Stuffed cabbage rolls are something that I wasn't introduced to until I moved to Ohio. They are made by wrapping cabbage around a filling of meat, rice, onion, and seasonings, then slow cooking the delicious little guys in a tomato sauce.
Author: digginupdinner
Curry Pumpkin Soup
Ok folks, I have hung on to this recipe for the past few years and only given it to a few select people, but I am now passing it on for more to enjoy! As you can probably tell, I have a serious love for food. I often have dreams that involve food and cooking. Some give me great recipe ideas like this soup, others are ridiculous and involve me making things like giant cheesecakes in kiddie swimming pools. I often wake up and try to write down the yummy sounding concoctions that my mind conjures in dreamland. This one turned out to be a hit and I have had several requests for it now that pumpkin season is under way!
Zesty Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
The days may still be warm, but the last day of summer passed by last week and the evenings have a cool, crisp hint of fall in the air! That means… soup season is upon us! I had my wisdom teeth removed a few weeks ago, so I got an early start on soup season. The idea to make this soup came to me in a sleepy haze while recovering the first weekend after bidding farewell to my molars. There is just something healing about a warm bowl of goodness! Adding zesty lemon to this soup gave a whole new meaning to chicken noodle soup.
Zesty Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
- 2 quarts of chicken broth (homemade, boxed, or canned)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3-4 chicken breasts
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 celery ribs
- 2-3 carrots
- 1 leek trimmed and chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- A handful of fresh thyme sprigs (or 2 teaspoons dry)
- A handful of fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dry)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bag of egg noodles
- Green onions and lemon zest for garnish
Chop veggies and herbs. If using fresh herbs, remove leaves from stems and chop oregano if the leaves are large. Set veggies and herbs aside for later use.
Pour chicken broth into a stock pot and bring to a boil. Put chicken breasts in and cook on medium for 20 minutes.
Remove chicken breasts and transfer stock to another container and set aside. Chop chicken breasts. Note that they may not be cooked all the way through depending on the size of the breasts, but this is fine as you will be putting them back on the heat in just a bit.
Transfer chopped chicken to a bowl and pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth and the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Let this soak while you turn your attention to the veggies.
Heat your stock pot and throw in olive oil with the onion and celery. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes until onions start to become translucent.
Add leeks, carrots, herbs, bay leaves, and 1 cup of chicken broth. Simmer on medium low for about 8-10 minutes or until carrots start to become tender, but not too soft.
Add remaining chicken broth and heat through. Add egg noodles and let cook on medium heat until noodles are about halfway cooked through.
Add chicken (along with the broth and lemon juice it was soaking in) and continue to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Garnish with chopped green onions and grated lemon zest and enjoy!
Stuffed Grape Leaves with Tzatziki Sauce (Vegetarian)
When I first moved to Ohio, I lived in a loft in downtown Cleveland. There was a handy little specialty grocery store located right downstairs that I visited often. It was especially appreciated when the temperature plummeted because I didn't have to brace for the cold to grab groceries! They also had very tasty stuffed grape leaves on their salad bar, and I ate my weight in these tasty little things. When my sister visited, we would immediately head down to stock up on them! When I later moved to Arkansas for a year, I mourned the loss of these leaves and I couldn't find any salad bar versions that could compare.
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Spicy Tomato Basil Soup
After putting off getting my wisdom teeth removed for many years, the time finally came when I couldn't avoid the inevitable any longer. In preparation, I stocked up on way too much apple sauce and decided to make a batch of soup. My tabasco peppers are finally beginning to ripen, so I decided to go with a tomato basil soup and kick it up a tad with a little heat!
3 Upgrades to the Classic BLT
Summer is almost over, but my tomato plants are completely in denial about it and are still giving me fruit and even trying to flower again. Even though I love fall, I am also holding on to summer for just a tad bit longer! One of my favorite things to do with a garden fresh tomato is to put it on a BLT! While a classic BLT will never go out of style and I mean no disrespect to him, I have been playing with a few different spins on the bacon and tomato sandwich.
Crispy Rosemary Steak Fries
If you know me, you are aware that I have a slight obsession with potatoes. Ok, maybe a huge one. Basically, I can't live without potatoes! To be fair, what's not to love about this versatile vegetable? They give the world with fries, chips, and even vodka. My fiancĂ© and I visited Ireland last year and I was in hog heaven because every meal came with one to two sides of potatoes. While I love all the wonderful potato dishes of the world, my favorite potato persona will always be the ever popular classic… French fry!
Chicken Tamales with Fresh (or Dry!) Corn Husks
Recently, my dad has been experimenting with tamales and this caught my interest as well. These cute little fellas are so delicious, but I have been scared away from making them before because they all call for a substantial amount of lard. My dad didn't think this was necessary and he was right! We both worked on our versions and found that they can be just as tasty with some alterations. Keep the flavor, cut the fat!
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Mississippi Muscadines
September in the south is something I look forward to all year… muscadine season! For those of you who may not be familiar with muscadines, they are a grapevine species that can be found from the Carolinas over to parts of Texas and Oklahoma. In Mississippi, muscadines grow wild all over the place, but there are also orchards full of them and many people have rows planted in their yards.
Southern Pound Cake with Spiced Peaches
If you have ever been to Mississippi, you know that us southern folks love our sweets! I grew up living next door to my grandmother and I was always running barefoot over to her house to see what tasty treats she was whipping up. My two favorites were peach cobbler and pound cake. Now that I live in Ohio, I love sharing southern favorites with my northern friends and family.
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