How to Make Quick and Easy "Loaded" Lasagna Soup

Several years ago, I saw the words Lasagna Soup and HAD to read more.  I found Nicole Morrissey's recipe on her lovely blog, Prevention RD, and we probably tried it out the same night, if not the next.

I made variations from the first time I tried this, and I have continued to improve and vary my version of this for a few years now.

I LOVE lasagna and mine is fantastic, but since I have discovered lasagna soup, I don't think I have made real lasagna once.  That's because lasagna is time consuming and makes a real mess by using lots of bowls and dishes, while this is a one pot meal that cooks quickly and is just as delicious.

This soup is definitely one of my family's favorite meals.

The first variation I immediately made to this recipe was to use ground beef.  I prefer this soup with ground beef (chuck, actually), but have made an amazing meatless version of this using farro cooked in stock.  I have also used a combo of lean beef and ground turkey, and last night this soup pictured in photos was made using a 50/50 mixture of chuck and ground pork.  I did not like this near as much and won't add pork into the mix again.

I also added a ton of veggies into the original recipe, to make this more like my lasagna which is also vegetable heavy.  This can certainly be widely varied, depending on what you have that is appropriate on hand.

I brown my meat (or cook farro if I am preparing this without meat) first, and then drain and set that aside.  Then I wipe my pan and add a tablespoon or two of good butter or heat safe oil and gently saute an onion and a bell pepper or two.

 So many delicious dinners begin like this!

You can also use red and/or green onions and any color bells.  Roasted red peppers are delicious in this soup as well.

Once these have cooked and softened a bit, I add a couple of chopped zucchini.

You could also add chopped mushrooms at this point.  I recommend this, for sure, but some silly people in my family refuse to eat mushrooms, so I usually have to leave them out.

After these have softened for a few minutes, I add a lot of minced garlic, about six to ten cloves chopped.  I quickly add salt and spices. I always use my favorite all-purpose seasoning,  Cavender's All Purpose Salt Free Greek Seasoning 7 oz (NO MSG), Himalayan Pink Salt, and I might use ground oregano, ground coriander, and ground cayenne or red pepper flakes.

Then I add in two cans of fire roasted tomatoes.  Last night, I forgot to thaw the frozen spinach so I added it in at this point too.  I had to take a picture, because my soup hadn't looked this pretty at this point before (usually I add spinach later, once I have added stock).

 

Then I add the browned meat and about two and a half tablespoons of tomato paste, and stir this well.  Then I add two quarts of stock, either beef or chicken or vegetable works well.

After this has simmered for some time, I add fresh chopped herbs if I have them- oregano and/or marjoram, and/or basil if I have that.

Once the soup has simmered for fifteen to twenty minutes, I add twelve ounces of bowtie pasta noodles.  This cooks for ten to fifteen minutes,and then the soup's done.

But don't forget the cheesy goodness!  I mix equal parts whole milk ricotta and shredded cheese.  You can use mozzarella, mozzarella and parmesan, or an italian blend, and lots of black pepper.   Mix well and spoon this at the bottom of the bowls, before ladling soup, or just put a spoonful on top to garnish. Stir the cheesy mix into the soup before eating, and enjoy!

Sharing Garden Pictures: First Fruits 2011

Strawberries are so super easy to grow; just be sure to give them plenty of room because they spread a lot every summer.  That is chocolate mint in the picture as well.  I decided to let it run like a weed in our herb bed and I have not regretted it.  This chocolate mint seems both the sweetest and tastiest of the mints, and it also seems happier and more lush in my garden than regular peppermint or spearmint.

Speaking of strawberries by the way, I have recently discovered how easy it is to make chocolate covered strawberries, and this has been our favorite sweet treat this spring.  To make them, I just empty a cup or so of semi-sweet chocolate chips (not Nestle!) into a glass measuring cup and melt them in the microwave.  On my microwave, this takes 3 30 second cycles (stir between each 30 second nuking).  Then you just dip the berries in he smooth melted chocolate and set them on wax paper.  Stick them in the refrigerator to chill; it really only takes a few minutes for the chocolate to harden.  Share them with someone you love, and enjoy!  Strawberries are loaded with healthy goodness, and dark chocolate has antioxidants and bromine and other good stuff for your heart....so I consider these to be a health food and we enjoy them often without guilt!

These blueberries are of the Emerald variety.  We bought four varieties of blueberries in the fall, and this variety has the largest berries.  I wonder how long they will take to turn blue!

Husky Cherry Tomatoes.  I know some folks in more northern latitudes may feel amazed to see our tomatoes fruiting already, but please realize that it gets so hot here that our plants peter out (at 10 feet tall, sometimes) usually in late July, and then we will have no fresh tomatoes until late September or so, if we plant a second crop. It looks like this year I might succeed in having lettuce and tomatoes to harvest together.  This is hard to do here as it is quickly too hot for the lettuce, which bolts to seed.  Last year they almost missed each other- tomatoes seem to take a while to ripen and as the first tomatoes were ripening on the plants, the lettuce was starting to bolt.  I think we got one big salad for a party, and then the lettuce was done just as the tomatoes got started.  This year I planted some lettuce later than usual, chose an all-season mix, and knock on wood, we should have a few weeks of lettuce and tomatoes harvested together for salads.

These are a variety of Passionflower that do not fruit, unfortunately.  But the flowers are amazing and the vines seem happy and want to run rampant in this hot and humid climate.

I hope to make time for a fun sewing post soon.  Until then, Happy Growing!

If you cook meat, try My Meatloaf

I made my meatloaf (with turkey) last night and as we were just devouring the leftovers, Mr. Green asked me if I had shared that recipe here.  I told him I didn't, that yahoo had published this recipe at Associated Content, but that I had not shared it on my blog.  He insisted that I share it with you here, as he just loves loves the way I make meatloaf.

It's much different than the average meatloaf, as it has peppers and instead of oats or breadcrumbs, I use crushed cheese crackers (or you could use plain crackers, too).  It's really really really good.

So, without further ado, here is the link to Aunt Millie's Garden Meatloaf.  

Try it; I bet your family will love this, too.

Garden Recipe: Strawberry Astringent for Natural Skincare

I want to share with ya'll this garden recipe you don't eat.  I first made this about 3 months ago, and I have noticed a big improvement in my skin.  Strawberries have salicylic acid, which discourages acne, and this toner is loaded with antioxidants.  You won't believe how smooth and soft and clean your face feels after you use this.  It is so cooling and fresh, and reminds me of the "Sea Breeze" astringent I used as a teenager- except this is all natural, with none of the harsh chemicals.

Here is all you need from the garden:

That is 7 strawberry leaves (and by 1 leaf, I mean all three leaflets) and one long rosemary sprig.  Or you could use several smaller sprigs....this isn't rocket science and you don't have to be exact with your amounts.

Chop up this vegetative matter and throw it in a pot with a cup of water.  Add 1 organic green tea bag.  Boil all of this, and then cool and strain.  Add 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar (use the unfiltered kind that says "with the mother"), 7 drops patchouli essential oil (patchouli is great for the skin; you really won't smell it in the final product once everything is mixed), 8 drops peppermint essential oil, and 1 drop pine essential oil.

The peppermint is the only nonnegotiable oil in this recipe, as it gives the cooling effect.  As I said, patchouli is really great for the skin, and definitely recommended.  But if you don't have any, you could substitute lavender oil instead.  You could also use tea tree oil instead of pine, if that is what you have.  I do really recommend using the patchouli and pine, though.

I pour my toner in a Grolsch beer bottle, which has a handy flip top lid.  If you don't drink beer, you can usually get these from a bar for a quarter apiece, or you can use whatever you have available in approximately the same size.

 After you add your mixture, fill the bottle the rest of the way with distilled water, cap and shake well.  Apply to your face morning and night.  You could use cotton balls or pads, or if, like me, you prefer not to use disposable products, you can do what I did and find a nice soft old tee shirt and cut it into squares for this purpose.

You will love the cool tingling sensation and how soft and smooth your skin feels after using this.
I discovered recently that it works pretty well as a deoderant, too.

Recipe: Green Family Chicken Chili

We just changed the name of this recipe tonight.  When we first made it, last summer, we had lots of orange bell peppers and so the colors made us start calling this Flag of Ireland Chicken Chili.

But, alas, we are still waiting for our orange bells to ripen and used green bell peppers this time.

That is the nature of eating from the garden; your recipes will vary according to what is in season.

This is our favorite garden dinner.  And although we have made this without them, the real key to this dish is yellow pear tomatoes.  

I am sure I will post more later about these, our favorite heirloom tomatoes.  

Here is the recipe:

Green Family Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

5 cups cooked navy beans

1 c chopped red onion

1 c corn

3 large sweet bell peppers; we like to use yellow and orange best, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 cayenne, seeded and chopped

1 red hot cherry pepper, seeded and chopped

1 sweet banana pepper, seeded and chopped

1 hot banana pepper, seeded and chopped

2 c yellow pear (or substitute other grape or cherry sized) tomatoes, cut in half

2 Tbs garlic, chopped

2 c chicken broth

2 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped

1 Tbs cumin (or to taste)

salt to taste

Cilantro, to taste

Sour cream, for garnish

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.  Place in a skillet and cook until chicken just begins to brown.  Drain.  Use a large pot and add the cooked chicken, beans, peppers, corn, garlic and onions, chicken broth, cumin and oregano.  Stir and simmer for approximately an hour.  Then add your little tomatoes, cut in halves, and a lot of chopped cilantro.  Cook this way on low for about 30 minutes, or until you can't stand waiting any longer.  Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.  Enjoy!  

This is the recipe we wrote down last night, as Mr. Green cooked it.  It is always really good.  When I cook this, I like to brown the onions and most of the peppers a little first, before adding them to the beans and chicken.  I also put the cayenne in the oven on 300 for about 10 minutes, until it is lightly toasted, and then I chop it finely and soak in a tiny bit of water about half an hour, before grinding it into a paste and adding to the pot.  Mr. Green contends these steps are unnecessary.  His is always delicious, so he must be right; I will probably skip these steps next time.

Cooking this dish a long time mellows the peppers.  While there is some heat, the sour cream tones it down and it is not too spicy, even for children.  This is about the only dinner we cook regularly that has our son asking for seconds.  

Please let me know if you make this, and how it turns out.

Garden Roast

I had thawed a chuck roast for dinner and we had the previously pictured bowl of vegetables for accompaniment.  This was on Thursday night, just after I left the previous post.  I didn't post right away because initially I thought it might be a little silly to blog about dinner, but after reflecting on this, I have determined that this is definitely worth sharing.
So,  I decided to cook the vegetables in with the roast in a covered dish in the oven.  So I placed the roast and sliced the onions and squash, trimmed and threw in the small handful of beans, and tossed in the grape and cherry tomatoes whole.  Then I harvested and chopped a lot of thyme and oregano and a little bit of rosemary, sprinkled some Greek Seasoning and a dash of worcestershire sauce.  Then I was going to add water, but on a whim poured in apple juice instead.

 then I took a picture before I stuck it in the oven- I knew it was going to be good!

Well, actually, I was a little worried about the squash.  I usually cook it in butter and I had no idea if it would work with roast.  Boy, did it, though!  The squash pieces were delectable.  But it is the grape and cherry tomatoes that made this roast dinner extraordinary.  My gardening guy called them "explosions of awesomeness."  My Capricorn son, who never likes anything, was trying to stick his fingers in the pan to devour the last tomato and there ensued a vigorous argument between three people, two of them adults, over who would actually get that last tomato! The pan juices and the apple juice combined with the herbs to make this truly the best roast dinner I had ever cooked or eaten.  If you have grape or cherry tomatoes in your garden (or if you don't, get some the next time you go to the farmer's market), you simply MUST try tossing them in with a roast so you can experience for yourself how these things work so beautifully together as something totally new.