There is always someone to help, someone who needs help and much to be grateful for if you are reading this.

I wish I could share this soup, because it has a soothing effect. It’s creamy, and flavorful in a way that creates a good soup memory. Perhaps you know someone who needs a bowl. Make it, put it in a big jar and deliver it to a friend. It woucl mean a lot.

True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Soup (copycat)

 I’ve made butternut squash soup here before made with roasted apples, and that’s quite delicious, but this this version, inspired by True Food Kitchen has become my new favorite. The chef, at the time, gave me the recipe for the soup. I lost it, so I went back and ordered the soup again, taking in every bite, and memorizing the flavor.

Here’s the thing with the True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Soup. It’s more about the texture that makes this soup so special and I remembered that the recipe used coconut milk. This is what gives the soup its special creaminess that makes this one of my all time favorite soups that comes out of my vitamix on a frequent basis. 

What do you need to make this butternut squash soup?

You need a beautiful, roasted butternut squash, a  can of coconut milk, freshly ground ginger,  turmeric and some heat. I use   piment d’espelette.   You could use a dash of cayenne pepper, but I find that can be harsh if not used properly, so go gently. 

 If I still find the soup a little too thick I’ll add a small amount of water or broth if available. Salt and pepper are a must, and if you like to garnish soup, as I do,  add some fried sage and toasted almonds. You could also add in some arils from a pomegranate! Arils are great in a spicy soup, balancing out the heat and adding a fun texture.

What Coconut Milk do I use for True Food Butternut Squash Soup?

I use the organic coconut milk from Trader Joe’s. It works beautifully. Coconut cream will be too rich. I have a friend who adds a banana to his butternut squash soup instead of coconut milk. He says it comes out very creamy and you don’t taste the banana. If anyone does that, please let me know how that goes.

How do you make a roasted butternut squash?

This is the best part. Roast it whole. It will shrivel and shrink up. Let it cool a bit, cut it lengthwise, take out any seeds, and scoop that beautiful flesh into a super blender, like a Vitamix. 

More Butternut Squash Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Healthy Soups from Spinach Tiger

Print

True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Recipe

Butternut Squash Soup made with Coconut Milk

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash, soup, true food kitchen

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon piment d'espelette or cayenne
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or to taste
• 1/2 cup water or broth if needed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Garnish

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 12 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds toasted

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Roast butternut squash, whole until softened (about 30-40 minutes), depending on size.
• Once the butternut squash skin blisters and is softened, remove and cool until you can slice in half.
• Scoop the seeds out and discard. Scoop out flesh into a bowl.
• Season squash salt, pepper. Add turmeric one teaspoon at a time (for personal taste), piment d'espelette or dash of cayenne (or heat of your choice).
• Place squash, fresh ginger, half of coconut milk, blend until thoroughly completely pureed. Add more coconut milk until incorporated and you get the creamy texture you desire. I use the whole can, but you may not want to.
• Move the soup into a pot to heat on low. You may choose to add in a little broth if you need to thin soup down.

Make Sage Leaves, Browned Butter

• In small frying pan, brown two tablespoons of butter. Add sage leaves should be browned not burned.
• Roast almonds for 3 to 4 minutes in 400 degree F. oven.
• Season again with salt and pepper as needed.
• Add garnish upon serving.

Notes

  I use Piment d’espelette often in soups like these. You can use cayenne, but do so gently.

The post Copycat True Food Kitchen Butternut Squash Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Spinach Tiger loves ground beef. It’s our go to for easy meals that are fast, but not fast food. A meal like this can be made in about twenty minutes, Those of us who don’t want to rely on processed or frozen food need these ideas.  

Crack slaw is one of those easy, approachable recipes that is a savior when you’re eating low carb and you’re short on time. I’m not sure where this was invented or created. There are many recipes for it on the web and everyone puts their own spin on it.

My take for crack slaw is to slather it with an easy three-ingredient comeback sauce.

