In any case, he was out of town and I jumped at the chance to try these recipes out. The kids devoured everything... down to the last piece of kale in the bowl. So good I had to offer up a next day drive-thru service to my good friend Tracey. Packaged up a hearty serving of soup and a couple of scones that she picked up on her way home from running errands. I get to treat a friend, she gets to savor my cooking... win win!
Mini Meatball Soup
Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced (I left this out since I forgot to add it to my shopping list!)
4 scallions, chopped
1 LARGE can (48 oz.) chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head escarole, trimmed cleaned and chopped (Fred Meyer didn't have escarole so I substituted kale)
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Stir until evenly blended. Form into 1-inch meatballs (about 40 total) and set aside.
Soup: In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, parsnips and scallions. Cook 5 minutes, to soften. Add broth, thyme sprigs and 4 cups of water; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Gently drop meatballs into simmering broth mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook 4 minutes. Add escarole/kale in to batches, and the couscous. Cook 8 more minutes, then stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper. Serve warm.
*Courtesy of Family Circle magazine*
Rosemary Buttermilk Scones
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
Coarse salt for sprinkling (optional)
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender or two knives until pebble-size pieces form. Stir in the rosemary then add 3/4 cup buttermilk, stirring until the dough begins to come together (don't overmix.)
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 7-inch round. Cut the dough into 12 wedges with a sharp knife. Arrange the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving an inch of space between them. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375. Brush the scones with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt, if desired. Bake on top oven rack until golden, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.
*Courtesy of Disney Family Fun magazine*
