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.

Perfect For A Hot Summer Night

This recipe was inspired by food writer, chef and recipe developer Susie Middleton, who blogs at sixburnersue.com. I made a few changes. Susie added spinach to the salad, which would add gorgeous color and nutrition. Alas, I did not have any.

GREEK PASTA SALAD WITH FETA, OLIVES, ARTICHOKES, TOMATOES & PEPPERONCINI

The Ingredients.

1/4 cup/60ml mild extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 small red onion, cut in very thin slices

One can chick peas, rinsed and drained

One 14-ounce/400-g can quartered artichoke hearts, well-drained and cut

8 ounces small grape tomatoes, halved

Pitted black olives and green Spanish olives

4 ounces/115 g good-quality, creamy feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (I had to use dried oregano)

8 ounces/225 g dried gemelli or other curly pasta (had to use rotini pasta)

1/3 cup/35 g chopped toasted walnuts

Sliced pepperocini, drained

The Directions.

1. Whisk or stir together olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Add onion, chick peas, artichokes, grape tomatoes, olives, feta, and toss well. Let mixture sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain well in a colander but do not rinse. Transfer warm pasta to mixing bowl with the dressing and vegetables and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the toasted walnuts and the pepperoncini and toss well. (The feta will loosen up and coat the pasta.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. (You can also let the tossed pasta sit for a few minutes, stir again, and taste.)

Meatless Monday Brown Rice and Veggies

I put this rice dish together with things I had on hand and it was delicious! Tom added cheddar cheese to his rice. The rice was warm enough so that it melted the cheese ... yummy! I opted for a little feta on my rice. You can prepare the rice ahead and keep it in your frig to add to the other ingredients when you get home from a day of work or errands.

Note:
Just wanted to say that I don't hesitate to use canned beans when I cook, if I am short of time. When grocery shopping, be sure you look for the brands in your grocery that you like and stick with them. This may take a bit of experimenting. It's probably better if you can use dried beans instead of canned, providing you have the time.

I ALWAYS rinse all the varieties of the canned beans I use. I also discard the bean liquid. I think there's a lot sodium in most major brands and I hope rinsing will help get rid of some of the salt. For some reason, canned organic beans seem to have less added sodium. You will notice that I don't add salt when using so many canned products. And of course, you should use low-sodium or no salt added products whenever possible.

Veggie Brown Rice
Ingredients:
6 cups cooked brown rice
1-16 oz package frozen broccoli flowerets, cooked
1 (14.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 (28 oz.) can Southwestern diced tomatoes, with juice

1 (10 oz.) can RoTel original diced tomatoes & green chilies, with juice
Shredded cheddar cheese or Feta cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large pan and heat. Serve hot with shredded cheddar or feta cheese sprinkled on top.

Summer Pasta for Meatless Monday

This recipe arrived in my email a few days ago from Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table. She got the recipe from The Very Best of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com (Rodale, 2010). Copyright © 2010 by Martha Rose Shulman. Whew! I think I gave all the right people credit. It's a great little recipe and I heartily suggest you make it, soon, while the local gardens are bursting with home-grown tomatoes and gorgeous fresh basil! This dish will only be as good as the tomatoes you use. Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, would also work. The addition of my favorite chickpeas makes this colorful and festive one-dish meal perfect for Meatless Monday or any day!

Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
4 servings
1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled if desired and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon slivered or chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound fusilli or farfalle
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese or grated Parmesan

1. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, vinegar, basil, and oil in a wide bowl. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes, or longer. Stir in the chickpeas. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt generously and add the pasta. Cook al dente, until the pasta is firm to the bite, following the directions on the package but checking 1 to 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time. Drain, toss with the tomatoes and chickpeas, sprinkle on the cheese, and serve.

Advance Preparation: You can make the sauce a few hours before you cook the pasta.
Variations: Add 1/4 to 1/2 pound broccoli florets or green beans. Before adding the pasta to the boiling water, blanch the broccoli for 3 minutes, green beans for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain. Return the water to a boil and proceed with the recipe. Toss the vegetables with the pasta along with the tomatoes and chickpeas. A can of white cannellini beans can stand in for the chickpeas.

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.

Fresh Tomato Zucchini Pasta

I had some zucchini and tomatoes to use up from a trip to Aldis earlier in the week. It’s a little early for the Great Zucchini Invasion, that scary time of year when people who grow too much zucchini attempt to share it with the rest of the world, (ie) the ones who don't grow zucchini. Now you'll be ready when the zucchini growers start stalking you. Take whatever they try to give you, bring it directly home and make this awesome recipe! I sauted the zucchini and tomatoes with garlic and served it over pasta, always a winning combination. Didn't have fresh basil. I didn't grow any this year and I really miss it. I think I would have liked the sauce to be a little juicier but the flavor was fabulous and I'll definitely make it again.

FRESH TOMATO ZUCCHINI PASTA
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large zucchini, sliced
8 Roma tomatoes, remove skin and seeds, slice into wedges
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup fresh basil (or use 1/2 tsp. dried basil)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1 box whole wheat spaghetti
Parmesan cheese

In skillet, saute garlic and zucchini in olive oil until tender. Add sliced mushrooms and cook. Add tomatoes and cook about 5 more minutes, or until they wilt. Add basil and seasoning. Prepare spaghetti as directed on box. Place pasta on plate and top with vegetables and cheese. Serve with crusty bread and fresh melon.

You say tomato, I say tomato salad!

Here’s a light and colorful side dish that complements everything from grilled meats to burgers or sandwiches. It can also stand alone for a satisfying lunch. And it's a perfect dish for an outdoor party buffet table or potluck as it won’t lose its appeal on a warm day.
TOMATO, RED ONION AND GARBANZO BEAN SALAD
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 box cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Feta Cheese
1 can pitted black olives, drained (optional)
Dressing:
1-1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Combine garbanzo beans, sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese and black olives in a bowl. Pour dressing over all and toss gently. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

I didn't add the olives because I didn't want the extra salt and calories but they do add a lot of flavor and color to this salad.