One of the ways I like crack slaw is to use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork because it makes me feel like I’m eating an egg roll. You can choose your ground meat. Most use beef, but the pork adds in a little extra flavor, resembling more of  that egg roll taste.

How to Make Crack Slaw with Comeback Sauce

It generally start with a little olive oil or avocado oil with some garlic, followed by ground meat. Once the meat is browned, l’ll add in the cabbage, fresh ginger, sesame oil, tamari or soy sauce. My secret for crack slaw is using my own homemade comeback sauce at the end.

Tip for Browning Ground Beef

This is a great tip that actually works for browning ground beef. I don’t know why it works, but it does.

• Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water. Pour over raw beef and wait 15 minutes before frying.

The Comeback Sauce

My comeback sauce is pretty simple. I use sriracha, mayonnaise, and a touch of soy sauce (tamari). I’ve seen recipes with a long list of ingredients, but this does it for me. I’ve tried adding in various ingredients and they did not work!

The ratio is mayo/sriracha is 4/1 and the tamari is to taste. You may want to add a tablespoon of tamari, but I would start with a teaspoon at a time. It’s so good.  It has the acid, fat and salt necesary. Creamy, tangy, and cool enough to counteract some of the heat in the crack slaw.

So tell me, do you have a secret sauce recipe? I’d love to hear about it.

More Ground Beef Ideas

• Ground Beef Cabbage Stir Fry
• Stuffed Cabbage
• Ground Beef with Peas and Onions, (most popular recipe).
• Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
• Sautéed Cabbage with Bacon and Onion
• Beef Cabbage Soup

Print

Crack Slaw with with Three Ingredient Comeback Sauce Recipe

An easy ground beef and shredded cabbage dish, using bagged cole slaw mix, sesame oil, sriracha and ginger.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Prep Ground Meat

• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil more if needed once the slaw is added
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound ground beef see notes
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• salt pepper
• 1 bag cole slaw mix shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon sriracha

Comeback Sauce

• 8 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 1 tablespoon tamari sauce or soy sauce more if needed

Instructions

• Mix baking soda and water. Pour over meat. Wait 15 minutes before cooking. This helps to brown the meat. In meantime, gather rest of ingredients.
• Saute the garlic in the oil just to soften.
• Add ground beef that has been seasoned with salt and pepper
• After meat is browned, add in the cole slaw mix.
• Mix thoroughly. It will seem like a lot of cabbage, but it will cook down.
• Add in sesame oil, ground ginger, sriraacha.
• Season to taste. You may need to add more oil.

Comeback Sauce

• Mix mayonnaise and sriracha together.
• Add tamari sauce one teaspoon at a time. Add as much as you need to taste, but not so much as to make this salty.

Notes

You can mix half ground pork, half ground beef for more flavor

The post Crack Slaw with Comeback Sauce Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

How to Fry Eggplant without Breadcrumbs

I discovered this method when making chicken francaise and wondered if this could deliver the same results. All you need are a few ingredients:

• Eggplant
• Eggs
• Parmesan or Pecorino Romano Cheese
• Italian Seasoning
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

I used two kinds of eggplant, the regular size and the long skinny size, which I cut into coins.

• Use a peeler to remove the skin from larger sized eggplant, leaving it on the smaller size. This is a personal preference. You can leave the peel on.
• Slice about a half inch thick.
• Salt a baking sheet. Place eggplant on the salted sheet. Salt the eggplant on top side.
• Allow the eggplant to sit and lose moisture for at least 30 minutes. Then use paper towel to dry eggplant, and remove most or all of the salt.
• Dip in beaten egg. Dip in grated cheese.
• Add oil to frying pan. Make sure it’s hot before adding eggplant.
• Fry a few minutes each side until golden.
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning.
• Make sure the pan isn’t crowded. Fry in batches, removing eggplant to paper towel.
• Add more oil if necessary for next batch.

Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese?

I prefer pecorino romano over parmesan, but this recipe uses with either. Make sure you grate it fresh and very fine if you can. Pecorino is a sheep’s cheese with a distinctive tang and is saltier.

