Minestrone Remix!

I could live off this soup!

I used what I had on hand: home made Italian Sausage, fresh veggies, and subbed the beans for corn...mmmmm

Turkey Minestrone

For Thanksgiving, my sister and I took a trip to Reno to spend the Holiday with my Aunt Kathy and Grammie. Before we left, my Aunt surprised me with a Christmas present...a "Taste of Home Cookbook"! This bad boy has become one of my favorite cookbooks thus far (I don't have many). It has dividers, and a section called "Kitchen Basics" - which helps me out every time I cook. It also has the classic recipe and three different ways to make it, Time-Saver - for the busy in your life, Light - for those watching your girlish figure, and Serves 2 - for those who don't do leftovers! I thought I would expand my cooking skills and try to make my very first soup! I decided that Turkey Minestrone (Light Recipe) sounded easy and, of course yummy . Well, it was super- duper easy and was OH, SO YUMMY! I hope you like making it as much as I did. :)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
• Pinch pepper

Directions

• In a stockpot over medium heat, sauté onion in oil until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the next six ingredients; cook until meat is no longer pink.

• Add the tomatoes, broth, zucchini and mixed vegetables; cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, macaroni, vinegar, salt if desired and pepper; simmer for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 16 servings (4 quarts).

I served my soup with Ham and Swiss Panini's!! 

Yield: 16 Servings (4 quarts)

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 132 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 20 mg cholesterol, 538 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 9 g protein. 

2010 NYE

A little late, but I still wanted to share the lovely dinner I served on NYE.
First: Red and black lump eggs, and scallop paté on blinis..

Oysters on schnazzy oyster plates!!

Fois gras with shallot jam on one side, and endive jam on the other... interesting

Truffled white boudin

Roasted kangaroo on wild mushrooms and mashed potatoes.

Cheese: Camenbert, Beaufort, Leerdammer, and Tome de Cambrai

And to finish it off, raspberry cake!