Italian Vegetable Soup with Beans, Spinach (& Pesto)

I learned a very important lesson today - you CAN have too much of a good thing, especially when that thing is garlic. Who knew? The sad news is that I think this soup probably would have been great had I not over-garliced it. But I did. And it's pretty bad. It kind of burns - but not in a spicy way.

You might notice that garlic is not on the list of original ingredients. But I have a great fear of bland soup - so I added a lot of garlic and basil. Oh, and I skipped the pesto because a little tiny container of it was $4.50 at the co-op (where I stopped after work). I topped it with Kraft parmesan instead - high class all the way. I also skipped the bell peppers, celery, and potatoes - and substituted green beans for peas.

So try this one and let me know how it is without the overpowering taste of garlic. I'm off to find some parsley.

Submitted by: USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson Rated: 5 out of 5 by 11 members

Yields: 10 servings

"Cannellini beans and a plethora of vegetables - bell peppers, carrots, celery, potatoes, peas, and spinach - make this healthy soup hearty and satisfying."

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, cut into small dice 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick 3 medium celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick 1 medium bell pepper (red or yellow), stemmed, seeded and cut into medium dice 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, unpeeled and cut into medium dice

1 (16 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes 2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, undrained 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth in can or carton 7 ounces loosely packed baby spinach 1 cup frozen green peas Salt and ground black pepper Prepared pesto (found in grocer's refrigerated section)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in a soup kettle over medium-high flame. Add onions, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, bean and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes. Add spinach and peas; continue to simmer until spinach wilts, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, adding a spoonful of pesto to each serving of soup.

Salsa

This was my first time making salsa. I didn't know what I was doing but it actually turned out alright. I think that's the beauty of salsa - add pretty much anything in any ratio and it's still fresh salsa and, therefore, inherently wonderful.

I used a food processor, which I think is key. And FYI (because that's what this blog is for), jalepenos can burn your skin, I found out after the fact. The salt, pepper, and tabasco are "to taste" so that's what I did - add and taste, add and taste. This recipe makes a lot (a mixing bowl full, or so).

1 onion (or more)
3 tomatoes (not sure if these are really necessary)
3 jalepenos
1 bunch cilantro
7 1/2 cloves of garlic (approximately, I used the stuff in the jar)
juice from half a lime
salt
pepper
tabasco sauce
3 - 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes

Put everything but the canned tomatoes in the food processor. Mix. Pour it in a bowl, stir in the canned tomatoes, refrigerate.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Nothing says 'summer' like tuna pasta salad. It's the only thing I want to eat on hot days - best with watermelon and a Blue Moon. My previous concoction was a little bland (tuna, pasta, mayo, salt, pepper) and had no veggies so I did some research and came up with this - a combination of two allrecipes.com recipes, kind of.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package rotini (my mom pointed out that the shape works well for holding the goo)
  
• 2 yellow squash, chopped
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained

This is where I freestyled a bit and it probably could use some tweaking. Let me know if you come up with something better. Alternatively, you can use a bottle of Italian dressing.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• a lot of mayo (2 big scoops)
  
• black pepper
  
• garlic salt
• a lot of dill weed (3 tablespoons?)
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (maybe leave this out - I'm not sure what the purpose is)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in pasta and return pot to boil. Cook until al dente. Drain well.
2. Place squash and zucchini in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, squash, zucchini, kidney beans and tuna. Stir in dressing. Mix well and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Minestrone Soup

I think this is about as easy as cooking gets. There's no meat involved (thus no fear of contamination) and no chopping. But be forewarned, your can opener will get a workout.

I do have to wonder, however, if this is a cost-effective substitute for Progresso's minestrone (which I have adored since about age 5). There's likely less sodium and fewer preservatives but it might more expensive on a per-bowl basis. If you do the math, let me know.

But it is tasty. I'll add garlic next time (what's an Italian recipe without garlic anyway?) and some more spinach. It could probably use about 4x more seasoning as well.

Isn't cooking fun? (Especially when it only consists of opening cans, dumping their contents into a large pot, and stirring?)

