Minestrone Soup

I love soup. 

However, my sisters love soup even more so I imagine all of us will be making this soup atleast once if not more during the remainder of winter. 

Thanks for sending in this idea Lori!!  We appreciate new ideas.

Minestrone2 T olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
2 ribs of celery (chopped)
4-5 roma tomatoes chopped or 1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 sprig of rosemary
1T fresh oregano
6 C chicken stock
1 C orzo pasta (any small pasta will work-elbows, etc)
1 crookneck squash cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
1 zucchini cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
1 head of kale removed from stalk and coarsely chopped
1 2/3 cups garbanzo beans (or one 15 oz can drained)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmasen cheese

Heat oil over medium high heat in a stockpot and saute onions until translucent (3-5 minutes) add garlic and saute until fragrant (30 seconds). Add Carrots and Celery and  saute 3 more minutes until colors brighten.  Add tomatoes, herbs, and chicken stock. Heat to boil. Add orzo and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes has elapsed add squash, zucchini, and kale. Cook until kale wilts, squash is soft and orzo is al Dente (5 minutes). Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Divide into bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese.

I use homemade stock, home cooked beans so I add quite a bit of salt as I go. If using store bought items you will need to add much less salt. This was a great one pot meal and I was able to use items from my Italian pack and my regular basket. My kids (6 and 3) both liked it and had 2 bowls. They were both suspicious before they tasted it but didn't look back once they did. I am having a bowl for breakfast and look forward to lunch for it. This recipe makes a lot of food.

Lori Miller

Cabbage...Two Weeks in a row. Woah!

The heads of lettuce from Bountiful Basket are never small, and neither are the heads of cabbage. So, what to do? What to do? Here is a great recipe that my mom and sister concocted after eating at an Indian restaurant. You can add a lot of shredded cabbage to it basically as a filler and it really helps the meal go a long way.

I also love this recipe because you can adjust it for whatever veggies you have on hand. We haven't had a bad combination at our house yet. 

Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry

The amounts of each ingredient will depend on your family size and the ratio of meat to veggies you prefer. So, I guess this is more of an idea than a recipe! 

Chicken Breasts or Tenders

Veggies (Any that you have):

Shredded cabbage                                            

Carrots

Bell pepper

Pea pods

Asparagus

Zuchinni

Squash

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Garlic

Olive Oil

Newman’s Own Low-fat Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing

Cooked Brown Rice

Cut your chicken into either strips or chunks. Whichever way you prefer.  Cook in olive oil and garlic.

Add your vegetables and cook until they are done to your liking.

Serve stir-fry mixture over brown rice and pour the ginger dressing on top. 

So easy, VERY yummy and healthy!  Give it a try and let us know what you think!