cooking | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

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- Tortellini and Escarole Soup
  
  Posted at 10:01 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 19th
  New England winters are snowy and cold. January can be harsh with blizzards conditions blanking the landscape with large snow falls keeping the natives snug and safe our homes. Outside the wind howls and the snow drifts against my front door, inside I simmer homemade soup to warm my thoughts. Nothing tops a hot bowl of soup on a wintery day!
  
  I love to make soup and one of my favorites is Tortellini and Escarole soup. It’s delicious and easy to make. And naturally good. Also, very important to me is that it freezes well.
  
  If you prefer a vegetarian soup use vegetable stock instead of chicken and omit chicken sausage. I suggest unsalted vegetable stock not broth; stock is more flavorful!
  
  Tortellini and Escarole Soup
  
  3 Tablespoon olive oil
  3 cloves garlic crushed
  2 shallots, chopped
  1 head of escarole, thoroughly washed and cut into bite-size pieces
  1 box ( 32 oz.) organic low salt chicken broth or 1 box (32oz.) unsalted vegetable stock, I like Kitchen Basics
  1 package cheese tortellini(9 oz) fresh or frozen tortellini
  
  Parmesan cheese (optional)
  
  3 chicken sausages, cooked and sliced into 2-inch pieces, optional
  
  Cook garlic and shallots in olive oil on low for 5 just until shallots are translucent. Don’t brown garlic (it taste bitter if you do). Add escarole, stir, coating escarole with olive, and cook for another 5 minutes just until the escarole is wilted. Add chicken broth, tortellini, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. I sometimes add chicken sausage to the soup. Brown and thoroughly cook three chicken sausages, slice into 2-inch pieces and add to the soup. Simmer an additional 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
  
  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over individual servings if you want. Serve with fresh Italian bread and a salad for a beautiful winter meal.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  The soup made with sausage and chicken broth
  
  The soup made with vegetable stock and not sausage.
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  Posted in cooking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Italian, Soup | Tagged Easy recipe, Hearty Soup, Kitchen Basics, Tortellini Soup, vegetarian, winter food
- Shrimp Risotto
  
  Posted at 10:11 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 8th
  4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
  2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
  1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
  2 shallots chopped (about 1 cup)
  
  2 large clove garlic, smashed, peeled, chopped
  
  1 cup Arborio rice (about 6 1/2 ounces)
  
  1/2 cup dry white wine
  
  3 cups clam juice
  
  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
  
  Zest of 1 large lemon
  
  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until the shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the shrimp and juices to a bowl to cool.
  
  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, 30 seconds. Add the rice. Stir until well coated and translucent in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add the clam juice, lemon juice, zest, and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the rice is just tender and the risotto is creamy, stirring often, 13 to 14 minutes.
  
  Add the shrimp. Mix in additional broth if needed, 1/4 cup at a time, until the risotto is creamy.
  
  Serve in 4 soup bowls.
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  Posted in cooking, dinner, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, seafood | Tagged one pan meal, Seafood, Shrimp risotto
- White Bean and Sausage Stew
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 3rd
  Cooking for me, is fun and creative; I derive enormous pleasure from preparing a delicious recipe. I inherited my passion for cooking from my mother. I loved to return home from school and sit on the countertop, sharing my day with her as I watched her cook. My time spent cooking with my mother motivated me to start my blog and share her cooking philosophy; I am amazed when I hear people say they can’t cook or don’t like cooking. I say if you love to eat, there is every reason to cook.
  
  On my blog, my goal is to make cooking easy and fun. I’m not interested in being intimidated by an overly pretentious recipe with expensive or hard-to-locate ingredients. And my personal dislike too many waisted steps. I don’t show off on my blog; I want you to easily make my recipes to enjoy with family and friends. I love to entertain, and when I do, I want to enjoy my guests, not hibernating in the kitchen.
  
  During the winter months, I make large vats of soups and stews to freeze for consumption later that provides quick and easy dinners when you are short on time. My life is like yours, with an endless to-do list, so when I am short on time, I can open my freezer and discover an array of made ahead meals.
  
  I make my own soups and stews because I find the commercial and restaurant prepared versions are seasoned with too much salt. If you use the right seasonings, salt is a minimal ingredient for a good soup or stew. Limiting salt improves the taste of food and is a healthier option.
  
