Fast and Easy Minestrone

This is my favorite soup to make for sharing. I try and always have the ingredients available. It makes a lot.
1 pkg frozen chopped onion
crushed garlic
olive oil
box of pasta (I like Barilla Plus or tortalinis)
jar of marinara (I like Barilla)
2 bags Italian mixed veggies
1 can of garbanzos or canellini beans or both
dried oregano and thyme
salt and pepper

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil in your soup pot (I love my cast iron pot). Once the onions start to get translucent, add enough water or stock to cook the pasta. Boil the water and add pasta. Once the pasta is very al dente (still a bit hard), add the veggies and marinara. Turn up the heat if needed to get back to a boil then turn it down to a simmer. Once the veggies are cooked (7 minutes or so), add the beans and herbs. salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a few more minutes.

CousCous Salad

1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
large cucumber, diced
2 good tomatoes, diced
half a small red onion, diced
can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 Tbs whole coriander seed
good EV olive oil
fresh lemon juice
salt
pepper

Make the couscous by pouring 2 cups of boiling water over the dry couscous and cover. Let sit for a few minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and then refrigerate to allow to cool while you chop and prep the other stuff.

Add the diced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers to the couscous. Stir in the beans. Coarsely crush the coriander seeds with a mortar, spice grinder, or stick them in a baggie and beat them with something hard. Add to salad. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. If you need an idea how much, start with 1/4-1/3 cup of olive oil and half a large lemon.

Mix it all up. It gets yummier the longer it sits.

Here Goes

Hello Friends:

Ive resisted a blog for a long time. I'm kind of turned off by the whole self-promotion market-myself obsession of blogs.

So the other day I'm talking to a friend as we leave the gym and we were talking about how its hard to find healthy recipes that everyone will eat. So later in the shower, I thought a blog would be a great place for people to share recipes that they've tried. I get a lot of my inspiration in the shower.

So here's how it should work. Postings should be majority vegetarian (let's shoot for 80% ). Heavy emphasis on whole grains, fresh veggies, beans. Extra bonus points for fresh herbs. Only post recipes that you have made. Pictures not necessary.

What do you think? Interested?