Tiny Pasta & Pea Soup

In Italian, this soup is called, Minestra di Pasta e Piselli...translated, it's Pasta & Pea Soup.
I couldn't resist making it, as I fell in love with the idea of tiny pasta stars & itty bitty diced vegetables. I was also intrigued with the idea of making a "battuto", or an Italian version of a "Mirepoix". For those unfamiliar with the term, it's basically a finely diced blend of aromatics & flavorful vegetables...and, in this case, prosciutto. It's used to enhance the flavor of stocks, soups & sauces. Many cultures have their own version of the Mirepoix...the Spanish have sofrito, the Portuguese have refogado,...in Creole cooking, it's called the holy trinity.
With a base of aromatic vegetables, butter & prosciutto, I figured, how could this soup not be good?
It's delicious...and, not only that it's so pretty. It went over well with the family & I'm happy I have a pot of it for the impending snowstorm headed our way!

Cheddar & Banana Pockets

Just because I'm doing the low-carb thing doesn't mean you all have to. I have to cook for my kids after all! These cheesy pockets {really, they're empanadas} are a Bozo favorite. Seriously, I can't see a kid not liking these. They are simple. Nothing gourmet here. The dough is super basic & definitely goes over well with a kids finicky palate. If you'd like a richer, more buttery dough, I recommend you try the empanada dough used here.
The filling is the perfect balance of salty & sweet. Bananas & cheddar cheese may not be a combo you've ever thought to combine. But, believe me, it's good!
My intention was to make these for lunch on Sunday & then have some leftover for school lunch this week. But, they never made it that far. I would imagine they'd be good with all sorts of fillings too. You could get creative here...I was thinking up next I would try bananas & nutella. Yum.

Mustard Chicken Salad

January, for myself & many out there, means it's time to start losing those holiday pounds. As promised, I have some healthy alternatives on the horizon. I am not doing anything as extreme as last January, when I was doing the Goop Detox...man, that thing was torture. But, I am low-carbing it.
This salad is full of flavor & I definitely didn't feel like I was missing out on a thing. I did adapt the original recipe to make it more low-cal...cutting back on the fat & upping the vegetables. I love that it's packed full of veggies & the mustard in the dressing gives it some tang & spice.
It would also make a great weekday lunch. All the components of the salad can be made ahead of time & dressed right before serving.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

It was my DH's birthday last week. I was on the fence about what to make. A cake? Cupcakes? What kind? My kids aren't the biggest cake fans. One isn't crazy about the cake part & one isn't crazy about frosting...I have weird kids.
I wanted to make something that everyone might like. DH will eat anything sweet & both my kids are wild about caramel. I'm a huge caramel fan too & salted caramel? My fave.
So, after some internet cruising, I settled on this recipe, which I found on the website, CHOW. I am so glad that I did! I love these cupcakes! The frosting is perfect. It reminds me of the Butterscotch Pudding I made a few years ago, but in frosting form. It starts out sweet, then gets a little of the bitterness from the caramel & finishes salty.
I briefly considered turning the recipe into a layer cake. But, I'm glad I decided against it. These cupcakes are very rich & in cake form I think it would have been too much. But, as little cakes? Perfect!
If you're a fan of caramel, or butterscotch, this recipe is a must for you!

Bozo Picture of the Week...