mama said there’ll be days like this

Some days all you want is chicken soup. Somehow the combination of shredded chicken and broth warms deep down in your soul. Instead of the traditional chicken soup with carrots and celery, I played to the advantage of my fridge stock and revamped my Mama’s Tortellini Soup recipe. With fresh spinach and my favorite Baby Bella portobello mushrooms, Mama said…Hey, don’t you worry.

Spinach and Portobello Mushroom Chicken Soup

1 1/2 c chicken, cooked and shredded

4 c chicken broth

2 c spinach, washed

1 c portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 sweet bulb onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. EVOO

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1. In a large pot, bring chicken broth to a simmer.

2. In a medium saucepan, sauté half of onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in EVOO. Once tender, add mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms, chicken and remaining salt and pepper to broth. Simmer for 3-5 minutes before adding spinach and remaining onions and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes.

*For leftovers, add fresh spinach to broth for better results.

 

subscriptions & strawberries

PTL. I can finally feel the sun warming my long, winter worries away. The delayed Easter holiday really pushed back the spring schedule. I see afternoons of lotion, La Croix and lounging yardside in my future. For a printemps preview, I soaked up some rays during my lunch hour with spinach, spice and one thing real nice: the Europe issue of Travel + Leisure. This light dish is as unexpected as the hidden alleyways in Paris. See if you can spot what spices up my spinach and strawberry salad. Some kind of wonderful.

Spicy Spinach & Strawberry Salad

2 c spinach, washed

1/2 c strawberries, sliced

1 sweet bulb onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. EVOO

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. In medium-sized bowl, combine spinach, strawberries and onion.

2. Drizzle EVOO and balsamic vinegar over salad and mix well. Finish with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

better nights with butternut squash lasagna

As the nights warm up, so does your schedule. No time to cook a healthy meal while the sun is still up. Enjoy the spring weather with your family and friends by prepping this veggie lasagna dish up to two days before. Pop in the oven. Bake. Serve with a baby spinach salad, a glass of pinot and sit around your outdoor table while taking in the last nights before bug spray and citronella candles. Butter me up, it’s springtime in Texas.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

1 butternut squash

No-boil lasagna noodles

2 c ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1 3/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1. Trim 1/4-inch off the top and bottom of the butternut squash. Pierced with fork, wrap in wet paper towel and microwave for 10 minutes to soften the outer shell. Use a vegetable peeler to remove outer shell, cut in half, remove seeds and cube. *

2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook squash until tender with a fork. Drain.

3. Using an electric mixer or food processor, blend together squash, eggs, ricotta, 3/4 c Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on bottom. Using a spatula, spread a layer of squash and cheese puree over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Repeat until noodles reach the top of the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.

*Feel free to roast the butternut squash seeds like pumpkin seeds. Recipe.

Garden dog, Betsy Leigh Baker.”