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A Life From Scratch.

A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

‘French Onion Soup – Pasta Format’

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Are you a big fan of a warm and cheesy bowl of french onion soup? How about we take those flavors, break them down, and put them into a hearty pasta dish? Yes please.

This recipe has been a staple in our home for years now and every time I make it I hear M say ‘wow, this is SO good!! Why don’t we eat this more often?’ (Blank stare from me)…..well…..we do. It just doesn’t get old, apparently. The flavor is amazing for the little amount of ingredients the recipe has. And it comes together quite quickly on a busy week night. Solid all around.

The only time consuming part of the recipe is slicing the shallots. If you are someone (like me) that finds it calming to peel and slice things then you’ll really enjoy this step. If you find it annoying – well, I’m sorry. Make it anyway because I promise the (annoying) shallots will make it up to you later when they are all caramelized and cheesy and wrapped around pasta.

French Onion Soup - Pasta Format
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Ingredients
  1. 10 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  2. 2 TBS unsalted butter
  3. 2 TBS good olive oil
  4. salt & pepper
  5. 1 package whole wheat spaghetti
  6. 1/4 cup starchy cooking water (from pasta)
  7. 1 cup good parmessan, plus more for sprinkling on top
  8. freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook pasta just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan melt butter and olive oil together over low heat. Add sliced shallots to the pan, season generously with salt and pepper and mix around. Go check on the kids. Come back and give them a good stir. Open the mail. Give another good stir. Help with homework, stir, pick up the toddler pulling at your leg, have the toddler stir, put a show on 'On Demand', stir, pour yourself a big glass of wine, let's put the toddler down now, and finally stir again. Super multi-tasking dinner, see? Give the shallots about 25 minutes or so over the low heat until they are nice and soft.
  3. Add the drained pasta, starchy cooking water, and parmessan to the shallots and toss together. Put pasta in deep bowls and top with freshly shaved parmessan and chopped parsley. Serve with a side salad.
Adapted from Rachael Ray
Adapted from Rachael Ray
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Dinner is done and the kids are in one piece. Success.
Courtney

‘It’s 6:10 and I haven’t even thought about dinner’

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That happens, right? If you need a ‘go to’ recipe for a crazy night during the week, see above.

These have been an easy favorite in our home for quite awhile now. I think at one point we were eating them weekly. Along with the wingless buffalo chicken pizza, I suppose our meals were getting a bit predictable. Hey, if plates are continuously being cleaned that’s a good sign, right?

What’s great about this recipe is that it can be as involved you want it to be. Have you been gone from your home for the last 9 hours, in and out of swim lessons, preschool, Target, the cleaners, the office, getting that horrid cough checked out at the pediatrician that was getting you very judgmental looks while in Target, working on homework, taking conference calls from your car, answering emails, all the while raising your kids? See option #1. Has it been a more laid back lazy day for you? Go for option #2. But I promise you that you can’t fail either way. And plates will be cleaned.

Homemade Chicken Tostadas
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Ingredients
  1. 2 roasted chicken breasts
  2. Option #1: Walk into store. Purchase 2 rotisserie chicken breasts. Go home.
  3. Option #2: Roast the chicken breasts yourself. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub two bone in chicken breasts with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes.
  4. 2 TBS olive oil
  5. handful of cilantro, chopped
  6. juice of 2 limes
  7. salt & pepper
  8. 8 tostadas/tortillas, corn or flour - your choice
  9. Option #1: Walk into store. Purchase package of tosdata shells. Go home.
  10. Option #2: Make your own. Heat vegetable oil in deep pan on stove until hot. Fry tortillas in oil until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  11. vegetable oil (if frying tortillas)
  12. refried beans
  13. shredded mexican cheese
  14. your choice of toppings: tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, sour cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler to high.
  2. Take your chicken (option #1 or #2 - no one is judging) and shred with a fork. Place in bowl and mix in olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, salt & pepper.
  3. To assemble tostadas, spread a layer of refried beans on your tostada shells. Put a large handful of the flavored chicken on top of each one and sprinkle with cheese. Into the hot oven they go - just for a minute or two to warm them up and get the cheese melted.
  4. Top with whatever you prefer.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Dinner in a snap, Ole!
Courtney

The birds are confused…

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And frankly, so am I. The past four or so mornings the birds have been tweeting, a lot. And it just happens to be the same tune they perform in the summer. While I drift between ‘sleep’ mode and ‘GO’ mode thoughts of a warm June day slip over me. Ahhh. All of a sudden Rihanna’s ‘what’s my name’ blasts on the radio, I jolt up, move the curtain aside and see the front lawn covered with snow. Ugh, come on birds…figure it out! Why are you here?

If you’re anything like me, you are quite affected by a 20 degree temperature change. My mood, my style, and what I make in the kitchen all begin to shift. Suddenly I’m wearing a silk tank bursting with a floral pattern underneath a cardigan. And a pair of shoes…not boots! What a concept.

Now before I take this a step too far and have visions of fresh salads tossed with juicy grilled peaches and bright purple onions from the market I reign myself in. The birds are just teasing you Courtney. There is no market, yet. You know better from countless building budgets over the years. There is a snow account in April for a very good reason and it is more often than not, used. So go make another pot of soup. FINE! But it’s going to be a light one.

This soup is great if you feel your metabolism needs a ‘boost.’ It is extremely healthy, flavorful, and light. Perfect for that 30 – 40 degree temperature range. I tend to make it when M is out of town and I’ll eat it all week. When M is around I’ll serve it with tons of freshly grated parmesan and crusty bread on the side. You know, because obviously a meal is not complete without cheese and carbs.

Garden Skinny Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 1 TBS olive oil
  2. 1 medium onion, chopped
  3. 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  4. 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  5. 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  6. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  7. 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
  8. 2 cups of water
  9. 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
  10. 1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced
  11. 1 TBS hot sauce
  12. salt and pepper
  13. optional garnishes: fresh cilantro or parsley, parmesan
Instructions
  1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil, then onions. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add carrots, celery, red pepper and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. In the last minute or so add the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the stock, water, tomatoes, cabbage, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
  3. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce. Garnish how you prefer. My vote? Extra hot sauce, lots of cilantro, a little parmesan cheese, and the heel of the bread loaf to dip in.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

I feel lightly satisfied, perfect. Now about those birds…
Courtney

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