a_nutritious

Minestrone
A nutritious meal
as there are as many cooks as variants of Minestrone the recipe is subject to much debate.
A Mainstay!
This meal will give you a lot of energy, is nutritious and healthy for you too.
Base ingredients:
Cooking oil, generally virgin olive oil or cold pressed grape seed oil
Garlic, as many cloves as you think you need.
Onions: probably one or two
Sauté ingredients:
Zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms and capsicum.
Core ingredients:
Dried beans, generally soaked overnight; about 150 grammes of dried beans per person.
Simmer ingredients.
Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, other vegetables to suit, pumpkin, potato etc... .
Flavours and Herbs:
oregano, curry powder, basil, stock cubes, tomato paste,
Heavy proteins:
Diced meat, eggs.
End bits:
Rice, lentils.
Garnish Bits:
Parsley, Romano Cheese, Parmesan cheese.
putting it all together:
Dice the onion(s) and peel the garlic cloves placing them into a deep pot ( about 2 litres ) pour in virgin olive oil ( or cold pressed grape seed oil) and fry for one minute on high heat. Cooking for 4 or more will require a much larger pot!
Add diced zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms and tomato's; cut to size to suit your appetite.
Fry the lot together until you are satisfied with the result.
If you are going to add meat this is best done at this stage.
With the heat turned down pour in the soaked beans ( generally 150 - 200 grammes per person ) and fill pot to 85% with additional water or stock if necessary.
Bring to boil slowly and allow to simmer very slowly.
Once the Minestrone is simmering place the diced broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sprouts and cabbage or other vegetables to suit.
Add herbs and flavours to suit and generally one stock cube. Don't forget the curry powder as it contains tumeric and lots of other wonderful ingredients that are good for the health of the brain. Curry powder is available in mild, to very hot; add what suits you best.
If you can add fresh herbs all the better. My favourites are: Oregano, sage, basil, rosemary and ginger!
The tomato paste gives the Minestrone an excellent flavour and colour, peeled tomato's are better but you will need more to enhance flavour.
Allow the entire Minestrone to simmer for up to 2 hours checking every 20 - 30 minutes to ensure it does not boil dry and that the mixture is simmering slowly and not boiling vigorously.
I f you want to add eggs, rice or lentils then 35 minutes before you decide to eat the brew add the rice or lentils and 20 minutes before eating the Minestrone add the eggs whole and they will poach in the Minestrone .
You want the Minestrone to reduce a bit to strengthen flavours but not too much as to have a very dry meal. Keep it fluid, brothy but not overly watery.
Using your timer on your stove or some other alarm system to assist you in getting a feel for the Minestrone .
Prepare for eating.
Using a ladle, ladle the brew into a deep plate add parsley or sprinkle romano cheese on top, or any spicy cheese if you want, and buon appetit!
Benefits.
The cooking process leeches out scores of trace-elements into the fluid of the brew. This is excellent for making absorption from your alimentary canal into your body efficiently and the trace elements are necessary for maintaining good inner health. The beans take a long time to digest and will give you energy for hours after as they break down in their passage through your alimentary canal. The herbs, such as fresh oregano, have essential oils and trace nutrients necessary for good health. The eggs and meat will give you a good boost or energy and the meal keeps you satisfied for hours afterwards.
Try to use organically grown vegetables that have been grown with trace element fertilisers if possible.

Process Table:

ingredient	quantity for one	Preparation	quantity for four	heat 0- 10	cooking time	progress time minutes
garlic	3 - 9 cloves	Dice	5 - 12 cloves	high 10	< 1 minute	Start time =0
onion	1 - 2 whole onions	Dice	2 - 3 whole onions	high 10	< 1 minute	Start time =0
zucchini	150 grammes	Dice	350 grammes	high 10	2 - 3 minutes	t=1 - t=8
eggplant	150 grammes	Dice	350 grammes	high 10	2 - 3 minutes	t=1 - t=8
mushrooms	3 small	Dice	4 - 6 medium	high 10	2 - 3 minutes	t=1 - t=8
Dried Beans: borlotti, red kidney, chick peas, Mung beans, any other dried bean.	total: 150 - 220 grammes	Ensure beans have been soaked overnight! or for at least 6 hours.	400 - 600 grammes	simmer	simmer a long time	t= 8 - t=120
Water, or stock.	top up to 85% of deep pot	Pour	top up to 85% of deep pot	simmer	simmer a long time
Herbs: Fresh: Oregano, sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, curry powder	generally not more than a full teaspoon of each and 2 teaspoons of curry powder	If dried, sprinkle; if fresh, put leaves whole without storks.	generally a heaped teaspoon or two of each and 3 - 4 teaspoons of curry powder	simmer	simmer a long time	t= 8 - t=120
Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cabbage.	2 - 3 broccoli flowers, 2 - 3 cauliflower flowers, 1 - 2 medium carrots, 1 - 2 Brussels sprouts, 100 grammes cabbage	Dice	half a broccoli head, quarter to half of small cauliflower, 2 - 4 carrots, 2 - 4 Brussels sprouts, quarter to half of cabbage, other vegetables to suit	simmer	simmer a long time	t=12 - t=120
tomato paste, stock cubes	three heaped tablespoons of tomato paste generally one stock cube	emplace, sprinkle	five heaped tablespoons of tomato paste. stock cube or flavour to suit.	simmer	simmer a long time	t=15 t=120
Rice and lentils	100 grammes of brown rice 50 grammes of brown or red lentils	lentils can be soaked with the beans but brown rice is ok to just emplace when necessary.	250 grammes of brown rice 150 grammes of brown or red lentils	simmer	simmer	t minus 35 minutes
eggs	1 - 2	crack open	as many per person as asked	poach	poach	t minus 20 minutes
Meat	Diced beef, or lamb or whatever you preferred meat to suit; generally 100 - 150 grammes is more than enough for one.	Dice	average 100 - 150 grammes per person; more if you are an atkins fanatic	fry	if adding meat this delays the addition of the beans by anything up to 10 minutes depending on how you cook the meat.	t=2 - t=8
Salt and pepper	use iodised salt and only a pinch. if using a mild to hot curry you don't need pepper, otherwise black pepper corns freshly ground either into the simmering mixture or on your served bowl	sprinkle	ditto	to taste	generally early in the cooking or not at all and added prior to eating by the respective persons eating.	t to suit

Serving:
Big ladle into big bowl.
Garnish with Parsley, balsamic vinegar ( optional ).
sprinkle some cheese if you want to.
Ensure it is brothy!

Enjoy

sit back and enjoy the music

Return to Bocchino Technologies Main Page