I’ve been on a soup kick since the weather got cold… cooking my old favorites – beef stew, chicken noodle soup, chili, etc.

But I have also been on the lookout for new soups and stews to try.  One of them I thought I’d invented myself, only to discover that what I’d really made was my own version of an old Italian standby.  I’ll share that recipe with you soon.

Another new soup that I’ve discovered is one I made this week. I found the pin on Pinterest (don’t you love that?!?) and then forgot about it until I was looking for an idea for dinner one day when I was feeling uninspired about cooking. (yes, it happens)

I found the recipe for Chicken Meatball & Orzo soup over on the blog Will Cook for Smiles.  I have to say, the soup was spectacular.  It was like French onion soup and chicken noodle soup had a baby.   Not quite so onion-y and not so chicken-y either, but a perfect marriage of the two. Three out of four in the house loved it.  The fourth liked the orzo, loved the broth but wasn’t so crazy about the meatballs and onions.  It’s ok, she’ll grow into the taste.  I would highly recommend you try it. 

It didn’t take long to cook, either. Maybe an hour total, including prep time.  I made the meatballs early in the day and let them chill in the fridge until I was ready to cook the soup.  I sautéed the onions and carrots until I got a nice caramelization on the onions.  I think that is key to the richness of the soup.  I also almost burnt my meatballs. I forgot that chicken has less fat and therefore burns easily! Yikes!  But all that goodness in the bottom of the pot came off when I added the broth and just made the soup that much better… Talk about turning a mistake into goodness.

Another thing I’ve cooked and loved lately are these delicious chocolate fudge muffins.  Another case of tragedy averted here, too, as I was planning to make chocolate muffins (from a mix) for breakfast one morning and found that I was out of my standby mix.  I tried these muffins and we haven’t looked back.

While it take (a few minutes) longer to pull together than dumping a mix in a bowl and adding some milk, it tastes a whole lot better.  And I can control the sugar and fat content as well, which I like. (I’m also a big fan of sneaking in some extra protein powder to amp up the protein for the girls’ breakfasts by sneaking it in my muffins – don’t tell them!)

 

I think you’ll like them, too.  I’ve also taken the same recipe and made mini loaves of chocolate bread – which would be GREAT for Christmas gift giving…if you’re looking for a recipe to use.

More kitchen experiments to come soon.

What’ve you been cooking in your kitchen?