Spinach Lasagna Soup with a side of Rally

Roadtrips.  You either like em’ or dread em’.  Me…. After many  hours…days…WEEKS spent traveling via car growing up (thanks Mom & Dad), I can honestly say… I like them – (that’s IF I can stay awake long enough to enjoy the ever changing scenery)  Now, toss in some good old fast cars, rustic environments, dirt roads and a bit of dust…wooo… I’m in heaven!   This past weekend we decided to do a ROADTRIP down to the Oregon Trail Rally . What a gorgeous drive..what a fun, exciting weekend! 

We came home uber late Sunday night…after what seemed like visits to every rest stop from The Dalles, OR to Vancouver,BC  leaving those precious hours of sleep knocked down to a bare minimum… let alone meal planning…or even grocery shopping for that matter.  After a weekend of cheap “natural” beverages (gotta love cross border shopping)  and fast  food, a good, hearty – but light meal was in order so I served up my Spinach Lasagna Soup… Tuesday night. (Sleep won over Monday’s meal planning and making).

It’s made using ground turkey…only a few links of mild Italian Sausage to boost flavor, and to up to nutritional goodness, a whopping pile of fresh chopped spinach.  YUM YUM.  Just a pinch of cheese…and a handful of noodles quenched my pasta craving without all the heaviness of a regular lasagna dish. 

As always, the rally did not disappoint…..The setting with Mt. Hood in the background was breathtaking.

The cars...well as always - entertaining!  Fast turns, rocks flying....great racing!

For more information regarding the sport of rally, visit the Rally America Website or the Canadian Rally Championship Circuit… In the meantime… here’s a few more peaks at the events in Oregon this past weekend.

Of course...there's the cars that take a turn a little tight... or get a little loose.... oopps....Least this car stayed right side up!

If you ever get a chance to go and spectate one of these events…just do it.  Maybe I’ll even see you at the Pacific Forest Rally, held right in our backyard in Merritt, B.C every year in the fall.

Of course, if ANYONE was going to "stumble" upon a cool winery... it would be me.  You can't help but *giggle* when you read their labels.... and when it comes to naming, well... haha I think I can use another one in my list of nicknames.  "Outdoor Wino"... from Naked Winery - when do those cross border limits increase?! LOVED their fun, fresh wines.

Spinach Lasagna Soup

·         1 lbs ground turkey

·         4 links of mini-mild Italian sausage

·         2 cups fresh chopped spinach

·         3 garlic cloves, minced

·         2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

·         1 can diced tomatoes (I used Italian seasoned)

·         1 jar of favorite pasta sauce

·         1 tablespoon dried parsley

·         5 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into pieces

·         ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

- Remove casings from Italian sausage and break into small chunks, fully cook with ground turkey over medium-high heat in a large sauce pan.

- Break Lasagna noodles and set aside for addition later

- Add in minced garlic and chopped spinach, cook stirring well until spinach is wilted

- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce – combine well and bring to a slow simmer

- Let simmer for 20 mins, or until lasagna noodles are cooked to taste

- Once noodles are cooked to your taste, set oven rack to top half of oven, and turn on broiler to high.

- Scoop out soup into individual servings, and sprinkle top with a pinch of the mozzarella cheese

- Place soup under the broiler until cheese is golden in colour

- Remove from oven and let sit for a couple of mins

Enjoy with a side of warmed up garlic breadsticks, or a fresh salad!  Leftovers are great the next day, just heat in a microwave!   One last picture of my favorite rally friends……   See you in Merritt!

Taco Spring Rolls and a sneak peak to our “yard project”…

I am called many a things… Martha Stewart, Better Crocker, Social Coordinator… Dog Snob.. the list goes on.  I can do many a “things”.  Gardening has not been a forte.  Nope, “green thumbs” do NOT run in the immediate family.   That being said, when we decided to freshen and clean up the front yard, I jumped right in.  Dirty Hands don’t scare me! So far, I think we’ve (haha, okok, so it’s MOSTLY been my honey - BUT, I’ve put in some “time” too) done a bang up job!  I’m absolutely loving seeing all the little buds of who knows what (so maybe the average garden guru would know) poking their heads through the soil.  It’s so satisfying when you clip and clean up old growth, allowing the new buds / new growth to shine on through.  That being said, the last few weekends have been marathon sessions outside. WHICH means dinner’s have to be a bit more creative and quick and easy..and… no.. NOT take out! haha  (last thing I want after being outside ALL day is to go in, clean up, and make a big production of dinner.  Taco Spring Rolls fit perfectly.  You can make ahead and freeze if needed, removing from freezer and baking just the amount you need.  They are a perfect light dinner, or great as an appetizer. Few ingredients, easy baking make this an awesome “late night” snack.

Here’s a sneak peak of all the “new” items in our yard.  The different colors add life to the front, while the unique selection of plants (my honey rocks!) shows a creative side that looks both natural (and hopefully “lower” maintenance) than some popular garden choices. With the weekend just around the corner, maybe this will give you a little more motivation to get outside and...garden! haha.. okok, maybe just get outside. period. 

Though I still can’t pronounce their true name… go ahead and laugh, I kept calling these “herbivores” I had to have this one as the name of the plant has the word “wine” in it! Haha ANYWAYS… love the look, and there appears to be all kinds of varieties like the ones below…

This lil’ guy’s green/teal color pop’s perfectly against the fresh top soil....

Then there’s these lil’ guys (well little for now so I’ve been told, as the old spot in the yard where we had them, they were being smothered, can’t wait to see these grow up)….

That’s all you can see for now!  (as to be honest, we’ve reseeded the entire front yard, so it looks more like a dirt pit than the new and improved front yard we're working towards...let they green GRASS grow!) Though I’ve enjoyed the time in the garden… I should probably stick with what I know…  and work on my green thumb slowly.  I will say one thing though, being outside in the fresh air all day…  sure works up the growlies!  SO, back to the recipe at hand…  Taco Spring Rolls.

Taco Spring Rolls

·         1 package egg roll wrappers

·         1 lb ground chicken (turkey works too)

·         1 pkg taco seasoning

·         ½ cup onion dices

·         ½ cup shredded cheese

·         1 egg, beaten with a splash of water

- In a frying pan, over medium heat, cook ground chicken fully

- Add taco seasoning per directions on package

- Remove from stove, and let cool a bit.

- Placing 1 egg roll wrapper on counter, add a spoonful of meat in centre of wrapper

 

- Place a pinch of the diced onion on top

- Place a pinch of cheese on top of onion

- Fold bottom half of wrapper over top of filling, pressing down sides

- Fold over each side , pressing down lightly

- Now roll wrapper, up onto open half of wrapper, sealing filling in.

- Place each egg roll onto a lightly greased baking sheet

- Once all are made, light brush egg wash over each spring roll

- Preheat oven to 375F, and place in oven, cooking for about 20 mins or until golden brown.  Flip Eggrolls half way to ensure even cooking.

Serve with a dollop of salsa, sour cream, sprinkle of cheese.  Guacamole would be great with this as well!  YUM YUM

Whatever you choose to do this weekend… enjoy!