Tuscan White Bean & Spinach Soup

Still soup weather. It's snowing … again! Just made this for supper. It was fast and delicious!

Tuscan White Bean & Spinach Soup
Serves 8
The Ingredients: 
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 - 32 oz. boxes low sodium chicken broth, or vegetable stock
2 cups water
14 1⁄2 oz can diced tomatoes
I also added 1 can Rotel tomatoes, HOT
2 - 14 1⁄2 oz cans cannellini beans or other white beans
1 cup whole wheat pasta shells, or shell pasta
2 tsp rosemary
Baby spinach, cleaned and trimmed
1⁄4 tsp black pepper
Shredded cheese for garnish

The Directions:
In a large soup pot, saute onion & garlic in olive oil.
Add broth, water, tomatoes, beans and rosemary to pot. Season with black pepper. Bring to boil.
Add pasta and cook 12 minutes. If the soup seems too thick for your liking add a bit more broth.
Add spinach and cook about 1 min, until wilted. Serve with shredded cheese.

Super-Duper Tuna Sandwiches

Tom's not a big fan of canned tuna fish but I can usually coax him into eating tuna sandwiches with me about once or twice a year. Saturday was T-day! I satisfied my tuna craving and made an easy lunch, all at the same time. The addition of cannellini beans to the recipe boosts the protein and the cholesterol-lowering fiber.

White Bean Tuna Salad Sandwiches
1 large can water packed tuna, well drained
1/3 cup cannellini beans, well drained
2 stalks celery, diced
Sliced green olives
Red grapes, cut in half
Chopped walnuts
1 scoop mayonnaise
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Pinch each: freshly ground black pepper, celery seed and dill weed

Mix all, cover tightly and refrigerate at least an hour. I served the tuna salad on split sour dough rolls.

Meatless Monday's Mother Hubbard Soup

I love making soup, but Tom doesn't really like eating soup, so I don't make it very often. But sometimes, when the weather is cold and snowy and I really want to stay inside where it's WARM, I just have to make soup. Like today! It snowed most of the day and it was a nasty commute ... actually it's still snowing ... so I made soup. I didn't use a recipe. I just used what I had on hand in my cupboard. I started with vegetable broth and added to it from the pantry. A can of this and some of that. Turns out great every time!
Mother Hubbard's Soup
Ingredients:
48 oz. box vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black  beans,  rinsed and drained
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans diced Italian tomatoes, including juice
1-16 oz bag frozen crinkle cut carrots
Handful tubetti pasta (or macaroni)
1/2 bag fresh baby spinach, stems removed
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like hot)
1/2 tsp. oregano
Shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Put broth in large soup pot. Add carrots and cook until they are tender but not mushy. Add the other ingredients. Just before serving, add spinach and cook until it wilts, 1-2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and crusty rolls.

Soup's On!

The air is crisp and cool. It's soup weather here in Minnesota. I love making soup for supper. The kitchen feels so cozy as it simmers and bubbles on the stove. Since we've become empty-nesters, we eat all our meals at our little drop-leaf kitchen table. This is really healthy soup that's easy to put together. It was good the day I made it but was really awesome by the second day!
Notes: If you're using imported Parmesan, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, add a piece of the rind to the soup in step 2 for extra flavor. While the soup simmers, brush some slices of country bread with olive oil and toast them, to serve with the hot soup.
6 servings

Spinach and White Bean Soup
Ingredients:
Baby spinach (about 1 lb.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 quart chicken broth
2-3 cups water
3 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Italian-diced tomatoes, including juice
About 1/2 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese (see notes)
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
Preparation:
1. Pour oil into a 4- to 5-quart pan over medium heat. Add garlic; stir often until soft. Add broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally.
2. Add 1 can drained beans and mash with potato masher. Add remaining beans and can of diced tomatoes. Stir occasionally until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add spinach and allow to wilt. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and add basil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls; offer more Parmesan to add at the table.

Pasta and Beans for Meatless Monday

I have decided I'm going to try to post a Meatless Monday recipe right here on my blog for you, each and every Monday. It may be a bit of a challenge for me to come up with something new every week. I have quite a few favorite meatless recipes but I've already posted most of them. Ever vigilant, I shall constantly be on the look-out for new dishes to share.

As you've probably guessed, I've never met a pasta dish I didn't like. This simple, rustic recipe of hearty cannellini beans sauteed with tomatoes, onion and garlic, then tossed over warm pasta, is quick and delicious. It's sure to become part of your repertoire. And it's perfect for Meatless Monday. Just add hot, crusty bread and butter and you're good to go.


Pasta and Beans
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 onion, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, skin removed and chopped
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
handful of fresh spinach
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1 box penne pasta (I used whole wheat pasta)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute garlic and onion until tender. Stir in tomatoes and entire can of beans. Add oregano, basil, pepper and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; toss spinach in with pasta about a minute before pasta is done cooking. Drain.
3. Combine pasta with bean mixture and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Thanks for the recipe!

I just made the most delicious dinner, inspired by my blogging friend Beth at Rhubarb and Venison. I've been following her blog for months. I don't remember how I originally found her; I just know I'm glad I did! Beth is a working mom and a new mom and in that regard she reminds me of my daughter. I enjoy reading her blog. Her style is fresh and friendly and natural. When you read it, you'd swear you were in her kitchen visiting over a cup of tea. We're also neighbors, kinda sorta. She lives in North Dakota and I live in Minnesota. Anyway, Beth posted a yummy recipe a few days ago and I knew right away I was going to make it. I love pasta and I'm always looking for new ways to serve it. I used to make a similar recipe, back in the day, but Beth's is MUCH better. I changed it just a bit, since I had Ziti in my pantry. And I added 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. oregano and a can of salt-free sliced mushrooms, drained. I tossed some Parm on top and Voila! A tasty dinner ready in a jiffy.

Beth's Rotini with Broccoli and Navy Beans
Adapted from The Vegetarian Times Cookbook.
1 lb. rotini (I used 16 oz. Ziti)
1 jar marinara sauce (we both used the Target brand)
1 15 oz can Italian diced tomatoes (Beth used Italian seasoned Muir Glen)
1 15 oz can navy or cannellini beans
1 large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
Handful of olives, pitted and chopped
Bring pot of water to a boil. Add large pinch of salt to water, then add rotini (Ziti). When rotini is almost done with about 1-2 minutes left to cook, add broccoli. While the pasta finishes cooking, drain beans in strainer, rinse and leave beans in strainer. When pasta is al dente and broccoli is tender but still a little crunchy, turn off the stove and pour pasta and broccoli over beans in the strainer to both drain the pasta and warm the beans. Transfer all back into pot and place pot on warm burner. Pour tomatoes and marinara sauce over pasta mixture; stir well. Add olives, toss and serve. I added the red pepper flakes, black pepper, oregano and sliced mushrooms to the pasta sauce before I added it to the pasta. Mmmmm!

My very first blog post ...

Greetings and welcome to my brand new blog, AUNTSHOE!

For some unknoiwn reason, I've always wanted a blog of my own ... I guess I think I have a lot to say. I love to collect and share recipes and I enjoy sharing my poems. As my son says, this is probably one of the only poetry/recipe blogs around. Someday, I'd love to publish a book of my poetry. And I'd also like to publish a cookbook. Maybe I'll figure out a way to combine them! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. Hope you will return often ... 

Next time I make this recipe, I'll sprinkle the top with fresh chopped parsley to make it look pretty! Even some dried parsley added to the bread crumbs would jazz up the appearance. This was so tasty ... wish I had remembered to take a photo! 

FETTUCCINE WITH ARTICHOKES AND CANNELLINI 

Ingredients: 

3/4# fettuccine 

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 - 15.6 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed 

1 - 13.75 oz. can artichokes, quartered and drained 

Kosher salt and black pepper 

Red chili pepper flakes, plus additional for sprinkling on top 

1 slice white bread, toasted (or prepared bread crumbs) 

1 tsp. dried oregano 

Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top 

Directions: 

1) Cook pasta. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. 

2) Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add beans, artichokes, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook 3-4 minutes until heated through. 

3) Pulse bread in food processor until coarse crumbs form (or use prepared Italian bread crumbs, as I did). Add oregano and remaining tsp. olive oil and combine well. 

 4) Toss pasta with artichoke mixture and reserved pasta water. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.