taco lentil soup

taco lentil soup

1.04.2020

I haven't stopped talking about how good this chili / soup is. It is so good that I even bought more lentils at Whole Foods yesterday. That should be a clear testament to the gold star status.

Each year for Christmas my sister and I make new recipes for my grandfather as presents. In the past I've made some other low sodium or otherwise inspired meals. 2018 was a delicious turkey posole inspired by his love of San Diego. 2017 was a chickpea tomato soup. It was so long ago that I forgot I made that soup and almost made it again quite recently. Time flies when you are having fun apparently.

I will absolutely be making this soup again soon. I treat it like a chili and there is nothing bad about enjoying some melted cheddar cheese in the winter. While it is great as a vegetarian option, I think you could easily some ground turkey or chicken to the base if you feel that is needed. I'll pretty much be using it as a way to trick myself into eating lentils.

here you go.

1. Place a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add in olive oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño; sauté for 5 minutes or until onions begin to brown and soften. Transfer to the slow cooker.
2. Add in the remaining ingredients (except for the corn) to the slow cooker: lentils, crushed tomatoes, broth, black beans and spices. Stir ingredients together to combine, then cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. 20 minutes before serving, stir in frozen corn.
3. Once soup is done, distribute into bowls and top each with cheese or whatever you put on your chili normally.

Shopping List
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 white onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 cup lentils
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat!)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup frozen organic corn

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Guinness beef stew

Guinness beef stew

3.18.2019

The name of this recipe might lead you to believe there is Guinness in it. And boy is there ever. Normally when a recipe calls for liquor or beer, it's just a part of the ingredient list. But there is more beer in this stew than there is beef stock!

There is a whole lot of chopping in this recipe. I doubled the batch because (1) I love leftover and (2) we were having family over for the big day. That meant I was chopping: 2 lbs beef, 8 carrots, 8 celery, 2 onions, nearly 2 lb mushrooms, and 6 garlic. But it was totally worth it. After a couple hours simmering on the stove, this was a wonderfully tender and flavorful stew.

One of the worst parts about coming to my house for dinner is that as soon as you finish eating, I make you critique the meal. It's a real joy. But how am I supposed to improve and make amazing things if I don't know how you feel about the mushrooms?

So here was some of the feedback. But since I wouldn't expect anyone else to make a double batch of beef stew, my notes will be inline with the single batch:

• More onion // Agreed. I would probably go up to 3 onions in the next batch.
• Less mushroom // Agreed. The original recipe called for a full pound of mushrooms. I would probably cut this back to 1/2 pound if you just slice the mushrooms. If you chop them more finely, then I would go up to 3/4 pound. 
• Pepper // My dad loves pepper. I still don't have any in my house. There is no good reason for this - but yeah, I'll put it on the grocery list.
• More beef // I think I ended up using 20% more than originally called for in the recipe. This was mostly fine until we got to leftovers. There wasn't any beef left. I think the next time I would probably go for 1.5 lbs of beef and perhaps reduce the size of the chunks as well to spread it further.

Here's how it goes.

1. Brown the beef: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches to brown. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.
2. Sauté onion, garlic and celery: Put the Dutch oven back over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery and sauté until tender and lightly colored, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the beer: Stir the tomato paste into the onion mix in the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Pour in the Guinness - careful, it will foam. Add the minced sun-dried tomatoes and simmer over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cook: Add the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and beef stock to the Dutch oven. Add the meat back in and stir well. Add the bay leaf. Firmly cover the Dutch oven with its lid and let simmer until the meat is tender. I didn't keep track of time super well but it was between 2 and 3 hours. 
5. Rest? I read in the original recipe that giving the stew some time to rest will make the beef more tender. So I cooked for Give the stew some time to rest before serving. I prefer to let it cool almost completely, then reheating it to serve. But even a 10 minute rest will make the beef a lot more tender vs eating straight out of the oven.

NOTES
To make this in an electric slow cooker, follow the recipe until step 4. Transfer the beer reduction, meat, vegetables and stock to a 6 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Shopping List

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound beef chuck cubed
2 medium onions cut into slim wedges
3 cloves garlic smashed
4 large celery stalks sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 12-oz bottles Guinness beer
4 large sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil drained and very finely minced
1/2 pound small-medium floury potatoes peeled and roughly cubed
1/2 pound small-medium waxy potatoes roughly cubed
4 medium carrots cubed and sliced diagonally
3/4 pound brown button mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf optional
Salt and pepper to taste

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corn chowder

corn chowder

3.11.2019

It's been awhile since I've made a soup. At one point it felt like it was the only thing I whipped up in my kitchen. There are 45 soup recipes on this website but, they started to all feel like the same thing. Chop carrots. Chop onion. Chop celery. It has been enough time that this soup felt like a refreshing change - also it is totally different. This was my first ever chowder.