What to Do with Fried Eggplant

• Eat them just as is with salt. We used to devour the eggplant in minutes.

• Eggplant Bruschetta: Serve as an appetizer with an Italian Chopped Tomatoes, Basil, Olive Oil

• Eggplant Parmesan – this is truly comfort food. Use the eggplant to layer tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

• Eggplant Coins can also be served with a Yogurt Dip, ranch dressing or Tzatziki.

Eggplant Caprese

Make this even better as a starter course by adding tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese for a twist on caprese. You can chop the mozzarella or use mozzarella round. Make sure to add salt and pepper as a finishing touch.

More Eggplant Recipes

• Eggplant Soup
• Eggplant Rollatini
• Eggplant Parm with Pepperoni
• Italian Sausage Stuffed Eggplant
• Eggplant Lasagna
• Eggplant Benedict

Pin This

Print

Keto Fried Eggplant Recipe

Course Vegetable

Cuisine Italian

Keyword keto eggplant

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 19 minutes minutes

Counter time for Sweating Eggplant 1 hour hour

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil use as needed
• 2 eggplants
• salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups pecorino romano or parmesan

Instructions

• Remove skin before slicing, using a potato peeler. You can choose to leave skin on.
• Slice eggplant. I like it medium thick, about 1/2 inch if I'm baking it without stacking it.
• Sweat the eggplant. Lay out on cloth or paper towels and salt heavily on both sides. Use more cloth or paper towels to absorb the liquid.
• Make sure to wipe off salt with paper towels before dipping into egg.
• Beat 2 eggs. You may not need all, so beat more as you need them.
• Add salt and pepper into eggs.
• Heat about an inch of oil in frying pan.
• Dip into egg, then pecorino cheese and fry eggplant over medium heat.
• Season with sea salt.
• Eat as is or use for eggplant bruschetta, eggplant lasagna, etc.

Notes

I like grated pecorino romano, but you can use parmesan. Pecorino is a sheep’s cheese. Parmesan is a cow cheese.

The post Parmesan Cheese Fried Eggplant Bruschetta (no breadcrumbs) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

My immediate response was to smell it and take in the aromatics of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds. Everyone here already knows I think thyme is the universal perfect herb and I grow it year round. It can jump into almost any dish and into some desserts.

My appetite for good food is only surpassed by my appetite for food knowledge.

What is Za’atar?

Za’atar is a spice blend made from dried thyme, sumac, marjoram and toasted sesame seeds. It’s the sesame seeds that give that extra something something, and it’s a spice you can make at home. I now order it from Amazon as this brand was recommended to me. Za’atar means thyme in arabic. Thyme is also frequently used in Italian and French dishes.

Sumac is a small shrub with grown with red clusters that has a tangy lemony flavor. You can use lemon zest in its place if you’re going to use it as its made.

Some commercial brands may include roasted flour, so be sure to read the ingredient list when ordering. This is a gluten free and keto friendly brand.

Can I Make Za’atar at home?

Yes, you can. Here is a recipe.

• 3 tablespoons dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground sumac
• 1 tablespoon marjoram and a little sea salt.

 How can I use Za’atar?

I love it sprinkled on meat, such as lamb and  chicken. However, you can add a little to your vinaigrette, a dip, roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, flat breads and soups. Try it with olive oil and bread or with cheese. Za’atar loves lamb! I like to add in lemon slices like I did with this za’atar chicken.

I recently did my DNA test and it seems that somewhere in our ancestry, aside from Italian, we have some middle eastern and North African roots. So, it’s no wonder I love this food and also tend to cook a lot with fruit and nuts in my savory dishes.  You could easily throw some pomegranate seeds on this dish as often seen in many middle eastern dishes as it adds a little sweetness, texture and good health.

Where does Za’atar come from?

This is a spice blend from the middle east and Mediterranean.

Does Za’atar Have Health Benefits?

Absolutely, as za’atar has been used for medicinal purposes, is packed with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Why is this Za’atar Chicken so Delicious?