Start to Finish: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 14-ounce cans beef broth
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can low-sodium stewed tomatoes
• 1 11-1/2-ounce can vegetable juice
• 1 6-ounce can low-sodium tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1-1/2 cups loose-pack frozen mixed vegetables (such as an Italian blend)
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, cut into strips
• 2 cups cooked pasta (1 cup uncooked), such as small shells or mostaccioli
• Finely shredded Parmesan cheese(optional)

Directions

In a large kettle combine broth, beans, stewed tomatoes, vegetable juice, tomato paste, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Bring to boiling. Add mixed vegetables. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and cooked pasta; heat through. To serve, ladle into bowls. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 8 main-dish servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare soup up to the point where frozen vegetables are cooked until tender. Remove from heat; cool quickly. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. To serve, reheat soup over medium heat. Stir in spinach and cooked pasta. Heat through.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Pasta Primavera with Italian Turkey Sausage

I eat a lot of pasta (some say it's because I'm half Italian) - most of the time with just olive oil, parmesan, and crushed black pepper. It's so good - and so easy. I've tried various pasta dishes, trying to integrate more meat and veggies into my diet, and have found very few that I adore. But this is one of them. Yum, yum, and yum.

Oh, but I do have one issue - what's with onions and garlic being so tasty but so stinky on the hands? I tried wearing plastic baggies for protection but it made cutting a bit difficult (and looked a bit silly, I admit). So I could use a tip or two.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked farfalle pasta
1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 small zucchini, chopped
2 small yellow squash, chopped
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
20 leaves fresh basil
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place farfalle in pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente; drain.
2. Place sausage in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until evenly brown; set aside. Heat 1/4 cup oil in skillet. Stir in garlic and onion, and cook until tender. Mix in zucchini, squash, tomatoes, bell pepper and basil. Dissolve bouillon in the mixture. Season with red pepper. Stir in remaining oil. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
3. Mix pasta, sausage and cheese into skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until heated through.

'In the Kitchen' Freestyle

Yes, I'm back.

And I adopted a new style of cooking while in South Africa. This was mostly due to limited internet access (i.e. no recipes), a limited supply of tupperware (i.e. nowhere to put leftovers), and not wanting to stock up on food only to leave it there. Not to mention that everything I bought spoiled about 4 times as fast as it does here (due to the heat? the relative lack of preservatives? we may never know). So I only bought what I planned to eat in the next couple of days.

When I told Blake about my new approach to grocery shopping he quoted an episode of Seinfeld (as he oft does) where Kramer gets rid of his refrigerator.

GEORGE: Well what do you eat?
KRAMER: It's all fresh. Fresh fish, fresh foul, fresh fruit. I buy it, I omniga nominga, I eat it.
JERRY: Well I’m glad it's working out.
KRAMER: Oh yeah, it's working out.

So I began throwing stuff into a pan, seasoning it, and cooking it. 'Stuff' usually consisted of any combination of beef, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, any other vegetables, garlic, and beans. 'Seasoning' was whatever I could find. It's really quite liberating, try it.

I learned a fair amount during this exploratory process and I think I've overcome some of my culinary fears. Ever wonder why no one cooks with cucumbers? They get gross. That's why. And, as a general rule, whatever you make is going to taste just like it smells. Most importantly, the world doesn't end if you make a bad meal. If I found that dinner wasn't so tasty when I sat down to eat, I covered it with massive quantities of cheese. Many of the world's problems can be solved with cheese, I imagine.

But now, here I am, once again in a world of 24-hour supermarkets and heavily preserved produce. More recipes coming soon.

Update

I haven't cooked for a while - primarily because I am leaving the country for 3 months on December 11th and haven't been grocery shopping. But I did make Turkey & Veggie Chili again. Really, it's tasty. Abby and Casey agreed.

I don't expect to do much cooking in South Africa but will attempt to keep everyone up-to-date here: www.lifeindurban.blogspot.com. (Though I'll be paying for my Internet usage by the megabyte - what's that about?)

I hope you all enjoy the holiday season and guiltless gorging!