Hey, Mom

After years of wanting a gas stove instead of an electric, I finally got one. I love cooking on it, though I still need practice regulating the heat. I found that my stove presents another challenge–keeping it clean. With my old ceramic top electric, cleaning was relatively simply. But there is more to maintaining a pristine appearance with the new one. My stove has porcelain grates, which get a bit dirty of course, but I have found the perfect tool for keeping them clean–without a lot of elbow grease. A Magic Eraser works wonders. Dunk one in a bit of warm, soapy water and the grease spots and “baked” on grime will come off easily.

Winter is the best time to try new soups.  I recently had a meatball minestrone at a local deli and enjoyed it. This is my version, which I think is better. While tasty, the deli soup was full of overcooked penne pasta. This version is more delicate and has more discernible vegetables. One bowl definitely satisfies. Dip crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Meatball Minestrone

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped

2 med/large cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

3 carrots, peeled, sliced

3 stalks celery, cut into ½ pieces

1 4 oz can of mushrooms, with liquid

1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes cut up, with juice

1 32 oz box chicken broth

¾ cup uncooked elbow macaroni (Barilla Plus or Whole Wheat)

18-20 Italian meatballs (frozen)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried Italian parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In stock pot, saute the onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for five minutes. Add carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, kidney beans, meatballs and chicken broth. Add herbs. Turn heat up to bring soup just to boiling stage. Reduce heat and cook covered on medium/low for 30 minutes. Add macaroni and cook for ten more minutes.

Serve with crusty bread and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on soup before serving.

Serves 6

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