Channeling My Inner Jackie: Weekending

Happy Monday! Today I am linking up with B Loved Boston & Champagne and Suburbs to bring you my weekend, in the Kitchen!

I've decided that cooking during the week can just get complicated. Between work, the gym, Junior League meetings -- sometimes its just easier to order a pizza. As of late I've been missing that home cooking that my mother and grandmother always made so special. In my family, everything revolved around food, and the next meal. My grandmother kept hamburger patties frozen (in special hamburger patty shaped tupperware) in case anyone, at a moments, notice needed a 'California Cheeseburger. (No, I don't know why we called it that but somehow they just tasted different). When we went to Grammy & Poppy's, we were always excited to get away to the mountains, and be free of the 'rules and chores' of home. Each night we called my parents, not so much because we missed them, but to report on what Grammy made that day. Every morning I woke up to bacon and eggs cooking with my favorite fried potatoes. Grammy always had a large glass of chocolate milk waiting for me (because eggs and chocolate milk go so well together...but, I was a kid). For lunch, Grammy usually either did soup and sandwiches or cheeseburgers or something in that vein. Now, when I saw 'sandwiches' it rarely meant cold cuts from Publix. Usually, there was a giant gorgeous baked ham or a roast in the fridge that she would slice up to put on her homemade bread. Dinner was anyone's game, but much like a restaurant you could order whatever you wanted. Roast beef? Sausage Sandwiches? Potato Pancakes? Halupkis? Perogis? You name, that woman had it. One of my favorite dishes were cabbage and noodles - a mixture of shredded buttered cabbage mixed with homemade tear noodles. (Those were also always in the freezer). I'm telling you about all of this for several reasons. First, because my trips to Sparta, NC were some of the most influential and important parts of my childhood. Second, nothing makes a house feel more like a home than hearty home cooking. I think it helps me feel like maybe my family and friends aren't as far away as they really. Although my grandparents are gone today, I feel like they still live today as I *attempt* to re-create her recipes.

The first thing I made for the week was a big pot of Minestrone soup. Now, my grandmother was not Italian. And any recipe she made, she doctored up to her liking. So maybe Minestrone isn't the best name for this soup, but its what we call it. :)

Grammy always made things the 'long' way, and my mom usually found ways to speed things up without sacrificing too much taste. I, like mom, did the fast way. (Where do you even find a soup bone to boil??)

Here are the ingredients, regardless of which way you prepare the soup. See below for the fast/slow additional ingredients

1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 med carrot
1 stalk of celery (chopped small)
1 small zucchini
1 clove of garlic
1/8 t pepper
1/2 c of shells, ditalini, or macaroni
1/2 t of dried oregano
1/2 c of onion

For the old fashioned way,
3 c of water
1 soup bone (Beef)
1/2 lb of ground beef

Mom's faster way:
1 can of tomato soup
1 lb of ground beef
1 can of bean and bacon soup
1 can of water (use empty can) - you may use more depending on how thick you want your soup, just add 1 cup at a time and taste as you add - you dont want the broth to get too watery and lose flavor. When I made it yesterday, I messed up and did the 3 cups of water, and it ended up being ok, I just had to add more salt/pepper/herbs.

To start off, if you're using the bone, boil it in the 3 c of water. While its cooking, saute the ground beef and onion. When the bone is done cooking, (and the meat) remove the bone, and add the meat/onion mixture to the water. Next, add celery and carrots and cook it down for about 15 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the zucchini and pasta. Simmer for a few minutes. Bring the soup to a simmer/low boil and add your pasta. When the pasta is close to being done, reduce heat and add zucchini. When the zucchini is tender, your soup is ready!

Now, to cut down on time, here is what I did. I sauteed the beef and onion. In a large soup pot, put the can of tomato, bean and bacon, water (start with 1-2 cups then work your way up). As with the other version, be sure to add celery & carrots first leaving zucchini for the end. Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot and simmer. Follow the same process for the pasta and the zucchini as I mentioned above.

As the pasta cooks, it will absorb water, and this soup can get pretty thick. I just slowly add water until its the thickness that I like. You'll also notice that when you store in the fridge, it will come out a tad thicker as well. Just add a littler water prior to re-heating. Enjoy!