Whatever Ails Ya; Recipes from Mary Makes It Easy
Mary showcases her go-to recipes for when you’re not feeling 100%, from tummy- to heart-aches, or whatever else ails ya. Stream full episodes of Mary Makes It Easy at CTV.ca and the CTV app.
ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs
Olive oil
1 slice sandwich bread
¼ cup (60 ml) milk
1 egg
¼ red onion, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
500 g ground turkey
¾ cup (60 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons oregano, finely chopped
¼—½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ red onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 carrots, peeled and diced
½ fennel bulb, diced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (540 ml) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼—½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 ½ L low sodium chicken broth
1 cup (100 g) short soup pasta, such as acini de pepe, orzo, or alphabet pasta
4 large handfuls dark leafy greens, roughly chopped
½ cup (40 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ cup parsley, chopped
½ lemon, juice
DIRECTIONS:
For the meatballs, heat your oven to 400°F and lightly coat the bottom of a sheet pan with oil.
Tear the bread into small pieces and add into a large bowl along with the milk. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the milk and break down slightly.
Add in the egg, onion, and garlic and beat to combine. Add in the turkey, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Using two forks or your fingers almost like rakes, mix just until well combined. Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of the mixture onto the sheet pan then roll into small meatballs. You want them to be smaller than a ping pong ball. If the mixture is a bit sticky, simply dampen your hands with water every so often – this will keep the mixture from sticking to your hands.
Roast the meatballs for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and cooked through.
Meanwhile, prepare the soup. Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add in about a tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, carrots, and fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened and lightly caramelized. Add in the beans, garlic, and red pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until the beans start to pick up a little colour and their skins begin to burst.
Turn the heat up to medium-high. Carefully pour in the broth, add the meatballs, and bring to a boil. If you have a rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese hanging around, you can add it now too. It will give the soup some extra flavour. When the soup comes to a boil, add in the pasta and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables and pasta are tender.
In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the greens to wilt. Just before serving, stir through the Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, and lemon juice. Serve with big shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
SAUCY CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE SUNDAE
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
Cake Batter
½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
¼ cup (62 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ cup (125 g) milk
1 cup (130 g) flour
¼ cup (30 g) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Sauce
½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (30 g) cocoa powder
1 cup (250 ml) hot coffee
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sundaes
¾ cup (128 g) milk chocolate chips
4 cups (about 200 g) ripple cut plain potato chips
Vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream
Chopped peanuts
Maraschino cherries
DIRECTIONS:
Heat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, beat together the brown sugar and butter then add in the egg and vanilla. Since this cake is supposed to be fudgy and almost brownie-like, there is no need to cream this mixture as the extra air would make it too light. Stir in the milk and sift over the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until combined. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and set aside.
For the sauce, whisk the brown sugar, sugar, and cocoa powder together in a glass measuring cup or a bowl with a spout. Add in the hot coffee and vanilla and whisk to combine. Retrieve the pan with the cake batter and, very slowly, pour the hot cocoa mixture over the back of a spatula or wooden spoon overtop of the cake, being sure not to mix it in.
Carefully transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the top is set but the centre is still wobbly.
Meanwhile, prepare the toppings for the sundaes. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a bowl over simmering water. Lay out a piece of parchment paper and, working with one chip at a time, dunk half into the milk chocolate. Set onto the parchment paper and allow the chocolate to cool and harden.
Assemble the sundaes by layering ice cream with scoops of the warm saucy chocolate fudge cake. Top with whipped cream, chocolate dipped potato chips, chopped peanuts, and a cherry.
GINGER CINNAMON SMOOTHIE
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 oranges
2 cups (300 g) frozen fruit
1 banana
¼ cup (25 g) oats
1 cup (250 ml) plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup (250 ml) milk, regular or plant based
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons honey
DIRECTIONS:
Zest the oranges into a stand or large smoothie blender. Peel the oranges and add into the blender along with the frozen fruit, banana, oats, yogurt, and milk. Grate over the fresh ginger and add the cinnamon and honey.
Blitz on high for 1 minute until smooth.
HOMEMADE CHEESE RAVIOLI
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes (including chilling time)
Serves: 3 to 4
INGREDIENTS:
Pasta and Filling
1 cup (246 g) ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ cup (40 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
½ lemon, zested
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 batch basic pasta dough (recipe follows) or 24—30 wonton wrappers
Sauce
¼ cup (58 g) butter
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ lemon, zested and juiced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Ground Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, beat together the ricotta, egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil, parsley, lemon zest, and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes or for up to 1 day.
If using fresh pasta dough, prepare as directed. Divide the dough into four roughly equal pieces and roll out on a floured surface into a very thin rectangle that measures about 5-inches across. If you have a pasta roller, that will make very quick work of this but a rolling pin will also do.
Place a clean dish towel on a sheet pan and dust it with flour. Lay the sheets of pasta out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a small spoon, drop 1 tablespoon dollops of the ricotta filling along the centre of the dough, leaving about 2-inches between each. Lightly brush a bit of water along one edge of the dough and between each dollop of ricotta. Fold the dough over the ricotta onto itself and press firmly around each mound to seal in the filling, being careful to not have any air pockets. Cut the ravioli using a knife or pizza cutter and trim the edges, if desired. Transfer the ravioli onto the flour dusted dish towel, flipping every 10 minutes or so, to avoid sticking.
If using wonton wrappers, simply drop 1 tablespoon dollops onto each square, brush the edges lightly with water, fold over, and press to seal. If needed, press the edges with the tines of a fork to ensure a strong seal.
Fill a wide pot or high sided skillet with water, season well with salt, and set over high heat to bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by melting the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to low.
Boil the ravioli for 2 minutes or until they float and are al dente. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli into the garlicky butter, adding a spoonful or two of the pasta cooking liquid as needed. Gently toss in the parsley and cheese, to taste, and serve topped with more cheese.
Basic Pasta Dough
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup + 2 tbsp ‘00’ flour or all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and oil and pour it over the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture looks crumbly then turn it out onto a work surface and form into a ball.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough for about 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and bouncy when pressed, adding more flour as needed.
Cover the dough with an upturned bowl or plastic and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to one day.