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brOccOli cheese sOup

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Creamy broccoli cheese soup is fall’s comfort food.

When the leaves that fell from the trees no longer blow across the lawn because it’s rained for days, and there’s a chill in the air that whispers snow…this is the soup that will warm your soul. That time of year when you pull the sweatshirt from the back of your closet and bundle up under a blanket on the couch to watch your favorite show means it’s time for soup…and, not just any soup. You can’t get the flavor of a homemade soup from a can or packet, you can only achieve bliss that drips from your spoon by doing a little bit of work in a dutch oven or stockpot.

So skip the can opener and pick up a knife, chop up some vitamin-rich veggies and delight in a warm steaming bowl of this decadent broccoli cheese soup.

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bOwtie agliO

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Are you craving a noodle dish but not the heavy pasta sauce?

Then this recipe is the perfect match for you! The garlic butter, white wine sauce gives a perfect balance of spice from the red pepper flakes to tangy sun-dried tomatoes. It’s a favorite of mine and is a copycat recipe from Maggiano’s Little Italy…sadly they no longer serve this amazing dish at the restaurant, which was devastating to me when they removed it from the menu. I mean, seriously I had dreams about eating this! It was my choice for dinner when we went to Maggiano’s and I still search the menu over every time we go hoping they will bring it back…why would you get rid of your best dish???!

Luckily they gave the public a peek at the recipe and I’ve made it several times over and it’s spot on!  I no longer see the recipe on their site anymore…thankfully I saved the recipe! Maybe they removed it because they no longer serve it, or because the recipe was flawed. For example, they didn’t tell you when to add the garlic or the spinach which left me scratching my head the first time I made it. I substituted the broccolini for broccoli and Calabrian peppers for red pepper flakes. 

The Aglio butter (Aglio being Italian for garlic) is a mixture butter, olive oil, garlic, and spices…and usually always has a little bit left over which is perfect to use when sauteing vegetables such as green beans or using to top a baked potato. This would also be wonderful with a mild fish like mahi-mahi or halibut….hmmm I’m thinking this might have to happen soon! Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin.

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fajita pasta with chicken sausage and fire rOasted tOmatoes

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I love the Fiesta Party Seasoning from Tastefully Simple!

It’s the one item that I keep buying over and over again…and no I’m not getting paid to say this. 

No other fajita seasoning compares to the flavor that is packed in that bottle…and as a dip it is amazing! A little bit of mayo and sour cream mixed with the seasoning…dip some fresh sliced red peppers-oh my word!! My favorite! It is the perfect flavor for this dish, of course, you can use any fajita seasoning you want…but trust me when I tell you this one is better.

You can get it here: https://www.tastefullysimple.com/shop-our-products/fiesta-party-dip-mix

Roasting fresh tomatoes under the broiler gives another flavor entirely to any dish rather than using a can of diced tomatoes. My husband doesn’t like tomatoes but can tolerate diced tomatoes in dishes…so I decided to try my hand at roasting a few I had leftover from my garden. They passed the test, he liked them and ate several bowls full of this spicy pasta dish. If you don’t like heat then I would suggest cutting the amount of the fiesta seasoning in half…but I like a bit of heat. You can also substitute roasting your own tomatoes with a 10 to 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes if you prefer but I highly recommend firing up your broiler and giving it a try!

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key lime pie

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Want something sweet yet tart at the same time?

This key lime pie is the perfect combination. White chocolate chips give the sweet little something along with the sweetened whipped cream that compliments the lime flavor.

When I crave pie I crave one’s like this…where the fresh citrus flavors that burst in your mouth and tickle the edge of your tongue. I’ve never been a fan of the traditional pies like apple, but give me one of these and I can eat the whole pie myself! The next time you have to make a pie for a get together make this one instead of the boring ones you normally make…or buy. No store bought pie can compare with a homemade one…and bonus, this one is extremely easy to make! 

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vegetable beef sOup

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Warm up this winter with this delicious vegetable beef soup.

Scoop a few ladles into a large mug and cuddle up on the couch in your favorite fuzzy pajamas and watch a movie with your favorite person.

This is a recipe that came straight from my grandmother which guarantees that it’s good! She is one of the best cooks that I know one of the people who taught me to cook. I have very fond memories of her making this soup…and to me the holidays are all about making recipes that have been handed down. Even though this soup is good any time of the year, especially in the fall with fresh veggies from the garden; but it’s cold outside and it’s snowed every day this week. I crave something that will unthaw my fingers and toes from the winter chill.

I used a combination of fingerling potatoes in red, yellow and blue for color and variety but you can use any potato you have on hand. This recipe takes a good 3 hours to simmer but it is a very easy soup to make. Basically, let it simmer, chop up the meat and veggies and throw it back in the pan and let it simmer again…that’s it! It makes a lot but it’s so good that you will eat it all- it reheats very well.

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spinach and avOcadO pestO pasta

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Sometimes a heavy tomato based pasta dish is just what the soul needs…scratch that, it’s what the soul craves most of the time. Occasionally though, your waistline needs something a little lighter.

Summertime means tighter clothes and bathing suits, which means healthier foods-well not all the time but definitely more often! And this pasta sauce is light and is filling.

I generally don’t care for pesto…anything pesto…but I found a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis for a pesto that was a little different because it had goat cheese and cream cheese in it…so gave it a try and I have to say it was pretty darn good. The second time around making the recipe I tweaked a few things by adding turkey sausage and an avocado (which I have recently become obsessed with) and some lemon juice. I started eating spoonfuls of the pesto I liked it that much.

It will be hard to try any other pesto recipes after this…I think this is my go-to pesto now! Adding a few chopped cherry tomatoes from the garden on the top to garnish might be good too.

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