The flavors work together well, but I also started with air-chilled chicken, which is by far the tastiest. Thyme is nearly a universally loved herb that wakes food up aromatically, yet gently. When I do baked chicken pieces, I find a green bell pepper adds a little something to chicken as does an onion. The lemon slices top it off with that extra zest.

Is Za’atar Chicken an Easy Dinner?

Yes, here’s is the dish everyone will love. It tastes like a lot more effort went into it, but it it’s about a five minute prep job, and is done in about 45 minutes in the oven. This is big fat healthy food at its easiest and tastiest. Make a huge pan of this as this is a very good dish left over.

Is Za’atar Chicken Keto Friendly, Paleo Friendly?

Za’atar chicken is a naturally keto and paleo friendly dish. I chose to add in turnips instead of potatoes to keep the carbs down. You can switch that up if you like.

Process for Za’atar Chicken

Za’atar chicken can be made with a mix of chicken pieces or all thighs or all breasts. I always cut the breasts in half. I like to place my chicken on top of my onion and green pepper and spread the za’atar all over the chicken which has been rubbed with olive oil. I added in turnips to keep the carbs low.

Za’atar chicken would also be amazing over orzo, couscous or any ancient grain. Crusty bread could sop up the za’atar flavored lemony olive oil.

I love baking this in my Le Creuset, but you can use any baking dish.

Pin this↓

I recently got THIS QUESTION regarding za’atar chicken. 

What if I don’t want to use za’atar but want to make this chicken. What other spices can I use?

I would recommend a smaller amount of oregano, rosemary or an Italian seasoning.

This is a dish you will make many times. Please let me know when you do and if you share on instagram use the hashtag #spinachtiger.

Print

Za’atar Chicken with Charred Lemon, Roasted Turnips (Keto)

Za’atar Chicken with peppers, onions, lemon and olive oil. Keto Friendly, Paleo, Whole 30 friendly.

Course Entree

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of chicken pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• 2 turnips or potatoes cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup za'atar
• 1 lemon sliced thinly

Instructions

• Salt chicken pieces one day in advance if you have the time.
• Take chicken out one to two hours in advance of baking.
• I tend to leave the salt on the chicken. If you didn’t do this step, salt chicken.
• Trim bell pepper and seed. Cut bell pepper and onion into strips and slices.
• Place on bottom of pan. Drizzle olive oil over the pieces.
• Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, skin side up.
• Drizzle olive oil over the chicken pieces.
• Sprinkle za’atar over chicken generously.
• Place lemon slices on top.
• Add in turnips or potatoes in between chicken pieces, making sure they also are covered with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken has internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

The post Za’atar Chicken with Charred Lemon, Roasted Turnips (Keto) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

A few of my favorite easy spring asparagus recipes include a soup, a side, and an entree.

Asparagus isn’t just for good looks and taste. Asparagus is highly anti-inflammatory. If you’re not familiar with what inflammation can do in your body, it’s not a pretty picture. It’s the root cause of many cancers and chronic diseases. In fact, many chronic diseases can be reversed into remission if we go on the attack with big fat healthy food that fights inflammation, like asparagus.

The benefits of asparagus go well beyond anti-inflammation, with cancer fighting properties and will act as a natural diuretic.

Asparagus Recipes

These are not the only asparagus recipes on this blog, but a few that are great for this time of year.

• Asparagus Soup
• Chicken Asparagus Stirfry

Asparagus with Eggs

• Asparagus Quiche (almond flour crust)
• Asparagus with Poached Eggs (I first had this in Rome)
• Asparagus Ricotta Fritatta

Thomas Keller Asparagus as a Side

I had this asparagus with gremolata as one of the sides at a Thomas Keller restaurant. To be honest, this dish was my favorite part of the delicious fried

Asparagus can play a major role in your entrees.

