minestrone

This weekend I've invited my seven very best friends to join me at my vacation house in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We'll watch movies, go wine tasting in Murphys, and indulge in nonstop good eats. Naturally I'm planning the menu. Two of my gal pals are pesceterians (they don't eat meat, but will consume seafood), so the food will be vegetarian-friendly. After the long car ride to the cabin, the girls will be hungry for a hearty, soothing meal. An Italian-style vegetable soup served with olive cheese bread is filling and scrumptious. The following morning we'll eat store-bought bagels and cream cheese before we hit up the local wineries for lunch. Saturday night will be "make your own pizza" night.

Each girl can grab a ball of Trader Joe's pizza dough and choose from a variety of toppings — crumbled sausage, prosciutto, caramelized onions, pesto, kalamata olives, mushrooms, roasted red peppers — to make an individual pie. A simple green salad with Dijon vinaigrette finishes up the menu.

Sunday morning we'll have a leisurely brunch featuring a potato and leek frittata paired with oven-crisped bacon. For these recipes, which are perfect for enjoying with your friends and family on any Winter weekend, read more

If you're wondering what to do with all the beautiful Fall produce, look no further than this hearty minestrone with kale, squash, and pork sausage. If you've got dietary restrictions, simply adapt this recipe to your needs.

For example, you can substitute spinach for kale, kabocha for butternut squash, or chicken sausage for pork sausage. To make this comforting and adaptable recipe, read more

Minestrone is one of my favorite soups to make. It takes a lot of time to produce a good pot of this classic, Italian soup, so set aside the entire afternoon and make sure you soak the beans the night before. The final result is a hearty, rustic, restaurant-quality dish. A bowl is a meal in itself, all you need is some crusty bread for dipping. Serve with a robust Pinot Noir for a wonderful, wintry meal. To see how I made it, read more

When you're rushing around, it can be difficult to make a proper meal. However, that doesn't mean you have to give up and buy fast food. I'm always on the lookout for quick meals that are also good for me, and I just came across these Health Valley Microwaveable Soups. They're fairly inexpensive and really easy to make. I love the convenience of the microwavable container, and the fact that they're made with organic ingredients.

Want to see what this soup looks like? Then

Serving Size 1 bowl Calories 100 Total Fat 1.5g Saturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 480mg Carbs 20g Fiber 5g Sugar 3g Protein 4g

Good thing I like foods that have a soft consistency because after trying this soup, "squishy" was the first word to come to my mind. The cooked carrots, green beans, celery bits and noodles were so mushy that they practically disintegrated in my mouth. This would make a great meal if you just had dental work or if you weren't feeling that well.

The flavor was a little bland, slightly like salty tomatoes, and the aftertaste was a little peppery. When I looked at the ingredients, I felt good knowing they were mostly organic. Plus for only 100 calories, this would make a great meal coupled with a salad and a piece of whole grain bread. I'm not a huge fan of this Minestrone soup, but I might try the other flavors if I needed a meal in a pinch.

When I was a little girl, my parents would often take us on a ride out to Bodega Bay. The highlight of these trips was always a stop at a little Italian dive restaurant where we would get minestrone soup. After a day at the beach nothing tasted better than the warm, hearty soup. To re-create these memories, I now enjoy making minestrone in my own kitchen.

It's a classic soup that is simple to prepare and always delicious. It's wonderful as a first course or scrumptious as an entrée. I found two recipes one is easy and quick, and the other is difficult and slow. If you are short on time, prepare the beginner, but if you have a Sunday stretched out in front of you, give the expert version a whirl. For both vegetarian recipes all you have to do is read more