Category: Recipes

Leek,Lentil and Carrot Soup

Leek, Lentil And Carrot Soup

Autumn starts when the soup is on the stove and my Leek, Lentil And Carrot Soup is a show stopper that is full of flavour.  In this soup I puree part of the ingredients, but leave some chunky.  This bumps it up to a whole other level in texture.  The soup is silk, but has a bite.  You can use this to entertain, but your family will keep asking for it.

The mild flavour of the fennel compliments the other ingredients. The aroma of the soup cooking adds to the theme of Fall and fills the house with such a warm sense. Fennel plays a medicinal role in many parts of the world. Anything that keeps us healthy and adds good flavour to dishes is definitely a plus.

Another one of my favourite leek soups on my blog : https://recipesatmytable.com/leek-potato-carrot-celery-and-spinach-soup/

INGREDIENTS for Leek, Lentil and Carrot Soup

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium leeks, cut thingy
  • 2 ribs celery, cut into small dice
  • 1 medium onion diced 
  • 2 medium carrots diced into small cubes
  • 1 large clove garlic sliced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup dried lentils (cook according to package directions)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • pepper
  • fresh fennel fronds for dressing
  • Greek yogurt, for serving

Process

Always rinse your lentils. I like using dried ones because they retain their shape. Precook your lentils in some vegetable or chicken broth.  I follow the package directions. Also precook your carrots and set aside. 

Put on a large saucepan on stove over medium heat and add the oil.  Stir in the onion first to soften. Next add in garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomato paste next. This method allows the paste to toast.

Go in with the leek, and celery and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetable soften.  Sprinkle in the  the Once everything comes together, pour in the broth. 

Leek,Lentil and Carrot Soup: Recipes At My Table

Bring everything to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for another ten minutes. Add in your salt and puree with an immersion blender. Add in your lentils and carrots. This gives a nice contrast and some texture to the soup.

Leek,Lentil and Carrot Soup: Recipes At My Table

Pour the soup into bowls and sprinkle with some fennel fronds and add a dollop of fresh yogurt. 

Leek,Lentil and Carrot Soup: Recipes At My Table
Leek,Lentil and Carrot Soup

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Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table

Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops

These Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops will become a favourite at your house. Who doesn’t love sauce and cheese??? The parmigiana method of cooking is popular because it is comforting in every way. It is everything we love as Italians in one bite. Traditionally parmigiana uses chicken. Some of my favourites re the vegetable parmigiana recipes. Food experts note that it is a staple of the regions of Campania and Sicily. The first recipe appeared in the “New York Times”in 1962. The recipe became popular all over the world and is a family favourite.

However when visiting Italy the most common parmigiana consists of eggplants. They have stayed true to the roots. Meat was not available to farmers at home in Italy. Most used vegetables. Upon immigrating, they realized how easy it was to get meat and it became a status symbol. They were also overjoyed that they could now afford more protein. This is how I came to experiment with pork chops in a parmigiana recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

My nonna made a lot of veal and chicken parmigiana, but our favourite was always the eggplant one. When visiting Italy, I will often have eggplant parmigiana as a main with some good bread and of course a very good bottle of wine.

Don’t forget to check out my healthy version of eggplant parmigiana on the bloghttps://recipesatmytable.com/the-best-grilled-eggplant-parmigiana/

Ingredients

  • Thick cut pork chops( this recipe is for two, but you can multiply it to suit your needs)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning divided
  • fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
  • 8 small cubes of mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
  • 2 tbsp of live oil
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • salt and pepper

Process

Take some fresh thick pork chops and lie them on their side. Use a small paring knife to cut a slit in them. Ensure that you do not go through the other side.

Set up your stations with flour, egg and bread crumbs. I used half the italian seasoning in the flour and half in the bread crumbs. Add your parmesan cheese into the bread crumbs. Slice 8 small cubes of mozzarella. and get some large leaves of fresh basil.

Place one basil leaf and 4 cubes into each slit and push everything as far back as you can so that the pork chop closes again.

Now it is time to go to the dunking station. First the chop goes into the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs. Set aside.

