cream of Mushroom Soup or my Low-Fat Cream of Broccoli Soup.

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.

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

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

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/