Cycling Foodie

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Had a long day and need a quick, healthy dinner?  Try this.

Wild cod cooked in citrus juice

Fish Tacos

2 nice-sized cod filets
1 each: lemon, lime, small orange
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 to one small red onion, cut into a small dice
Fresh flour (or corn) tortillas
Your favorite salsa and guacamole
Optional: your favorite hot sauce or “crema caliente” (recipe follows)

Quickly rinse and pat dry two nice sized cod filets, then place in a glass baking dish. Zest and then squeeze the lemon, lime, and orange. Sprinkle the zest over the fish, then pour the juice over. Allow to sit for up to 30 minutes, turning once or twice. Add the avocado oil to a thick-bottomed non-stick saute pan and heat on high until the pan is hot. Sprinkle the fish with a little lemon pepper, then add to the hot pan. Quickly sear on one side, then turn and quickly sear on the other side. Pour the juice in the pan, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Allow to cook slowly until the fish is tender and flaky. Turn the heat off and allow the fish to sit in the hot juices.

Preparing the filling

Heat the tortillas and wrap in a towel until you’re ready to assemble the tacos.

We mixed together the fish, salsa, and red onion, along with some of the cooking juices from the fish. This worked out great. Simply spoon some of the fish mixture onto a tortilla, top with a little guacamole, and enjoy!

Fish Tacos

If you like it spicy, top with a splash (or two) of your favorite hot sauce or a little dollop of crema caliente.

Enjoy in good health! These are perfect post-ride … good lean protein (cod), good fat (avocado), great flavor.

Crema Caliente

1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
1 cup sour cream (natural, no fat, of course!)

Dice the chiles, add with their sauce to the sour cream. Stir.

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Swordfish with Pineapple Salsa

Fall 2014 Quarter has officially started and life on campus is returning to its hectic quarter pace. I miss my morning pre-work rides, but have been able to get a few post-work rides in lately.

Thursday on my way home … dealing with commute traffic (ugh!) … I realized that what I really needed was to sort of reset things with a healthy, satisfying dinner. I stopped by my new local neighborhood store, Sprouts Farmers Market, and wandered about. Walking by the seafood counter, I saw some beautiful wild swordfish on sale. Hmm … grilled wild swordfish with pineapple salsa … why not? That was one of the very first special meals I cooked as a rookie foodie, and a soothing reminder of a simpler time long ago.

This beauty of it is that this is actually a very simple meal to prepare. Marinate the fish. Chop a few ingredients for the salsa. Make a simple salad. Grill the fish. Enjoy. If you want, serve with some roasted root veggies (pictured here – from the deli counter at my local Nugget Market), steamed rice, or a crusty hearth bread.

First, marinate the swordfish in some freshly squeezed lime juice and a little olive oil while you prepare the pineapple salsa.

Pineapple Salsa

1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple* chunks (about 1/4-inch cubes)
2 Serrano chilies, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, cut into about 1/8-inch chunks
juice of 1-2 fresh limes
a large handful of fresh cilantro leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Fresh pineapple is best, but in a pinch you could use canned (in its own juice, not sweetened).

Prepare the cilantro. Remove the leaves from the stems, rinse well and drain on towels.

Prepare the fresh pineapple. Using a large chef’s knife, cut off both top and bottom and discard. Cut off the outer skin, being sure to cut deep enough to remove the “eyes.” If you’ve never cut a fresh pineapple, try Googling “how to cut a pineapple” and you’ll find some videos and easy to follow instructions.

Once you’ve removed all of the skin and “eyes” of the pineapple, slice off a few 1/4-inch thick slices, then stack them and cut them into 1/4-inch cubes.

Note – if you want to make this even more simple … buy some pre-cut fresh pineapple chunks or spears. Many stores carry it in the the produce section.

Rinse the peppers, then cut them length-wise. I like to remove most of the seeds from the peppers, otherwise the salsa is too hot. However, some like it hot, so this is up to you! Dice finely and add to the pineapple.

Squeeze the limes and add the juice to the pineapple and peppers.