Place the olive oil into a large pan over medium/high heat and put in the chops. Cook until golden brown and salt and pepper each side .

Line your baking dish with 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce and then pour the other half over the top. I poured the little bit of olive oil from the pan over the sauce. Place in a 400F oven for 40minutes.

Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table
Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the mozzarella.

They were juicy, moist and delicious. Serve with a side of pasta or salad.

Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table
Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops: Recipes At My Table

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Leftover BBQ Pork Vodka Pasta: Recipes At My Table

Leftover BBQ Pork Vodka Pasta

Leftovers are a great way to create a good meal with little time. My Leftover BBQ Pork Vodka Pasta is velvety and luscious. The Vodka adds a little touch of heat and a sharp bite. It balances the sweetness of the passata and the yogurt. Most recipes call for sour cream, but I love yogurt. You will find such a depth of flavour in this dish and I can’t stop eating this pasta. LOL

Pasta is always a go to easy meal in our house. We love it with few ingredients,but when we have leftover pork, we are more in love with pasta. My nonno believed that pork was the best meat for any sauce and I agree. Now the twist here is that they never used Vodka, wine definitely. lol The pork was cooked with a dry rub on the bbq. My reversed barbecuing method always cooks it to perfection. Once in this sauce, it was falling apart. You could also make this with leftover chicken.

For some delicious pork recipes and information on pork visit https://www.ontario.ca/foodland/recipes

One of my favourite pork recipes on the blog for Autumn https://recipesatmytable.com/apple-butter-pork/

Ingredients

  • 250 gr. egg noodles
  • 275 gr. of mushrooms (your choice)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup tomato passata ( crushed tomatoes)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup vodka
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • leftover pork tenderloin cut into thin slices
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
  • fresh parsley

Process

I put the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and added the mushrooms, Italian seasoning and salt. Cook them until they are nice and brown.  When cooked put them on a plate.

Using the same pan add the olive oil and onion. Sauté until soft and then splash in the Vodka. It will bubble vigorously and burn off the alcohol. Then add in the sliced garlic.

Go in with the passata. Follow this with the stock and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.

Add the mushrooms back into the pan followed by the pork.   I then removed the pan from the heat and added in the yogurt. 

Add the cooked noodles to the sauce and stir.  A little of the pasta water will make the sauce even better.

Plate and sprinkle with pepper, parmesan and parsley.  

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Cabbage Hash Brown Waffles

Autumn is a great time for certain vegetables and the vegetable stands are full. One of my favourite fall vegetables is cabbage. My Cabbage Hash Brown Waffles are crunch and sweet. You can’t get enough of them and the kids will gobble them up. What a great way to get more vegetables on the table. I serve these as an appetizer, but they are great as a main. Top them with yogurt for extra flavour.

Growing up the house smelled like cabbage many times, especially in the fall. Nonna Emilia loved stewed cabbage with various beans. We would add pasta to eat for our “primo piatto” and then it was followed by meat or fish with some salad. As a kid though, I remember not liking the smell because it lingered. However, the taste was delicious and I always liked the leftovers even cold. now i experiment with different ways to keep us healthy.

If you want to make nonna’s cabbage soup it is on the blog https://recipesatmytable.com/nonnas-cabbage-soup/

There are many benefits to eating cabbage and it is packed with nutrients. This is a good article with quick facts https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cabbage

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup semola ( you can substitute all purpose flour)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon  salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 3 cups shredded cabbage ( shredded like for coleslaw)
  • 1/4 cup water (for steaming cabbage)
  • 1 small yellow onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil

Garnish

  • yogurt and apple sauce

Process

Shred the cabbage and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Add 1/4 cup water and  Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove, drain and let it cool. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and Parmesan cheese.

Pulse the onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor.

When the cabbage cools add all the spices in including the maple syrup.

Next add the semola and stir. This will absorb any extra water. Now pour in the eggs and mix.

Warm up a waffle iron and brush on some oil. Put 1 cup of mixture into the waffle iron and cook. I like to portion it and use 1/4 cup per little section. Flatten it down.

Serve as an appetizer with yogurt and apple sauce or as a vegetarian main.

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