Italian Wedding Soup

If you've never had Italian Wedding Soup before you're missing out.  Tender meatballs, vegetables, and mini pasta in a rich and flavorful broth, this Italian Wedding Soup is a meal unto itself!  This soup is so comforting during the colder months, super filling, can be made ahead and is freezer friendly.  Customize it to be dairy free, truly one of my faves.

Ingredients:

14 oz bag of frozen small chicken meatballs 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

8 cups of chicken broth

2 cup of vegetable broth

1 cup acini di pepe pasta

4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

sea salt

black ground pepper

1/3 cup parmesan cheese (dairy free option if you want this to be dairy free)

Optional skip the cheese and just a parmesan rind to flavor the soup

Directions:

1. Cook meatballs per package instructions.  In a large pot, over medium heat add olive oils, crushed red pepper flakes, onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender.  Add in garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Add in broth, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  After it's boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.  Add in pasta and cook about 6 minutes, until slightly tender.

3. Stir in cooked meatballs and spinach.  Cook until the spinach has slightly wilted.  Stir in sea salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.  Serve warm, Enjoy!

NOTES: 

• Baking or searing the small meatballs is a game changer, it gives them great flavor.

• Put a parmesan rind in the Italian Wedding soup, to give it that cheesy flavor.  Remove the rind before serving.

• After completely cooling, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

This cookie pie is everything you need and more! Super soft and gooey all at the same time.  Tastes just like an underbaked chocolate chip cookie.  Plus, its grain free and dairy-free.  Making it a healthy option for on your plate, so you can enjoy life off the plate!

Ingredients:

2 eggs or flax eggs 

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup coconut sugar or organic pure cane sugar

1/2 cup nut butter of your choice

1 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cups dairy free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350F degrees.  Line a 9" round cake pan with parchment paper or spray with oil.

2.  In a mixing bowl, add all the wet ingredients together until well combined.  Mix in all the dry ingredients.  

3. Spread batter into cake pan and top with extra chocolate chips.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden.  You can undercook slightly to have the middle really GOOEY.  Enjoy!

Crunchy Taco Foldovers

If you are a fan of the Taco Bell Crunch Wraps, you will love these.  These are so flavorful and super simple to make.  You can even make the taco meat ahead of time so save yourself time during the week.  My favorite part is they are less messy to eat than the traditional taco! 

Ingredients:

1 large burrito-style tortilla, gluten-free 

1/3 cup shredded taco cheese or dairy-free cheese of choice

1/2 cup taco meat, ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey

1 Tbsp guacamole

1 Tbsp butter, vegan butter preferred

Below items are all options:

salsa

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

mild sauce

jalapenos

sour cream

tortilla chips

Directions:

Taco Meat  -  Brown 1 pound of ground meat of choice in a large skillet and then add in taco seasoning (homemade or I use Siete Taco Seasoning) per package directions.

Taco Foldover  - Place a tortilla flat on workspace.  With a knife cut a single line from the center to the edge of the tortilla.  Imagine the tortilla is divided into four quadrants.  Place the guacamole and mild sauce in the first quadrant, taco meat and chips in the second, cheese in the third and lettuce and salsa in the last quadrant.  

Fold the guacamole side up to the meat, then the meat to the cheese, and finally the cheese to the lettuce & salsa.  

Melt butter or oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat.  Fry each taco foldover for about 2 minutes each side or until a light crust starts to form.  Serve with salsa and enjoy!

NOTES:  

You can tailor this recipe to be gluten-free and dairy-free! Inspired by @healthylittlepeach