delicious soup and pistou

rainy day soup and pistou: see earlier photos

this soup is one of my all time favorites. it is warm, delicious and really a healthy meal to both entertain with or make in bulk and freeze. the pistou is a very common french and classic italian way to top soups, breads, pastas, crackers, etc. in this soup it is a really nice way to contrast the soup and highlight with the fresh herbs used in the stock...


soup ingredients:

1 28 oz can diced organic tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can of organic white beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
10 oz baby spinach
6 oz chopped mushrooms
1 carrot, sliced or diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 potato, diced
1 small head of broccoli
1/4 c. fresh basil (set some aside for topping)
1/4 c. fresh parsley (set some aside to top!)
4 c. of low sodium veggie stock
2 c. of water
the juice of 1 lemon, set aside
1 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. black pepper


directions:

add the diced potatoes to a medium high heated pot with a dash of olive oil and salt and pepper. let the potatoes get a nice crispy coating on them and begin to cook through for about 7 minutes. add the onions with a dash more of s&p. after the onions begin to caramelize add the garlic, can of tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, etc. and the rest of the ingredients along with the lemon juice, veggie stock and 2 cups of water.
add another tsp. of salt and 1/2- 1 tsp. of black pepper. let the soup come to a boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for at least 25 minutes, but the longer it goes the better it will taste!

pistou ingredients:

1 c. of organic peas, thawed and drained
1/2 c. fresh organic basil
1 clove of garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. olive oil
salt&pepper to taste

add the peas, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and lemon juice into the food processor or blender and blend. while the processor is still on slowly add the olive oil until the ingredients come together. you may need to stop once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl. set this aside to chill. it will last for days in the fridge and is great with pasta, crackers, soup, basically anything.



enjoy.

delicious (and nutritious ) salsa and guacamole.

salsa and guacamole are two of my all time favorite homemade snacks... healthy, light and delicious during the summer, and perfect for any movie night in... making them yourself saves so much money, since the ingredients are so inexpensive, and again you can control what you do or DON'T want in it... (especially all the preservatives, pesticides on the vegetables, fertilizers, etc.)

i have been making it myself for about 5 years and i have always played with the recipe but i think i have FINALLY discovered my favorite recipe for both... so here they are.

salsa ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
1-2 Chipolte peppers (I always use 2, I like it with a little extra kick!)
1 28 oz can organic diced or whole tomatoes in juice (low sodium)
1 15.5 oz can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 oz can organic super sweet corn, drained
3 limes, juiced, set aside
1 handful of cilantro or parsley
1 SUPER RIPE peach, or mango, *depending on the season you can leave this out, but during the summer there is literally nothing better than a throwing a ripened peach or mango in to contrast with the peppers.
salt&pepper to taste, of course :)

directions:

add the onion, garlic and chipolte peppers into the food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Add the can of tomatoes, lime juice, peach/mango salt and pepper and pulse a couple times (depending on how chunky you'd like it). Add in the drained black beans, corn and cilantro and stir together.

I usually make this to serve immediately so I have a bowl and then entire Tupperware container for the future. The salsa usually stays good for up to two weeks as long as you keep it in the fridge.


Guacamole ingredients:

3 avocados, halved and put into a small mixing bowl
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
juice of 2-3 limes, add to avocados
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt&pepper to taste

directions:

add all the ingredients together and with a fork or potato masher, mash together. The lime juice will keep the avocados from turning green and will keep nicely in the fridge for a few days. The longer the ingredients marry together, the more delicious they will taste :)



serve with your favorite chips, tacos, quesadillas, etc. but, most importantly, enjoy. :)

rainy sunday night.

we took a little field trip to trader joe's today. (thanks again andrew) :)
today was freezing and I promised Colin I would make him whatever he wanted... "soup"...
I wanted grilled cheese to go with it but I had no moz, cheddar or anything that would do and so I made a little pea pistou.

it was warm and delicious and exactly what I needed tonight, a night in with the family. :)


recipes to follow. please enjoy :)

delicious VEGAN veggie burgers!

so nicole and i were bored the other day, and starving as well... lately we have talked a lot about the fact that "veggie burgers" are almost the only veg option when going out to larger, chain restaurants. unfortunately, to no surprise they are usually gross (that goes for store bought brands as well), and PACKED with sodium (sodium is my new and latest obsession)...

so we came up with this recipe, took it for a test run and we LOVED it! Its absolutely perfect for making a batch (usually amounting to about 8 burgers) and freezing them for later!

keep in mind that most of these ingredients are interchangeable... anything you have around the house will usually work as long as you have the binding agents (potato, breadcrumbs, flour, etc.)

we made a cool and creamy avocado spread, pico de gallo, and sliced some fresh veggies on top to match the southwestern theme, but of course you could do fake-bacon burgers with fries or baked potatoes... possibilities are ENDLESS :)


ingredients:
1 potato
1 zucchini
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 carrots
1 beet
1 can of black beans (drained)
1/2-3/4 c. of panko breadcrumbs
cumin, paprika, cayenne to taste
salt&pepper to taste as well...

box crate the potato, zucchini, onion, garlic and carrots into a big mixing bowl. add the beans and spices and mix together.

add the breadcrumbs in and mix together.

form into flat patties (about the size of a kaiser roll) and coat in extra breadcrumbs for extra crunch (this is also what will keep the patties from falling apart in the pan).

place into Tupperware laying sheets of wax paper in between them to prevent them from sticking and freeze!

IF you are cooking them immediately:
in a medium skillet heat a couple tbs. of olive oil on med-med high.
saute for about 7 minutes on each side and serve to your liking....


enjoy.

the simplest and most delicious (authentic) tomato sauce

hello all!

in my family sauce was something we rarely went without. it was a simple, fresh and healthy way to both feed our family or entertain many on a budget. most of my memories of growing up are centered, quite literally, around my grandparents kitchen table in new york. everyone brought something, everyone made something, even the kids.

i am not quite sure if it is the changing weather or the fact tat i just woke up from a perfect nap and am now ready to chow down, but i thought it was about time to share this recipe not only because it represents one of m favorite childhood memories but because it is a both affordable, fast and a GREAT dish to make when trying to impress guests with real home cooking.

every region in italy ave different recipes for their versions of a traditional tomato sauce. my family is from southern italy, where seafood (anchovies, for example) are predominant in our cooking. this is a traditional simple sauce which can be varied in an wa to adapt to whatever you want to make it with. for example, if making a zuppe de pesce, adding anchovies with the onions will give a nutty taste, bring out the flavor of te parmigiano and compliment whatever fishes you use.

making this recipe in bulk is a great idea because you can freeze it forever, m mother used to put it into small Tupperware containers, or ziploc bags and just cook whatever portions were necessary.

please enjoy.

ingredients
1 lb. can of good whole tomatoes (san marzano being the best, but Red Pack makes a surprisingly good tomato.)
2 medium sized sweet yellow onions, diced small.
7 cloves of garlic, minced.
1/4 c. fresh parsley (to add at the end)
3/4-1 c. fresh basil (to add at the end as well)
the rind of 1 wedge of parmigiano cheese.
salt and pepper to taste

*a great tip is to save your rinds when the cheese is almost gone, it has all the flavor and salt of the cheese and saves you money from grating $12 worth of cheese into the sauce :)

step 1: sautee and sweat the onions on a medium heat with about 1 tsp. of sea salt. the salt draws the moisture out of the onions to provide you wit the utmost sweetness and flavor so it is always important to season your dishes
step 2: add the garlic and let heat through, being careful not to burn. add the can of tomatoes to the pot and use your hands to crush (or a and mixer :) and add the rind of cheese.

let the sauce come up to a boil on medium high, and reduce and let simmer for as long as you want, the longer being the better. before serving add the fresh basil and parsley and you are ready to serve...


portion and freeze accordingly and enjoy...

lazy day rice

here are some of the picture from our last event.




couscous topped with roasted veggies, and mixed greens were thrown on top after it cooled, with a harissa style dressing. adapted from a delia's vegetarian collection recipe.




spinach salad with roasted sweet potato, feta, shallots and toasted almonds.





lasagna with broccoli, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, ricotta, pine nuts topped with a butternut squash sauce.




the humidity came back today so what better way to beat it than with a hot plate of rice and beans! i've been on a brown rice kick lately, here's my recent recipe.

heat some olive oil in a 2 quart pan, add about half of a red onion or whatever kind you have lying around.

saute until almost translucent and add salt, pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic. cook for another 2 minutes or so.

add 2 cups of vegetable stock, 1 cup of brown rice and spices. i used dried sage, ancho chile powder, and cayenne pepper. also, the zest of half a lime, and about 2 tablespoons lime juice. i threw in a few slices of lime also.

bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 50 minutes. resist opening the pot! your rice will thank you.

i had a side of black beans stewed with tomatoes with this rice but use you imagination... grilled corn on the cob would be yummy.




lumi enjoyed her rare but favorite treat today as well...


enjoy.

summers end

it's already september which means, fall veggies will soon be popping up. this weekend we are catering a party and we are getting a head start on the fall flavors. we are planning on making a vegetable lasagna chock full of autumn veggies, along with ricotta and pumpkin seeds covered in a butternut squash sauce. on the side will be a roasted vegetable cous-cous salad and some sort of delicious fresh green salad that follows suite.

liz and i have been lucky enough to have the downtown farmers market in our backyard all summer long. every thursday i pick up lots of pattypan squash, heirloom tomatoes, green peppers, fresh herbs, amazing blueberries! the veggies all work together and are easy to make a bunch of different meals out of the same ingredients.

an insanely easy week night dinner can be made by taking a few squash, tomatoes, olive oil, and some herbs. toss on a plate with some rice or pasta for healthy filling meal.





preheat to 350 degrees

one pint of cherry tomatoes
3 medium size pattypan squash, or 2 regular sized summer squash, cut into inch bites
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro (you could use dill, parsley, oregano anything. i love cilantro with rice so i used that here)
2 gloves of garlic
salt and pepper

throw everything in a roasting pan, combine so everything is coated with oil and herbs. roast for 20 minutes or so, just until the squash is tender. serve with rice.
the oil and cilantro and garlic over the rice tastes so fresh and yummy.


another option for farmers market finds, i made a tomato and squash pasta sauce!


set oven to 325

saute onions, garlic, salt and pepper with olive oil in dutch oven (i use mine for almost everything, great investment. if you don't have one, you can make this on the stove top just fine). add one large can of whole tomatoes, some tomato paste, i usually use less than one tiny can. add salt and pepper.. yes again! tomatoes can take a lot of flavor. 1 tablespoon sugar, herbs (i used oregano, thyme, and hint of rosemary), pattypan squash cubed into 1/2 squares. cook on stove top until it starts to simmer, then throw it in the oven for at least half and hour, i kept mine in for almost an hour. stir every once in a while to prevent browning. the longer it's in the oven.. the more flavor you end up with. serve with your favorite pasta.

one pot meals are a great way to motivate yourself to make a meal at the end of your work day. plus you usually have leftovers! leaving you more time to play with your puppies(or cats...or kids!)





enjoy the last days of summer