Enjoy cold-weather comfort foods
photo by Andie712b
Once the colder weather hits, the comfort-food cravings start. Soup and pasta dishes fit the bill. The following recipes are easy to make and will be a nice change of pace from your standard meal rotation. They’re familiar home-style meals with a twist. Two are quick recipes you can whip together when you’re short on time. The other two require an hour of cooking time, but you don’t have to be tied to the kitchen.
Spaghetti Pie
12 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons margarine
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 well-beaten eggs
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 (8-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
With the first four ingredients, make a “crust” in a 10-inch pie dish. In a skillet, cook the beef, onion and pepper until tender and the meat is browned and no longer pink. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese. Spread the cottage cheese over the “crust,” and fill with the tomato/meat mixture. Bake covered in 350 F oven for about 60 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted. Note: You can also replace the can of chopped tomatoes and can of tomato sauce with a jar of thick spaghetti sauce. For variation, put meatballs (instead of the meat mixture) on top of the cottage cheese and pour spaghetti sauce over them. — Q.M., Ontario
Stuffed-Pepper Soup
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 medium green peppers, diced
1 pound ground beef
2 quarts water
1 quart tomato juice
1-1/2 cups chili sauce
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 teaspoons browning sauce, optional
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dice the celery, onion and peppers; mince garlic. In a large kettle or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink and then drain. Add the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for one hour or until rice is tender. — Genevieve, West Virginia
Penny-Pincher Primavera
2 cups broccoli florets
1 (10-3/4-ounce) can condensed cream-of-chicken soup, undiluted
1 large carrot, julienned
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cooked spaghetti
In a large saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until the vegetables are tender (about 12 minutes). Stir in the spaghetti, and heat through. — Shelly, Massachusetts
Yakisoba
3/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
vegetables of choice, such as broccoli and asparagus
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
yakisoba noodles (can substitute cooked spaghetti noodles)
Mix the orange juice, soy sauce and red-pepper flakes, and set aside. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the chicken and vegetables until no longer pink. Add half of the orange-juice mixture. Mix the cornstarch and water, and add to the chicken mixture. Bring to a boil, and simmer until slightly thickened. Add the noodles and remainder of orange-juice mixture. — Jessica, Washington
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Sounds Yummy Sara! Here’s one we like, quick and easy.
Spaghetti and Meatball “Stoup” (thicker than soup, thinner than stew)
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: — Cook Time: 25 min Level:
Easy Serves:
4 servings Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into a small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
2 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups tomato sauce or 1 (14-ounce) can plus 1 (8-ounce) can
3 cups chicken stock, available in a box on the soup aisle
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal mix (meatloaf mix) available at butcher counter
1/2 cup grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano, plus more to pass at table
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a few handfuls
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup basil leaves, torn or shredded
1 loaf Italian crusty bread, for dunking
Directions
Preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stock and cover pot. Turn up heat and bring to a fast boil.
While soup comes to a boil, mix the ground meat with cheese, bread crumbs, egg and parsley. Roll into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls.
Remove lid from soup and slide balls into soup. Bring back to a boil then stir in spaghetti. Reduce the heat and simmer soup 10 minutes more, until pasta is tender and balls have cooked through. Stir in basil and remove “stoup” from the stove. Serve soup with bread and cheese.
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