Italian Wedding Soup

If you've never had this before, you're in for a treat.  It's a hearty soup full of little mini-meatballs, and is a lot of fun for kids in particular.  They always seem to love the meatballs and all the pasta in the soup. 

To make the meatballs, mix the following together in a bowl:

1 pound of ground chicken
1 small onion, diced
1 egg
1/4 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Then form into meatballs so small they are one-bite size for a child.  (Pro-tip -- the mixture is pretty sticky; in order to roll them into a nice shape, you should wet your hands.  When the meat starts to stick, it's time to rinse your hands again.)  Put them on a non-stick cookie sheet and into a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

While they are baking, bring one gallon of your favorite chicken broth (either homemade or your favorite store bought brand) to a simmer.

To it, you can add a variety of vegetables -- it's really up to you.   I always add carrots, sliced into roughly the same size as the meatballs, and depending on what you like and what's in your fridge, you can add zucchini, celery, some chopped spinach or other leafy vegetable, the stems of broccoli, or anything else that appeals to you.  As with most Italian style soups, they're not about precision; they're about using what's available.

Let the veggies simmer until they are soft and add the meatballs when you take them out of the oven.

Finally, cook up about 1/2 pound of pasta in a separate pot, so as not to have the pasta absorb all the broth while cooking.   Small tubes are traditional, but again, it's really up to you.  I like orzo or shells.   When the pasta is done, drain it and add to the soup and then serve it up with some nice crusty Italian bread.

You can also garnish the soup with a sprinkling of grated cheese if you'd like to make it extra savory.

Buon appetito!

Applesauce

Peel and core 8-10 of your favorite apples.  They should be firm in texture and at least a little tart.

Check out my recipe for Apple Tea so you don't let those peels and cores go to waste -- http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2018/10/apple-tea.html.

Cut them into small cubes and put them in a pot big enough to hold all of them with at least a few inches to spare.

Add:

1/3 cup of sugar (or agave syrup if you want something less sweet)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional: a pinch of ground cloves or ground nutmeg
1/4 cup of water

Bring this up to a low boil, cover the pot tightly, and turn the heat to low.  Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally just to make sure nothing is burning.  If it's low on liquid, add a few drops of water as needed.  By the end of 30 minutes, the apples should be broken down and can be mashed into the desired consistency with a potato masher.

Let it cool and serve as a side-dish or snack.  It will last for close to 2 weeks in your refrigerator but I bet it gets eaten up before that!

Apple tea

If you've ever traveled to Turkey, you know that everywhere you go, you can get apple tea.  It's absolutely delicious and so easy to make.  I always make a batch after I make applesauce or apple pie so that even my cores and peels don't go to waste.

Take all the peels and cores and put them into a large pot.  Cover it with water and add about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Bring to a boil and slowly simmer for about 10 minutes.   Then cover it tightly, turn off the heat, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Strain out all the apple cores and peels and let it sit for a few minutes so that the cinnamon falls to the bottom and slowly pour out the clear liquid into a pitcher, leaving the cinnamon at the bottom of the pan.

You can add sugar or sweetener to taste, but it's already pretty sweet.

This can be served hot or cold and is very refreshing either way.

Apple Pie

I've never been much for making desserts -- I don't have the patience for all the measuring and precision that's necessary for baking.  But I've recently discovered the joys of making pies . .. especially because I can use pre-made crusts from the refrigerator section that really are just about as good as homemade.  And my family and friends have been enjoying the spoils!

So let's start with everyone's favorite-- a nice, home-made apple pie!!!

Buy store-bought crusts (Pillsbury makes really good ones, and I find that the store brands are really just as good too) and let them sit out at room temperature while you prep the pie so they unroll and lay in the dish without cracking or breaking.

You'll need 6-7 large apples.  The type of apple is up to you but it should be on that is really firm so that it doesn't turn into apple sauce while baking.  I also prefer apples that are somewhat tart.  Granny Smiths (the green ones) are probably the most popular choice, but my family likes Honeycrisps the best.

Peel and core the apples and cut into fairly thin slices.  Check out my recipe for Apple Tea so those peels and cores don't go to waste -- http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2018/10/apple-tea.html. 

Put them all in a bowl and add:

• the juice of 1/2 lemon (keeps the apples from turning brown)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon of flour
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon.  
• As an option, you can also add a pinch of ground cloves and/or nutmeg

Mix this well and let it sit for 30 minutes so the applies release some of their moisture.  This will make sure you don't have a soggy and mushy pie.

Lay one of your crusts over your pie plate and once the applies have macerated for 30 minutes, drain the excess liquid and place the mixture over the crust.  Cover with another crust and crimp the two crusts together to form a seal.

Cut some slits in the crust to let steam escape and if you'd like, you can cut a little design in the middle such as a heart.

Beat one egg and lightly brush the top crust with the egg so that it browns up nicely.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.   It's a good idea to put your dish either on a baking tray or some aluminum foil just in case some of the juices bubble up and over the sides.

Hope you love it and find this as easy to make as I do!