  I hope I have given you a few reasons to be adventurous if you have never made your own soup or stew! Oh, did I mention I’d love to hear your successes!
  
  If you want to make this a vegan or vegetarian stew, substitute plant-based sausage for chicken sausage.
  
  White Bean and Sausage Soup
  
  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  
  2 medium carrots, finely diced
  
  2 celery stalks, finely diced
  
  1 shallot, chopped
  
  2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
  1 tablespoon tomato paste
  
  ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  
  1 can (15.5 oz.) Cannellini beans, rinsed, I like Goya Organics, low salt
  
  4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
  
  2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
  
  2 thyme sprigs
  
  1 large rosemary sprig
  
  1 bay leaf
  
  2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  
  1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage or veggie sausage, cooked and sliced 3/4-inch thick*
  
  ½ teaspoon black pepper
  
  Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cumin to the pot. Cook, stirring, until dark golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beans, vegetable stock, salt, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
  
  Add the sausage to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and pepper. Remove the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
  - Roast the sausage on a sheet pan at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in cooking, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, Soup, Stew, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Easy recipe, Goya beans, Healthy, White Bean and Sausage stew
- Sausage and Brussel Sprouts with Maple Syrup Mustard
  
  Posted at 3:53 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 29th
  Weekday meals can be quick and easy with one-pan dishes that save on time and clean up. And they do not sacrifice on taste and flavor. I love the combination of maple syrup with mustard and the mustard seed adds a flavorful crunch. Rainbow baby potatoes are a colorful addition.
  
  Who says you can’t get a great dinner ready every night. To save time cut brussel sprouts and potatoes ahead so they are prepared in advance. Serve with a fresh salad.
  
  1 pound fresh chicken Italian sausage
  
  1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
  
  1 pound baby rainbow potatoes, halved lengthwise
  
  4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
  Kosher salt and black pepper
  
  1 tablespoon maple syrup
  
  2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  
  1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
  
  Heat oven to 450 degrees and place the baking pan in the oven. Score the sausages in a few places on both sides, making sure not to cut all the way through. Transfer to a large bowl with the brussels sprouts, potatoes and 4 tablespoons olive oil, and stir until coated. Season with salt and pepper.
  
  Spread the mixture in an even layer on the heated baking sheet, and arrange the vegetables cut-sides down. Roast 15 minutes, until the brussels sprouts and potatoes start to soften. (The sausages will not be cooked through yet.)
  
  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, mustard and mustard seeds.
  
  Drizzle the honey mustard over the sausages and vegetables, and toss or shake to coat. Flip the sausages. Roast until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are golden and tender, another 10 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Chicken, cooking, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Meal, Potatoes, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Brussels Sprouts, chicken sausage, Easy recipe, maple syrup, quick meal
- Celebrating Thanksgiving with Gratitude
  
  Posted at 9:15 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 18th
  Thanksgiving for me is a time to reflect and celebrate gratitude by giving back and spending time with family and friends. I don’t remember when my women’s club started the tradition of assembling and donating Thanksgiving baskets to needy families in our town, just that each year as the need has grown we donate more baskets. We partner with our town’s Youth Services director, who identifies the families along with delivering the baskets. We never know who among our neighbors receives our baskets although sometimes with extreme gratitude a recipient reaches out to us to thank us for our generously. No thanks are ever needed or expected as we are the ones that are filled with joy knowing that we have helped families just like ours enjoy a holiday celebration.
  
  Preparation of our Thanksgiving Baskets beginnings in October as our members start donating all the items needed for a Thanksgiving dinner. Along with the traditional fixings for dinner and dessert, we add holiday items including plates, napkins, tablecloths, and candles, all artfully arranged by one of our members who designs gift baskets. Right before the baskets are delivered, we add fresh produce along with a gift card to a local grocery store for the families to purchase turkeys.
  
  I can’t think of a better start to my holiday season than with this tradition reminding me of the true meaning of Thanksgiving not only to give thanks for all that we have but to share with family, friends, and neighbors just like the first Thanksgiving.
  
