Its pretty bad when your sister, on vacay in Spain, updates her blog more than I!  I've been cooking, just not anything noteworthy, or rather; I've been repeating recipes I adore - nothing wrong with that action. Spring is so slow in coming, that I've been resisting trying new recipes - and have reverted back to old comfort food standbys. My bad - no excuses. Hopefully the next few weeks will warm up, and I'll get inspired culinarily speaking, and at least spark up the bbq. Here's to that!

Italian Meatball Soup Rapido

Addendum:  I make this ALL THE TIME NOW!  

Rapido you say? I'm there! Recipe from Gourmet Magazine. I've tried the President's Choice 'Blue Menu' Italian Meatballs - and they rock! Plus, this is so easy, and the spinach and beans boost the vitamin factor, and its tasty galore, particularly for lunch the next day. 

Chop: 1 medium onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 celery rib, 2 carrots, some chopped peppers. Saute in 2 tbsp olive oil.

Stir in:  6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to boil, simmer.

Meanwhile, cook approx 30 meatballs in oven.  (should take approx 16 mins).

Add meatballs to soup along with 2 cans of beans (I used one white, and one romano) and briskly simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and meatballs are heated through. Stir in bag of chopped spinach (have also substituted rapini and kale!), some parm, s & p, and simmer uncovered, until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Chopped flat leaf parsley on top is a nice addition as well.

Bueno appetito!

Pasta with White Beans and Rapini

My fondest memory of rapini, would be springtime, Saturday mornings at the Santa Barbara Market, avec Jennifer, and seeing all the old Italian men buying heaps of rapini like it was going out of style. We'd ask the men how their wives would prepare it - they'd respond, very simply, sauteed in olive oil with garlic and red chili flakes; or blanched, with pasta. Unfortunately, I never did go down the rapini road when I lived in Vancouver - as I thought their bitter greens would be inedible (silly me), but the rapini gods are smiling at Save-On Foods in Penticton, so I was inspired! And thank goddess. This was so amazing - very Jaime Oliver in Italy - rustic, comfort, peasant food at its finest. Jaime - can I join you on your next Euro adventure? (Even if it doesn't involve cooking?)

1 big bunch rapini 
375 g package whole wheat penne 
extra-virgin olive oil 
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs 
4 cloves garlic, minced 
sea salt, large pinch hot pepper flakes 
1 large can white beans, drained and rinsed
Grated parm 

Trim base of rapini stalks; then roughly chop into 1" pieces. In large pot of boiling salted water, blanch rapini until tender, 1-2 mins. With slotted spoon, transfer to colander to drain; set aside.

In same pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until tender but firm, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid (I needed same!).  Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat some oilive oil over medium heat; fry bread crumbs and 1/4 of the garlic, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; set aside.

In same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat; fry remaining garlic and hot pepper flakes, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in rapini and beans; heat through, about 3 minutes. Add to pasta and toss to coat, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid if desired, and some parm. Serve sprinkled with bread crumb mixture, and bit more parm.