Coarsely chop the cilantro and add. Stir to combine all ingredients well. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Get your grill ready. While it is pre-heating, prepare your salad or other side dish. I’d recommend a simple salad with a light citrusy vinaigrette.

Grill the swordfish. Click here for some simple directions.

Place the grilled fish on your plate and spoon some salsa over it. Serve with side dish(es) of your choice.

Enjoy!

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Thyme Fennel Pizza Dough

It’s an almost rainy Sunday and that’s got me in the mood to make some bread. Pizza has been requested, so …

To make this dough, use your favorite pizza dough recipe. Simply add about a teaspoon of fresh thyme and a teaspoon or two of fennel seeds towards the end of the kneading. You’ll want to crush the fennel seeds a bit in a mortar and pestle first. Remember that the seeds will soak up some water, so make your dough a little extra wet to compensate for that.

Here are a couple of my pizza dough recipes from previous posts:

• Whole Wheat Rye Fennel Pizza Dough
• Whole Wheat Rye Piadine Dough or Whole Wheat Rye Piadine Dough

These are some of my variations of Michael Chiarello’s  Piadine Dough, from from The Tra Vigne Cookbook.

Now it’s time to get out on the bike and grab a quick ride. I have waaay too much stuff I need to get done.

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A spicy curry powder is a perfect complement for sweet potatoes. Rich and decadent tasting, this side dish will leave you satisfied and nourished. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, fiber, and a good source of potassium, copper, and and manganese. Curry also has many health benefits. Research has shown that the spices in curry powder may provide health benefits such as blood sugar control, anticancer benefits, and cholesterol management.

All you’ll need to make this is sweet potatoes, some good curry powder, a good quality olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the potatoes and pat dry.

Slice into about 1/2-inch thick rounds.

Drizzle with some good olive oil.

A generous sprinkle of good curry powder.

Gently toss to evenly coat and spread in a single layer in the roasting pan. Roast for about an hour, or until they’re soft, rich, and sweet. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

You can also make these with yams, but sweet potatoes pack a more powerful nutritional punch.

Enjoy in good health!

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Mini Fritattas ... first attempt

Tonight I made a few items for a work party tomorrow:

• Roasted Golden Potatoes with fresh Rosemary & Thyme
• Roasted Curried Sweet Potatoes
• Mini Fritattas – with potato, mushroom, sun dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, and just a hint of cheddar cheese

The fritattas look and smell promising, but I have not tried one yet. Here’s hoping they’re as good as they smell.

I’ve never made these before, but they were pretty easy. I diced a couple of gold potatoes into about 1/4-inch cubes and sauteed in a bit of olive oil to brown and soften them a bit. Then, I diced about 6 ounces of crimini mushrooms into about a 1/4-inch dice and sauteed these in a bit of olive oil to cook out some of the moisture. I chopped a few sun dried tomatoes. It’s important to note that they were just dried, not packed in oil. I like the Trader Joe’s ones that come in a bag. They’re soft, and have great color and flavor. Some dried tomatoes are dark and taste old, for lack of better word at the moment. Whisk eggs with a dash of salt and pepper. Plan on one egg per muffin cup. Generously spray the muffin cups with a non-stick spray.

Assembling the Fritattas

Begin layering the ingredients in the cup: potatoes, mushrooms, dried tomatoes, fresh chopped herbs of your choice, then pour the egg mixture over to cover. Top with a little shredded cheese. Be sure to not overfill the pans. They’ll puff up a bit, but not too much.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. They should be fairly set, but be careful to not overcook.

Let them cool for 5-10 minutes and then gently loosen them from the pan. Serve hot or chilled. I’m thinking a little dash of hot sauce will be really good on these!

Enjoy!

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

We had a terrific weekend for cycling in Davis – loads of sunshine and warm temperatures, and just a bit o’breeze. The 2014 Napa Valley Tour de Cure is just 7 weeks away, so it’s time to start getting some longer rides in. March Madness is in full swing and I’m now about 2/3 of the way to my goal.

Saturday 80 miles, Davis, Winters, Vacaville, Winters, Davis. We rolled out to Winters on Road 29, out to Vacaville through English Hills and Gibson Canyon, then back to Winters via Pleasants Valley Road, and to Davis by way of Putah Creek Road and the Russell Bike Trail. That was about 68 miles, but I also did about a 12 mile warm up loop.

It was absolutely gorgeous out there, but I did not take a single picture. We got a little bit of a late start and I didn’t want to risk not getting back before dark.

We had a nice rest stop at Steady Eddy’s on our homestretch.

By the time we got home, we were pretty hungry. We had started talking dinner while we were still on the road. Salmon. Asparagus. Salad. That sounded like an awesome plan.

Wild King Salmon.

Roasted Asparagus.

Salad.

Never send me to the store to buy salmon when I am this hungry. I came back with enough salmon to feed an army. Though I bought only two filets, they were huge. As hungry as we were, we could eat only one! We nibbled on the leftovers throughout the day yesterday. For dinner last night, I simply crumbled the last bit on top of a light green salad. It was amazing.

Roasted Avocado

I was craving avocado, but none of my avocados were ripe. At $2.49 each at my local market, there was no way I was going to buy one. I have grilled avocados before, so I wondered about roasting one. It was interesting. Simply cut it in half, remove the pit, drizzle with a little avocado (or olive) oil, season with a little salt, and roast until softened.

This avocado was a little dark on the inside to begin with, so this is not the best photo, but it was very interesting and an idea I’ll try again.

Sunday 44.1 miles, Davis, Winters, Davis … easy spin, recovery ride. It’s a really good thing I didn’t venture further than that …

I stopped at Steady Eddy’s for water and a quick stretch and rest. As I was doing my usual Facebook check in there was a loud BANG! That all too familiar sound of a bike tire exploding just as a large group of cyclists was leaving. They checked their bikes, no flats. Then they started looking at everyone else’s bike to see who the lucky one was. They kept looking at my bike and futzing with it. I walked over to see what was going on and asked why they were looking at my bike, but then they found the exploded tire. Mystery solved. They left happy quite it wasn’t one of theirs.

Oh, dear ... not good.

I stayed a few more minutes, then saw the “lucky” cyclist. I was heading out, but wanted to let him know there’s a bike shop just down the block who could fix him up if he needed it. He wasn’t feeling so lucky.

Well, the luck of the Irish was with me because another cyclist happened to be there when all of the commotion happened and he stopped to tell me that on his way in he noticed this …

I am profoundly grateful that he pointed this out to me. I don’t think this tire would have made it home.

Funny. As I was leaving for my ride, I realized that I did not have my debit card with me, but I didn’t want to turn around and get it. “I’ll be fine! It’s just a quick ride.” I thought. So off I rode with just $39 in my pocket.

The Best Bike Shop in Winters!

So I walked my bike down to Mike’s Velo City Bike Shop in Winters. A while back I had to replace a tire mid-ride and it cost me more than $100. Now wishing I had turned around to get my debit card, I thought I might have to walk my bike home 20+ miles to Davis.

The luck of the Irish was with me. Mike’s Velo City Bike Shop fixed me up with a used tire and got me back on the road for $15.75. I was so, so thankful! I love this bike shop. They’ve helped me out before with minor mid-ride adjustments, flat tires, and other basics like this. I took my Trek in there for a full tune-up a while back and they did an awesome job.

So, a HUGE shout out to Mike’s Velo City Bike Shop in Winters!

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

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Day 8 … 81 miles – Davis, Winters, Vacaville, Winters, Davis.

Day 9 … 21.1 miles – an easy loop from Davis to Woodland and back.

Saturday, March 8th

I rode pretty hard, enjoying the rollers between Winters and Vacaville on Pleasants Valley Road. I really need to build up to hills again, so this is great practice. I love cycling Pleasants Valley Road – it’s beautiful, rolling hills, and usually it’s pretty well protected from wind when it gets very breezy. Yesterday the weather was perfect for cycling – not too cool, not too warm, not too breezy, not too sunny, not too cloudy. It was just about perfect.

