3 Bean Minestrone Soup

3 Bean Minestrone Soup

This soup was inspired by my craving minestrone soup, and watching the Live to 100 series on Netflix about the Blue Zones. Those are the areas of the world where people live the longest! The show follows their diets, lifestyles, cultures, etc. and was super inspiring. While this soup breaks some of their habits, I think the rule breaks make it extra delicious (mainly the parmesan cheese :) ). Check out the details below!

Prep:

-You can chop the salami, leeks, kale, green/yellow/purple beans, and get your lemon zest and juice ready ahead of time

-You can also drain the beans ahead of time too

Tips:

-Use any veggies you'd like! If you don't like the beans I listed, add the ones you do. This would also be great with some added squash or potatoes, or you could sub the barley with a small pasta

-Making your own stock is always my recommendation as it's so easy! Just save up your meat /chicken bones and veggie scraps, add some water, and cook for as long as you have. Then drain out the veggies/meat and you have stock!

Leftovers:

-Store in an airtight container for 3-6 days in the fridge

-Or freeze in the amazing cube trays I have in the shopping section!

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The recipe:

3 Bean Minestrone Soup

Prep time: 5 minutes (more if you are making your own stock)

Cook time: 20 minutes

For the soup

1/2 head of kale, chopped

1/2 leek, chopped

1/2 tomato, diced

6-8 pieces of salami, finely diced

2 scallions, chopped

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup yellow, green, or purple green beans, finely diced

1/2 cup dry barley

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

6-8 cups of stock (chicken, beef, or veggie all work)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon

Parmesan to serve with

Instructions:

1. Start by chopping all your veggies- the kale, leek, tomato, salami, scallions, green beans, and prep your lemon zest and juice

2. In a large pot, set the heat to medium, and add in your olive oil and salami. Sauté the salami until a bit crispy but not burnt

3. Next add in your leeks, garlic, and scallions and sauté until just softened

4. Add in all your spices and salt and pepper, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spices have coated the veggies well

5. Then add in your lemon juice, lemon zest, and stock, and bring to a boil. When the stock is boiling, add in your barley and cook until just al dente (check your barley packaging for the exact timing)

6. Once the barley is al dente, add in the kale, and all the beans (kidney, navy, and green/yellow/purple beans). Cook those for 1-2 minutes until heated through

7. Add in the tomatoes, cook for another 1-2 minutes

8. Ladle your soup into a bowl, top with some freshly cracked pepper and parmesan

9. Serve and enjoy!

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• These freezer cubes are my new obsession!! The best for freezing individual portions

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Spicy Baked Salmon

This is the easiest weeknight or anytime recipe! Simply mix up the marinade, add in the salmon, and then bake when you are ready to eat. You can serve it with anything you'd like as well. I served mine with brown rice, cucumbers, and some sushi ginger. Would be great with some broccoli or bok choy and white rice too! Details below:

Prep:

-Let this marinate all day or as long as you have. You could even mix up the marinade a day or two in advance as long as it's in an airtight container

Tips:

-I don't find the gochuchang super spicy but they do make differing levels of spice so adjust to your liking

-You can double or triple the marinade recipe if you're making a bunch of salmon. This would also be a great sauce for shrimp!

-You could also very easily grill this!!

Leftovers:

-I have never had leftovers of this recipe! But if you do, store in an airtight container and reheat in the air fryer, or on the stovetop in a small pan with some added liquid like soy sauce, chicken/beef stock, or even just a little water

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The recipe:

Spicy Baked Salmon

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Serves: 2

For the Salmon

2 Salmon filets

2 tablespoon gochuchang

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic, minced or garlic paste (either work)

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together except for the Salmon for now. Shake in a jar or airtight container until well combined

2. Then add in your salmon and make sure the marinade coats the salmon

3. When you're ready to start cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

4. Bake the salmon for about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F

5. Serve and enjoy!

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

This recipe is inspired by some of my favorite NYC memories with my mom and my sister. I can't remember the name of the Soho restaurant that I'm sure is closed but back 10+ years ago they made these amazing Cheeseburger Spring Rolls. The restaurant was so cool and models and famous people were frequent visitors. My mom, sister and I would go and eat lunch and try not to stare at all the cool people around us. About a year ago I had the idea to recreate the cheeseburger spring rolls we loved so much and that's where this recipe came from! Details below:

Prep:

-You could chop the veggies in advance but theres really not a whole lot of prep needed here

Tips:

-You can make a big batch of these and then keep them in the freeze to have on hand for a quick snack, appetizer, or dinner

-Make this your own with your version of what you like on a burger! Feel free to decrease or increase the amounts of any of the ingredients or add anything else you like

Leftovers:

-Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. When you are ready to reheat, put in the air fryer at 350 wrapped in foil for 10 minutes if from the fridge and 15 minutes if from the freezer, then unwrap for a few extra minutes until hot all the way through

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The recipe:

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the Spring Rolls

1 lb ground meat of your choice (I used a mix of venison and ground beef)

1 small tomato (a Roma works great here)

2-3 scallions

1 cup finely chopped greens of your choice (think cabbage, kale, or collard greens)

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon mayo

1 tablespoon mustard

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice (I like cheddar but any cheese works!)

10-15 egg roll wrappers (the exact amount will depend on how much you fill them)

2 cups frying oil (avocado, canola or vegetable all work)

Instructions: 1. In a dutch oven or large saute pan, brown your meat

2. While that is browning, chop up your scallions and your greens

3. Once the meat is browned, add in your scallions, greens, ketchup, mayo, mustard, and garlic salt

4. Let that all cook to combine for about 5 minutes

5. Add in the cheese and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes

6. Let the mixture cool

7. While the mixture is cooling, heat 2 cups of frying oil in a pan. You know it's ready when you sprinkle some water on top and the water sizzles

8. Take your wrappers and seaprate them all out so they don't stick together

9. To wrap the spring rolls, take about 1-2 tablespoons of your cheeseburger mixture into the center of a wrapper. Fold in the sides of the wrapper on top of the mixture, and then roll the whole thing into a tight little log. Repeat until you have finished all your cheeseburger mixture

10. Fry each spring roll until deeply golden brown on all sides

11. Cool on a wire rack if you are storing in the fridge or freeze for later

12. If you are eating right away, just serve and enjoy!