I'm not a big clam chowder fan - but I do love a corn chowder. This soup came together very easily although it was far more chopping than I've done in recent months. The flavors are obvious and by no means bland. I'm a salty person but the cajun inspired flavors here help to reduce my desire to add salt. Feels like a good win for my next blood test.

A few notes:

• Corn // Corn is out of season right now in the Northeast. While the grocery store had corn on the cob, it felt wrong to buy it. I will absolutely make this recipe again when corn is in abundance. There is something very appealing about seeing the chunks of corn stuck together after you've cut them off the cob.
• Potatoes // I didn't peel my potatoes. Why add an extra step when you don't need to? I didn't notice any impact in my soup.
• Vegan // The original recipe called for vegetable broth and I substituted chicken since it is was I had on hand. If you want to stay vegan, you can with just one easy switch.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Chop one of the red potatoes in half and carefully place into the pot. Allow potato to cook until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of frozen corn to the pot with about 5 minutes left.
2. While the potato is cooking, saute the rest of the vegetables. Add the coconut oil to a large pot, along with the other diced potato, chopped onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bell pepper, sea salt, Cajun seasoning, paprika, and cumin. Heat to medium-high and saute, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. 
3. Place half of the kernels in a blender, along with the cooked potato. Add the coconut milk and water (or broth) to the blender, and blend until completely smooth. This may take two or three rounds of blending.
4. Add the remaining corn kernels to the pot with the sauteed vegetables, and pour the blended corn/potato (chowder) mixture into the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until potato has softened, about 10 to 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and taste chowder. Add sea salt and Cajun seasoning as desired. 

Shopping List
4 ears corn shucked (or 2.5 - 3 cups frozen)
2 large red potatoes peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
1 large white onion
5 cloves large garlic minced
3 large carrots peeled and chopped
3 large stalks celery chopped
1 large red bell pepper cored and chopped
1-½ teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2/3 cup canned coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth

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chorizo and potato stew

chorizo and potato stew

2.10.2019

I'm always in the market for a new soup that doesn't feel like something I've made before. Soup is incredibly versatile... but sometimes it does feel like all the recipes are the same. Well, this one is different. Very different.

I came across this recipe from Bon Appetit in early January but finally got around to making it. What took so long you ask? Buying chorizo. I was attracted to this soup because it just seemed hearty and flavorful and totally different. It is absolutely all of those things - and more. 

I absolutely love it when I've just finished making something... go to take a taste of it... and and subsequently knocked off my socks. Is that an expression? But when I put the spoon in the broth, I was blown away by the rich, salty flavor. It made immediate sense why the original recipe suggested including sour cream. It's a phenomenal neutralizer and refreshing.

Let it be known that the two keys to this recipe are: (1) chorizo and (2) paprika. 

• I first used chorizo in a soup back in 2012 by accident. It was a very happy accident and what really drew me to this recipe initially. Finding chorizo was not super challenging but it was more expensive than I wanted to pay. So much so that I half'd the recipe just to cut down on costs. I am just one person, so it's fine. But yes, you absolutely need chorizo for this. No substitutes.
• Paprika. I've only ever used paprika in small amounts. Recipes normally call for a "pinch" of it but this recipe calls for 1/3 cup! Here are all the other times I've used paprika, just a friendly fyi.
• Bonus? I crisped up the potato skins leftover from peeling the potato. It was a really wonderful touch and super easy. 

1. Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pot when the bacon is beginning to brown but not yet crisp. Approx 5–7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
2. Add onions to same pot and cook, stirring often, until golden and softened, 8–10 minutes. Then add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. 
3. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. 
4. Return bacon to pot and then add potatoes, chorizo, mushrooms, broth, paprika, and cayenne. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn the heat down to just a simmer. 
5. Let the stew simmer for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Soup is done when potatoes are tender.
6. Divide stew among bowls and top with sour cream, dill, and a few grinds of pepper.