I had a couple of quick rest stops at Steady Eddy’s in Winters. My first stop was just for water and a couple of Sports Beans, then I headed back out on Putah Creek Road with the intent of doing just my Lake Solano loop, but I was feeling so good when I got to turn, that I headed out Pleasants Valley towards Vacaville. Traffic was light (always nice when you’re cycling!) and there were quite a few other cyclists out (also very nice when you’re cycling) enjoying the day. I road out to Vaca Valley Road, then turned around to head back. I hadn’t really planned on this long of a ride and got kind of a late start in the morning, so I didn’t want to risk not getting back at a decent time. I was focused on cycling, so I didn’t stop to take any photos, but it was glorious out there!

Oat Cake - this will get you through a few miles

On my way back through Winters, I stopped again at Steady Eddy’s for a snack. I am quite happy to report that they do still have oat cakes. I filled up on water, half the oat cake, and headed back out. I chatted briefly with a group who was also headed back towards Davis. They were from Davis and Sacramento. I took off a few moments before they did, but they caught up quickly and then invited to to join them. They pulled me all the way down Putah Creek Road. It was nice! It was work to keep up, but it was worth it. I’m not sure what the correct cycling lingo is, but they were steady riders and rode in a straight line, not wambling all over the place, so I felt safe trying to draft off them.

By the time I got home, I had hit 75 miles. I needed some more water and was hungry again, so I filled up with water at home and snacked on the rest of my oat cake. I wanted to do a few more miles and my legs were feeling a bit tight, so I did a little loop just to spin and loosen up my legs. My total for the day was 81 miles. I made some good progress on my March Madness and training for my 2014 Napa Valley Tour de Cure. I felt good about that.

I was pretty hungry last night, and must confess to having a total “guy” dinner.

Steak and baked potato.

Steak

Potato

Of course, my steak was a lean cut and my potato had a little light Havarti cheese & fat free Greek yogurt, so it was really not too bad. Lots of protein and that’s what I needed. My eyes were bigger than my stomach, though. I had about half the potato and about 2/3 of the steak. I was going to have salad, but I was too full.

Sunday, March 9th

This morning a gentle recovery ride was in order. It was a beautiful morning for cycling – the air was deliciously clean and cool, very little breeze, with a nice cloud cover. I headed out towards Woodland, Road 102 to Road 25, then looped back Road 103, and back towards Davis.

Looking towards Sacramento

Looking towards Winters

I have spent the rest of the day …

Hanging with Tiger

Admiring my lavender.

Smelling the roses.

Checking other blooms

... and more blooms ...

Checking for a 4-leaf clover

Making a few new friends …

Luck be a lady tonight!

These ladies were very active ...

... exploring ...

... trying to hide ...

Camera shy?

Very happy for these visitors.

Oh, yeah, and a bunch of chores in there, too, not just play. I should probably get back to a few of those things that really need to get done today.

The rains are supposed to start again tomorrow, so I’ll pack up for the gym in the morning just in case. But if it’s nice … I’ll be … oh wait … time change … sunrise at 7:26 am? I’ll be at the gym in the morning, but maybe I’ll get to ride tomorrow after work!

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One of my favorite rainy weather recipes is a Pork and Tomatillo Stew. Similar to a Chili Verde, it is rich and satisfying, but with the pork shoulder (or butt) it’s pretty high in fat. I am craving this flavor, but I want to try to lighten it up a bit.

I contemplated using a different, more lean cut of pork, but I think the only one that would produce a decently tender result would be pork tenderloin. I’m sure it would be wonderful, and someday I will try it when I find it on a super sale, but it felt a little pricey for tonight.

My favorite local market in Davis, Nugget Market, had their free range whole fryer chicken on sale, so I was inspired to try this. One of the guys in the meat department (I am kicking myself for not asking his name because his service was so amazing that I would love to call the store management to tell them this) not only did he take the time to chat with me about what meats might make a reasonable substitute to lighten up my recipe, when I settled on a whole chicken he offered to cut it up for me. Really? I love this store. I am perfectly capable of cutting up a chicken on my own, but it was really nice have it done for me. That gave me a few extra minutes to do other stuff this evening. So, thank you!

