Deep Winter Minestra

Elle Bee in the Kitchen With Kids.  That's the title of this whole bit of nonsense, isn't it?  Well.  Elle's back.  In the kitchen.  With kids.  Yeah baby.  Yeah.

(I've always wanted to refer to myself in the third person.  And now that I've tried it, I really like it.  It makes me feel valuable and far-reaching). 

(ahem)  So...Elle had mushrooms and Elle had kale.  And Elle wanted to impress her darling little family with something delicious for dinner.  And it was shortly after that, that Elle decided third-personage was really rather annoying and who is she kidding, valuable and far-reaching? 

(ahem)  Like I was saying.  Mushrooms and kale.  Enter Rachel Ray and a recipe to knock your culinary socks off.  It's called Deep Winter Minestra (or Beans and Greens Soup). 

I started with some bacon. 

I'm not a vegetarian...yet.  (Well, I probably never will be.  We're just moving away from meat-based meals, but I doubt we'll ever remove them completely).  But if I were a vegetarian, I imagine bacon would be my worst enemy. 

Due in a large part to the olfactory heaven it creates upon cooking it.  Your nose talks to your mouth and says "eat that.  eat that now."  and the mouth can not argue.

But back to being a vegetarian.  Or not.  But trying to decrease the amount of meat one eats.  Mushrooms, I would think, might be a vegetarian's best friend.  Because they're meaty-like. 

While I was reconstituting these, the most delicious, beefy smell was wafting around the kitchen.  It was incredible!  It smelled like I was searing a steak.  The mushrooms went in the pot and joined the bacon party that was now in full swing. 

Then I used the mushroom water as part of the broth that's called for in the recipe.  It is so flavorful.  I was just careful not to use any of the grit that had settled at the bottom. 

Then I sliced some onions and kale.  Isn't that kale the most beautiful dark green? 

(Yes, that is our beloved and well-used copy of Go, Dog. Go!  from my friend Heather on my kitchen counter.  It's like a permanent fixture in our household).    

 

Uh oh.  The outlaws are awake.  And the nap seems to have rendered them particulary ornery.  Don't be fooled by this angel-face-momma-I'm-just-quietly-reading-a-book charade.  I turn my back to him for an instant and he's teleported himself across the room at a speed that can only be described using quantum physics.  Seriously, even Stephen Hawking can not explain this phenomenon. 

See?  How did he get all the way over here and illegally acquire a coffee mug already? 

No, no Bexy! 

Oh, well, would you look at this? 

He passed it off to his poor bed-head of a sister and took off at lightning speed.  Like the Roadrunner.  See that little puff of smoke?

Where is that 3 year old sherrif when I need her?  Oh yeah, I forgot.  She traded in her badge for a tutu.  Or a chef's hat.  Or glass slippers.  I can't remember, it changes day to day.

Bug is stirring the onions into the pot, along with some pressed garlic.

 

The smells of cooking bacon, garlic, mushrooms and onions started driving everyone mad!  They all wanted to eat!  And eat NOW!

But I kept my cool.  And solemnly added the gorgeous kale.

And some cannellini beans.

Bug attempted to add the nutmeg. 

But most of it ended up on the stove top. 

That's okay Bug.  It's not like the kitchen was clean anyway...

Hoh boy...

Anyway, the minestra's ready.  Bex, time to eat.

Wait.  Where are you going?  At lightning speed?

Come back my little roadrunner.  Sohie?

Well, I think Bug's hungry.  Let's get a minestra verdict.

It's a good one folks!

PS. "You're almost there...stop at that tree....climb that ladder tooooo.....A DOG PARTY!!!!"