Spicy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

It rained in LA yesterday, and on such a rare occasion, everyone gets on board.  Girls plan their entire outfit around Hunter boots, meteorologists pull out their STORM WATCH TWENTY THIRTEEN! voices, Barnes and Nobles sells umbrellas (for real), drivers slow down a good 15 mph and... I make soup.  Coincidentally, I had just come across this recipe for a tomato soup with... grilled cheese croutons???  I would eat dirt if you topped it with grilled cheese croutons.  And these did not disappoint.  I made a few changes to the recipe - omitting the red pepper flakes so my son would eat it (also I called it "red ninja soup" - yeah), using vegetable broth instead of water, adding some minced garlic with the onions, and swapping basil with thyme (which I threw in with the onions and garlic).  It was bright, and delicious, and did I already talk about the GRILLED CHEESE CROUTONS??  

Now it's a beautiful sunny day and I'm sad : (      

Broccoli and Spinach Soup

I've been making a lot of soups lately, and yes, not typically a spring-type food.  But they're very light, packed full of veggies and perfect for "what-do-you-mean-I-have-to-wear-a-swimsuit-soon" weather.  Listen, this is as green as I get people.  You're never going to see me put spinach and fruit in a blender and drink it.  There are other sites for that kind of stuff (like oh my god this one - please click on that link if you're not afraid of bad words).  But I will throw down some green soup, I will throw it down into my belly.  Get in there, green soup, get in my belly for good (don't know what I'm saying, baby stopped sleeping again).

I'm too lazy to write up a recipe but what I did was very simple.  I followed the directions for this Asparagus Soup, only instead of adding asparagus I added 3 cups chopped broccoli florets and 10 oz. of thawed, frozen spinach.  Everything else remained the same.  Easy peasy WHY DO YOU LET ME SAY THAT.       

Asparagus Soup

Spring has sprung, my little bluebirds, and so I've decided to talk like I'm Amy Adams in some half-cartoon, half-real people movie.  I will grin a happy grin, I will use a sing-songy voice, and I will feed the squirrels tiny nuts from the palm of my hand because, nope, never mind can't do it, squirrels are gross and vicious.  How about I just cook with spring vegetables instead?  I bought two pounds of asparagus the other day after Carson found a recipe in the LA Times that sounded awesome.  Creamy vegetable soup yet healthy, using only 1/2 cup of 2% evaporated milk (vs. cream).  I adapted it slightly by using leeks (spring!) and adding homemade croutons on top.  You should put homemade croutons on top of everything, by the way, including your head.  

(I just reread that linked crouton post and got embarrassed for myself all over again).    

More spring inspiration here.

Asparagus Soup
(Serves 4)
Printable Recipe

2 lb. asparagus
3 T olive oil
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup evaporated 2% milk
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Trim ends of asparagus.  Cut remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces, reserving the tips of 8 or so.  In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over low heat.  Add leeks, celery, shallot and carrot.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Add chopped asparagus, season again with salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.  Add chicken broth and water, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  (In the meantime, make your homemade croutons.  Once those were cooked, I used the same pan - with an extra splash of olive oil - to crisp up the reserved asparagus tips.) Puree soup in batches using a blender, or all at once in pot using an immersion blender.  Return to pot if you used a blender, and add milk and lemon juice.  Warm through (don't let simmer).  Pour into bowls and top with asparagus spears and croutons.

Quick Chicken Corn Chowder

LA can be such a tease.  This past weekend we experienced 80 degree temps, cloudless skies, and populated beaches.  And now it's cold, gray and raining.  I know "cold" is relative, and it might be much colder where you are (trust me, I lived in the Midwest for 13 years).  But I say anything below 60 degrees calls for Chowder, that's right, I say it.  

I love finding Cooking Light recipes that sound good, because most of the time they really are.  This did not taste like a diet version of chowder, and yet it was made with low-fat milk and only two tablespoons of butter (recipe here).  If you have leftover chicken, make this, it will take you no time at all and it will be delicious.  In any kind of weather. 