• Lamb Chops with Asparagus
• Chicken Asparagus Stir fry
• Spaghetti with Chicken and Asparagus

Pin This

The post Easy Spring Asparagus Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The first recipe (fried eggplant) is one from childhood, only it’s keto-fied. You can, however, replace what I use for breadcrumbs (pork panko) and you will achieve the same thing. It was such a treat growing up and disappeared fast.

Once you have this fried eggplant down, you can make eggplant parmesan or eggplant lasagna. I added pepperoni to the eggplant parmesan, but you can make it your own.

• Keto Fried Eggplant – The staple to several great eggplant dishes, but great alone.
• Eggplant Parmesan with Pepperoni – Surprise with the addition of pepperoni.
• Sausage Stuffed Eggplant – Just dig in and enjoy the comfort.

These Italian Eggplant Recipes are fun and not hard, although they look it. My favorite is probably the eggplant lasagna, an idea I got from a local Italian restaurant. Both of these recipes use ricotta cheese, mozzarella and who doesn’t love these ingredients, which scream comfort food.

• Eggplant Rollatini
• Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Soups

Now that you’ve seen some sort of traditional type eggplant recipes, here are two eggplant soup recipes. Yes, this makes 8 recipes, so consider it a bonus. I have to ask myself why haven’t I made these soups more often.

• Sausage Eggplant Soup – a soup I created after a Farmer’s Market bounty.
• Creamy Roasted Eggplant Tomato Soup – made due to another accidental Farmer’s Market haul of tomatoes, eggplant and bell pepper. Heavy cream smooths it all out.

Vegetarian Options

The Italian Sausage Eggplant Soup CAN be made without sausage. It’s good on it’s own if you want a vegetarian option.

The Creamy Tomato Eggplant Soup can be made vegan if you exchange the heavy cream with coconut milk.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for these Recipes

• Dutch oven
• Great non-stick frying pan (Hex Clad)
• Pork Panko
• Baking Dish
• Soup Crocks

The post My Favorite Low Carb Italian Eggplant Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I tell you the truth when I say we ate the whole pot to the last drop, and I think I personally ate six bowls, because I have the secret for an easy, delicious soup broth and you won’t believe how easy it is.

Before I list my ingredients, keep in mind you can replace or add in more ingredients as you see fit. There are no hard and fast rules for vegetable soup vegetables, but I do have a few tips on how to make sure the soup has flavor with a good broth.

Making the Best EASY Soup Broth

While the vegetables you add will certainly add flavor to your broth, you want to start with as much flavor as possible. This is why I do this:

• 2 Quarts of organic boxed broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable broth).
• 1 large can of tomatoes. (I squeeze the tomatoes with my hands and add in all the juices). I prefer using San Marzano Tomatoes, but you could also add in a good tomato puree. It’s the mix of the broth with tomato that tastes so good.

Pin This

More Hearty Soups from Spinach Tiger

Print

Homemade Vegetable Soup

Paleo, Low Carb Vegetable Soup, Easy

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword vegetable soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 16 oz can San Marzano Whole Tomatoes or tomato puree
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 4 carrots diced
• 1 turnip
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole cauliflower head
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper more to taste
• 1 cup frozen peas optional
• parsley
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano for serving
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes to add extra heat
• 1 cup frozen peas or white beans optional

Instructions

• Put oil, broth, and tomatoes in dutch oven (or crock pot). Use your hands to break up the tomatoes out of the can and include all the juice.
• Add carrot coins, cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces, diced celery and diced onion.
• Season with herbs, spices, salt and pepper.
• Cook low and slow for two hours or four hours on low in crock pot.
• Add peeled, cubed turnip in the last hour.
• Add frozen peas or canned white beans. Rinse beans before adding. Add peas in the last 30 minutes. You can add the beans anytime.
• Make sure kale is ripped into bite-sized pieces. If using Tuscan kale, remove the rib.
• Add kale in last hour also.
• Add in red chili flakes if you want to add heat. You can add a dash or up to a teaspoon.
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese or pecorino. If you use pecorino, consider its saltiness before adding more salt.

Notes

Regarding vegetables. You can delete something you don’t have or like and add in other veggies such as broccoli, cabbage, or green beans. Make sure everything is bite-sized.

