When a recipe goes wrong, be open to the result!

Well this isn't actually a picture of the soup I made, it looks almost exactly like it. The other day I set out to make vegetarian chili... but my ended up making a three bean soup that tasted disturbingly like minestrone soup! (I love minestrone... so its okay with me) I will definitely make it again, and maybe next time I will throw in some whole wheat pasta and squash/zucchini! In spite of my "mistake" (which turned out to work out for the best), I did create something quick, easy, healthy, and vegetarian!

You can make it too:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Large can diced tomatoes (if you want you can buy the kind with basil)
Sliced carrots
Chopped green pepper
Sliced onion
1 small can cannelloni (white kidney) beans
1 small can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1 small can black beans
Cayenne
Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Put the olive oil in a medium-hot pot and add sliced onions (I slice mine quite thin). Add sliced carrots and green peppers 2-3 minutes after. Let this mixture saute until they begin to appear soft. Add cayenne and paprika to taste. Add the tomatoes and fill the large can halfway full with water, add it to the pot. Add all of the beans. Simmer for 20 minutes with lid on pot. Add S&P to taste. Let cool!

If you wanted to make a true mock minestrone, you might add squash and zucchini (sliced) to the saute at the last second so that it becomes soft. Add a whole can of water (or stock) so that it has less of a stew consistency. Add some whole wheat shells or penne for the last 10/15 minutes.

Remember, this recipe makes a LOT of food, but it is really healthy and sits well in the fridge. I love food like this as leftovers!

But I eat the same thing every day!!!

A couple comrades have graciously reminded me I abandoned this blog... and I responded, but I make the same thing every week! My lentils, peas, and spinach recipe (which was recently enhanced with mushrooms and broccoli!) and my veggies primavera. Perhaps this isn't a completely honest response...

Recently I fell in love with fresh okra. Quarter it, simmer it with diced, canned tomatoes (sprinkle on some cayenne if you like heat) for 20 minutes, and put it in the fridge over night. The next day add black beans. What a delicious southwest inspired stew!

The other night, while on the phone with a dear friend Amy, I decided to experiment with cooking. We were talking about food, which made me hungry, and rather than eat (I don't care to eat before bed) I decided to make a delicious entree I could take to work the next day. Behold: Banana Curry.

Ingredients: Red bell pepper, carrots, frozen broccoli (I was desperate people... i.e. fresh would be better!), banana, and a pre-made yellow curry sauce from Trader Joes.

Stir fry the first three ingredients with a little evoo (extra virgin olive oil) until the broccoli is not longer frozen and seems to have a little give (if you were using fresh, look for it to become a BRIGHT green... you'll notice the difference). Add the sliced banana and continue to sautee
until it looks a little soft. Finally, add a half cup of the curry sauce and some cayenne (optional) and let that simmer for a minute or two. Eat while its hot, or stick it in the fridge... it was delicious cold!

Finally: Fruit with balsamic. I live for strawberries. I cut them up and serve with sliced peaches. Sprinkle with balsamic and kosher sea salt. Yummy! Sweet and tart, my favorite.

The moral of the story: I take my small recipes and inventions for granted. In reality, most of my recipes are versions of something similar with a little different sauce here, some different veggies there. However, that doesn't mean my small strides in solo cuisine should be ignored. Variations, and breaking with the routine, are the spice of life! So go out and shake it up! You'll appreciate you did.