Minnestroni

It is on nights like this, when lightning cracks and thunder shakes my windows that I feel intensely introspective. Tonight, as I sat in the small pool of light cast by my desk lamp, I typed and searched, alternating between writing the recipe and flicking between tabs of The Theory of Everything, YouTube (Milo Greene, ftw), and writer's resources, I realised that I am not terribly good at expressing myself. Well, perhaps just not good enough to say what I want to say in this post. I took my fingers off the keys, sat back in my chair, stared at the laptop screen, and realised that what I want to say, what I want you to know likely will not be adequately conveyed here, on this little blog. What I wish to tell you, what I want you to feel is that life is good. I think most of us keep waiting for tomorrow, for something to happen that will make life amazing. But, the truth of it is, tomorrow will likely be much like today. We will wake, and do the things that need to be done, but amongst those mundane moments are the little gems that make life beautiful. We just have to take notice.

While I made the soup and listened to music, I thought about the people I care about and love, how fantastic it is that I can turn on the tap and fresh water comes out, and the miracle of gas stoves. Seriously, I love my stove. When I was finished, I thoroughly enjoyed, not just ate, a bowl of this tomatoey goodness. And it was a good day. So make some soup, listen to some good music that moves you, and think about all the good things in life.

Life - it is a beautiful thing. I hope you enjoy your soup...and maybe go for a bike ride and let the wind blow in your hair. :)

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (fire roasted if available)
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot (~1 very large)
• 3/4 cup chopped celery(~2-3 stalks)
• 1 tbsp beef bouillon (1 large cube)
• 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans) or great northern beans
• 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans
• 1 small zuchinni (courgette in the UK!), halved lengthwise then sliced
• 4 ounces dried pasta (I used shells)
• Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Method

1. In a large stock pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Saute onion and celery just until barely tender (~2-3 minutes).
2. Add to the stock pot the water, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrot, beef bouillon, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil; cover, then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add cannellini, lima beans, zuchinni, and dry pasta. Bring to a boil again and simmer for an additiional 15 minutes.
4. If desired, serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Nom nom nom!! :D

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Nutrition Info (based on recipe divided into 8 servings)
176 calories; 37g carbs; 7g fiber; 10g protein.

Squash Soup

A few days ago, I woke to find my car covered with thick frost. I was both delighted and disappointed. It means that summer is gone, but it also means that autumn is upon us. It is now the season of warm socks, sweaters, scarves (yay! scarves!) and soup. This luscious, slightly spicy soup is one of my favourites as it is hearty, but very healthful, and can be thrown together in 45 minutes, making it ideal for preparing after work.

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp balti curry powder
• *1 1/2 - 3 lbs squash (butternut or acorn), peeled, and cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium apples, peeled and diced
• 3 14 ounce cans of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup apple juice
• 12 oz low-fat evaporated milk

*Consider this amount to be a mere suggestion. For some magic reason that I don't understand, a large squash or a medium squash can be used. If you use a particularly large squash, just add an extra can of chicken broth.

In a large stock pot, saute onion in the vegetable oil. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add apples and curry seasoning; stir. Add squash, apples, chicken broth, and apple juice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the squash and apples are tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Using a kitchen blender, blend until the soup is smooth. Return to the stock pot; add evaporated milk. Stir well. Garnish each bowl with cracked pepper and fresh thyme or sage leaves.

Enjoy!

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