Shopping List
6 bacon slices, chopped
2 medium sweet onions, finely sliced
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2½ lb. russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¾" pieces
2 lb. smoked Spanish chorizo, cut into rounds, halved into half-moons
1 lb. button mushrooms, cut into ½"-thick wedges
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup hot smoked Spanish paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 cups torn dill

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easiest chili recipe ever

easiest chili recipe ever

1.17.2019

Chili is one of those magic foods that gets better the day after you cook it - which is why it was such a surprise that this super easy same day chili was super tasty. We had some people over for the football game last Sunday afternoon and I picked up the ingredients the very same morning. Additionally, this was by far the easiest chili recipe I've ever made although that wasn't even why I picked it from The Feed Feed, I just picked it cause it seemed "healthier" but still appropriate for teenage boys.

I feel like some of my better chili recipes have had multiple layers of ingredients happening. Maybe two types of ground meat or hot Italian sausage or pancetta or bacon... but certainly not only ground turkey. I'll absolutely keep this recipe in my back pocket for the next time.

Just like most things you could make this recipe in either a crock pot or on the stove. I went with a crock pot and snuck in a yoga class while this baby simmered away on my parents counter. A mere 3-4 hours later this chili was ready to be eaten.... and had taken absolutely zero effort from my day. Home run.

Note: if you are going for the crockpot method, transfer the ingredients after step 2 to the crockpot. Depending on how much time you have, the cook time could be 3-4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low.

1. Place oil in a large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in onion, garlic and red pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. 
2. Next add in ground turkey and break up the meat; cooking until no longer pink. 
3. Next add in chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and salt; stir for about 20 seconds.
4. Next add in tomatoes, chicken broth, kidney beans and corn. 
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until chili thickens and flavors come together. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt as necessary. Garnish with anything you'd like.

∫Shopping List
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound lean ground turkey
3.5 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cups chicken broth (if slowcooker, otherwise 1 1/2 cups)
2 (15 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, rinsed and drained

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turmeric tomato soup

turmeric tomato soup

12.31.2018

I treasure a nice, flavorful soup. In 2019, my goal is to make some soups that don't include tomatoes - it feels like I'm always pulling out two cans of diced tomatoes. That being said, there is something irresistible about a good, flavor filled tomato soup. And that is this one.

I found the recipe trolling Instagram one day and was candidly drawn to the turmeric. I know the health benefits of turmeric are numerous. You won't get a whole lot healthier for eating this soup but it certainly doesn't hurt. The flavor is also not bananas strong so even picky eaters (ahem, my parents) would eat this and not even know.

I ended up making this soup and giving most of it away to a 91 year old neighbor. I kept an itty bitty bowl of it for myself pretty much to validate it wasn't poisonous. The recipe does not yield a whole lot. It's really just enough for 2 bowls which might be perfect.

1. Heat the coconut oil in a sauce pan and fry the onion and garlic for one minute.
2. Add turmeric and cherry tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes softens and leave their juices.
3. Add the tomato can, vegetable stock, apple cider vinegar and basil, bring to boil, cover with a lid and let simmer for five minutes.
4. Transfer into the blender and pulse to obtain a creamy liquid.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished whatever suits your fancy. 

Shopping List
5 oz cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in halves
1 can diced tomatoes with their sauce
½ cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coconut oil
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

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turkey posole

turkey posole

When I first moved into my new house, I brought with me 11 cans of diced tomatoes. It was nuts. Thanks to my recent run of soups and stews and chilis, I have many fewer cans in my inventory. In the near future I might have to add "diced tomatoes" back to my shopping list on the weekends.

In continuing my "homemade Christmas" of 2018, I make my grandfather this soup. A couple months back he told me the San Diego is his favorite place. I didn't know of any San Diego soups but I did know Mexican food would be a good inspiration. And that's how we have a turkey posole soup. Posole soup is a traditional Mexican stew that normally calls for like a pork or chicken - but ground turkey is a healthier option.

This soup can be very spicy if you want. I wasn't sure where my grandfather lands on the spicy spectrum so I held back. I swapped out the poblano pepper for a jalapeno but kept half the seeds. Compromises. Just like some soups and all chilis, this one is better the longer you let the flavors develop on the stove. You can see the broth deepen in color and become more opaque. 

Here's how it goes.

1. Cook sweet pepper, onion and hot pepper in olive oil until onion is translucent.
2. Add meat and cook until it is no longer pink. Drain off fat, if necessary. 
3. Stir in cocoa powder, oregano, salt, cumin, ancho chile pepper and cinnamon. Cook and stir for 1 minute. 
4. Stir in tomatoes, hominy, water and tomato sauce.
5. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Garnish with green onions and radishes. Serve with lime wedges.