Slow Cooker Squash Stew

Happy Weekend.  It's cooling down here, slightly.  The tree in our front yard is changing colors and the coffee shops are selling their pumpkin drinks (see, there are seasons here).  I've whipped out the slow cooker and I bought some squash.  We even had a family dance party to the song "Ghostbusters"!  

If all of the above applies to you, or at least the slow cooker part, you should make this stew.  Vegetarian friendly (or you could be like me and add some turkey sausage at the very end), hearty, comforting, the perfect autumn weekend meal.  To be served with an Oktoberfest beer.  

Recipe HERE.    

Late-Summer Vegetable Soup

It's me!  It's me!  I hope you've been enjoying my fabulous guest bloggers.  I have been enjoying sitting on my lazy bum with a tiny baby in my arms.  Of course, it hasn't been 24/7 of that because, as you know, now I have TWO KIDS.  TWO KIDS.  And can someone please tell me how to successfully raise TWO KIDS?!  Two wonderful, beyond amazing kids : )

Thank you all for the well wishes.  I've been spoiled by the best friends and family (what would one do without grandmas??).  And food!  People keep bringing us food!  From Magnolia Bakery's Banana Pudding (I die) to Joan's on Third's Meatloaf and Mac & Cheese (I die again) to a homemade Late-Summer Vegetable Soup.  Click on that last link and make that soup, people, do it.  

One more week of guest bloggers coming up, you won't want to miss them.  

And now, just because...

Sigh.

Rich Chicken Stew

I know this sounds like a winter meal, but it was surprisingly light and refreshing.  Most likely because I found it on EatingWell.com - those bastards know how far just 1/4 cup of cream will go in a pot of stew.  Not sure why I called them bastards.  Anyway, here's the recipe.  I used boneless skinless chicken breast instead of thighs, and I opted for the quicker dutch oven stewing method over the crock pot.

*Come back tomorrow (if I get my act together) for a GIVEAWAY.  YAY.  

Mardi Gras Dinner

Spring is sneaking up on us, you guys.  Did you know this Tuesday is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday or a Tuesday in late February ALREADY?  In case you'd like to celebrate one or all of those things, here is a themed meal I made last year at this time...

Sausage and Broccoli Gumbo

King Cake

Minestrone Soup

Do you say "minestrone" or "minestron-eee"?  More importantly, what do you think Giada says?  You know, because she's super Italian and all and can't say the word spaghetti without morphing into Sophia Loren.  Hmmm.  It doesn't really matter to me because I love it, with or without an Italian-American accent.  

Until last night, I had never attempted to make my own.  Naturally, I used a Giada recipe which was simple yet authentic.  Pureeing some of the Cannellini beans thickens the broth nicely, and adding the rind from Parmesan cheese gives the soup a wonderful depth of flavor.

I'll leave you with this: what on earth am I doing making hot winter soup on an 80-degree day.       

Have wonderful weekends!  I'm going to make these and buy some new sweatpants for Valentine's Day (for real).  

Lentil and Sausage Stew

I don't want to hear it.  Nope, shhh, don't speak.  I swear to god, if you start with "Oh look at Siri making something healthy FINALLY, how cute, she's embracing Paula Deen's new lifestyle..." I will go ballistic on you.  Because come on, I'm like super mega health-conscious like, the majority of the time with the exception of the REAL majority of the time when I'm not.  Ok.

Rubbish aside, this was delicious.  Very hearty and comforting.  Good for your soul and your waistline.  You're welcome.  

Lentil and Sausage Stew

(Serves 6-8)

Printable Recipe

2 T olive oil

1 pkg turkey sausage

3 carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. lentils

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

6 cups chopped kale 

Heat 1 T of the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or dutch oven.  Saute sausage for approx. 6 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.  Remove from pan, let cool and then slice.  Set aside.

Pour out excess oil from pan, but do not clean - the drippings from the sausage add flavor!  Return to stove, and heat remaining T of oil over medium heat.  Add onions, carrots and garlic.  Saute until soft, about 10 minutes.  

Add sausage, lentils, seasonings and stock.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Then add chopped kale.

Stir in kale, bring to another boil, cover, reduce heat again, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.  

Serve with Parmesan cheese or hot sauce.  You might need to add more salt as well : )

Texas Beef Brisket Chili

Do you like beans in your chili?  I do, but I know some people do not.  This weekend I tried out a bean-less recipe.  If you can find anything wrong with chunks of melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket, sweet butternut squash and all sorts of bold, spicy flavors - then you are not well.  

I think my favorite part of making chili (other than cooking it slowly all day long and making your house smell like love) is choosing your toppings...     

It's like a savory, macho frozen yogurt bar.  I loved this recipe (found HERE) and you will too.  It served almost 10 people and we have leftovers for days.  Perfect recipe to spend a rainy day weekend with.  

bacon...  

bacon, onions and brisket...

ancho chile puree...

tomatoes, beer, chiles, and what not...

texas beef brisket chili...

Creamy Mushroom Soup

It's mid-October, and we are experiencing triple-digit heat here in California.  My body doesn't know what to do.  It wants to wear boots, and cozy sweaters.  But it's so hot.  IT'S SO HOT.  For the love of Autumn, someone turn off the heat.  Because guess what?  I CAN'T STOP MAKING SOUP.  I hope you hear me Father Pumpkin or Mother Nature or whoever is responsible for this.  Because this mushroom soup I made last night was damn good.  I'm going to turn up the air conditioner and finish it all right now.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

(Serves 4-6)

Printable Recipe

12 oz. sliced mushrooms (a variety: shiitake, portabella, crimini, etc)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 leek (white and pale green part only), cleaned and diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 sprigs of thyme

1 T flour

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups beef stock (or vegetable)

1/2 cup cream

Salt and pepper

Melt butter over low heat in a large pot.  Add leeks, garlic and stir.  Cover and saute for 20 minutes over the lowest heat, so the garlic does not burn.  Uncover, raise heat to medium and add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until mushrooms begin to brown, 10 minutes or so.  

Sprinkle mushrooms with flour and stir for one minute to cook flour.  Raise heat to medium-high and add white wine and thyme sprigs (you will remove the stems later).  Saute for a few minutes, until wine starts to thicken and reduce.    

Add beef stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.  

Uncover and stir in cream.  Remove from heat.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup (I like to keep it slightly chunky).  Season again with salt and pepper to taste.  (If you don't have an immersion blender, you could transfer to a blender or food processor.)  Make sure to remove thyme stems.

Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.  Sprinkle with chives.   

Chicken Corn Chowder

It is a gray, rainy morning in Los Angeles.  I usually enjoy those, but this one started at 5am with the following chant, "is it morning time, is it morning time, is it morning time, is it morning time..." - you get the idea.  I put up with that for almost an hour before I finally caved, went downstairs and found out what PBS has to offer in the wee hours: Barney.  Joy.  

On a more positive note, there were aromas lingering in my kitchen from last night's dinner, which made me want to have a cup of soup for breakfast.  I didn't (I had a cookie instead), but I'm already excited for lunch so I can heat up a bowl.  Chicken Corn Chowder with creamy butternut squash, sweet red bell peppers, bright cilantro, and much more.  Extremely flavorful, hearty, yet surprisingly light.  Yes, there's a cup of cream in it, but with enough soup to feed a small army, the ratio won't make you fat.  Especially if you use half & half instead of heavy whipping cream like I did.  I also used pancetta instead of bacon and skipped the potatoes because the squash offered plenty of starch.  Click HERE for the recipe, I highly recommend it.  

Soup Season

I've made a lot of soups on this here blog here.  And I should know, because I just went through ALL OF THEM and made the pictures big for you.  Well, almost all of them.  I could barely look at the really old ones.  How did you guys put up with me in the beginning when my photos were the size of a fingernail and the color of night??  

Anyway, if you're in the mood for soup, check them all out HERE.

(Adding to the list tonight with Chicken Corn Chowder)