soup and salads

A couple of my passions are healthy living and cooking, so I thought I'd share a few recipes that I've made lately. Last night for dinner, I made Italian Wedding Soup. This is more of a simplified recipe than the original. Traditionally, the meatballs are made with a mixture of beef, pork and veal. I don't eat veal and I don't have access to any organic pork right now (I try to only eat organic meat), so I made the meatballs with just beef. This is an easy-to-make soup that is comforting, hearty and healthy. Perfect for a chilly afternoon or evening meal.

 ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

1 lb organic, grass-fed ground beef

2 organic eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 c breadcrumbs (I keep homemade breadcrumbs in the freezer)

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

Dried basil, thyme, oregano, parsley & onion powder, to taste

8 c broth ~ you can use beef, chicken, vegetable ~ or a combination

(I use organic, low-sodium broth when I don't have any homemade on-hand)

3 medium-sized carrots, finely diced

1/2 c orzo

4 c thinly sliced organic escarole, baby spinach, or baby kale
(or a mixture of any of these greens is fine ~ use whatever you have!)

In a medium bowl, combine the beef - spices. Shape into 3/4" balls. In large soup pot, heat broth to boiling. Place meatballs and carrots into the broth. Simmer on med-low for 7 min. Add the orzo and simmer another 7 min or until pasta is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through. Stir frequently to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add greens and simmer another couple of minutes. Taste the soup...at this point, adjust your seasonings. You may want to add salt, pepper, and/or garlic, to taste. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

(*Note: you don't have to cook the meatballs in the broth. I realize this adds the beef fat to the broth. You can always bake the meatballs in the oven and then add them to the broth.)

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When I went to a barbeque this past weekend, I took along an Israeli couscous tabbouleh salad. This was a huge hit and quickly eaten up. It's so light, fresh and full of wonderful flavors with the fresh herbs. I can't take credit for this recipe ~ it can be found here.

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And I can't take full credit for this recipe. This dish was brought to the barbeque by my cousin's friend and everyone demolished this salad, too. I asked how it was made and only made a variation on the veggies. This is an awesome vegan main dish (makes a great lunch) or you can use it as a side dish.

 

 1 pkg refrigerated ready-to-eat lentils
(I found these in the produce section of Trader Joes; you can always

make lentils ahead of time using the dried ones)

1 lb mixture of any kind of crunchy veggies, chopped
(I found a pkg of Healthy & Chopped Veggie Mix in the produce section of

Trader Joes ~ it's a mixture of broccoli, carrots, red & green cabbage, jicama,

green peppers, radishes & celery)

1 jar olive tapenade

1/2 lemon, juiced

Chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Nom nom!