Lasagna Minestrone

Finals week is off with a vengeance. But I think I did well on the brutal final I had in Developmental Biology and I have some time to recover before the next test.

My roommate, however, had a horrible day. 5 hours of finals, plus work. So I wanted to make a warm and comforting dinner.

Enter Lasagna Minestrone. Imagine the meat-y, cheese-y nature of lasagna, mixed with the broth and veggies from minestrone. It was a goldmine.

Lasagna Minestrone

• Just under 1 pound of Ground Beef
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 1 Cup of Carrots, Diced
• 1/2 an Onion, Diced 
• Any other assorted veggies you have that are about to go bad. (It's almost break week, so my fridge is pretty empty, but this would be great with the addition of lots more veggies)
• 2 Teaspoons of Itailian Seasoning
• 2 Cans of Chicken Broth, Low Sodium
• 2 Cans of Diced Tomatos
• 1 Cup of Tomato Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons of Fresh Basil
• 3 Cups of Broken Lasagna Noodles
• 1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese

 In a large pot, brown ground beef alongside all of your veggies and garlic. 

Once the meat is browned, mix in the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, and itailian seasoning.

Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Add bite sized pieces of lasagna noodles. Make the pieces slightly smaller than bite sized, as they will swell up during cooking.

Simmer until the noodles are thouroughly cooked.

Add cheese. Mix until the cheese combines with the soup broth.

Serve and enjoy.

Freezer Minestrone

I don't know about where you live but in Rochester,  NY fall is upon us. The tree are changing color, the breeze kicks around the fallen leaves, and icy rain pours like you wouldn't believe about 3 times a week.

With weather like this, even taking the bus home from campus can be a task that ends with me being soaked from head to toe. After a full day of classes, battling a waterfall to get into my apartment was not what I had in mind.

Luckily, on days like this, I can walk from my freezer to my microwave, and in no time at all be greeted by a warm, thick, delicious soup... If I've planned ahead.

I am a firm believer that the freezer is there to be used and I'm not just talking about for booze and ice cream.

This recipe is tasty hot off the stove, but just as wonderful defrosted throughout the cold months.

Freezer Minestrone

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 an Onion
2 cloves of Garlic
3 small Potatoes
1 large Zucchini
1 can Cannellini Beans
3 cans of Low Sodium Beef Stock
2 cans Stewed Tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 pound of Dried Pasta

 Dice 1 large white onion, and mince the garlic.

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent.

Peel and dice the potatoes and add to the pot with 1 of the cans of beef stock.

Cover and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. The potatoes break down a bit, making the soup very thick.

While these are cooking, cut up the zucchini into quarters.

When the potatoes are cooked, add the zucchini to the pot.

Then add both cans of stewed tomatoes.

And the second can of beef broth and the Cannellini beans.

Now is time to add the seasonings. These can be adjusted to taste very easily. My ratio is heavy on the spice. (I love the red pepper.) Let this stew on low until you are about ready to eat.

Then, add half a box of pasta, and cook until the pasta is al dente. This will thicken up the soup a lot, so save the last can of beef broth to add right before you eat.

Enjoy! For the first time.

Once the soup has cooled off a little, spoon into cups lined with quart freezer bags.

Close the bags and place, cups and all, into the freezer. Take the cups off once they are frozen, and you will have nicely shaped, individual servings of soup to defrost all winter long.