magnificentbliss

i cannot take full credit for this recipe as it’s inspired from giada’s recipe. first, the quantity is drastically reduced (10 cups of broth is A LOT for just the two of us so i scaled it down to 4 cups). second, i swapped out the vegetable broth for my favorite chicken broth. finally, i only used three zucchini, and one can of artichoke hearts.

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 2 leeks chopped – just the white and light green parts
– 1 garlic clove minced
– 3 zucchini sliced thin, crosswise
– 1 13.75oz can quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
– 4 cups chicken broth*
– 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
– 3-4 oz dried wide egg noodles
– fresh parmesan**
– salt
– fresh ground pepper

heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. add the leeks and saute for about 8-10 minutes until translucent. add the garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. do not allow the garlic to burn. add in the zucchini and artichokes. season with salt and pepper. saute for approximately 8-10 minutes until the zucchini are tender. add the chicken broth and the thyme and cook for a couple of minutes. cover the pot and bring the soup to a simmer. decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. stir occasionally. increase the heat to medium-high then add the noodles, cook for about five minutes.

serve the soup with freshly grated parmesan and pepper on top.

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*i’m in love with imagine foods organic chicken broth as it has an incredible amount of flavor. you can find it at whole foods and trader joe’s.

**do yourself a favor and don’t use the pre-grated/shredded stuff in the containers. buy a small chunk of fresh parmigiano reggiano and grate it yourself. you won’t be sorry.

sorry steve…more fish. i received this recipe from my mother-in-law a few years ago. unfortunately, i’m not sure where she found the recipe, so i cannot give proper credit. the roasted carrots from ina garten, family style. a heaping scoop of wholesome brown rice works great with this dish.

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carrots:
– 1 lb of carrots. i love using whole baby carrots, but you can also just cut up large carrots
– 1 tablespoons olive oil
– sprinkle of fresh ground pepper
– dash of kosher salt
– 1 tablespoon of chopped italian parsley

preheat oven to 425 degrees. spread carrots out on a large baking dish. drizzle with oil. add a bit of salt and pepper (use your own judgment on the amount). toss well. bake for 20-25 minutes. give the carrots a good toss and turn about 10 minutes into baking. if you don’t do this, you’ll end up with toasted carrots (shown above).

sprinkle with italian parsley

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halibut:
– 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– 1 teaspoon firmly packed brown sugar
– 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
– 2 pieces halibut (each about 1 in. thick, 5-6 oz.)
– 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
– fresh ground pepper
– sprinkle of fresh ground pepper
– dash of kosher salt

in a bowl, mix vinegar, brown sugar and mustard.

rinse halibut and pat dry. you can either leave the skin on or take it off (it really doesn’t matter). brush lightly all over with olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper.

heat a 10-12 inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. i don’t have a nonstick frying pan, so i add just a bit of olive oil to my pan. add fish and cook until browned on the bottom – about 4 minutes.

turn pieces over. spoon vinegar mixture over browned sides. lower heat and cook until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in the center (cut to test). about 4 to 5 minutes longer.

serve fish on top of rice. if there is extra sauce in the pan, i like to drizzle over the fish and rice. a bit of italian parsley tastes great on top.

this recipe may not be for everyone, so be warned. i love sandwiches with a bite, lots of flavor, and this one sure does. i used a rosemary focaccia for the sandwich shown above, but you can use whichever bread you like. in my opinion, though, if you don’t use focaccia, it’s a waste of a sandwich. also, another warning, i don’t use exact measurements in my recipes – so use some creativity and change things up a bit to suit your own taste.

-1 can of tuna (packed in water, low sodium) drained
-4 to 5 small green olives chopped
-a few thin slices of red onion
-a few slices of red bell pepper
-swiss cheese
-reduced-fat mayonnaise
-balsamic vinegar
-a bit of pepper
-a bit of salt

drain tuna really well (duh), nothing worse than soggy tuna. in a small bowl mix tuna, chopped green olives and mayonnaise. i use only enough mayo, maybe 1 – 2 tablespoons, so that the tuna slightly sticks together. add salt and pepper to taste.

next, in another small bowl, mix together about 1 tablespoon of the balsamic with 2 tablespoons of mayo. i also add a bit of pepper to this. mix together. taste and add either more mayo or balsamic depending on your preference. smear the mixture on the pieces of focaccia.

assemble the sandwich with tuna on the bottom, next the slices of onion and red pepper, then top it off with the cheese. of course, you can assemble it however you like.

if you try it, let me know what you think. i love feedback/constructive criticism on recipes.

autumn has arrived, at least in the bay area, and at least for the past three days. it’s been breezy and chilly, perfect weather for soup. i made giada’s cheese tortellini soup and my personal recipe, garlic bomb parmesan bread (no picture taken, unfortunately).

garlic bomb parmesan bread:

-1 loaf of bread cut in half, lengthwise. i use rosemary foccacia bread.
-1/2 cup – 3/4 cup of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
-4-5 large cloves of garlic. use more if you’re a freak.
-1 tablespoon of butter, melted
-1 tablespoon of chopped italian parsley
-2 tablespoons of olive oil
-fresh cracked pepper
-pinch of kosher salt

while chopping garlic (don’t use a garlic mincer, use a knife) add a pinch of salt to the garlic to help break it down. you may also need to use the flat side of the knife to further smash down the garlic. this process may take a few minutes, but it’s worth it. the garlic should become juicy with tiny chunks. add garlic to melted butter. add olive oil and parsley, mix together. spread mixture over both halves of bread. add more melted butter and olive oil if desired. sprinkle cheese over bread, add a bit of fresh pepper. place on cookie sheet and broil for a few minutes. keep an eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn. you want the edges to be golden brown and the cheese melted.