Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I love making and eating soup, especially now that the weather is more predictably chilly (ugh) every day... after Mel posted this recipe a few weeks ago, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I changed up a few things and it was as good as Mel promised.

A creamy, hearty soup base is chock full of yummy and healthy veggies, chicken and soft gnocchi. What's not to love? I can't wait for lunch tomorrow, and this will be one of many times I make this soup this winter, especially since I stocked up on gnocchi!

Start by heating the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots

and thyme,

and cook and stir for several minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and the mushrooms

and cook for an additional two minutes. Now cover the vegetables with the flour

and stir well to coat all the veggies. Add the chicken broth

and cook and stir until slightly thickened. You can increase the heat to medium high, then add the half and half

and the milk. Keep stirring and cooking until the mixture comes to a boil, then cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the soup thickens up a bit. Add the gnocchi

and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken,

spinach,

and salt and pepper and cook for just a minute or so until the spinach wilts and the chicken is warmed through. Eat soup and keep warm!

One year ago: Double Berry Banana Muffins
Two years ago: Pumpkin Cake
Three years ago: Peach Pound Cake

Find more great ideas at Hearth and Soul, Cast Party Wednesday, Whatcha Whipped up Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Swanky Stuff, Pennywise Platter, Recipe Box, Thursday's Treasures, Tastetastic Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday (#2).

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (about 1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg.)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup flour
2 cups fat free half-and-half
2 cups milk
3 cups chicken broth
1 - 17.6 ounce package gnocchi
3 cups cooked and diced chicken
2 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. salt

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot; add the chopped onion, carrots and thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent and carrots are slightly tender, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes. Cover the vegetables with the flour and stir well to coat all the vegetables.

Add the chicken broth and increase the heat to medium high. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken, then slowly add the half-and-half and then the milk. Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes.

Add the gnocchi and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the chicken, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted and chicken is warmed through.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Banana Bread

I know there are a million recipes for banana bread out there, and I don't expect anyone to adopt a new one if you've found one you love. But if you don't have one, this is a good one. And I wanted to post it because I refer to the recipes on this blog, too, and wanted to have a record of this very good banana bread!

This isn't the healthiest, lowest fat or most interesting banana bread. It's just straight up delicious, no frills, just how it should be, regular banana bread.

Start by creaming together the oil, applesauce and sugar. Add in the bananas,

eggs and vanilla and mix well. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon,

baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this to the batter alternately with the buttermilk

and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan

and bake for about an hour.

Cool the bread in the pan for about 15 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

One year ago: Caramel Cracker Bars
Two years ago: Apple Dumpling Cake
Three years ago: Potato Soup

Get more ideas at Mangia Monday, Mop it up Monday, Mix it Up Monday, Melt in your Mouth Monday, On the Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Tasty Tuesday (#2), Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasteful Tuesdays, Tuesday Talent Show.

Banana Bread

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together the oil, applesauce and sugar. Mix in the bananas, eggs and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl alternately with the buttermilk, and mix just until combined.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Caramel Apple Cookies

We now return to fall treats after that diversion to an actual main dish. These cookies - my oh my. What a wonderful use for apples! I can't decide what part of this cookie I like best - the chewy caramel, the sweet apple, or the spicy dough that turns beautifully crunchy when baked. These cookies are autumn perfection.

Start by creaming together the butter, brown sugar

and applesauce.

Add the egg and vanilla

and mix until incorporated. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

Add the chopped apple to the flour mixture

and stir it up to coat all the apples.

Add the flour/apple mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Then stir in the caramel bits.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and then drop small mounds of dough on the paper.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Then let the cookies cool completely before removing to a wire rack. Otherwise the caramel bits will stick on the paper, and not stay in the cookie. That would be bad, very bad.

These cookies are great with a tall glass of milk!

One year ago: Portobello Spaghetti Risotto
Two years ago: Mixed Berry Coffeecake
Three years ago: Garlicky Shrimp and Spinach Pizza

Find more inspiration at Full Plate Thursday, Sweet and Swanky Stuff, Recipe Box, Thursday's Treasures, Tastetastic Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday (#2), Crazy Sweet Tuesday.

Caramel Apple Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple
1 cup caramel bits (or regular sized caramels, cut up into small pieces)

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and continue to beat until combined.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in another bowl.

Add chopped apple to the flour and then add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and mix until combined. Then, add the caramel bits.

Drop small balls of dough on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Let cookies completely before attempting to move them off the baking sheet or else the caramel will remain on the sheet away from the cookie!

Makes 3-4 dozen.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Eat, Live, Run

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Smoked Sausage

I'll now take a break from all the pumpkin and apple goodness to bring you this great autumn main dish. I love taking advantage of seasonal produce, and brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables. Roasting the sprouts brings out wonderful flavor, not to mention nice crispy leaves. Combine them with smoked sausage and pesto-laced pasta, and this is a wonderful dish with which to welcome fall.

Start by preparing the brussels sprouts. You'll want to wash them, then cut off the ends, and remove any wilted outer leaves. Mine were in pretty good shape. They were large, so I trimmed the ends and then quartered them.

