Our Favorite Soup

We had a wonderful wet, stormy weekend- the kind that I live for and dream about all year long! I know many people get inspiration from warm, sunny days, but I am a girl who draws upon the power of Cozy. A rainy grey day that calls for wool socks, hot cocoa and lazy afternoon lounging is pure magic in my world. On days like these, I know no other way to warm and fill our tummies than to make a large pot of soup to feast on all week. Partner it up with some homemade bread, and I feel like I've given my family the biggest hug they could ever wish for.

A very close family friend of ours passed away about 8 years ago after battling cancer. Her name was Kathy, and if you don't know her directly- trust me, you know someone who probably does. She was the most loving, generous, outspoken, hilarious, good-hearted woman I knew, and she was an inspiration to me in more ways than I can even count. And good heavens, the woman could cook. She loved to feed people, and people loved to be fed by her. Hers was the house that everyone wanted to come to for parties and social gatherings. She was an Italian genius in the kitchen- she left behind an incredible legacy, and lucky for us, one of the best recipes for soup I've ever had. 

While I was enjoying the rain yesterday afternoon, I had a surprising wave of grief come over me, as grief often does, suddenly deeply missing Kathy. Couple this with not a clue for what to make for dinner, and suddenly the inspiration came together. I would make her soup and make some bread and cook my way through my temporary moment of grief. As we were eating dinner last night, not only did my family fall in love with the soup (Ben had 4 bowls), but I was able to explain where I got the recipe, and tell my children a little bit about who Kathy was. I can't help but think she was smiling down on us- heavenly tears of joy filling her eyes, seeing my little family around the table, eating her soup and cherishing her memory. There are no words to express the imprint she's left on our hearts.

Thank you, Kathy, for this soup. And for everything.

Photo courtesy of Nicco Zuffanelli

Kathy Z's Sausage & Vegetable Soup

*NOTE: Being the crazy Italian woman that she was, Kathy cooked "loosely"; meaning, every single ingredient listed is an approximation. You can add or take away any ingredient to tailor it to your specific taste. That's the beauty of this recipe. My personal notes are included in parenthesis.

Ingredients:

-1 zucchini, sliced

-1/2 lb. green beans, halved lengthwise (I used about 3/4 lb because we love green beans)

-1/2 lg. onion, chopped

-1 can crushed tomatoes (I thought this meant a smaller, 14 oz. sized can, but when I went to the store, the only can of crushed tomatoes that were available were the larger 28 oz. size. It's definitely a stronger tomato base & flavor, but it was to die for.)

-6 c. chicken stock (I ended up adding at least a cup of water to thin out the crushed tomatoes a bit. Again, this is all to taste! Typically I use the low-sodium stock so I can control how much salt we're having; however the store was sold out of low-sodium so I used the regular stock. According to my husband, this  actually MADE the soup....go figure....)

-Big handful of mini cheese ravioli (Trader Joe's carries these, but I didn't have time to go out that way. Instead, we used a small soup pasta, called "Stelline ". They are these cute little star shapes and they were excellent in this soup! I used 1/2 box, or 1/2 lb.)

-5 cloves garlic, minced

-1 lb. Italian sausage- sweet or spicy

-*I also added 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks for additional flavor, both chopped

-Salt & pepper to taste

In dutch oven or large soup pot, saute sausage until beginning to brown over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic (and in my soup, this is also when I added the carrots & celery), until vegetables soften. Add all other ingredients EXCEPT for the pasta. Bring to a boil, and turn down to a simmer to cook the rest of the vegetables until al dente (approximately 10-15 minutes). While the soup is simmering, boil pasta (ravioli or other) according to package directions. Add the cooked pasta to the soup just before serving. Season to taste. Serve soup with hearty serving of parmesan sprinkled on top. It also tastes wonderful with a shot of olive oil on top. Enjoy!

Ode To The Pork

Oh, my people. HAVE I GOT A DINNER FOR YOU!

Those of you who know me are probably aware of my deep seeded passion for pork tenderloin.  In fact, in our household, 2009 was really the Year of the Tenderloin. Not even an entire country contaminated with swine flu can keep me away from my swine loin (and yes, I know, before I start getting comments about that statement, I'm aware that the two are actually unrelated). I'm slightly embarrassed by my strong feelings for it, because I realize after all, it's just pork. But if I'm going to be honest with you, then you should know that just writing this blog posting on this subject matter, I'm finding myself literally salivating and experiencing intense stomach hunger pangs. And I'm racking my brain, trying to manipulate a plan to have Dan swing by the grocery store on his way home and pick me up a nice juicy tenderloin and throw all current dinner plans out the window. Fortunately for me and my swine addiction, over the course of this year I've found many, many fantastic ways to sneak yet another pork tenderloin onto the dinner table. My family has graciously humored me and chowed it down each and every time. But because of this, I was nervous whether or not my family would once again embrace this new little recipe I found. And then I realized, HECK!- who can resist a slice of juicy tenderloin that's been cooked in BUTTER AND HONEY? The answer is either "no one" or "a crazy person", that's who.

I think one of the reasons I love pork tenderloin so much is that it's such a quick-cooking cut of pork, not to mention lean. So I'm able to prepare a deliciously healthy meal in a very short amount of time. Browning the meat in butter and honey before roasting is the key here...and with only a few ingredients required, it's a recipe from heaven. Ladies & Gentlemen, it is my great honor and pleasure to introduce you to:
 
Pork Tenderloin With Honey Butter
 
Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
  
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a Dutch oven or ovenproof skillet, heat butter and honey over medium heat, stirring to melt butter. Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and place in pan. Cook until underside is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn pork, and cook until other side is browned, about 5 minutes more. Lower the heat if the honey begins to burn.
2. Put pan in the oven, and roast until pork is just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate.
3. Add water to the pan, and stir over medium heat to scrape up all the browned bits. Add any accumulated pork juices from the plate, and simmer until sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Slice pork on the diagonal, and serve drizzled with butter sauce.