Minestrone Soup

I have been back in NJ for 2.5 years now and I am still not used to checking the weather in winter! Every time a snowfall is in the forecast, the nice school-bus driver informs me. He tells me this afternoon to check the weather tomorrow and call the school to make sure it's in session! After I learned this little tidbit, suddenly the air felt chillier. I noticed the sky to be a bit more gray than normal and I mentally prepared myself for the snow that is about to start falling. 6 to 9 inches I was informed!

Soup and snow go hand-in-hand. The comfort of piping hot soup in the bitter cold is unsurpassed by anything else. I tend to make more soups - different varieties- in the winter months. This Minestrone soup though is by far the most favorite in my house. Served with either a hearty grilled cheese sandwich or the "flatbread" pizza I made today, it is a meal in itself. It's filled with the goodness of as many vegetables as you choose to use, along with the protein-punch of kidney beans. So, without much rambling, here is the recipe for my (vegetarian) Minestrone soup!


Ingredients:

6 cups cleaned/chopped vegetables (I use broccoli, yellow and green squash, corn, spinach, carrots, green beans)
1 14 oz. can of drained and washed kidney beans
1 28 oz. can of petite diced tomato
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 medium chopped onion
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Shaved parmesan or mozzarella cheese to serve

1. Heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic until transluscent.
2. Add the seasoning and mix.
3. Add all the chopped veggies and mix.
4. Add the diced tomato and tomato paste.
5. Add 28 oz can of water.
   
6. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Let this mixture come to a boil. Cover and simmer on low until the veggies are cooked.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with the preferred cheese and serve.

Here is what mine looked like:

Verdict: Kids ask, "what's for dinner, mom?" I say, "soup"! Their response, "YAAAAAAY"!!!! Need I say more??!! This time, I served this delicious and hearty soup with a "flatbread" pizza. I made the pizza with the store-bought naan. Top it with spaghetti sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice. I only added fresh basil leaves. Put these in the oven for about 8 minutes at 425 degrees. Cut and serve!

NOTE: Instead of the water, you can use vegetable stock. When home-made vegetable stock is used, the flavor is unbelievable! If I don't have home-made, I skip and just use water to avoid the gazillion milligrams of sodium in the canned varieties.

Matar Paneer (Green peas and paneer)

So, a few days ago, I learned that my little boy loves this little concoction of beautiful green peas and one of his favorite ingredients - paneer! You can imagine my delight since he usually is not a big fan of peas.

Matar paneer is one of the most popular dishes in India. It is known to be of Punjabi origin, where paneer has been used predominantly. Paneer is basically connected to the Punjab region of India. Many loved recipes originate from here - malai kofta, palak (spinach) paneer, paneer makhanwala, paneer tikka masala and the list is endless. Most Indian restaurants in the US serve these dishes along with the Indian flatbread, naan. There are other flatbreads this is served with - rotis, puris, etc.

In my house, paneer is very popular. My OH (other half) LOVES paneer in any form and he has passed on this love to my children as well. Due to fat content of paneer, I try to limit the use of it to maybe once a month. However, when it's paneer time, it's also a dinner time celebration.

The restaurant versions of many of these dishes is laden with cream, ghee (clarified butter) and who knows what else. My home-cooked versions of the same dishes are minus the extra calories, but not minus the flavor. In fact, when made with the freshest ingredients, these dishes bring out all the flavors and colors of the beautiful vegetables and spices used. Instead of the heavy cream used in traditional matar paneer, I used low-fat yogurt. Also, in the traditional recipe, there are no red peppers. I added them for some extra color and turned out they added a whole lotta flavor as well. So, if my recipe for a low-fat, "restaurant-style" matar paneer sound like an oxymoron, I am pretty sure you'll be convinced if you ever try this recipe... So please try it and do let me know!

On to the recipe.... Low-fat, "restaurant-style" matar paneer

1 tsp oil
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
2 cloves garlic
1'' piece of peeled ginger
1 clove
1 pod of cardamom
A tiny piece of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of peas - frozen or fresh
1/4 cup small diced red peppers
1/4 cup paneer pieces - unfried
1/8 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1 tsp yogurt
1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp chopped coriander

1. Puree onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. Puree the tomato separately.
   
2. Heat oil.
3. Add the hing (asafoetida). Then add the onion mixture. Cook until the raw smell of onion is gone and you can smell the spices.
4. Add the tomato puree and all the spices - red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin-coriander powder.
5. Let this mixture cook on slow flame until the water from the tomato evaporates.
6. Mix in the peas and the red peppers.
7. Add salt and adjust spice level, if necessary.
8. Add 1/2 cup of water.
9. Let the mixture cook, covered, on a slow flame until the vegetables are tender.
10. Add more water if necessary (depending on the consistency you prefer for the gravy).
    
11. Mix in paneer, yogurt and the kasoori methi.
12. Let cook for two more minutes.
13. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice and any flatbread of your choice.

Here is what mine looked like:


The Verdict: My OH called me on his way back from work. To ask what was for dinner! He was starving and the mention of matar paneer made him drool. His first comment after he saw the dish - "Did you use a ready-made gravy to make this?" Huh? He saved it by telling me that it looked like it came from a restaurant. That just about made it worth my time and effort - not that it was much but he doesn't have to know :) My little boy wiped his plate clean too.... Hope your family enjoys it too!

Happy eating!

Welcome!

Please allow me to introduce myself! My name is Avni. I was born in India and immigrated to the USA with my parents in my early teens. I call New Jersey, USA my home. I am a working mother of two. Life is hectic to say the least. After a long day at work and homework, we all look forward to sitting down to a hearty meal.

So why a cooking blog you ask?! Well, cooking has always been my passion. My mother is an excellent cook! I grew up tasting the wonderful food she lovingly prepares. So because of her, I've always had a love affair with food. So, somewhere along the way, I also got obsessed with cooking. I enjoy the looks on loved ones' faces when they bite into something I prepared. It's the look of total satisfaction - as if they were waiting to eat it forever! That's what got me hooked to cooking.

This blog is an expression of my passion for all things food. I will share my passion with you all, as well as my experiments with food. I hope you enjoy it!