Drunken Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

So, this soup is a "whatever veggies I have, roast them, throw in a pot with whatever liquid, cook and puree and hope it turns out tasty" type of soup. It turned out delicious :D But how can roasted veggies, fresh herbs and booze be a bad thing?

2 large servings

1/2 of a butternut squash, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1 inch chunks

1 peeled carrot, cut into...1 inch chunks

5-6 cloves of garlic (it's what I had left of a head of garlic), leave the peel on, make a pouch out of tinfoil and put the garlic in and drizzle about 1 teaspoon olive oil over it. Close the pouch (doesn't have to be perfectly closed).

1 small onion, peeled

around 4 tablespoons fresh thyme

Salt & pepper

olive oil cooking spray (or regular olive oil)

1/2 cup white wine

1 12 oz beer

1/2 cup water

getting ready to roast

roasted

1. Roast the vegetables on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven (bake). I line my sheet with tin foil, then spray with the olive oil non-stick spray, spread the veggies out, spray a little more of the olive oil over the veggies, then season them with salt & pepper and the fresh thyme. I drizzled some olive oil on top of the onion. place the pouch of garlic on the sheet and them bake them all for about 15 minutes, then switch the oven to broil, and broil for another 10-15 minutes, or until tender and roasted. Immediately, open the garlic pouch to let it cool. Quarter cut the onion (let it cool a bit first).

2. Place the roasted vegetables into a medium sauce pan, over medium-high heat. The cloves of garlic should be soft enough to sort of squeeze them out of their peels. They should pop right out. Add the garlic to the pot. Add the wine to the pot. Let it come to a simmer with the veggies. Now you'll need some more liquid. This was the point when I wasn't too sure how long my veggie broth had been in the fridge, and it didn't smell too fresh...Oh, we have beer! But will beer & wine go well? I guess we'll find out, lol! So in goes the beer and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree it with a stick blender, making sure not to splash yourself with the hot soup.

3. I served it immediately with some fresh thyme, goat cheese and some fancy hand-picked olives extra virgin olive oil (I do not cook with this, just served with food). And it was GOOD! I served it with BLT's...I know, not what you were thinking, but it went well with them!

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Lentil Tacos for Taco Tuesday!

Lentil Tacos

Serves 4

1 cup Moong Dal Lentils (usually found at Indian Markets). I prefer their texture.

1 small onion, finely minced

5-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 lime, juice & zest

2 teaspoons cumin

2+ tablespoons chili powder, depending how spicy you like it (use less and adjust later, if you're unsure).

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1-1/2 cups liquid; vegetable broth, water or beer! (I usually do half beer, half water if I'm going that route).

Salt & pepper to taste, about 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch or so of pepper.

2 tablespoons canola, olive or your favorite cooking oil.

Your favorite taco toppings.

Corn or flour tortillas.

1.  In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, heat up the oil, and add the onions, cooking until soft. Add the garlic and seasonings, cook until fragrant, making sure not to burn the garlic. Add the lentils. Add the broth, zest and lemon juice, bring to a simmer, then drop the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the lentils are al dente, not mushy...this isn't tostada night!

2. While the lentils are cooking, if you have a gas stove, cook your corn tortillas on a direct flame, about 20-30 seconds per side. This method brings out the delicious corn flavor, and toasting them gives them a smoky flavor, plus no extra fat! You could probably broil them on a sheet pan in the over for a couple minutes on each side. Maybe I'll try that someday..or maybe throw them on the grill.. Or cook them how you like. My local grocery store has those cute little street-taco-sized white corn tortillas. I <3 them.

3. Eat those taco's like you normally would eat a taco...loaded up with your favorite toppings. Here are some suggestions, just in case you've never had a taco before:

• Shredded lettuce or cabbage
• Cheddar, Monterrey Jack or Cojita Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Avocado
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Olives
• Pickled Jalapenos
• Fresh Lime juice
• Tomatoes
• White Onion

Enjoy!!

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato soup

2 red bell peppers, broiled whole, in the oven until blackened (turn to get both sides). After they're roasted, place in a bowl with a lid, and let them steam for about 10 minutes, so the skin will be easy to peel off. Remove the stem, seeds, and skin (optional...I like the flavor the burned skin gives to the soup). Rough chop it.
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
a handful of sweet basil, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 teaspoons dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
4 large tomatoes (I used green, red & orange heirlooms), chunked.
5 cups veggie broth
Salt & pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil +2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

On med-high heat in a large pot, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sautee the onion, carrot, and celery for a few minutes, then add the garlic, herbs & spices. Add the tomatoes & red bell pepper and veggie broth. Let this all simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the veggies are soft. Let it cool a bit and transfer it to a blender or food processor (will have to puree it in batches), or puree it in the pot with a stick blender. I strained the soup at this point, but it's not necessary (I like it extra smooth)! In a separate pan, heat up the additional olive oil on med-high heat, then add the flour to make a roux. Cook it for about 5 minutes or until it smells nutty and is light brown (keep stirring it). Add about 2 ladles of the pureed soup to the roux, whisking out the lumps, then quickly add it all back to the tomato soup. Whisk out any lumps and bring to a simmer. The soup should be finished at this point, but if you like it creamy, add 1/2 cup heavy cream just before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.

