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Monday, June 9, 2014

Food n Flix-Moonstruck Minestrone

Moonstruck (1987) Poster

Our Food n Flix Feature this month was Moonstruck starring Cher and Nicholas Cage.  This film is from 1987.  My life was pretty busy in 1987 and I seldom went to the movies or watched television as I was working afternoons.  I had never seen this movie and I don't remember hearing much about it, however when I was looking into it for this project I learned that both Cher and Olympia Dukakis won Academy Awards for their roles in this movie.

I guess it must have been a pretty lame movie year.  Not that I didn't enjoy the movie, I did.  I laughed out loud several times but I did not see any award winning moments of any kind in this movie.  What I did see was lots of food....mostly Italian...but not all Italian....and covering every meal from breakfast to dessert.

I am probably the only person in the world who had not seen this movie before now.  It is a love story but not in the usual sense of the word.  I guess it would be considered a dark comedy which is not my usual genre of choice.  Cher plays a woman who feels her biological clock ticking away so settles for a guy who she likes but whom she does not love.  Olympia plays her mother who loves her husband of many years but who knows that he is now having an affair.  Nicholas Cage is the estranged brother of Cher's fiancee.  I will not go into any more of the movie just in case I am wrong about being the only person who hasn't seen this and you are the only other person in the world who has not seen it. It is a story of families and relationships, fears and dreams.  

I thought about making Cannoli, I love Cannoli but for last month's movie I made a dessert.  I thought about making steak and pasta but really wanted to make something a little more exciting. There were a couple of breakfasts I could choose from including Toads in a Hole and that almost won but then Olympia went out for a solitary dinner while her husband was out with his tramp  lady friend, and she ordered Minestrone....Voila!!  Moonstruck Minestrone was conceived.

Food‘nFlix

This month's Food n Flix is hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats.  You have plenty of time to check out those sites and join us in this month's fun.

I decided to make the Moonstruck Minestrone tonight because it is also Meatless Monday and Minestrone is  hearty enough that you can pair it with a salad and it makes a great meal.  I would normally add some soft breadsticks  but I am trying to take better care of myself and cutting down on the starches is one of the ways I am doing that.


Let's make some Minestrone!!


Moonstruck Minestrone with Pesto

2 T. Olive Oil
1 med. onion, cut into chunks
1 stalk celery cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small zucchini, cut into large dice
1 small summer squash, cut into large dice
1 c. green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
6 c. Vegetable Broth
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 T. parsley, minced
1 t oregano
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. thyme
salt and pepper to taste
5 oz. baby spinach leaves
1 c. small pasta (I used small shells but any small cut pasta will work)
Parmesan Cheese
Pesto

Place onion, celery, garlic and carrots into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until minced.  Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over med heat.  Add minced vegetables, zucchini, squash and green beans and cook for a few minutes until vegetables begin to soften a bit.

Add broth, kidney beans, cannelini beans,tomatoes with their juices and spices.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and pasta and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.  You can add additional broth or water if soup is too thick.

Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan Cheese and a dollop of Pesto.  Print Recipe


I am Moonstruck by this delicious soup!!

Stop by Wednesday Whatsits.....I am sharing this recipe and you will find tons of great recipes, DIY projects and ideas and other fun stuff.







18 comments:

  1. I am here to reassure you that you are not the only person in the world who hasn't seen this movie...I haven't and from what you had to say about it I don't plan on it for the the future. We just aren't into movies here so there are lots of movies that I have never seen

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    1. I do enjoy movies but it is hard to watch them here because Mom is full of questions during them and unless we are all watching everyone else is coming in and talking and interrupting. I am just thankful for the pause button LOL.

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  2. I love that movie, but mostly for Olympia Dukakis. And that big Italian family home! And Cher's transformation...okay, I just love that movie! And I am a huge fan of minestrone. I've never made it, only ordered it at our favorite little Italian restaurant. It was 90 and 600% humidity today, so I can't believe a soup recipe is tempting me, but it is! Yum!
    We're the same way with movies...it's just too hard.

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    1. Soup is wonderful for those cold winter evenings but I also like soup in the summer because it is a light meal, not too heavy. Heavy food in the summer makes me feel lethargic.

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  3. Still have not watched it for this month but I did a long time ago. I remember not being over the moon (ha ha) about it but we'll now. The Minestrone looks awesome.

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    1. Thanks Evelyne. I enjoyed the movie but I still cannot fathom how it won and awards LOL.

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  4. Really late getting around to comment on all the posts. Frantically working on the round-up for tomorrow! You made me laugh with your comment about 1987 being a slow movie year...:) Beautiful inspiration. Thanks for posting!

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  5. Hi Wendy, I stopped by to see what you made for Food 'n Flix and love your blog. So, I am your newest fan and will probably pepper you with questions about canning :-) Love that you found 12 acres in such a rural area. Sounds amazing.

    But, I actually meant to just compliment your soup on this comment. Looks wonderful. We are big soup lovers in this household.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Tina. I look forward to answering any questions I can and getting to know you.

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  6. Your soup looks fabulous. "Slow movie year..." you are funny and probably correct! Thanks for posting with us. It's always nice to meet new-to-me bloggers.

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  7. I hadn't seen the movie before this food 'n flix either. So you're not alone!

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    1. I have to check out everyone's posts still. I am anxious to see what you thought of the movie.

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  8. G'day! Your soup looks delish; warm and welcoming! Congrats on completing the Food 'n Flix challenge too!
    Cheers! Joanne

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    1. Thanks Joanne, everyone has been very kind. I am so glad to belong to this (new for me) group. I am anxious for the next movie announcement.

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  9. It's taken me a bit to get around to everyone this month. Your soup looks fabulous--there is nothing better than a big bowl of minestrone and I love the cheese and pesto you put on top. Yum!

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