1-2 t coarse red Hawaiian sea salt (or regular sea salt)
1/8 t pepper
pinch cayenne
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
pinch cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t parsley
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 T maple syrup
2 C vegetable stock
1-2 C dried black beans (soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed)
8-10 C water
1 large shallot, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 T tomato paste
1/2 C brown rice
2 C spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 T cilantro
salsa, for topping
Greek yogurt (or sour cream), for topping
tortilla chips, for topping
cilantro, for topping
cheddar cheese, grated, for topping
Instructions
Cook beans in Crock Pot with water for 6-8 hours on high.
To beans and liquid add all remaining ingredients except for cilantro, spinach, and toppings. Cook for 1-2 hours on high (or until beans are tender and rice is cooked).
Add spinach and 1/2 T cilantro and cook for 30 minutes more.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve topped with cheese, chips, salsa, yogurt, and a little more cilantro.
This week, I had the‚ privilege‚ of making dinner for a sick friend and his wife. When someone’s ill, there isn’t much one can do to help (doctors and nurses are excluded from this statement). So being able to provide food is a blessing to those of us who want to do something, but other than praying for healing, can’t make it better.
It’s also the case when a new baby arrives. You can’t fix the sleepless nights, but you can bring dinner over so the exhausted parents can have a break. (Hint hint, Andy and Laura, Geoff and Angie, Sean and Paige… If you’re reading this, please can I make you dinner?! I freely admit that it is mostly just an excuse for me to get to hold your wee child. Oh wait, you’re not reading this, because you’re hanging out with your new small person… Right.)
On Tuesday, after making the Roasted Broccoli and Fried Egg Sandwiches for my show, I made this Minestrone Soup for dinner. It was a kinda last minute idea. I had most of the ingredients, and Husband picked up a few extras on the way home from work. It was a chilly day and soup just seemed essential, plus it seemed like a good meal to bring to friends.
I’ve made Minestrone so many times. I’ve written it down twice. Tim loved this particular version so much that, even though it’s probably not too different from some of the others, I wanted to record what I’d done. When he yells that “it’s so freaking good”, it’s hard not to. 🙂
I had it for lunch again the next day. It was just as good, and maybe even a little better.
1 head broccoli diCicco, chopped (including leaves and stems)
3 carrots, chopped
1 shallot or onion, chopped
1/4 C water
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 C peas
1 C kale (or spinach), chopped
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 t salt
1 1/2 to 2 C diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1 1/2 to 2 C garbanzo beans, cooked
1 1/2 to 2 C cannellini beans, cooked
3 C vegetable stock
3 C water
1 T Italian herb mix (or a bit of each: oregano, thyme, and basil)
1 t fresh rosemary
1 T lemon juice
lemon wedges, for serving
parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
Heat soup pot, add olive oil; add broccoli, carrot, shallot, and 1 t salt. Cook covered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 C water, cook covered for 5 minutes more. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add vinegar, tomato paste, kale/spinach, broccoli greens, and peas; cook 2 minutes.
Add stock, water, and herbs; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10-20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Add 1 T lemon juice.
Cook pasta, but do not add to soup. Drain and keep warm.
Add beans to soup, cook 3 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Place a scoop of pasta in a bowl, add soup, and top with parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon.
Notes
This could be made in the Crock Pot too. Add the lemon juice and spinach in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Just cook the pasta separately. Leftovers can be frozen, without pasta.
I made this Chili 3 weeks ago. It was what we had for dinner the day I made Mache and Citrus Salad for the show. Tim asked if I’d made the Chili for the show. I said no. He practically yelled, “What?!! It’s so good!! You have to make this on your show!!”
Well, ok, if you feel that strongly about it!
Of course, after getting some form of winter squash in our Abundant Harvest Organics‚ box almost every week for about the past 2 months (not a complaint. I love squash), the following two weeks were without squash. Figures, right!? Well, this week it’s baaaa-aaack. And I made Chili with it.
Squash is roasted and paired with black beans in this hearty chili.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1/2″ to 1″ cubes
1 T butter
1 T plus 1 t olive oil, divided
2 carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 shallot, chopped
1 T lemon juice, divided
1 T maple syrup
dash t cayenne
1/4 t red pepper flakes
pinch cumin
1 t plus 1/4 t salt, divided
1/4 t pepper
1/2 T apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 C vegetable stock
2 1/2 C black beans, cooked
1 T parmesan cheese/serving, grated, for topping
lemon wedges, for topping
1/2 slice bacon/serving (opt.), cooked and crumbled
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 375F. Toss squash with 1 t olive oil, 1/4 t salt, and a pinch of pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes, or until squash is tender (amount of time will vary depending on size of cubes). Check part way through roasting time to be sure it’s not burning. Rotate pan/flip squash if desired.
Cook bacon. Drain on paper towel and discard grease. Set aside.
Heat soup pot. Add butter and remaining oil and brown (being careful not to let it burn). Add salt, pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes, cumin, onion, and carrot. Cook 10 minutes, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add vinegar, 1/2 T lemon juice, and maple syrup. Cook 3 minutes.
Add remaining lemon juice, beans, squash, and stock. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes. Turn heat down to low and cook 10 minutes more. Stir occasionally, and add more stock or water if needed.
Serve topped with bacon, parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge to squeeze over top.
Nutritional information includes bacon. Nutritional information without bacon: (Per serving) Calories: 370 Fat: 9.25 Carbohydrates: Same Protein: 13.54