For the grilled cheese, I used slices of sourdough bread, swiss, provolone, muenster and sharp cheddar cheeses.

Rigatoni with Butternut Squash Puree, Brown Butter Sage & Shrimp

To make the puree, cube 1/2 of a butternut squash, 1 onion, 4-5 cloves of garlic (roasted is even better). Sautee in a bit of olive oil, then add about 3/4 cup veggie stock, cover with a lid and let it simmer until the butternut squash is tender. Puree in a food processor (let it cool down a bit first) or with a stick blender. Toss with rigatoni, top with Parmesan cheese, brown butter sage and pan seared shrimp (seasoned with salt & pepper, cooked in olive oil). To make the brown butter sage, on medium-high heat in a small skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter, let it cook until it turns a light brown color and a nutty scent. Add a large handful of rough chopped sage to the brown butter, cook until crispy, but not burned.

Farmer's Market 9/24/2011

 

Another great day at the Farmer's Market! This time we brought home some herb plants; dill, Italian parsley and sage, butternut squash, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, corn, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, sweet basil, cilantro, spring onions, golden russet potatoes, strawberries, grapes and yellow cherry tomatoes (Our best find were the organic yellow cherry tomatoes...a pint for $1.50!)

This weeks Menu will include:
Butternut squash puree with rigatoni, brown butter sage & shrimp
Butternut squash risotto
Eggplant and yellow tomato bruschetta
Veggie Shepherds pie
Pasta Salad (the 10 year old will eat this when I cook a crazy meal like risotto, or anything that contains cheese).
Vegetable stew with gnocchi
Some sort of coconut Thai noodle dish...still thinking on it.

Oh, and I made crepes for breakfast yesterday. Strawberries, Nutella, whipped cream sweetened with agave nectar. YUMMY!


that's all I have come up with so far! :)

Roasted Chili, Corn & Potato Stew

Alright, this was supposed to be a chowder, but I didn't have any cream, so it became a stew (really the only difference between a stew and a chowder, right?)

This stew is perfect for a chilly, Autumn day (it was 92 degrees here haha). The carrot and white corn add a sweet bite, the roasted chilies give it a smokey flavor and a bit of a kick. An overall comforting meal :)

1 yellow onion, finely minced
1 large Russet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4-6 carrots (I used yellow & orange...whatever works!) cut the same size as the potato.
2 cups corn (fresh off the cob is wonderful)
2-4 Anaheim chili peppers, roasted, skinned, finely minced (or any kind of peppers you like...jalapenos, poblanos, etc.)
A large handful Italian parsley, rough chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper
5 cups veggie broth
3 tablespoons olive oil + 1Tbsp
4 tablespoons flour


In a large pot on med-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook the onion, potato and carrots until they start to soften a bit. Add the garlic, cumin, thyme. Add the broth and the roasted/peeled/finely minced peppers (I'm sorry I don't have a pic of the chilies...oops). , bring to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are done. In a separate pan, on med-high heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons flour, to make the roux. Whisk pretty constantly so the roux doesn't burn, but until it's golden and smells toasty. Add about 2 cups of the hot stew liquid to the roux, whisking until smooth, then add it all back to the stew pot. This will thicken it up a bit. Add the corn and the Italian parsley, salt & pepper to taste. You can also add a cup of heavy cream, if you like it creamy :)

Served with Focaccia. I had some leftover pizza dough from the other day, so I shaped it into a circle, rubbed olive oil and salt on top, then baked on 425 for about 20 minutes.

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Figs & Fresh Ricotta

 

Sliced 2 red onions very thin, cooked on med-high heat in about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Drizzled about 1 tsp honey to help them caramelize. Tossed in a few tsp fresh thyme, a pinch of salt some fresh ground pepper. Added 5-6 sliced fresh figs to the onions, let them cook a bit. Rolled out a home made pizza crust, brushed it with a little olive oil and sprinkled it with fresh thyme. Spread out the caramelized onions and figs onto the crust, topped with a little shredded mozzarella cheese, dollops of fresh ricotta, more slices of fresh figs, and a drizzle of olive oil. Baked until it was done. EAT! :)