WOYP Day #68 Quick & Easy Minestrone

 

We’ve had cooler days and a lot of rain these past couple of weeks and I feel Fall is coming too early! This year sees to have whooshed by.. can’t believe we are already halfway through September!!

It was pouring cats and dogs all day today and all I could think of was Soup!! My first choice was this Tomato soup but then I began to crave something more filling and hearty…in comes a family fav.. Minestrone! This is my only soup of choice whenever I visit Olive Garden.

I couldn’t thank my stars enough for making me pick up Zucchini & Spinach on my grocery run yesterday, Minestrone today was meant to be haha! And I’m always stocked on canned beans so this was easy peasy. You also get a fair share of veggies and carbs, all in one big comforting bowl...yumm!

You will need:

2 tbsp Olive oil (I use extra-virgin)
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 Red onion, chopped (can use yellow or white onion)
1/2 cup Green beans, cut into 1” pieces (or smaller)
1 (8oz) can Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 large Roma tomatoes, cubed
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, washed
1/2 cup Zucchini, cut into thin discs
1/2 cup Macaroni pasta (or any small pasta)
Salt to taste
1 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Black pepper
Water as needed (or Vegetable stock if available)

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Usually the pasta is cooked along with the rest of the ingredients but to speed things up I had the pasta cooking on one burner while I sautéed veggies on another burner.  Two pots I know, but I really needed this soup quick! :D I cooked the pasta only for 8 minutes in salted boiling water since the pasta will continue to cook in the soup. You don’t want over cooked mushy pasta!! Save the pasta water to thin the soup out. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds, taking care not to burn it. Add the chopped carrots and onions. Saute until onions are soft. Now add the green beans (I used frozen) and cubed tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft. Now stir in the red kidney beans and zucchini. Cook for a minute, then add plain water and pasta water (or vegetable stock) as needed and the cooked pasta. Season with salt to taste, pepper and the oregano. Remember the pasta water has salt too, so check for salt before adding more. Combine and bring to a rolling bowl on medium heat. Lower heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Lastly stir in the spinach and turn off heat. The hot soup will cook the spinach. 

 

 

Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese if using. Serve warm. This was soooo comforting and perfect for the rainy evening. Enjoyed every bit of it though I did miss the Garlic breadsticks to dunk in the soup, hmmm that is for another day! :D 

Another version of the Minestrone here.

WoYP Day #25 Pesto Focaccia

Focaccia is an Italian style bread that is thick and hearty. When made with potatoes it yields a softer bread perfect for dipping or for making a sandwich.

The first time I made Focaccia was for the Daring Bakers challenge several years ago. Ever since I’ve made it plenty of times with various toppings. This time I tried it with home-made Basil Pesto, cherry tomatoes and Onions. My Basil plants are growing well, and I made the first harvest yesterday and of course made a fresh batch of Basil Walnut Pesto. I’ve amped it up to suit our taste, from the first version of Pesto I’ve shared earlier. 

Pesto Focaccia:

You will need:

1 large Potato (150 gms) peeled and cubed
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp Active dry Yeast
1/2 tsp Honey
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp luke warm water

Toppings:
3 tbsp Basil Walnut Pesto (recipe follows)
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in quarters
Sliced onions
Fresh basil leaves (optional)
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Oregano

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, yeast, honey and mashed potatoes. Combine with a spatula.If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook to combine.  Add the olive oil and then add the warm water little at a time to form a sticky dough. Turn into out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4-6 minutes until smooth and soft. If using a stand mixer, knead on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in it. Cover and place in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 400F.

Punch the dough. Transfer to a lightly oiled 9x13” pan. Using your fingers spread the dough around gently to fit the pan. Dimple the dough with your fingertips. 

Drizzle the olive oil on top and spread using a silicone brush. Spread the pesto on top. You can arrange the tomatoes, onions  and basil leaves randomly or anyway you like, was feeling a bit creative and hence the flowers. Sprinkle the Oregano on top. 

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 mins before slicing. Serve warm. 

Leftover Focaccia can be stored in air tight container for 3 days.

Basil Walnut Pesto:

You will need:

2 cups packed fresh Basil leaves (Sweet basil)
1/2 cup Walnuts
4 pods Garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp Red chili flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Extra-virgin Olive oil (more if needed)

Using a food processor, blend the basil leaves, walnuts and garlic until fine. Add the salt, pepper and chili flakes. With the processor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream until everything is smooth. If the pesto feels thick add a tablespoon of oil at a time. Remove to a bowl and then stir in the grated parmesan cheese.

Transfer to a clean air tight container. Pour enough olive oil on top to cover the surface of the pesto. This prevents it from turning dark green. Store in the refrigerator and use as needed. I use it in Pasta, grilled cheese, scrambled eggs and on Pizzas. Adds the extra oomph to any dish.