Chicken and Tomatillo Stew

One whole chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds
2 tablespoons oil
1 to 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos
1 bunch green onions
2 cloves fresh garlic
3 or more serrano chiles (how hot do you want it?)
1 red onion, diced
1 7-ounce can green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bunch fresh cilantro, cleaned and trimmed
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the chicken into pieces – you will use the drumsticks, thighs, and breasts for this recipe. Reserve the wings, back, and rib bones for stock. Alternatively, you can just use about 4 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, or about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of boneless chicken breast, or a combination of both. Remove the skin and discard. Cut the breast meat into about 3/4-inch cubes and set aside.

Prepare the tomatillos: remove the husks and discard; rinse and drain the tomatillos. Place in a roasting pan.

Prepare the serranos*: trim the stems and place in the roasting pan with the tomatillos.

Tomatillos, serranos, green onions, & garlic

*How hot do you want this dish? I like it pretty hot, so I use lots of serranos, but I seed all of them. I like the flavor of this pepper, but not the seed.  I always wear gloves whenever handling hot peppers. To seed serranos, you’ll want to remove the stem, then cut them lengthwise in half. Using your finger, remove the seeds and discard.

Prepare the green onions: trim the ends and peel the outer layer. Trim off any of the dark green end that doesn’t look good. This is very subjective, but you will know when you look at the green onions you have. Add to the roasting pan with the tomatillos.

Peel the garlic and add to the roasting pan with the tomatillos.

Place the tomatillos, serranos, green onions, and garlic in the preheated oven and roast until lightly charred. Depending on your oven, you may want to broil these, or even better use your grill to roast them. If you use your grill, you’ll probably want to use a disposable pan.

Brown the drumsticks and thighs

While the tomatillos are roasting:

Rinse the cilantro and set aside to drain.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy stock pot. Brown the chicken legs on each side, then remove from the pan. Add the breast meat – depending on the size of your stock pot, you’ll probably want to do this in two additions, adding a little oil (if necessary) between additions. Brown lightly and remove from the pan.

Check on the tomatillos – if they’re ready, remove them from the oven. You’ll want them to cool a bit before putting them in your blender to process.

Foodie confession … I once melted a KitchenAid blender because I did not allow the tomatillos to cool before processing. Please don’t do this – learn from my (expensive) mistake.

If necessary, add a little more oil to the pan, then add the onions and saute until softened.

Cube the chicken breast

Chop the red onion

Briefly saute the chicken

While the onions are cooking, blend the tomatillos, green onion, serranos, and cilantro until smooth.

Return chicken to the pot, then add the blended tomatillo mixture. Give a good stir, but remember that you’ll want the bone-in pieces of chicken (legs & things) to be completely submerged so that they cook fully. Add the dried thyme. Allow to gently simmer for about an hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatillo mixture

Give a good stir

I like to serve this over brown rice with warm, fresh tortillas.

This also makes a fantastic topping for a quesadilla or burrito filling.

A dollop of plain fat free Greek yogurt will help to cool the heat if you accidentally make it too spicy for you. It may take a few tries to get just the right heat level for you.

Enjoy!

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Perfect after a long, cold, wet day!

We’re finally getting some rain and a nice little storm has settled in. It’s windy, wet, and chilly out there this morning – perfect weather for a hearty, healthy, fragrant, spicy curry dish. Curry powder is a blend of spices widely used in Indian cuisine. Commonly used spices include turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger. Some blends may also include mustard seed, cayenne pepper, or cardamom. This recipe, by Alton Brown, sounds really good and I’m bookmarking it for future, but tonight I used a prepared curry powder because that is what I had.

Some of the health benefits associated with consuming curry powder include cancer-preventative benefits, cholesterol management, blood sugar control,  and detoxification.

You can easily make this vegetarian or vegan. I’m sure there’s a way to make it gluten free, also, but I like to thicken the sauce with a little flour.

I used lamb because I love it with curry, and because I had some leftover. You can use any meat or fish you like, or none at all. This is a great way to use up leftovers, just be sure to add lots of fresh vegetables to give it good crunch and brightness of flavor.