  Thanksgiving morning finds me at a hot yoga class, two hours practicing with gratitude for all that I have been blessed with in my life. Then home to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Each year I alter side dishes but the main star of the dinner is a turkey. I learned at a young age how to handle and prepare poultry from my mother, an outstanding cook – her turkey is far superior to any that I have tasted. My mother taught me to soak turkey overnight in a bath of salt to tender and remove harmful bacteria. First, my mother would freeze a fresh turkey, she believes it seals in the flavor. Then time to soak the frozen turkey overnight. Next through rinsing, draining and patting dry of the bird. I love rituals so my mothers hold a special place in my turkey preparation. I’ve bought a fresh turkey from the farm, from high-end and frozen from a lower-end grocery store. My only hard fast rule is all-natural. How you dress and cook the turkey plays an import part in how good your turkey taste.
  
  Below I’ve shared family favorites that we enjoy for a family dinner.
  
  A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey
  
  A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey
  
  Savory Fruit and Nut Stuffing with Cranberries
  
  Savory Fruit and Nut Stuffing for Thanksgiving turkey
  
  Savory Fruit and Nut Stuffing for Thanksgiving turkey
  
  Fresh Cranberry Sauce
  
  Deliciously Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Pineapples and Pecans
  
  Roasted Green Beans
  
  Roasted Green Bean with Garlic and Pine Nuts
  
  Traditional Pecan Pie
  
  Traditional Pecan Pie
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in cooking, Food, Pie, Thanksgiving | Tagged Giving thanks, gratitude, Thanksgiving, turkey
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
  
  Posted at 10:37 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Apr 7th
  Last year I purchased a Philips Air Fryer and since then I’ve enjoyed creating recipes specifically for the air fryer. I love sweet potato fries and adapted a recipe for the air fryer. These sweet potato fries are healthy, spicy and tasty. Easy to make without the messy cleanup. I can make these quickly on a weeknight for a delicious vegetable to complement any meal.
  
  INGREDIENTS:
  
  3 medium peeled sweet potatoes
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  1 tsp sea salt
  2 cloves crushed garlic
  1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  1 teaspoon thyme
  
  1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
  
  DIRECTIONS:
  
  Preheat air fryer to 400°F 8 minutes.
  Lightly spray the fryer basket with oil.
  Slice each potato into even 1/4 inch thick fries.
  Toss with oil, salt, garlic, paprika, and red pepper.
  Cook in 3 or 4 batches, without overcrowding the pan 8 minutes, turning halfway. Place on serving plate and top with pink Himalayan sea salt.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in cooking, Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Easy recipe, Philips Air Fryer, spicy, sweet potato fries
- Cauliflower & Roasted Garlic Soup
  
  Posted at 9:10 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 3rd
  Living in New England hot soup on a cold snowy day is the perfect accompaniment to a salad for a healthy filling lunch. I like to make soups that are flavorful and healthy. I altered the ingredients in this soup, using almond milk instead of cow’s milk. The almond milk adds just enough smoothness to the soup. I will warn you I love garlic. If you don’t want as much garlic you can add only four roasted garlic cloves: Roasted garlic has a more mellow flavor, not as pungent as boiled or sautéed.
  
  3 tablespoons olive oil
  
  1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  
  3 leeks, thinly sliced, just the white part
  
  1 bulb garlic, roasted and peeled*
  
  3 cups vegetable stock
  
  1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
  
  1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  
  1 teaspoon black pepper
  
  1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  
  Directions
  
  Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
  
  Add cauliflower, leeks, and garlic; sauté until the vegetables have caramelized (roughly 15 minutes).
  
  Add stock and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower florets are soft and tender.
  
  Puree the mixture in a blender until smooth. Then, pour the soup back into the pot. Add salt, pepper, and thyme.
  
  Stir in almond milk and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  
  Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings
  
  * Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice off the top each head of garlic to expose some of the cloves inside. Place the heads on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil. Roast until cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes.
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  Posted in cooking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, lunch, Soup, Soups, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Cauliflower Soup, easy vegan, Healthy
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP
  
  Posted at 9:50 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 22nd
  A good bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day, what better way to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Add a crisp salad, fresh bread and a glass of wine perfect for celebrating the changing rotation of the earth. I always felt there was something mystical about a solstice reminding me four times a year that the earth and life are transient, ever-changing and by embracing this fact life is perfectly imperfect.
  
