It's soup and sandwich night!

We have made a few changes to our schedule and I’ve suddenly had to change the way I look at making dinner.  Well, it was going to have to happen anyway because eventually I’m going to get a job – employment market really stinks down here, by the way – and timing is going to have to change.  Gone are the days of lengthy cooking times during the week.  Oh well, it really is for the best.  But, it sure was nice while it lasted!

Thing 2 has started a track program this summer to ready her for volleyball and/or cross-country in the fall.  We go to that 2 nights a week right now.  The other 3 nights of the work week, husband and I do P90X workouts when he gets home.  Add that to my present running schedule – 5 days a week in the morning – and all the walks my spoiled pups get, and I’m a HUNGRY girl with a lot less time to make nutritious, healthy meals for my family.  I’ve decided that Thing 1 needs to start being responsible for cooking a meal for us at least 1 night a week – gives her practice and helps me out immeasurably.  Who knows?  Maybe she’ll blog about it!  It’ll certainly ALL be new for her!

Anyway, I was feeling the need for some quick comfort food for this evening’s meal and had a craving for a grilled cheese sandwich so soup and sandwiches it is.  We’ve had a beautiful stint of weather the past few days – perfect during the day (mid-70s) and cool at night (low 50s).  Perfect soup weather!  I want a soup that is comforting but also cooks with a relative quickness.  I’ve always been a HUGE fan of my crock pots – in fact, I love them so much I have THREE! – and I plan on using them bunches to help us get through the busy days but I didn’t feel like using it today.  Like I said, I wanted something quick that I could throw together after a workout. 

I browsed my cookbooks for a soup recipe that spoke to me and decided on one in my 1000 Lowfat Recipes cookbook.  I’ll be making Pasta e Fagioli tonight.  Sounds like it should take a long time, doesn’t it?  Nope, cooking time will be 30 minutes and with some pre-prep (chopping garlic, onions, carrot, celery and measuring spices), I should be able to actually meet the 30 minute mark.  Soup can simmer while I’m make grilled cheese sandwiches.  Who doesn’t love a good grilled cheese?  There are so many add-ons you can give your sandwich to kick it up a notch (thanks for the saying, Emeril!) like tomatoes, bacon, ham and anything else your heart desires.  I opted out of the add-ons tonight just so I would have less to do.  I did, however, want to spice it up a little bit and decided on a Rachael Ray recipe (hey, I’m back to her again!) that you can find on the Food Network site.  I’ve made it before and it is quite delish! 

So, anyway, back to the soup.  Pasta e Fagioli.  What is it anyway?  Well, basically, it’s pasta and beans.  Simple, flavorful, healthy and delicious.  The bonus with this soup is you can mix it up depending on your preferences and the seasons – the recipe is just a guide (as it always is – you should ALWAYS feel comfortable in making whatever changes you deem necessary to make a recipe yours!).  I did pre-chop the veggies and pre-measured the spices so I would have them ready when I got cooking.  I wanted my
“down time” (time when the soup was cooking) to prep the sandwiches.  I used 2 cloves of garlic instead of one but that’s our personal preference.  We happen to LOVE garlic – I’ve even had garlic ice cream before.  Seriously.  It was good.  Yes, seriously.  The Gilroy Garlic Festival is the place to be for garlic lovers.  If you’re going to be in California in July, I highly recommend a road trip to Gilroy.  You won’t be disappointed.  Seriously.

Okay, sorry, sometimes I like to go off on tangents.  I’m done.  The soup was really easy to make and was yummy!  I was a little surprised at the use of sage in the seasonings – it’s not a spice I normally use outside of a holiday meal but it really added a nice depth.  Thing 2 was not a fan of the soup, though.  Those darn tomatoes again.  One day, she’ll love them.  Okay, probably not but I’m hoping.  The sandwiches?  Well, as I said earlier, I’ve made them before.  SO FLIPPIN’ GOOD!!!  And, I have a confession.  I cheated.  I did not shred any cheese.  I bought a bagged, pre-shredded blend that had all the cheeses in it.  Why shred if someone else has already done it for you?  Saves time, saves some money and is just so easy.  Why not take advantage? J

So, here are the recipes.  Make them.  Enjoy them.  Tell me how much you LOVE the grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.  Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Serves 4

1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 clove minced garlic

1 rib celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 cups cooked white beans (such as cannellini), drained and rinsed

1 14 ½-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 cups reduced-sodium, defatted chicken broth

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup uncooked small, shaped pasta (I used mini Farfalle cuz they're CUTE!)

1.  Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot.  Add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots.  Cook over low to medium heat until the carrots soften, about 10 minutes.  Keep the pot covered between stirrings.

2.  Slightly crush the beans between your fingers as you drop them into the pot.  Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the pasta.  Bring to a simmer and cook, 10 minutes.

3.  Stir in the pasta and continue to simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

Calories 169; Protein 9g; Fat 2g (saturated 0g); carbohydrates 28g, Fiber 5g, Sodium 1016mg

Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, cracked away from skin

8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread (or your preferred loaf)

1 cup shredded provolone

1 cup shredded mozzarella

½ cup grated parmesan or romano

1 cup shredded Asiago

1.  In a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic.  Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.

2.  Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat.  Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic butter and place buttered side down in skillet.  Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing equally.  Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up.  Flip the sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and the bread is golden and toasty.  Cut sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.