Place the sprouts in a large bowl, the drizzle with olive oil

and season with salt and pepper. Stir them up to make sure all the sprouts get coated with the oil, then transfer them to a large baking sheet.

Roast the veggies for 20-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. In the meantime, put the pasta water on to boil, and when it's ready, add the pasta.

Cut up the smoked sausage and then add it to a skillet that has been heated to medium high.

Cook the sausage, stirring often, until it is lightly browned, then add the garlic and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. When the sprouts are done, add them to the sausage pan.

Drain the pasta, reserving a little bit of liquid, and then return the pasta to the pot. Stir in the pesto,

then add the pasta to the skillet. Stir it up well and then top with parmesan cheese.

Serve warm and enjoy!

One year ago: Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Two years ago: Goat Cheese and Apple Bruschetta
Three years ago: Spiced Pear Muffins

Get more great ideas at Mangia Monday, Mop it Up Monday, Mix it Up Monday, Melt in your Mouth Monday, Recipe Sharing Monday, On the Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday Talent Show, Hearth and Soul, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesday.

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Smoked Sausage

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, quartered
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. small pasta shape (like campanelle or orecchiette)
2 smoked sausage links, cut in half lengthwise then into crosswise slices
3 Tbsp. pesto
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

In a large bowl, mix together brussels sprouts and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined.

Pour brussels onto a large baking sheet, then roast at 400 for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside.

Meanwhile, heat the a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly-browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), and then toss together the pasta with the pesto. Add the roasted sprouts to the cooked sausage and garlic, then toss in the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving warm. Serves 4-6.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Apple Crisp

One of my colleagues at work gave me a bag of apples from her neighbor's tree. And a strong hint that I should use them to make a treat for the office! I made this apple crisp, and it was a HUGE hit. No wonder - juicy, cinnamon and sugar apples are cooked under a oatey topping that - true to its name - becomes crisp! It is SOOO good. Topped with vanilla ice cream, this is a wonderful seasonal dessert, and I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to eat it for breakfast, too. (It's fruit and oatmeal, right??)

First prepare the apples. This will take awhile, because you need about 10 cups! You want to peel, core and slice the apples - I have one of these neat tools. I only use it once or twice a year but it is worth it!

Toss the apples with the lemon juice, and then transfer them to a 9x13 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon and then sprinkle over the apples.

Stir to coat all the apple pieces, then pour the water over.

For the yummy topping, combine the flour, brown sugar,

and oats. Use a fork to mix in the butter until the mixture is clumpy.

Top the apples with the oat mixture

then sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for about 45 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.

You can serve this warm, or at room temperature. But be sure to serve it with vanilla ice cream. (With caramel sauce if you're really daring...)

One year ago: Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Two years ago: Carrot Cherry Bread
Three years ago: Pear Custard Bars

Get more great recipes at Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Treats Thursday, Recipe Box, Thursday's Treasures, Tastetastic Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, Friday Food, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday (#2).

Apple Crisp

10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water

Crisp topping:
1 cup oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Stir well to coat all the apples, then pour water evenly over all.

For the topping, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and butter together. Mix up with a fork until the topping is clumpy. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture. Sprinkle with the cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. Serves 12.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

I'm still not sure that I'm totally ready to embrace fall (it was 80 degrees in Minnesota this weekend) but these pumpkin donuts could make me a convert. The flavor of these is SO spectacular, and I can't resist the delicious cinnamon sugar coating. I made these for a party at work, and after people got over the initial surprise that a person can actually MAKE donuts (!), they couldn't stop raving about them. Now that I think about it, I didn't get to eat enough of these. Guess there's one solution to that.

In a large mixing combine the brown sugar,

eggs, oil, milk,

vanilla and pumpkin

and mix well. Add the flour,

baking powder, salt, cinnamon,

nutmeg,

allspice and cloves and mix just until combined. Grease your donut pan, then fill the donut cups with the batter.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until donuts spring back when touched lightly.

Turn the donuts out of the pan and onto a wire rack. Cool for a bit. When donuts are cool enough to handle, melt the butter for coating. In a second dish, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Dip the donut in the butter

and shake off the excess.

Coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture

then place back on the wire rack to dry.

These are really delicious warm, and also great at room temperature. They'll keep for a couple days in an airtight containers. Or you could make your friends really happy by sharing these delicious donuts!

One year ago: Breakfast Couscous
Two years ago: Carrot Cherry Bread
Three years ago: Northwoods Bean Soup

Find more inspiration at Mouthwatering Monday, This Week's Cravings, Mop it Up Monday, Seasonal Inspiration, Mix it Up Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Recipe Sharing Monday, What's on the Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasteful Tuesday, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesday, Food on Friday, Ingredient Spotlight.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

3 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 - 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin pumpkin
1 cup milk

For Coating:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to over mix.

Spoon batter into greased donut pans. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed. Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another. When donuts are still hot (but not too hot to touch), quickly dip each donut in melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve immediately. Makes 18-20 donuts.