Okay you fierce betches, I haven’t had much to blog about lately.  That is to say, I haven’t thought of anything I could share that might be worth sharing, so… use the comment section or hit me up on FB with a question you want me to answer!  I promise right now I will be an open book.  It can be about me, or something I might know about, or something random, or advice… whatever.

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Anyway.  Yesterday I rocked some minestrone soup.  Maybe you’d like a soup recipe?  Or two?

The recipe I used yesterday was from Todd Wilbur, I am sharing this without permission and I’m sorry, but it’s great!   it serves 8.   The parts in bold are my own:

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup minced white onion (about 1 small onion)
  • 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
  • 1/2 cup frozen cut italian green beans
  • 1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
  • 4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (Swanson is good *note: Do not use chicken broth!*)  (I use Rachel Ray or Emeril’s, in a box!)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained (Cannelini beans!)
  • 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup carrot, julienned or shredded
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 cups hot water
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup small shell pasta

Directions

  1. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
  2. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.
  3. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.
  4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.
  6. I added red wine at this point, about a 3/4 cup’s worth, and I’m not sorry, it was DELICIOUS!

Another soup recipe you might like comes from my girl Kristen, who is a total goddess of all things muy sabroso.   In my hometown there is a restaurant called Dapper’s that makes the best cream of chicken rice soup ever, every Wednesday and Sunday.  Well, it was not Wednesday or Sunday when she sent me this recipe, and I was blown away at how close it was to theirs!   My boy said it was even better than theirs, but I had to give it a minus one, because Dapper’s serves it with delicious onion rolls and I did not.  lol  I’m a nitpicky arsehole sometimes.

I should note this one is by no means calorie conscious at all.  The minestrone is a much better choice if you’re on a diet.  That being said, I didn’t get fat for nothing, this shit is the bomb (once in a while!):

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. butter
3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 qts. chicken stock (use 2 boxes of kitchen basics brand.  I promise you it makes the difference.)
1 onion chopped (i used a red onion)
1 stalk celery, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
2 shallots, pressed and chopped
2 sprigs thyme (whole)
2 twigs of sage (about 5-6 leaves whole)
2 c. heavy cream
2 c. cooked rice
Salt, to taste

In a large saucepan, heat butter, blend in flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until mixture begins to turn golden brown. Add chicken stock and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until soup thickens and becomes smooth. Add onion, celery, shallots, herbs and salt.
Simmer soup about 30 minutes, stirring often. Strain the soup base through a fine sieve. In a mixing bowl, mix some of the soup with heavy cream, stirring constantly. Stir the mixture into the remaining soup and bring almost to a boil. Do not let boil. Add more cream to bring to the desired consistency; correct seasoning and add cooked rice and serve. Serves 8

(Since I like my soup thicker, after adding the cream and before adding the rice, I whisked in some flour mixed with water… about two tablespoons with a tablespoon of cold water in a paste-like consistency… to the pot slowly, stirring constantly and allowing time to let it cook out the flour taste.)

Welp, that’s about it outta me… comment with a question or suggestion topic for my next blog, I love to write but I haven’t been mighty creative lately.  What do you want to read about?