For Mom...

I'm taking a cooking class this spring term at BYU. So far, it has been fun/annoying (have you ever tried cooking with three people in a little kitchen?!) AND there is a lot of work involved. They have to make it a legit college class by making the workload heavy and somewhat difficult. Mom wanted me to send her some recipes that I've learned so far, so I thought I would just spread the goodness to everybody. I'm sure my mom is one of the very few readers of this blog anyways, so this is mainly for her (in the last few minutes of mothers day). Happy Mothers day, and happy cooking!

SHELLS AND VEGGIES SOUP

1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth (1 ¾ cups water, 1 ¾ tsp. bouillon)
1 can (14 oz.) crushed or diced tomatoes
1/4 cup small shell pasta
2 Tbsp. dried parsley

1/4 cup chopped frozen spinach

1/4 cup cubed zucchini

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan cheese - This will be put on the serving table, by the teaching assistant, for all to use when the soup is served.

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, parsley, basil and oregano to saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat , and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

3. Add spinach, carrots, celery and pasta. Cook 10 minutes covered at a low boil. Add zucchini and cook 7 more minutes.

4. Test for doneness by forking vegetables and pasta to see if tender.

5. Spoon into bowl; add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese to taste. ENJOY!

Mom-- your chicken soup is better, but this is good too. More recipes to come..