What's on Your Plate? Day #18 Baked Marinara Mac & Cheese and Cheesy Garlic toasts

I make pasta pretty often considering 3 out of the 4 of us love it. Its a no fuss dinner and pair it with Garlic toasts and all of a sudden my kids crown me the best mom in the whole wide world!! :D I mostly use home-made Basil Walnut Pesto but we are still waiting on our Basil plants to grow so I made a Marinara cream sauce and also snuck in a few veggies so its not all cheese in there. If your kids are picky about that you can make an only cheese version. This is also a good variation from the usual Mac. 

Baked Marinara Mac & Cheese:  

You will need:

2 cups elbow pasta
2 quarts water
2 tbsp Oil
3 pods Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1/4 cup chopped Bell pepper
1/2 cup Tomato- Basil Marinara sauce (from a jar)
1/4 cup Heavy cream
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella plus 1/4 cup
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Bring the water to a rolling boil. Generously salt that water and drop in the pasta Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup water and drain the remaining. Set aside the pasta.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat oil in a pan. When its hot, add the chopped garlic and bell pepper. Sauté until the bell peppers are almost done and then add the chopped onions. Sauté until onions are soft. Stir in the marinara and bring to a simmering boil. Season with salt to taste and pepper powder.Add the cream and the reserved water. Combine and add the drained pasta. Add more marinara if needed. Stir in the grated cheeses and give a quick toss. 

Lightly butter an oven safe baking dish. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Add the  parmesan and bread crumbs and stir to combine. Transfer prepared pasta into prepared baking dish. Top with the bread crumb mixture. Lastly top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Mozzarella. Bake for 12 minutes until the top is lightly crisp and browned. Serve warm.

Cheesy Garlic Toasts:

For this you can use a French Baguette or regular slices of bread. I had plain white bread and used that. 

You will need:
6 slices white bread
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tbsp unsalted Butter, softened
2 pods Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Red chilli flakes
1/4 tsp dried Oregano
1/3 cup grated Mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, softened butter, minced garlic and salt. Spread evenly on each slice. Top with Mozzarella and a pinch of oregano and chili flakes. 

Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the top is nice and bubbly and the bread is crisp. Cut into triangles and serve. 

The toasts were gone in minutes and so was the Pasta! :) 

W for Whole-Wheat Herb Bread – Day 23

For the Letter W, I picked a herby whole-wheat bread from Tuscany, Italy. It has a crisp hard exterior with soft scrumptious bread on the inside. Perfect for dipping in olive oil. We have enjoyed this bread many a time at Italian restaurants. Its hard to resist and we often fill up on this even before we order the main course! :D

W for WHOLE-WHEAT HERB BREAD – ITALY

Italian Bakers call this bread “Pane Integrale”. The name refers to the unadulterated nature of whole-wheat flour. Traditionally Sage is the herb of choice for this bread but since I didn’t have that on hand I used Oregano. The tantalizing aroma of bread baking in the awesome is just something one has to experience. I baked this last night,it was quite therapeutic before going to bed.

You will need:

Makes: 1 medium sized loaf

Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Baking book

1 1/3 cups warm water

1 package active dry yeast (7g/2 ¼ tsp)

1 tbsp Olive oil

½ tsp Dried Oregano

1 ½ tsp Salt

1 tsp Sugar

1 ½ cups Whole-Wheat flour

2 to 2 ½ cups Bread flour or All-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl stir together the warm water, yeast, olive oil, salt, oregano and sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes until foamy.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the whole wheat flour, about ½ cup at a time. Stir in the 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour a little at a time, stir until most of the flour has been absorbed and the dough begins to form a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes) Shape the dough into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl turning once to grease the surface. Cover let rise in a warm place until double (45-60 minutes)

Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a baking sheet. Shape dough into an 8”x4” inch loaf pan. Place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional flour. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425F. Using a sharp knife, slash top several times making each cut about ½ inch deep.  Place in pre heated oven. For a crisp crust spray or brush the loaf with cold water every 3 minutes for the first 9 minutes. After 9 minutes turn down the temperature to 375F. Lightly sprinkle the loaf with additional flour. Bake about 20 minutes more or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.

Serve with olive oil topped with cracked pepper.

BAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 

A for ANZAC BISCUITS - AUSTRALIA

B for BASBOUSA - EGYPT

C for CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS - FRANCE

D for DAMPER BREAD - AUSTRALIA

E for EMPANADAS - MEXICO

F for FLAN MEXICANO - MEXICO

G for GRISSINI BREADSTICKS - ITALY

H for HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE - USA

I for INDIAN LADI PAV - INDIA 

J for JOULUTORTTU - FINLAND

K for KORVAPUUSTI - FINLAND

L for LEMON SPRITZ SANDWICH COOKIES - GERMANY

M for MACARONS - FRANCE
N for NANKHATAI - INDIA
O for ORANGE OGURA CAKE - MALAYSIA
P for PINCA - CROATIA
Q for QUICK BREAD - STRAWBERRY PECAN BREAD - USA

R for RIGÓ JANCSI - HUNGARY
S for SCONES - UK
T for TOTTENHAM CAKE - ENGLAND
U for UGNSPANNKAKA - SWEDEN 

V for VIENNESE FINGERS - AUSTRIA

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