This is a thick, vegetarian, minestrone type of soup, using garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), and fresh vegetables. I used potatoes, carrots and cabbage, but you can use other seasonal vegetables or what’s on hand.

chickpeacabbage

Tuscan Style Garbanzo Bean Soup with Cabbage

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 – 3/4 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil (approx, or a bit more)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 sprinklings red pepper flakes
sprinkling bay leaf pieces (or 1 to 2 bay leaves)
salt and pepper to taste (2 good sprinklings)
2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 – 3 cups water
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups cabbage, roughly chopped
1 cup pasta, eg. small shells, cooked separately and drained

Heat olive oil in large pot. Saute onion and garlic and carrots until onions are beginning to carmelize. Add can of tomatoes, herbs and seasonings (oregano, basil, pepper flakes, salt, pepper and bay leaf) and stir. Add garbanzo beans, reserving about 1 cup to add to soup later, and approximately 2 cups or cans water. Cook until carrots are nearly soft. Add potato and cabbage and additional salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste, as well as additional water as necessary, then simmer until tender. When tender (and this step is optional), puree all, or part (I did about half) of soup in blender. Add back to remaining soup, along with reserved garbanzo beans and cooked pasta. Heat a few minutes and serve. Good with crusty bread.

Tags:

I happened upon this more or less by accident the other day while rather loosely following a classic recipe. Since they turned out so well, I thought I’d better remember how I did it!
Best Biscuits
2 heaping cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (approx)
1/3 cup frozen margarine, thinly sliced
7/8 – 1 cup cold milk
1. [...]

Tags:

My husband says ‘too lemony’; I say you could even add another lemon (I like lemon!) Or do the glaze! Here I’ve made them without the glaze, and with baking powder, but with the acid of the lemon juice, you could substitute 1/2 tsp baking soda, or 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 [...]

Tags:

This coffee cake has a yummy crunchy topping. You can try making it with other fresh seasonal fruit, as well, such as peaches, pears, cherries, plums or berries. If you’re a nut lover, toss some sliced almonds on top, or broken walnuts or pecans.

Apple Nectarine Coffee Cake
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar (can [...]

Tags:

You will notice this recipe does not contain any egg, so is suitable for those who are allergic to eggs, vegans, or those days you don’t have any eggs left in the carton. Personally, it was an experiment of mine out of curiosity, just to see how it would turn out without egg, and [...]

Tags: