Hello. Well the other night I arrived home tired from a hard day’s looking up and down the supermarket aisles in search of something new and fantastic to bring to you. I found it, but that’s another story. Early May, it was starting to get that first inkling of winter in the air, a cool wind was up and I didn’t have much in the fridge, or much in the wallet. So I stood there looking in the fridge wondering what I could scramble up; that was filling and nutritious. Why Of course! Minestrone in the microwave. Thank god for those tiny bouncing electrons. There were a few veggies, or parts of them in the crisper and an odd assortment of leftovers - why not. So here it is, minestrone in a jiffy. This was enough to feed two. Enjoy.

Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups leftover cooked rice. 3 stalks of bok chou(??) a small knob of peeled fresh ginger 1 clove of garlic 1 heaped dessertspoon of tomato paste 1 and a bit cups of spiral pasta 1/8th of a carrot capsicum fresh parsley 3 slices of continental eggplant soya sauce a few slices of danish salami leftover cooked chicken water

Preparation: First of all, dice the vegetables into small-medium. You want them to be roughly the same size so they’re all cooked at the same time. To cut up the bok chou - slice off the leaves and shred, then slice the stalks. Wash in a colander to remove any grit. You can peel the carrot if you insist, but it’s not necessary. Slice the eggplant, then having all three slices stacked, slice into three or four, then cut into dice. Chop the parsley, but if you don’t have parsley, use some other herb. Fresh or dried, it will all add to the flavour of the dish. Dice the chicken and salami as well As you dice the ingredients it’s easiest to put them straight into the microwave safe container. It saves space on the cutting board. Just add all the ingredients together. With the pasta; I crushed it in my hand - being the brute I am, to break the spirals up. Hey it’s for soup.

Cooking: Stir the ingredients through to mix up. Place into the microwave, close the door, and cook on high for 9 minutes. Take out - stir through again to distribute the pasta. Remember - when taking the lid off the container to be careful of the up-rush of steam. Cook for another about 6 minutes, and in the meantime, ready your soup bowls, some grated or shaved parmesan or gouda and some crusty bread, so when the little “ding” goes off, you’re ready to serve and sit. You probably have time to open that bottle of chablis as well. So there you have it. Bye for now.