The post Recipe for Homemade Vegetable Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Italian sausage will find itself in appetizers, breakfast, lunch and dinner, but we especially love the Italian sausage meals we have come to love and I’ve added more sausage recipes here so there are more than 15.

Creamy Sausage Ragu

This is one of my newer recipes that I made for the twins’ lunch before they ventured a big bike ride. Not a bite left.

Stovetop Sausage and Peppers

Sausage Crusted Three Cheese Pizza (Low Carb Delish)

Baked Italian Sausage with Broccoli Rabe

This is one of the Italian Sausage Meals that my husband loves the most. Broccoli rabe marries the flavors of Italian Sausage so well, and you will see this repeated pairing in many recipes.

Italian Sausage Lentil Soup

Italian Sausage Ricotta Frittata

This is how we celebrate holiday mornings, but it’s also wonderful for lunch or dinner. Italian sausage, greens, and a dollop of ricotta.

No Beans Chili with Italian Sausage and Ground Beef

My husband makes the best chili and since I don’t eat beans, he developed a fantastic no-beans recipe just for me, and it has Italian Sausage.

Italian Sausage with Cauliflower and Spinach in Air Fryer

This is such a fun, easy, dinner that can be made in a sheet pan, fryer, or stir fried.

Orecchiete with Broccoli Rabe and Italian Sausage

This is a classic Italian dish made with a special shaped pasta and takes full advantage of this great pairing of flavors.

Italian Sausage, Mozzarella Stuffed Biscuits

This is the all in one delicious Italian sausage biscuit.

Spicy Italian Soup with Italian Sausage

I made this soup about every other month because it has all the good things like cabbage and tomato broth,  and especially the flavor driven from Italian sausage.

Italian Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sausage and Peppers

The one pot, Italian chicken dish only made better with links of Italian sausage.

One Pot Chicken and Italian Sausage with Greens and Beans

Beans, greens, broth, chicken, and of course, Italian sausage makes this one hearty meal.

Keto Sausage Crusted Pizza with Broccoli Rabe

This clever idea for no-dough pizza has made us both so happy, and is our new Friday night dinner.

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage

Spaghetti Squash topped with Italian sausage, mushroom, cream, and sage is hearty, healthy and a bit umami.

Three Cheese Italian Lasagna

Oh my goodness, who wouldn’t love this dish? Filled with spaghetti squash, meat, cheese and a lovely quick tomato sauce.

Italian Eggplant Soup with Italian Sausage

Chicken with Italian Sausage and Muscadine Grapes

When Autumn rolls around, you will see muscadine grapes and now you know what to do with them.

Sheet Pan Pizza with Italian Sausage and Trader Joe’s Pre-Made Dough

You can now see just how versatile Italian sausage is. What’s your favorite way to eat it?

The post 15 Italian Sausage Meals Your Family Will Love appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

There are a lot of different dishes one can do with beef cubes, but usually we don’t think of making a hearty pasta beef dish, but this hits all the boxes. Pasta lovers and meat lovers get a bowl that is sure to please and makes a cold winter more palatable.

Ingredients

The list might look long, but these are items you most likely have in your pantry.

• beef cubes,
• carrots,
• onion
• celery
• beef broth
• wine
• canned tomatoes
• beans (optional)
• short rigatoni
• pecorino
• herbs

• Begin by browning beef cubes. I think it’s important to trim any fat after browning. Enough of the fat will be in the pan and can be deglazed.
• Soffrito: Chop onion, carrots, celery, as this is the go to for starting almost any soup or stew to build flavor.
• Use boxed organic beef broth, canned tomatoes, white beans and a little red wine.
• Short rigatoni make the perfect replacement for potatoes, which makes this a stew and not a soup. The rigatoni are cooked right in the pot, soaking up the broth, absorbing flavor and making this a hefty stew. You could use penne pasta also.

