Cookin' With Leo

By Leocthasme

Well, it’s been months since I’ve had a visit from my Dear Sweet Italian Fairy Godmother, and I wasn’t even snoozing out on the patio, too cold. But, she buzzed by one night while I was snoozing in front of the TV while watching ‘America’s Team’ get their tails beat by the guy who has been a Quarterback almost as long as my oldest grandkids have been around. Shows how long I been around too, more or less. Anyway she fluttered around in front of the TV so’s I couldn’t see the picture, well I muttered under my breath, “Ain’t that interesting, nohow.”
“Hey, li’l bambino! She sez, “Wake up an' smell da garlic.”
“Yea, OK, how did you get in here? You only show up on the patio.”
“Too cold out dere for me an you both.”
“So, what’s up Dear Sweet Italian Fairy Godmother?”
“Well wid all dis cold winter, I come by to give you a warm up, an’ you look like you need one.”
“Yea, sure do, what do you have?”
“I gotta some Italian soup for you, what’s good in all dis cold weather.”
“Sounds good to me.”
And with that she does her thing with the wand bit and takes off like a new jet. So now I have a soup recipe that will warm your heart if not your innards. And thank you Dear Sweet Italian Fairy Godmother. I hope she don’t stay away so long.

Ingredients

• 4 Onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 4 Carrots, chopped
• 4 Celery stalks, chopped
• 8 cups Chicken stock, low sodium
• 1 can Tomatoes, crushed
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 Potatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon Parsley, dried
• 1 cup Pasta shells (optional)
• 1 box Frozen peas
• 1 box Frozen green beans
• 1 box Frozen yellow beans
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. When hot, sauté the onions and celery until onions are transparent. Mix in carrots and potatoes and cook for several minutes. Add tomatoes, bay leaf and 6 cups of chicken stock. Cook until carrots and potatoes are cooked through. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add remaining chicken stock as needed to maintain consistency. OPTIONAL: Add pasta at the last minute (it will cook quickly, and absorb some of the liquid). Sprinkle with a dash of grated parmesan cheese and serve with crusty Italian bread.