Chicken Meatball Soup

My new favorite! Recipe from Tasty

Ingredients

for 6 servings

CHICKEN MEATBALLS

1 lb  ground chicken

½ cup  panko bread crumbs

1 large egg

½ cup  grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup  fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon  kosher salt

½ teaspoon  pepper

SOUP

2 tablespoons  olive oil, divided

1 cup  white onion, diced

½ cup  carrot, diced

½ cup  celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups  chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 cup  dry orzo pasta (I used Trader Joe's dried mini ravioli pasta - so good)

4 cups  swiss chard, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons  grated parmesan cheese

kosher salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon  lemon juice

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then form into 1-inch (2 cm) meatballs. You should have 16-18 total.
2. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sear the meatballs on all sides until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. In the same pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, add the orzo and meatballs. Cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the orzo is tender.
6. Add the Swiss chard, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the chard has wilted.
7. Add the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve.
9. Enjoy!

Best Soft Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Delicious!!! Made these for two Easter dinners this year

Thanks to Mom On Time Out for the wonderful recipe Ingredients

• 4 -5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp rapid rise, instant yeast
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk , 110 degrees
• 5 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 egg , room temperature
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

• Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk, butter, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix until flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
• Add Delicious!!! Made them for two Easter dinners this year 1/2 cup flour and blend with the dough hook until incorporated. And another 1/2 cup flour and repeat, mixing at medium speed for another 2 minutes until a ball of dough is formed.
• Add additional flour as necessary. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft and pulling away from the edge of the bowl. 
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Remove the towel or plastic wrap and deflate the dough by punching down lightly. 
• Pinch off pieces of the dough and form 24 rolls. You can weigh them to keep the rolls close to the same size. Mine were about 2 ounces each but this will vary depending on how much flour you added.
• Transfer the rolls to a lightly greased quarter baking sheet or 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If the rolls are getting too brown, just tent the rolls with foil.
• Remove rolls and brush hot rolls with the melted butter. Serve immediately or store cooled rolls in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

Instant Pot Hamburger Soup

This Instant Pot hamburger soup is easy and flavorful! It's a healthier comfort food that uses simple everyday ingredients. 

 Course Soup

 Cuisine American

 Keyword electric pressure cooker hamburger soup, Instant Pot ground beef soup, Instant Pot hamburger soup

 Prep Time 10 minutes

 Cook Time 17 minutes

 Inactive time 15 minutes

 Total Time 42 minutes

 Servings 6

 Author Salt & Lavender

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Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 2 sticks celery chopped
• 1 pound extra lean (95% lean) ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 large Russet potatoes diced
• 1 dash Italian seasoning
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil, onion, and celery to your Instant Pot. Press the sauté button and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Stir beef and garlic. Cook until the beef has browned, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes). You shouldn't need to drain much fat if you're using extra lean ground beef, but feel free to drain some/most of it if desired (I didn't drain any). 
3. Stir in the tomato paste, then add in the diced tomatoes, beef broth, potatoes, and Italian seasoning. 
4. Close the lid, make sure the valve is on "sealing", and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. 
5. Once the countdown has finished, carefully do a quick pressure release.
6. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately. 

Soft Molasses Cookies

Dangerous addictive cookies

Delicious recipe from Allrecipes

Great dipped in hot cocoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup molasses

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and egg until well blended. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger; stir into the molasses mixture. Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nainaimo Bars

We raised our family in Toronto - so these Canadian cookies are a favorite.

Thanks to Taste of Home for this perfect recipe

Of course - I had to double it for our family. I hope that's enough!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
3/4 cup butter, cubed
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds, optional

FILLING:

2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons 2% milk

GLAZE:
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Line an 8-in. square baking pan with foil, letting ends extend over sides by 1 in. In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar and cocoa; add butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir until mixture reaches 160°. Remove from heat. Stir in cracker crumbs, coconut and, if desired, almonds. Press into prepared pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.

For filling, in a small bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, pudding mix, butter and milk until smooth; spread over crust.

In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Spread over top. Refrigerate until set. Using foil, lift bars out of pan. Discard foil; cut into bars.

Dressel's Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake

I grew up in Chicago where the Dressel's bakery was located. Every year for my birthday we'd have their famous chocolate whipped cream cake. It was sold frozen in our local grocery stores. So yummy. Most years I try to recreated it - generally with so-so results.

This year's cake was pretty close!

Thanks to Modern Honey - I found a good moist chocolate cake. I used her suggestion and did a 1 1/2 recipe to make three layers.

Chocolate Cake:

• 1 3/4 cup Flour
• 1 3/4 cup Sugar
• 3/4 cup Cocoa high quality
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Oil canola or coconut oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 cup Hot Water

Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1 1/2 cups Butter softened
• 1 cup Cocoa
• 5 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/3 cup Cream Half n Half or Milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you have a flour sifter, sift all dry ingredients.
3. In mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla for 1 minute. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be liquidy but that's a good thing -- it will create a moist cake.
4. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use three 8-inch cake pans for this recipe. Pour batter evenly into each pan. Bake at 22-27 minutes. Place toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
5. Let cool before frosting.

To make Chocolate Buttercream:

1. In mixing bowl, cream together Butter, Cocoa, Powdered Sugar, and Cream until light and fluffy. You may want to add more cream or milk depending on consistency. Once the cake has cooled and has been removed from pans, frost each layer with frosting.
2. Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M & M's or whatever your heart desires.

Recipe Notes

*This recipe makes three 8-inch thin layers to two 9-inch thick layers. If you would like to make a thick triple layer cake, 1 1/2 times the recipe and use three 9-inch cake pans.

This is one baked good that gets even better the next day if covered.

Whipped Cream Filling and Chocolate Ganache topping

I baked three 9 inch layers with parchment paper lining the bottom of the pan. I froze them overnight, thawed slightly the next day, and sliced each one into two layers to create two - three layer cakes.

I put stabilized whipped cream between the layers (recipe below) and chocolate ganache on top.

Buttercream is just to sweet so I made this simple ganache style frosting. I melted about 4 oz of chocolate and gradually stirred in about 2/3 cup of the heavy cream to make a spreadable topping.

To make the filling:

I whipped 3 cups of heavy cream and used the Genius Kitchen recipe to stabilize (tripled it):

INGREDIENTSNutrition

• 1teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 4teaspoons cold water
• 1cup heavy whipping cream (35%)
• 1⁄4cup sifted icing sugar(confectioners sugar)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small pan, combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick.
2. Place over low heat, stirring constantly, just until the gelatin dissolves.
3. Remove from heat; cool (do not allow it to set).
4. Whip the cream with the icing sugar, until slightly thick.
5. While slowly beating, add the gelatin to whipping cream.
6. Whip at high speed until stiff.