Shopping List

1 pound ground turkey breast
¾ cup chopped red or green sweet pepper
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped fresh poblano chile pepper (I used jalapeno)
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (14.5 ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15.5 ounce) can golden hominy, rinsed and drained
1 cup water or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
Lime wedges

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sweet potato turkey chili

sweet potato turkey chili

12.17.2018

Cold weather immediately calls for chili. I like chili for the meat and the comforting meal. I'm not in it for the spice or heat. I am however completely in it for the shredded cheese. It's like the "make your own sundae" of soups. 

I did a sweet potato and kale soup at some point last winter. While it sounded like a good idea, the sweet potato became rather over powering.... and bland. The recipe was so mediocre that I never even wrote it up for posterity. That has to say something. I really wanted to keep this sweet potato vibe going but knew I had to be conscious of this experience. Since the potatoes were going into the soup, roasted them for added flavor was not going to be a great solution. Instead, I just "zoodled" them into much thiner and smaller pieces... and only used about 50% of what the original recipe called for. 

The end result was a success. The sweet potato was definitely in the chili but by no means overwhelming or bland. The heat was on par for my kitchen but could easily be amped up with extra seasoning or jalapeno. I always keep the jalapeno seeds out because I'm a baby.

Just like with any chili, part of the magic comes from the toppings. I'm not sure who eats naked chili, but it certainly isn't me. In this case, I went with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and red onion. Additionally, I avoid adding salt in my recipes during cooking so that it can be added by each person individually. My grandfather is on a low sodium diet ... and well so should the rest of the world probably.

Here's how it goes.

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, and garlic and sauté until onion is tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
2. Add turkey meat and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon. 
3. Add spices, salt, and pepper and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add tomatoes and their liquid and cook for another minute or two.
5. Add the rinsed beans, sweet potato, and broth. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cover. Cook until sweet potatoes are tender and everything is nice and thick, about 1 hour. The longer you can leave it simmering on the stove the more the flavors will come together. It's the most magical thing about chili.
6. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve with desired toppings.

Shopping List

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lbs ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch ground cloves
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz) of beans (kidney / pinto / cannelloni)
1 medium sweet potato, shredded (about 4 cups) or riced in a food processor
3 cups beef broth

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tortellini kale sausage soup

tortellini kale sausage soup

12.09.2018

It's soup season!

My life is a little different these days so I don't necessarily need "travel friendly" meals like soup as much - but it is just so hard to fight the urge to make soup. When people say they don't like cooking for just one person, I feel like they haven't tried soup yet. It is just the easiest thing to put in the freezer and have again when you don't feel like cooking for one.

I found this original recipe from a food instagram account that I love to follow. Despite wanting to eat a bit healthier, I have a hard time resisting a meat based soup. They are just so filling and satisfying. I often want to try and be more vegetarian but an enticing soup like this keeps me from trying harder.

I did make a couple modifications to the original recipe to keep my life a bit easier.

• ground pork instead of Italian sausage // I absolutely hate removing sausage casing. It is the worst. So instead I grabbed some ground pork and then added additional seasoning to it (thyme, clove, nutmeg, pepper). I was really satisfied with this approach and will absolutely do this again.
• skipped the cream // I absolutely overlooked this ingredient when I was making my shopping list... but I'm not that upset about it. I don't really love cream based soups... unless its a pure tomato soup. Skipping the cream keeps the soup lighter and healthier which is a win.

Here's how it goes.

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the sausage, onions and garlic to the pot and and sauté until the onions are soft an translucent, about 5 minutes. (Drain off any excessive fat.)
3. Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Whisk until tomato paste is fully incorporated.
4. Bring to a boil, season with salt then simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add the kale and tortellini.
6. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the kale is wilted and the pasta is tender.
7. Serve with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.

original recipe from the Modern Proper sourced via The Feed Feed

Shopping List

1 lb mild Italian sausage, ground
1 onion, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart chicken stock
1 (14 oz can) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 bunch kale, stems removed
1 (10 oz) bag tortellini

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homemade veggie ramen

homemade veggie ramen

2.25.2018

The weather today screamed for soup - and so I made ramen. Saturday was a completely gorgeous day. I checked out two trails, had a turkey sandwich picnic, and cleaned out the garden. Home run of a day. But today I woke up to gross sleet hitting the windows followed by copious amounts of rain. 

So a nice hot meal was just what the weather ordered. I ended up making ramen for a few reasons. One of which was it seemed like a good use for my leftover mushrooms, spinach and carrots. The second was my friend Meghan had made ramen recently and I could not get it out of my head. She totally knocked it out of the park.