  My recipe for Butternut Squash soup with a touch of apple captures the essence of the winter season with just a touch of aromatic spices that don’t overpower the squash and apple. I use store purchased cut and cleaned butternut squash when I make a small batch of soup; making the work and clean up easier.
  
  INGREDIENTS
  
  1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  
  1 celery rib, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  
  1 carrot, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  
  2 Tbsp butter
  
  1 package(20 oz.) butternut squash
  
  1 tart granny smith apple, peeled, cored, chopped
  
  3 cups vegetable broth
  
  1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  
  1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  
  1/8 cayenne
  
  salt and pepper to taste
  
  1. Heat a large thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot and let it foam up and recede. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to brown.
  
  2. Add the butternut squash, apple, and broth Bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until the squash and carrots have softened.
  
  3. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or work in batches and purée the soup in a standing blender.
  
  4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
  buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in Apples, cooking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Soup, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Apple, butternut squash, easy, Soup, vegetarian, winter solstice
- ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGES
  
  Posted at 8:57 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 9th
  ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGES
  
  Gorgeous Roasted Beets and Oranges
  
  Beets taste so delicious that I sometimes forget their health and nutritious benefits. Beets are low in calories yet high in fiber, antioxidants and an array of important micronutrients. And fresh beets are so easy to cook, readily available year-round, don’t use canned. Beets roasted with citric juices enhance the root flavor of beets creating a nice glaze. A fine salt like Pink Himalayan is used to finish the dish adding a burst of flavor, not to salt while cooking. Gourmet salts from around the world are all the rage with so many different choices as well as added ingredients. On a recent trip to Amelia Island in Florida, I had the pleasure of staying at the Ritz Carlton with the famous Salt restaurant and boutique with the boutique stocking salts from around the world. Assisted by a knowledgeable salesperson I returned home with an array of interesting salts.
  
  ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGES
  
  12 Beets
  
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
  
  1 lemon, juiced
  
  3 oranges, 2 juiced and one cut into half slices 1-inch thick.
  
  2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan fine salt
  
  Preheat oven 375F.
  
  Remove the tops and the roots of the beets and peel each one with a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets in 1 1/2-inch chunk. (Small beets can be halved, medium ones cut in quarters, and large beets cut in eighths.)
  
  Place the cut beets in oven proof baking dish. Combine olive oil, thyme, lemon and orange juice pouring over beets. Roast for 50-60 minutes, turning once or twice with a spatula until the beets are tender. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with salt and serve warm.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  www.gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
  www.buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in cooking, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, vegan, vegetable bake, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged baked veggies, beets, Healthy, oragnes, Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, vegan
- Roasted Cauliflower with Balsamic Fig Vinegar
  
  Posted at 9:19 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 18th
  If you follow my blog, you can see that I am very much into roasting vegetables, which significantly increase flavor. I love to roast cauliflower combining olives and tomatoes seasoned with thyme, then finishing with a splash of Fig Vinegar. If you haven’t tried Balsamic Fig Vinegar, I recommend replacing regular balsamic vinegar with this outstanding flavorful variety. Sweet figs are blended with tart balsamic vinegar for a uniquely rich multilayered flavor adventure. I substitute balsamic fig vinegar in cooking as well as in fresh salad dressing.
  Roasted Cauliflower with Balsamic Fig Vinegar
  
  8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets (about 1 large head; see Tip
  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  1 teaspoon dried french thyme
  ¼ teaspoon salt
  1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
  1/2 cup rainbow petite tomatoes, sliced
  Freshly ground pepper to taste
  2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar
  
  Preheat oven to 450°F.
  
  Toss the cauliflower with the oil, french thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar. Return to the oven and roast until moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more forming a glaze over cauliflower.
  
  Tip: To prepare florets from a whole head of cauliflower, remove outer leaves. Slice off the thick stem. Hold cauliflower head upside down and with a knife at a 45° angle, slice into the smaller stems with a circular motion—removing a “plug” from the center of the head. Break or cut florets into the desired size.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  www.gooddinnermrsmellen@blogspot.com
  
  www.buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in cooking, Healthy, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged balsamic fig vinegar, Cauliflower, easy, healty
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