Minestrone Soup

My cousin's wife sent me a Minestrone Soup recipe - and then I found another recipe online. So....I combined what I really liked from each of the recipes - some things were the same - and came up with my own version. It's pictured with the garlic rolls that are made cinnamon roll style.

Minestrone Soup
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small zucchini, cubed (if not available - leave out)
1 handful kale or spinach, chopped (I use kale)
1 (14.5 oz) can white beans (the above picture has red beans since I was out of white. Both work well.)
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
6 cups broth - either chicken or vegetable
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 cup dry pasta of your choice (I used dry ravioli found in the WinCo bulk section.)

Simmer all ingredients for a couple hours. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

This recipe also freezes really well.

Savory Pita Chips

You will have to excuse the plate in the second picture. Michael and I were eating these gems just as dinner was over and I thought I should get a picture before I forgot. This recipe is part of the June 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My teammate is gailnng from the Deep South. She suggests hummus as a great side for these chips. Michael suggests salsa so that's what we did! If you find your are sensitive to spicy foods - don't use all the spice mixture.

Savory Pita Chips

1 1/2 tsp powdered garlic or granules

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp paprika

3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp salt

olive oil or vegetable oil

6 pita breads (or more if you want to make these for a party or other gathering)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the spices together in a smallish bowl. Brush the pita breads with the oil. Cut the pita bread into 6 or 8 wedges - just like you would cut a pie. Arrange wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with spice mix. I had to use 2 baking sheets just so they weren't all crowded onto one. Bake for 7 - 10 minutes. Check after 5. Depending on how hot your oven is....they may be done. You want them crispy and light brown and definitely not burnt.