A few takeaways on this recipe:

• It is a phenomenal dumping ground for all the vegetables in your fridge or freezer. I could have made nearly this entire meal from my cabinets. All I needed was the actual ramen noodles.
• There is a difference between "easy ramen" and "ramen". I went with easy and while it was delicious it was just not as salty as ramen normally is. You need miso.
• I'm curious how this will be for leftovers. See this meal was for 2 people, but I am just 1. Let's see how that goes tomorrow night.
• Super fast! I think I had this pulled together in less than 20 minutes. 

Here's how it goes.

1. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic and ginger; stir fry for 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the broth and the water. Bring to a simmer; add the mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened and the broth is flavorful.
2. Add the instant noodles to the hot liquid and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the noodles have softened. Add the scallions and stir to combine. 
3. Remove from heat, stir in the spinach and carrots
4. In a skillet, drizzle sesame oil and toss in some panko flakes. Saute until the panko flakes toast to a light brown.
5. Portion the ramen into bowls and top with crunchy panko crumbs and pea shoots.

Shopping List

sesame oil
3 teaspoons grated ginger
4 teaspoons grated garlic
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
handful of mushrooms

1 package instant ramen noodles only
1/2 cup chopped scallions or chives
2 cup chopped spinach
1 cup grated carrots

handful of pea shoots
crunchy golden panko flakes

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moroccan turkey stew

moroccan turkey stew

2.01.2018

It feels like everything I've been making recently has chick peas. When I went to the grocery store this weekend, I bought four cans of chick peas. So I need to find a way to pull back on this and add in some other substitutes. But in the meantime, this moroccan turkey stew is delicious.

I found the recipe on the same website that I discovered the spaghetti squash primavera and tomato chick pea soup. While it isn't exactly low in sodium, it is delicious. I pulled it together in very short order after a pretty busy Sunday. The original recipe called for using a slow cooker which I wasn't interested in doing. If I was already going to brown the meat in skillet, I might as well just cook the whole thing in one pot and call it a day.

I'll admit I was a little apprehensive about the spices as I was adding them to the pot. I don't think I've ever used more than a pinch of paprika... never mind 2 teaspoons. But it is so tasty - so just toss caution to the wind and make this soup. Here's how it goes.

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot to medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion and garlic. Saute until onions melt down become more translucent. Then add in the carrots, celery, and pepper.
2. Cook for about 5 minutes or so.
3. Add in the ground turkey and break up the meat. Cook until you no longer see pink meat. 
4. Add in diced tomatoes, chick peas, spices, broth and gently mix well. 
5. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or so. The longer you let it simmer the more the flavors will develop.

Shopping List

olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp poblano pepper, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 lb package 93% lean ground turkey
28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) cans chick peas, drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander
2 bay leaves
2 tsp coarse salt

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french onion soup

french onion soup

1.06.2018

My dad loves french onion soup. He's absolutely an onion guy. I am absolutely not an onion girl. I think it combines two of his favorite things: onions and cheese. So when I was in the kitchen and making this soup for my grandfather... and he asked me if I was making french onion soup.... I knew I had to make a batch for him.

I've always heard that french onion soup was pretty easy. It has very few ingredients. As a result, it makes the actual cooking more important. Problems are not just solved by adding a spice or lemon juice, its about the fundamentals. Maybe. I don't know.

Overall, this soup got pretty good reviews. While I gave it to him for Christmas, he didn't actually eat it until this week during the blizzard. (Thanks to the vacuum freezer bags!) Here are a few notes:

• less bread // original recipe called for a piece of toast on the bottom and top of the bowl. According to my dad, this was just too much bread. Just go for the top. 
• croutons v bread // while we are on bread, I went with croutons instead of a single piece of toast. It was the same amount of bread but I like to think it made the soup easier to eat.
• more onion // when I asked for critical feedback, there was none.... but when I demanded it, he suggested more onion. This is absolutely a personal taste thing. If you like more onion, just reduce the stock to 4 cups. If you want more broth, go with the 6 cups.
• freezer safe! // always good to have a new soup that makes it through the freezer well.

Here's how it goes.

Make the Soup

1. Slice & segment 3 pounds of onions.
2. Melt together the butter and olive oil in a large stockpot.
3. Crush and peel the garlic. You don't have to mince it; it will caramelize and turn soft and sweet as it cooks. Caramelize the garlic in the olive oil and butter.
4. Pour in the onionsand stir around just until the onions are all coated in the olive oil/butter.
5. Add in the thyme and the bay leaf and let the onions caramelize, about 20 minutes.
6. Once the onions are caramelized and have cooked down, pour in the stock (about 4-6 cups) and beer. Simmer uncovered for between 1-3 hours.

