spicy meatball and vegetable soup

This soup is delicious and the meatballs are baked in the oven, so there is no messy frying. Add some fresh crusty Italian bread and you've got a meal. If you don't want it spicy, omit the chili peppers and if you want it vegan, omit the meatballs and add some chickpeas as your protein. You can also add some baby spinach at the end of the cooking time. This makes about 6-8 servings.

Ingredients for meatballs:

1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of finely grated bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried hot chili peppers
1 garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 lb extra-lean ground beef or chicken
1 tbsp olive oil

Ingredients for soup:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 sweet red pepper, finely diced
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)
3 thinly sliced medium carrots
2 spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp dried hot chili peppers
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper

Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Add meat and mix well, blending ingredients with a fork. Roll into 1 inch balls. Lay out on a large non-stick baking sheet, which has been greased with one tsp olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, turning once half-way through, until browned. Place cooked meatballs on paper towels to drain. Set aside.
2. Heat two tsps olive oil in large saucepan, with heavy bottom, on medium heat. Add onion and sweet peppers. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the next 8 ingredients to saucepan, along with the cooked meatballs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve in large soup bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top.

Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore is the Italian word for "hunter". This recipe is a variation on a recipe that I received from a former co-worker (thanks Jim!). The original recipe had a few less ingredients but also had 1 whole clove added to the sauce during cooking. While I loved this flavouring, my husband did not. Therefore, I have used dried chili peppers in place of the cloves. This recipe serves about 6 people. It is also excellent reheated as left-overs! If you want to add more greens to it, you can stir in some baby spinach at the end of the cooking time.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 jar (about 150 ml) fire roasted sweet red peppers
1 onion sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 medium white potatoes, quartered
2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into one inch rings and then halved
1 cup of chicken broth
1 tsp dried chili peppers (or more, depending on your heat tolerance)
1 cup ripe oil-cured black olives
2 cans (28 oz each) diced tomatoes, with juice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp thyme, oregano & basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
chicken: use bone-in & skin-on chicken--either 6 chicken breasts or 12 thighs or a combination of both.


1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, chopped red pepper, and celery. Saute until onion is soft. Combine all remaining ingredients, except chicken, with the onion mixture and simmer slowly for at least 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brown chicken in skin, on both sides, slowly, in large nonstick skillet. Remove to paper towels and drain off fat. Cut skin off and discard. Transfer chicken to the prepared sauce and cover. Simmer, covered, on low, for about one hour or until tender.
3. Spoon chicken and vegetables onto plate and spoon sauce over them. Serve with fresh Italian bread.