Quick Tomato Soup

Hey guys, 

So, school sucks, but at least I can make tomato soup as a way to not do homework. For example, the tomato soup I made today was delicious, and took like 15 minutes, which is how I like to cook! Laura, my housemate, gave it a thumbs up, so I got a second opinion…

Tomato Basil Soup 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil and butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic

and salt and sauté until onions are soft and translucent.  Add stock,

tomatoes and honey and simmer for about 10-15 minutes to marry flavors.

Let soup cool slightly and put ½ of it into blender with sour cream.  Blend

until smooth.  Transfer to another pot.  Blend the other half of the soup

and add.  Warm blended soup.  Add basil and pepper before serving.

The only difference between this and mine, was that I did not blend both parts, I only blended half the soup, so that it was chunkier. Also, parmesan cheese is awesome with it as well as a grilled cheese. 

White Bean and Kale Minestrone

Hello blog world, 

I know I know, I’ve dropped the ball again. Its this whole homework thing, its out of control. But, I’m trying to make a slow and steady comeback. I’ve actually posted this soup before in my lox and cream cheese blog, but I did not make the soup, my mom did. So, I was determined to make it for myself. It turned out fabulous and literally took like…20 minutes, tops. 

White Bean and Kale Minestrone

The only thing I did not include was sage cause I had none, but otherwise I stuck to the recipe. 

2 cups finely chopped kale

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic

3 cups cooked white beans

2 ½ cups stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Freshly grated pecorino cheese

Wash kale and remove the stems from the leaves.  Rollup kale leaves and cut into thin ribbons.  Set aside.

In a 4-quart soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté the garlic briefly over

medium heat.  Add about half of the cooked beans and part of the stock.

Puree the rest of the beans and stock in the blender along with the tomato

paste and sage.  Stir the pureed beans into the soup.  Add salt and pepper

to taste.

Mix the kale into the soup and simmer until kale has wilted (about 10

minutes). Add the lemon juice and enough water to make the soup a desirable

thick consistency.  Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings.  Serve

the soup topped with pecorino.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Makes 3-4 servings

Obviously, I think this dish is a perfect side with lox and cream cheese. Furthermore, if you don’t have fancy cheese, almost any will do (Parmesan, Asiago, etc) . 

Keep your eyes peeled for an awesome Tomato Soup recipe..

Perfect Fall Meal

Here in Minnesota, it is getting cold fast. It’s as if the weather gods decided to get rid of Fall completely. But, I will fight against the gods of weather and celebrate Fall to the fullest (my favorites month). 

To do this, I first went to an apple farm (with my housemates) , drank apple cider, bought pumpkins, and went through a corn maze. SO Fall of me. 

Then I decided to make my favorite Fall meal which consists of chicken legs, yams, and brussel sprouts. 

The yams I cut into 1 inch slices  and sprinkled cinnamon, brown sugar, a little salt, and olive oil on top. Then I baked them on a cookie sheet at 400 for 20 minutes. 

The chicken legs I sprinkled with lemon pepper seasoning and salt and baked them at 400 for 45 minutes. 

The brussel sprouts are a bit more complicated. The recipe for these comes from my mom who found it via Martha Stewart so they are Brussel Sprouts a la Martha

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or butter

1/2 pound Brussel sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons golden raisins

3/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock

salt and pepper

 

Heat oil or butter in skillet. Add sprouts and carrots and sauté over low heat for 7-10 minutes or until the veggies carmelize. Add raisins and broth and simmer until tender (test one!). Add more liquid if needed. 

Minestrone for a Chilly Fall Day!