Assemble!

1. Cut your bread into small croutons. Roast in the oven with a bit of olive oil until lightly brown and toasty. Pull from the oven and sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. Preheat your broiler. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the soup.
3. Arrange your oven-safe individual serving bowls on a baking tray.
4. Add the soup to the bowls and then make a single layer of croutons on the top. 
5. Cover the toasty croutons with lots of cheese. Make sure to use a melty one (e.g. gouda or mozzarella).
6. Broil for a few minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbling on top. Garnish with a little fresh thyme, and serve.

Shopping List

3 pounds onions
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 generous pinch of salt
a few good grinds of black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4-6 cups beef stock
2 cups beer
Sourdough Bread

1/2 cup EACH of gouda, gruyere, parmesan & pecorino

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tomato carrot soup

tomato carrot soup

12.31.2017

We are in the midst of a big run of freezing cold days. The weather man said that it was going to be the coldest stretch in 100 years or something like that. So it's really cold.

Despite the temperature, I took a few longer walks yesterday. The first one was at Bouve Conservation in Hingham for about two miles. I was cold but nothing crazy. But towards the end of the day, I took Ruby for another walk through the neighborhood. When we got back I felt absolutely chilled to the bone. In spite of my electric blanket and hot fire, it took a solid hour to feel warm again. It was about 30 minutes in that I knew I needed tomato soup.

I had some carrots leftover from making this soup earlier in the vacation. I googled to make sure it wasn't a terrible idea to combine tomatoes and carrots - turns out it wasn't. Many of the recipes I looked at added cream but I held off. Not only did I not have cream, but I was trying to keep it healthier.

End result? A slightly chunkier soup. Sweet flavor due to the carrots. Perfect for sourdough bread.

Here's how it goes.

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Chop carrots, drizzle with olive oil, and lay on a sheet pan. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or so.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a dutch oven or pot to medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Cook until the onions become translucent. Then add in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
4. When the carrots are done, add them to the pot to combine. Then use your immersion blender (or regular blender) to puree the soup.
5. Add back to the pot to keep warm until you are ready to eat.
6. Serve with torn basil ... and perhaps a sourdough grilled cheese.

Shopping List
1 lb carrots
1 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 small onion, diced or sliced
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
handful of basil, torn

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chickpea tomato soup with rosemary

chickpea tomato soup with rosemary

12.26.2017

It is probably a bit odd but I gave this soup as a Christmas gift to my grandfather. A gift should be something that you thoughtfully picked out just for that person. It should be influenced by your relationship .... and that's how we get soup as a Christmas gift.

My grandfather is incredibly strict with his diet. It's low sodium to the heavens and overall very healthy - but not incredibly diverse. So, a brand new easy soup felt like a good addition to his freezer. I was doing some googling for low sodium recipes and found this gem. I loved that it was more of a tomato soup but with the added protein coming from chick peas. I have no idea how he feels about chick peas, but I know he does not like kale. This recipe also has kale in it .... but it is good for you! 

All in, this comes together rather quickly initially - but really requires that extra bonus rosemary simmering time. The kitchen smelled so amazing with all the tomato and rosemary goodness happening. I'll absolutely be making another batch of this soup soon. Perfect "take to work and buy a crusty roll" option for winter lunches.

Here's how it goes.

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 6 to 8 minutes. 
2. Add the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Add the rosemary, basil and bay leaves, cover and cook on low 30 minutes. 
3. Add the greens, cover and simmer until wilted, about 2 minutes. 
4. Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired. 

Shopping List

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
fresh black pepper, to taste
2 cups fresh baby kale or spinach 

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butternut squash turkey chili

butternut squash turkey chili

12.11.2017

We had our first snow this past weekend ... which pretty much had me craving all things hot with tomatoes and meat. Options lead to meatballs or chili. I had a pretty long day of looking at appliances at multiple appliance stores... so a low impact chili was the winner.

In the effort to try and switch it up, I pulled back on all the things that have made past chilis amazing: red meat. I swapped out the ground beef and hot Italian sausage for a simple ground turkey. I went heavy on the tomatoes and added in butternut squash. I love the changes.

Some chilis feel a bit sinful in how flavorful they are. Like you know it is loaded up with red meat, then you top it with sour cream and shredded cheese.... and it's amazing. This is a much lighter option. I can't guarantee that it is healthier but it is a good option. 

1. Preheat oven to 400F. This is for your butternut squash
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes, then add the turkey, and stir until crumbly and no longer pink.
3. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, and tomato paste
4. season with chili powder and cumin. 
5. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer.
6.  until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
7. Lay your butternut squash out on a sheet pan and drizzle in olive oil. Roast in the oven until tender. Depending on the size of your pieces, it could be anywhere between 20-45 minutes.
8. Serve your chili in bowls and mix in the butternut squash. If needed, add a bit of sour cream - you won't regret it.

Shopping List
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into thin slices
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
2-3 cups chopped butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice)
1 cup chicken broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid

1 (15 ounce) can chick peas
6 oz can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin

sour cream

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butternut squash soup

butternut squash soup

11.26.2017

As previously documented, I was responsible for brining two things to Thanksgiving Dinner. Cranberry Sauce... and Butternut Squash. The cranberry sauce went much better than the squash. The squash was too lumpy and unimpressive. I tried to fix it by adding candied walnuts and that was really just a bandaid for a bad dish.

So at the end of the meal, I packed them up and figured I'd try and turn it into soup. The soup was a far greater success than anticipated - and incredibly easy considering I already had a good start on the squash. Squash soup is pretty decent but can be boring or bland. This soup was the opposite of that thanks to the extras that I added: pomegranate, fried sage, and a dash of sour cream.

In the past, I've always just defaulted to adding croutons to a soup but these were great ways to add not only a little extra heft to the meal - but also texture and flavor.

Here's how it goes.

1. Combine squash and chicken stock in a pot on the stove. Stir to begin blending the two ingredients together.
2. In a skillet, sautee chopped garlic and then add to the squash pot. 
3. Blend the ingredients together using either a blender or an immersion blender.
4. Reheat before serving if necessary.
5. For the toppings, drop a tablespoon on sour cream on your soup and then swirl it with a knife. Then add in your pomegranate seeds and fried sage.

Shopping List
3 cups butternut squash
3-4 cups chicken stock
2 cloves garlic
sour cream
pomegranate seeds
sage
butter

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Roasted Broccoli Soup

Roasted Broccoli Soup

10.29.2017

I had broccoli cheddar soup the other day for lunch and it was pretty solid - but like grocery store solid, not like "make at home" solid. It reminded me that I had this recipe flagged from last winter but had not gotten around to it. To be clear, this is absolutely not a broccoli cheddar soup. It's a far healthier version.

This soup is loaded with vegetables and has zero cream in it. In fact, it doesn't have cheddar either. Except for when I decided to cheat and sprinkle a little cheddar on as a topping. But, it is incredibly easy to make. I did this on like a Tuesday night after work and commuting home. I was half planning on just making an egg sandwich and then realized I bought the broccoli over the weekend. Broccoli soup it is.

Here's how it goes.

1. Prep the broccoli and lay on a sheet pan. Quarter the shallot and add to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast at 425 for about 25 minutes. Turning as needed.
2. Reserve about 1/4 cup of broccoli to the side (this is for topping).
3. Add the roasted ingredients, spinach, chicken stock, and parmesan to the blender. Blend until evenly pureed.
4. Add to a pot and heat until warm. Squeeze the juice of one lemon, and zest in the pot before serving.
5. Serve!

Shopping List
1 1/4 pound broccoli
2 cup spinach
1 shallot
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 parmesan
1 lemon

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cauliflower asparagus chowder

cauliflower asparagus chowder

2.20.2017

One of the best parts about living in the North End was being close to Haymarket. While the produce was not always amazing, being able to buy bargain priced vegetables was amazing - especially for soup. Appearance does not matter when you are putting blending that right up. Soup tends to be a really affordable meal in general - especially at Haymarket prices.

So when I saw cauliflower was on sale last week, I jumped at the chance to buy it. I was used to paying $1 ... and real grocery store pricing is around $3.50. It might sound crazy to be excited over saving 75 cents but that's almost equal to one blueberry donut. And I love blueberry donuts.

I was originally intending on making this cauliflower red pepper chowder from Food52 - but realized the expiration date for my asparagus was approaching faster. So asparagus cauliflower chowder it is! My all-time favorite cauliflower soup kicks off by heavily roasting the cauliflower to give it some amazing flavor. This soup takes a pretty different approach - no roasting. As a result, I was pretty worried that it would be a bit bland however, I was totally wrong. The soup has some really great chowder type flavors. The asparagus is pretty subtle too because I only used half a bunch left.

Here's how it goes:

1. In a pot over medium high heat, sauté the onion and garlic with olive oil for a few minutes. Typical soup stuff.
2. Add in the cauliflower, asparagus, potato, chicken stock, bay leaf, coriander, and cumin. Stir until well blended. Cover and let boil for about 15 minutes or until the potato is significantly softened.
3. Add the milk. Carefully transfer the soup to the blender - and puree in batches. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf. My blender is big enough that I could have done this all at once - but just be patient. This soup is pretty thick so you'll potentially need to add some water here which is fine. I needed to add about 1/2 cup but could have gone up to 3/4 cup without issue. Just add as much as needed to get your desired consistency.
4. Serve with shaved parmesan - and maybe some remaining asparagus if you feel so inclined.

Shopping List
2 cups cauliflower (approx. 1/2 head)
1/2 - 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 yukon gold potato, chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 water
parmesan to taste

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Hominy Chili

Hominy Chili

2.05.2017

 
I had never cooked with hominy until today - and I'm pretty excited to do it again soon. After New Years, I had stumbled upon a Whole 30 chili recipe that featured hominy. I had no idea what it was so I pretty immediately clicked away. Then I saw it in the grocery store and couldn't find that chili recipe ever again. Devastated. I gave up trying to find that unicorn of recipe and just found a replacement.

I adapted this recipe a bit but was pretty excited to use two things from my freezer: ground meat and chopped garden peppers. The original recipe has much more of a Mexican influence with some adobo flavors - but I wasn't interested in going to the store on Superbowl Sunday for one ingredient.

I really liked how this chili came out and it's pretty different that my other chilis. It's much more simple and perhaps a bit lighter. A bowl of it doesn't feel as hearty but not in a bad way. Chili is such a great winter meal but sometimes feels like a bit much. This feels just right - and I know it is only going to taste better with each passing day. That's the magic of chili. Also, I've now written "chili" eight times.

Here's how it goes.

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Brown half the ground turkey with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in half the garlic and half the chili powder and sauté for another 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer turkey to a bowl. Brown remaining turkey in same manner, transferring it to bowl with rest of turkey.
2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot and sauté onions, bell peppers and jalapeño peppers with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Return ground turkey and any liquid in bowl to pot and add tomato purée, hominy, beans, beer, chipotles, oregano and bay leaves with 3 cups water. Simmer chili, partly covered, until it is thick enough for your taste, about 1 hour. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges.

Shopping List

olive oil

1 - 1.5 pounds ground meat (pork / beef combo)
salt & pepper
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 large Spanish onions, chopped
1.5 cups peppers, chopped

1 jalapeño peppers, to taste, seeded and chopped
1 14-ounce can tomato purée
1 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained
1 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained
1 12-ounce bottle beer
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Sour cream, for serving
5 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced, for serving

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butternut apple soup

butternut apple soup

Note: This post has been written and sitting in my draft folder for a week. The pictures came out crummy and I kept thinking I would re-take them... and I didn't. So here they are in all their blurry glory.
A few weeks ago we decided over a group text chain to start a book club. We being my sister and my cousin. The group is very exclusive and small. I offered to cook dinner because clearly that would be a good role for me - and also leftovers for the week. However, after barely touching the book for two weeks I suddenly had about 18 hours to finish it. The time crunch affected how much energy I had to put towards an amazing meal.

When I was thinking about dinner, I was going at it with the lens of "what is also still in my freezer?". Answer = chopped butternut squash. This soup turned out fairly decent despite clearly being a smorgasbord of ingredients. It feels very healthy because there is no cream, salt, or other naughty things included. After serving it out, the soup did thicken a bit and honestly had the consistency of baby food. So before freezing my other portions, I added a little bit of chicken stock and reheated to blend the flavors together.

Reasons you should make this soup:

• Lots of veggies // If you have a goal to eat more veggies each day, this will help you do it. 
• FAST // I made this while speed-reading through my book club book. For some reason, this also felt a lot easier than other blended soups. 
• Toppings // A simple soup like this really requires toppings - like at a sundae bar. I whipped up some quick sourdough croutons but you could do so many things here like toasted pepitos, bread, or some kale chips. Honestly, I think you could also add in some rotisserie chicken if you had it on hand.

Here's how it goes.

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 6 ingredients and cook 5 minutes. Add just enough broth to cover vegetables and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Using a food processor or blender, carefully process soup and broth, in small batches, until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot and stir in additional until desired consistency is achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Shopping List (adapted from this Food52 recipe)
extra virgin olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

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