Life is a minestrone...

According to 10cc (a 70s pop group for those of you not old enough to remember them), life is a minestrone, topped off with Parmesan cheese. I'm not entirely sure that my own life is a minestrone (whatever that means), but I've certainly been eating enough of the stuff over the past few days. It's the kind of recipe you need to cook in large quantities, and you can either do what I did, and have a bowlful a day for a few days, or you can freeze some and save it for later.

I spent a happy 40 minutes or so in the kitchen on Saturday cooking a large vat of soup (see recipe below) and it's done sterling duty over the course of four meals (three of which have been shared with Mark). The combination of cannelini beans, loads of veg and a thick tomatoey broth makes it the ideal dieter's lunch on a cold winter's day. I found that a bowlful of the stuff kept my appetite at bay for most of the afternoon – just what the nutritionist ordered (or what the nutritionist would have ordered if I was going to see one).

The first time round I sprinkled about a tablespoon full of Parmesan on the top, but to be honest it was a waste of time. The cheese just vanished into the soup and was pretty much undetectable. Far better, I think, if you're craving that hit of cheese, to cut off a small lump – about the amount that, grated, would give you a tablespoon's worth – and nibble it in between mouthfuls of soup. If you get bored with basic minestrone, you can jazz it up by adding a teaspoonful of pesto to the soup as you're reheating it – the basil flavour works really well in the tomatoey soup.

Pesto was also a key component in our Monday-night dinner of pesto-marinated chicken and ratatouille ( see recipe below). The chicken is one of the world's simplest dishes to prepare: all you do is take a breast fillet of chicken (without skin, alas) and make three or four deep slashes into the flesh. Mix a heaped teaspoon of shop-bought pesto (or home-made, even better, yum) with a couple of tablespoons of 0% fat yoghurt. Rub the marinade into the chicken and leave, covered, in the fridge for a minimum of four hours. When you're ready to cook the chook, wipe some of the pesto yoghurt off the chicken (leaving a thin coating) and place under a hot grill. Cook on both sides and serve with ratatouille or a green salad.

Ratatouille for four

1 medium aubergine, cut into thick slices
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 courgettes, cut in half lengthways then cut into half circles
2 peppers (preferably one yellow, one red), quartered, deseeded and cut into thick slices
200g chopped canned tomatoes
a handful of basil leaves, torn
salt and feshly ground black pepper

Salt the aubergine slices and place them in a colander with a heavy plate or bowl on top to weigh them down. Leave for at least half an hour, until the salt has leached the bitter juices from the aubergines. Rinse, pat dry and cut into chunks.

Fry the onion with a scant tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan over a low heat (I've found that using a bare minimum of oil means that the onion burns easier than it usually would. A low flame and taking your time helps avoid the problem, but stir frequently) until it is soft and translucent.

While the onion is softening, fry the aubergine in a tablespoon of oil (only use the remaining oil if you really, really have to; aubergine soaks up oil like a sponge, especially at lower temperatures, so get the oil good and hot before adding the veg). If the aubergine looks like it's starting to burn before it's cooked through, remove it and place it in a bowl covered with a saucepan lid or plate. The steam will help finish off the cooking.

When the onion has softened, add the garlic and cook for a further minute or so. Add the courgettes and fry for a few more minutes, until they start to soften. Finally, stir in the pepper strips and fry for a further couple of minutes.

Pour the tomates into the saucepan and stir. Bring to the boil, then turn heat down to a simmer, stir in the aubergines and season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, on a low heat for about half an hour. Garnish with torn basil leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.


Minestrone for at least eight (this is a pretty free-form recipe, so feel free to adjust it to include other appropriate veggies)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 leeks (depending on size), sliced finely
2 carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
1 bulb of fennel, chopped
3 stalks of celery, sliced
2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
600g chopped canned tomatoes
3-4 sprigs of thyme, chopped
2 bayleaves
2 x 400g cans of cannelini beans
2 courgettes, cut lengthways into quarters, then sliced into chunks
torn basil leaves, to garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil over a low heat in a large saucepan, then cook the onion gently until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.

Stir in the leeks and cook until they start to soften, then add the carrots. After another 3-4 minutes, tip the fennel and celery into the saucepan and continue to fry gently.

Pour in the stock, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, then add the chopped tomatoes, thyme and bayleaves. Simmer for half an hour or so, uncovered.

Add the the beans and the courgettes and season to taste. Once the courgettes are tender, you can serve the soup, garnished with a handful of torn basil leaves.