New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
7 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3 Tbsp minced fresh chives
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, garlic and potatoes in a roasting pan; toss well to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes or til tender, stirring after 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Squeeze garlic cloves to extract pulp; discard skins. Combine garlic pulp, remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, chives, vinegar and mustard in large bowl; stir well. Add potatoes to bowl; toss well to coat.

Serves 6-8

Edamame Salad

1 lb frozen shelled edamame
3 c frozen petite corn kernels
1 chopped red bell pepper
3/4 c sliced green onions
1/2 c chopped red onion
1/4 c chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano, marjoram or basil

DRESSING:
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Prepare edamame according to pkg directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain thoroughly. Combine edamame, corn, red pepper, green onions, red onion, parsley and oregano. In large bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add veggies to bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8.

Zuppa Tuscana

1 (16 oz) pkg Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage (remove casings)
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 c)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 qt water
4 Tbsp chicken base (get from Costco) ~ don't use bouillion cubes
3-4 medium potatoes cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces (I used red potatoes)
2 c chopped kale
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 c whipping cream
(For thicker soup, add instant potatoes til thickened)

In large pot, cook sausage til done and remove from pan. Rinse sausage with hot water (eliminates the fat from floating on surface of soup). In same pot, fry bacon til crisp and remove; set aside. Drain all but 1 Tbsp bacon fat from pot. Add onions and garlic and cook til tender. Add water, chicken base and potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 min or until potatoes are tender. Return the cooked sausage and bacon to pot. Add kale and crushed red pepper and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in cream and cook til heated through, without boiling.

Enjoy!

Just a comment...I personally like a thicker soup, so will probably add some instant potatoes next time and see what I think.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti

8 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 c fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 dried bay leaf
1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 c chopped onion
1 c (about 2 1/2 oz) spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces (or any short pasta)
2 c diced cooked rotisserie chicken
1 c grated Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
kosher salt

In large stockpot, bring chicken broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, saute carrots, celery and onion to soften. Add to chicken broth mixture. Add broken pasta and cook pasta til tender, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and heat through. Remove bay leaf and Parmesan rind and discard. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley.