Clean out your fridge Vegetable Soup (Minestra)

Periodically I have an over abundance of produce in my refrigerator, some weeks I cook less often than others because of birthday dinners, family get togethers or eating out too often...I remember my mom doing this with leftovers just throwing stuff in a pot with some small pasta and creating a delicious meal...


Nothing I mean nothing got wasted in our house growing up for two reasons: one being there were always at least 10-15 people at the table several times a week and food went fast.  The other reason was I grew up with a dad that lived and served in WWII and food was rationed in Sicily so we were not ever allowed to throw away food, waste food or leave food on our plates (my waist and hips thank him profusely for that..Sarcasm


This soup is loaded with nutrients health in a bowl, low in calories and very filling. The key to making any really good soup is two things: the sautéing the aromatics (your base garlic, onions, celery, carrots) and using bay leaves (I prefer fresh ones) but the dried will work as well.  This produces a soup that you say WOW this is really good!!




Ingredients




2-TBSP Refined coconut oil, or 1/4 cup olive oil
4-Celery Stalks chopped
1-Medium Yellow Onion peeled and chopped
2-Large Carrots peeled and cubed
4-Garlic cloves minced
4-5 Yukon gold potatoes or what ever you have peeled and cubed if you use bigger potatoes then only 2
1 Head of Bok Choy washed and chopped or what ever you have in fridge!!
2 Bay Leaves
Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)
2-32 oz Containers of Vegetable broth or water.



Directions




In a large soup pot heat oil over medium heat add your celery, onion, carrots, bay leaves and garlic.  Saute for approx. 10 minutes until they have softened a bit and the bottom of the pot gets a little brown (creates flavor) then add your potato, bok choy, salt and pepper.  Any vegetable that you pick you want to add in the beginning if it has a hard stem, and add any leaves towards the end so they don't completely break down in the cooking process (this is what I did when I added the bok choy).
Now add your broth or water. If you are using water be sure to add enough salt, the vegetable broth will have sodium(salt) in it, so you will use less if you use the broth. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook for 45 minutes to one hour, it depends on the veggies used taste for doneness, and adjust seasonings.

Now at this point you could add some small pasta orzo, ditalini or just a huge hunk of Italian bread.  I would cook the pasta separately if you wanted to add it, the starch of the pasta thickens the soup if you cook it in there. 


Ladle into your bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of grated cheese....

Vegetable Lasagna with a Bechamel Sauce

This recipe was created for my niece Nicole who is semi-vegetarian (she eats chicken and turkey).  She requested that I make it for her bridal shower and again most recently for her baby shower. I approached the request a little anxiously, remembering that when I  made it for her Bridal shower I did not write down the recipe and that I made it with vegetables that I had on hand.   I was flying blindly as I do often with cooking, but I accomplished and ended up pleasing her and the ladies. I was able to create a recipe this time and am sharing it here.  I hope you enjoy making it  and  including it in your memorable moments of life with your family and friends as I have in mine. Someday when I'm old I hope my niece will be making this for me.

Ingredients:

1-16oz Box Lasagna noodles
3 lb. container of Ricotta cheese
2 Eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 finely chopped Basil
1/4 finely chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
Salt and black pepper
1 cup Grated Romano Cheese
3 cloves of finely minced Garlic
1 cup steamed Baby Spinach
1 cup Fresh Baby Bella Mushrooms chopped
1 cup Artichoke Hearts (frozen or canned) chopped
1 medium sized onion or 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup olive oil
Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel Sauce:

4 cups milk
4 Tbsp Butter
1/4 All purpose White Flour
Pinch of Nutmeg
Black or white pepper
Salt


Melt the butter in a saucepan, sprinkle in the flour, and add the milk while whisking until smooth. Add nutmeg and pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens, ( it is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon).


Directions:

Make your Bechamel sauce first.

Cook lasagna noodles according to directions but not cooking the full time, remove while they are still al dente. Once you have strained the pasta, place the pasta back in the pot and fill the pot with COLD water to keep the pasta from sticking together while you assemble your lasagna.

In the mean time prepare your ricotta fillling. In a bowl combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of grated cheese, eggs, parsley, basil, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Steam your spinach, and cool.  Saute your garlic and onions in the olive oil until translucent, add your mushrooms cook for 3-4 minutes then add your artichoke hearts, season with salt and pepper and cook until everything has wilted down. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Now you are ready to assemble your Lasagna. Take a 9x12 dish and butter it. Ladle the Bechamel sauce in the bottom and arrange pasta noodles overlapping a slight bit. Dollop evenly 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of your vegetable mixture, 1/3 of your spinach and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese, a ladle of sauce and sprinkle of grated cheese. Continue layering, ending with the last layer which you will ladle sauce and sprinkle grated cheese on the top of. There is no exacts here as to how much you end up putting in each layer!!

Cover with foil and bake one hour, removing the foil the last 15-20 minutes so the top will brown a bit.  Let the lasagna rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving. I like to serve it with a drizzle of the Bechamel Sauce.

Buon Appetito!
Lucia