Variations

• You could make a similar dish with a pot roast, or even change the meat around and use boneless pork chops.
• Switch out the pasta to a different macaroni like penne.
• Add dollops of ricotta cheese!

More Dishes with Beef Cubes

• Beef Ragu
• Italian Beef Stew
• Irish Stew
• Beef Cabbage Soup
• Tomato Beef Soup with Einkorn Berries
• Beef Macaroni Soup

Pin This

Print

Beef Rigatoni

Beef Rigatoni is a cross between a soup and a stew, hearty and true comfort food.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword beef cubes, beef rigatoni, rigatoni

Ingredients

• 2 carrots diced
• 2 celery diced
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1 pound beef cubes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup Italian San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1/2 pound rigatoni
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano grated
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 bay leaf
• salt, pepper for seasoning

Instructions

• Make sure meat is dry (use paper towel) so it will brown better. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. I used a dutch oven. Add beef cubes and brown. Do this in stages because you don't want to crowd the pan.
• Remove meat to a plate and set aside.
• Add in vegetables Saute for a few minutes.
• Deglaze pot with the wine.
• Crush the tomatoes with your hand and add to pot.
• Add beef pack to pot, along with broth, bay leaf.
• Braise the beef for two hours or until tender.
• Rinse beans in cold water. Add to pot.
• Once the beef is tender, add in pasta. The pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid. If you find there's not enough liquid in pot for pasta, add some water or more broth. Make sure the soup is boiling before adding in the pasta. Cook until pasta is done. It will absorb the broth and and the starch will thicken it into a nice sauce.
• Serve with pecorino romano and any sprinkle of herbs you like.
• Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper only if needed.

The post Hearty Italian Beef Rigatoni appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Here are a few of my favorite things to cook, bake, eat while hunkered down in a storm. If you have to be stuck inside, at least enjoy the food. Or perhaps take time to try some new recipes.

Smoothies

You might be stuck at home too many days, but still want to feel good and stay healthy. Try any of these smoothies which are tried are true for my family. The twins were sick last week and asked for the red beet smoothie. By chance, I had red beets and all the ingredients.

• Vitamin C Smoothie and Tips for a Fever
• Two Green Smoothie Recipes Kids Love
• Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie
• Red Beet Smoothie (kids love, so do teens)
• Blueberry Protein Smoothie Bowl
• Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Snacks

Try some healthy snacks if you start getting bored.

• Olive Feta Salad
• Italian Sausage Balls
• Loaded Deviled Eggs
• Cowboy Caviar (Bean Dip)

Soups

I know EVERYONE is making soup this week. Here’s a few of my favorites.

• Chicken Vegetable Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Italian Meatball Soup
• Sausage Lentil Soup

Bread

Perhaps have always wanted to know about how to make your own sourdough starter. I just made a new one and it was ready in five days, just using all purpose flour. The bread was great.

• Sourdough Bread (Easy)
• Sourdough Starter (will be ready in five days)
• Best Traditional Southern Fluffy Biscuits

Stews

• Beef Bourguignon (low carb option)
• Old Fashioned Beef Stew
• Four Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie Recipes (Low carb options)
• Chicken Chicken Pot Pie with Best Crust
• Irish Stew with Soda Bread

Pasta

You can make most of these with any kind of macaroni.

• Tuscan White Bean Pasta
• Creamy Sausage Ragu
• Stuffed Shells
• Three Cheese Pasta Chicken Bake

Easy Delicious Ground Beef Recipes

• Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
• Italian Ground Beef and Peas (my STILL number one post)
• Picadillo (Cuban ground beef with olives) serve with rice
• Our Favorite Taco Meat (made with bacon)

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs

I know you all have a huge amounts of eggs and here are some great ideas.

• Eggs in Purgatory (Italian Shakshuka)
• Arugula Hash with Oven Baked Eggs
• Spinach Frittata with Manchego
• Homemade Egg Pasta (even if you don’t have a pasta machine, you can do this using a rolling pin).

For Fun

• Snow Cream

Pin This

The post Snow Storm Food appeared first on Spinach Tiger.