Don't sleep on the danishes
Hello!
This is my last newsletter of 2023. It’s been such a fun year of writing this. I’ve really enjoyed connecting with you and I’ve hoped every week that these recipes have helped you to find joy in cooking and sharing food. I’m really looking forward to trying out a new format next year and seeing how this project can change and grow. Here’s to 2024!
Quick Links
migas // tomato bean soup, chicken and orzo soup // salt and vinegar cabbage // swedish meatballs // danishes
Weeknight Meals
The recipes this week are incredibly easy and inexpensive, just the stuff we need in the midst of all these holidays and big meals.
Theeee easiest and most satisfying dinner. And it’s all about the toppings, so have fun with that part.
Tomato and White Bean Soup, Chicken and Orzo soup
Two really good and easy soups from Jenny Rosenstrach. (I use the Dinner a Love Story cookbook more than almost any other). Here are my notes from cooking these a thousand times. For the tomato and bean: I use two cans of beans instead of three and you can leave the bacon out if you’re vegetarian, maybe add a little smoked paprika to taste to give it the same smoky flavor. For the chicken and orzo: I like to sear the chicken in the pan until browned on both sides and then remove it while I saute the vegetables and then add back in with the broth and cook until cooked through, then remove and shred while the noodles are cooking, also add less orzo than you think, I usually use 1 cup for around 6 cups of broth and it’s still very noodle-y.
Serve this with sausage, grilled chicken or salmon or another protein of choice. I love this preparation of cabbage. The charred and caramelized bits are just delightful.
Weekend Meal
Oh so yummy on top of mashed potatoes with some lingonberry jam and a vinegary cucumber salad. They feel festive and comforting. I made half the recipe of meatballs using only beef and the full amount of gravy and the proportions were just right.
Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs are also a possibility.
Treat of the Week
These are a new Christmas tradition for us after last year when they were a huge hit. I wish I had one right now!
Something to Listen to
I don’t love most Christmas music, but there are a few that really put me in the right feeling this time of year. Here’s a few that I really love: December, HARK!, Holiday Songs and Lullabies, Low’s Christmas Album, Muppets with John Denver and Sufjan Stevens of course.
Have a wonderful holiday season and I’ll see you in 2024!
Emily