Be sure you have some freshly cooked brown rice to serve with this.

Lamb Curry

Saute just enough to warm through.

6-8 ounces leftover lamb
8 cups of assorted fresh vegetables*
A few tablespoons of olive or avocado oil
2-3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons good quality curry powder
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)
2-3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Assemble all of your ingredients.

Cut the lamb and vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

Over a medium flame, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucier pan.

Add the lamb and saute briefly to warm through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Set the lightly sauteed vegetables aside and sprinkle with a little curry powder.

If necessary, add a little more oil to the pan. Saute the vegetables briefly in batches – they will cook more later and you will want them crisp-tender to serve. Set them aside for now and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon curry powder.

If necessary, add a little more oil to the pan. Make a roux: sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of flour and about 1/2 teaspoon curry powder over the hot oil. Allow to cook and bubble a little, being careful not to scorch the roux. Whisk together until a smooth paste forms, then slowly whisk in the chicken stock.

Making the roux

Whisking to a smooth paste.

Whisking in the stock.

Bring to a gentle rolling boil and allow the sauce to thicken.

Thickening the sauce. 

Whisk occasionally.

Check the seasoning and spice – remember you’ll be adding a little more curry flavor when you add the vegetables. Check for salt – I did not add any salt to this dish. I found it to be quite flavorful with just the curry and cayenne.

Be careful not to splash - the sauce will be hot.

When the sauce has thickened, add the vegetables and meat and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook gently until the vegetables are crisp-tender and heated through.

Serve in bowls over brown rice

* Use any vegetables you have on hand – I had cauliflower, asparagus, snap peas, and carrots. I also had a few roasted potatoes leftover, so I added them. You could also use frozen vegetables if that’s all you have – just remember to adjust your cooking time.

Enjoy in good health!

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As promised…

Carrots

Roma Tomatoes

Minestrone Soup

4 ounces of thick-sliced bacon*
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large carrots, diced
3 large stalks of celery, diced
8 to 12 ounces of crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
8 ounces of waxy potatoes (red, purple, gold)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, snapped into about 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen grilled eggplant and/or zucchini**
1 pound fresh Roma tomatoes, cut into 6-8 pieces each
1 pound of hearty cooking greens (spinach, chard, kale, escarole)
32 ounces of beef stock
32 ounces of chicken stock
32 ounces of vegetable stock
3 to 4-inch long piece of Parmesan rind
12 ounces of whole grain shell pasta
4 ounces of Pesto Alla Cycling Foodie
1 can Cannellini beans, well rinsed
fresh herbs – basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary

Trimming the bacon.

Trim as much fat as possible from the bacon, and set aside. Cut the meaty part into about 1/4-inch pieces. Place the fat and meaty pieces into a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is just a bit browned. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. When it is cool, separate the meat and fat. Discard the fat; set the meat aside for now. You can use the bacon fat or not – it does add a lot of flavor and this amount of this bacon does not really add that much fat for the amount of soup you’re making.

Ready to cook down a bit.

If necessary, add a little olive oil to the pot and heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and saute until slightly softened. Add carrots and celery and saute until fragrant. Remove from pot and set aside. If necessary, add a little more olive oil and saute the mushrooms until softened and much of the liquid is cooked out. Return the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables, bacon pieces, then the stock. Drop in the Parmesan rinds. Cover and cook gently until the greens are wilted.

Stir in the pesto. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender. Add the beans and fresh herbs. Allow to heat through before serving.

Serving suggestion …

Place a handful of fresh, hot homemade croutons in the bottom of a soup bowl. Sprinkle with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Ladle in the hot soup,garnish with a bit more Parmesan cheese, and enjoy with a hearty glass of Italian red wine!

This makes a very large pot of soup, so be prepared for leftovers. As with many homemade soups, this one is even better the next day. It also freezes well.

* My favorite bacon for this is Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Ends & Pieces – I always trim off as much fat as possible before cooking.

** I used Trader Joe’s Misto alla Grigoia Marinated Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini.