Mama's Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oil, butter, or chicken fat
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large or 2 small zucchini sliced or
  (1-1/2 qt. Frozen zucchini or 2 cups dried)
• 3 cans garbanzo beans or 4 cups cooked
• 3 cans kidney beans or 4 cups cooked
• 28 oz. Or 1 qt. Tomatoes
• 6-7 cups of chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic
• 3/4 tsp. Basil
• 3/4 tsp. Oregano
• 1 tbsp. Salt 
• 2 cups small seashell

Prep Time: 20 minutes 
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: About 12 bowls of soup

 

Method 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt/heat the oil/butter on medium/low heat. Sauté onions. Add broth and bring to boil add all other ingredients except pasta bring to boil and cook until veggies are tender(about 15 min.) add pasta and cook until tender. Can simmer for an hour to get a flavors heated through.

Coconut Oil Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk*, or any milk

Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: About 12 biscuits

 

Method 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Add dry ingredients and coconut oil to a mixing bowl, and use a pastry cutter or forks to cut the coconut oil into the flour until the mixture is like fine crumbs. Stir in the milk until mixture forms a soft dough and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Knead the mixture until combined, but be careful not to over-knead.

Turn the dough out onto a cutting board that has been lightly dusted with flour. Gently roll the dough out until it reaches a 1/2-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter (mine was a 2-inch circle) to cut out the biscuits, and transfer to a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the biscuits have risen and ever so slightly begin to brown on top. Remove and serve immediately.

*I used refrigerated coconut milk from the carton, not the thicker coconut milk from the can.