My mom’s minestrone, in my opinion, is one of the best. It is very hearty and fresh and perfect for a cold day. Yesterday, I made a double recipe, bought a big loaf of sourdough, made some honey butter, and invited some friends over to gorge (and watch The Office)

The recipe for this soup can be found in my mom’s book “Feeding the Young Athlete” under the title Big Mo Minestrone. 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium potato, diced

1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes (Muir Glen fire roasted is the best)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups chicken broth 

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

1 cup green beans cut into 1 1/2″ pieces

1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

black pepper

1/2 cup chopped basil

Parmesan cheese

In a large soup pot over medium heat add olive oil, butter, garlic and onion.  Sauté until onion is soft.  Add carrots, celery, potato and sauté about 5 minutes more. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and chicken broth. Bring heat up to simmer. Cover and cook 1/2 hour. Add corn, green beans and kidney beans and simmer for another 5 minutes until green beans are tender. Stir in fresh basil and black pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan on top. 

 

Beef Broccoli Stir Fry

Sometimes its hard to find a way to eat broccoli. It doesn’t really go with many dishes, and usually the only way I like to eat it is smothered in cheese. However, today I made a nice alternative to cheese smothering. 

I based my meal off a recipe I found at cooks.com for Beef Broccoli Stir Fry.

It’s really very simple and involves making a simple marinade for your beef, (1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, a little water…)

 

Then, you make a very simple sauce of tamari, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch. I dont like or use cornstarch, so i just used more honey. 

Then you chop up tons of garlic, fresh ginger, and red chilis (I use scallions, cause that is what I had)

Make sure you broccoli is in little flowerettes. 

Then, put some oil in a wok and stir fry the broccoli (I added red pepper, onion, mushrooms) and the ginger/garlic/scallions. After a few minutes add your marinated beef. Serve over rice with the sauce dribbled on top. YUM.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Katie Dittman, my roommate, makes this awesome chicken that I always wanna eat that involves goat cheese, rosemary and chicken. This time, I watched her do it more carefully and asked pesmission to blog it! I might not have the recipe exactly how she did it, but it’s very close. 

Basically, you need:

boneless skinless chicken breasts

soft goat cheese

rosemary

one shallot

garlic

white wine

butter

(pre soaked) skewers

First, you combine the goat cheese with some chopped shallot and chopped garlic. Next, spread the goat cheese mix on top of your chicken breast. Then, place a rosemary branch width wise, like you are making a chicken breast burrito. Roll the chicken breast up, then skewer it  to keep it rolled. Next, warm up a skillet with some butter and white wine. Add the chicken rolls, and sauté in the wine and butter until they are fully cooked through. If you are having trouble getting them fully cooked, put them in the oven on 350 for 10 minutes or so. 

We served the chicken with some roasted veggies (peppers, onions, mushrooms with oil and garlic in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes), spinach, and a little bit of Annie’s Asian Sesame Dressing. YUM. This is a great meal that can lasts a few days and is easy and sooo delicious!Also, here is a picture of my puppy, Olive, my mom sent me. She is getting so big!

On The Run Fried Rice

Sometimes, we just don’t have time to cook. Frequently, I havn’t even had time in between classes to make a legit meal. So, if you don’t wanna sandwich, or think 2-4 dollars is a lot for a microwaveable lunch, another option is quick fried rice. Obviously, having pre-made rice around would help. 

All you need is a bit of butter, some tamari, frozen veggies, an onion or bell pepper perhaps, and maybe a little sugar or I like to use sweet chili sauce (see older blogs). The chili sauce gives the rice a little more color too. Start with sautéing the raw veggies (onion, pepper, etc) in butter. Next add the frozen veggies (I like corn, peas, or an asian stir fry mix). When all the veggies are nice and thawed, add the rice and a tiny bit of water. Next add plentiful tamari, more butter, and the chili sauce (or a little sugar and vinegar) and you’ve got yourself an easy, nutritious lunch. If you’ve got some tofu or chicken laying around, add that too. 

I know this is simple, but it’s very delicious, cheap, and nutritious!

Comfort Food for a Lazy Sunday

Sundays are a day of rest and relaxation. Whether you are hung over, have a lot of homework, or simply need to sleep in and take it easy, nothing hits the spot better than a large breakfast with all the essentials. For, me, last Sunday, that meant cooking up some home fries and eggs. Through a bit of experimentation I made some tasty, and quick potatoes that hit the spot. Sometimes we get lazy when we cook and go for the absolute quickest, but in some cases, you really deserve the reward and I found these potatoes to be just as good as most brunch places. 

All you gotta do is get some potatoes ( I used red potatoes and they were yummy). Then, dice them in half, or if they are bigger, in cubes. Boil the potatoes  with a little salt for about 6-10 minutes or until medium soft (not too soft!!). 

Drain the potatoes and slice them into 1/2 inch pieces (or how ever you like really).

Next, take a large skillet and put a tablespoon of butter  in the pan and put it on med heat. Next, add some diced onion and green pepper. Once the pepper and onions seem mostly soft, add the potatoes. At this point you may need more butter, or olive oil. 

Finally, put a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of paprika, sea salt, and black pepper on top and mix. Wait till the potatoes are browned to turn off the heat. Serve with a bit of ketchup, maybe some scrambled cheesy eggs, ..and voila, breakfast is served.

Fútbol y Chili con Carne!

Hello again!

Isn’t Mexican food the greatest?  Now that I’m back at school, the budget thing kicks into play hardcore and the easiest, fastest, cheapest meals are usually Mexican/Hispanic oriented (Canned black beans and rice anyone?)

One of my favorite things to make which is fast, keeps well, and provides food for a solid 2-3 days is Chili. You can eat it with avocado and sour cream, on a baked potato, on french fries, whatever you please. 

Because I have no ethnic family background, I very rarely have “family recipes” but one of the few I do possess is my Grandmother’s (or June’s) Chili con Carne. Sine I never got to meet my grandmother, it’s always nice to cook something with her name attached. 

The key to this recipe is good quality beef, Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Chilis, and really nice spices. However, if you can manage to add only one of these elements, the recipe is still fantastic. Enjoy!

June’s Chili Con Carne  

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef or lamb

1 teaspoon or more sea salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 dried chipotle chili

1 teaspoon sugar

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 15-ounce can kidney beans

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

 

Melt the butter in a large heavy pot.  Sauté the onion and garlic in the fat.  Add the meat, stir and sauté until the meat is well done.

Add salt, spices and sugar and stir.  Then add tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce.  Cover and simmer about 1 hour or longer.  The longer it cooks, the thicker it becomes.

Garnish with shredded cheese or chopped onion if desired.

——————–

I was not able to find a dried chipotle, but I think it would have made the dish a bit richer and smokier…

Alright, I’m off to go play Eau Claire College in Wisconsin..

Enjoy your Sunday!

Apology/Arroz con salsa de tomate

Oh dear, looks like I’ve failed at blogging. I’m sorry! 

I sooo meant to keep this consistent, but I’ve been sooo busy with soccer and classes, etc etc. Plus, I was on a meal plan for about 2.5 weeks and that kept me from cooking. But, now I’m back, ready to cook. Only problem is that I tend to repeat the same meals, and since the point of this blog is NEW recipes and not just documentation, that sometimes keeps me from posting. For example, last night I made Chicken Teriyaki from my RECIPES already posted. Very yummy. 

I did try one new cooking adventure in an attempt to relieve a moment of Spain-missing. My host mom used to frequently make this garlic infused, savory rice that would be topped with a fried egg and warm salsa de tomate. But, the key to the dish was the specific flavor of the rice and the sweetness of the tomato sauce. So, I tried sautéing some rice in olive oil, plentiful garlic, butter, and a bit of salt and then mixed some plain canned tomato sauce with a bit of sugar. The result was very close and tasty. Try it at home! It’s easy, fast, flavorful meal. Just make sure to eat some greens somewhere in the day too

My hope is to get in some new recipes over the next week including an easy, yummy chili and huevos rancheros…YUM. 

 

Well, off to practice I go.