Watch out... the oven is back in action

While the kitchen is still a disaster from the remodel-in-progress, you will soon begin to see we have set up the stove so I can use it again. I went full steam ahead in taking advantage of having it working - I began by making another batch of the new favorite hamburger bun recipe. I love working with this dough and it has not let me down yet!

Jeff loves hush puppies from Long John Silvers... but, we rarely eat there. It is usually for a once in awhile (maybe once or twice a year) unhealthy splurge as we typically eat pretty healthy and I make most of our meals. I thought I could surprise Jeff and try a recipe I found for Baked Hush Puppies! While they are obviously not the exact same since they are baked and not fried, Jeff was really impressed with how close they did taste like them! They do have an unusual special ingredient and I had Jeff guessing for quite a long time trying to figure it out. I ended up having to tell him what it was... crushed rice krispies! The batter is baked in a mini muffin tin and comes out of the oven with a rich golden and pretty crisp crust. The inside is light and moist with a bit more spice to them than at Long John Silvers. I think I liked these better as they are not heavy and greasy - Jeff has already asked me to make them again!

I find myself making more and more soups lately as the weather cools down - so to go along with the hushpuppies, I made a Lasagna Soup. This soup is filled with spicy hot Italian turkey sausage, onions and carrots. Boosting the flavor in the broth and tomato combination is minced garlic, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. For the noodle part of the recipe, I opted to use Campanelle pasta - the pasta is quite striking to look at, they are small with fluted edges and have a hollow center. Once the pasta is tender, chopped fresh spinach is thrown in to wilt down. For a fun twist to the recipe, cubed provolone cheese is placed in the bottom of the serving bowls right before the soup is poured in. As you dig in, you get small pockets of gooey melted provolone in each bite - such a good way to distribute the cheese in this recipe! Sharp Parmesan is grated on top with strips of fresh basil to finish the dish with a burst of flavor. Jeff and I both commented on how much it did taste like lasagna, albeit a soupy one! I wish I would have doubled the recipe to freeze for lunches later in the week - it was that good!

Recipes
Baked Hush Puppies
Lasagna Soup