roasted butternut squash soup

i love fall/winter and the veggies that come with the season.  it is the perfect weather for enjoying a cup of warm creamy soup.

this soup is so fall to me and super creamy but does not require any cream at all...

ingredients/supplies:
-2 medium/large butternut squash
-1 onion
-2 carrots
-2 celery stalks
-28 ounces of organic chicken or veggie stock (1 box - you may need a bit more than that but you can always add a touch of water)
-3 tablespoons of olive oil
-kosher salt and pepper to taste
-a splash of apple cider vinegar
-2 cookie sheets, 1 soup pot, a sharp chef's knife and cutting board, a blender, kitchen tongs, a spatula, a metal soup spoon, measuring spoons, and an oven

-prepping/chopping
-pre-heat oven to 420 with 2 cooking racks in the top positions
-wash the 2 squash and then cut the tip and tail off - leaving 2 flat surfaces (i only cut the tip off as my tail was very flat of both of mine)
-stand the squash on its tail and slowly press your chef's knife from the middle of the tip to the tail cutting the squash in 1/2...repeat with the 2nd squash

-with a soup spoon, scoop out seeds of all 4 pieces and discard
-place the squash on cookie sheets
-pour 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil on each piece (skin side and flesh side) and sprinkle with salt

-wash, peel,  and chop carrots, celery and onion into similarly sized pieced

cooking:
-place the 2 cookie sheets with the seasoned squash in the oven and cook for about 20 mins (or until one side is roasted), then turn the squash and roast for another 20-30 mins or until soft
-place chopped carrots, celery,  and onion in a pan over medium-low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil

-cook veggies until the onions start to turn a bit translucent

-take the skin off of the squash with kitchen tongs and add to the veggies (it comes off so easily that you could do it with a fork if you don't have tongs)

-cover the veggies with stock and bring to a simmer for about 10-15 mins to blend the flavors

-blend to your desired texture...you may need to add a bit of water or stock to get the right balance creaminess

-add salt and pepper to taste

-at the very end add a splash of apple cider vinegar and stir  

to spice it up...i served this in a little mug with a touch of creme fraiche (just for color really as the soup totally does not need any dairy at all), a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and some chives...cayenne is super nice in the creamy, buttery, roasted soup and a bit of spice is always nice...

enjoy!!!

cucumber and chickpea salad

after all that baking...i am craving something crunchy and delicious...this salad is light and lovely...

ingredients/supplies:
-1-2 organic cucumbers
-1 can of organic chickpeas
-1/2 red onion
-1 lemon
-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
-kosher salt and pepper to taste
-2 bowls, a knife, a fork, and a cutting board

prepping/chopping/mixing:

prep:
-wash and dry the cucumbers and chickpeas

chop:
-slice the cucumbers into bite size pieces and place them in a bowl and set aside
-slice the red onion into thin, small pieces
-slice the lemon in 1/2

mix:
-sprinkle the cucumber with salt and set them in the frig for about 1 hour...this will expel some of the water in the cucumber to keep them extra crunchy in the salad for days
-after 1 hour, drain any excess water from the cucumbers
-in another bowl, place the extra virgin olive oil, squeeze the lemon, add the red wine vinegar, and whisk this dressing using a fork, and add salt and pepper to taste
-toss drained cucumbers, the red onion, and the chickpeas in the dressing and add more salt and pepper to taste

adding crumbled goat cheese to the mix is an amazing way to add an extra richness....also a bit of fresh thyme is also great tossed in...


enjoy!

asparagus soup

this soup screams spring to me...if you like asparagus...you will love it...

ingredients/supplies:
-2-3 bunches of organic asparagus (2 bunches if you are using thick stalks and 3 if they are a bit thinner - i recommend the thicker stalks if given a choice)
-1 small white or yellow onion (if it is a large onion - use only 1/2)
-1 shallot
-1 leek
-2 stalks of celery
-1 box (32oz) of organic, low sodium veggie or chicken broth (homemade broth or canned broth works too)
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-a dash of white vinegar
- you will need a blender or immersion blender, a soup pot, a knife, a vegetable peeler, and a cutting board...if you decide to use a few tips of the asparagus for decoration, you will also need a smaller pot for blanching the tips

prepping/chopping/cooking:

prep:
-rinse the leek and celery with water
-rinse the asparagus with water
-hold the tip of the asparagus with one hand and with the thumb of your other hand, run your thumb along the stalk until you find the natural breaking point of the end and discard it
-reserve a few asparagus tips by cutting the prettiest tips for decoration if you care to top the soup with the tips
-with the vegetable peeler, lightly peel the asparagus to remove the leaves (or spikes as i call them)
-put your pot (or pots -if you are using the tips for decoration) on the stove
-get your blender or immersion blender out

chop:
-chop the onion, celery, shallot and asparagus into 1/2 pieces - whatever shape you fancy as it will all be blended in the end
-chop the leek (first discarding the root) by chopping the white portion into rings (stop cutting at the point where the leek starts to turn light green - you will only use the white portion for this soup)

cook:
-heat the stove to medium heat and place the soup pot on the heat
-add the olive oil to the heated pot
-add the leek, celery, onion and shallot and saute until the colors turn bright and the onions look a bit translucent
-add the cut asparagus and add them to the veggies
-add the broth to just cover the veggies and stir
-lightly boil until the asparagus are tender
-if you wish to top the soup with the tips that you have set aside for decoration, you will blanch them by heating a bit of stalk in a small pot, bring the stalk to boil, and toss in the tips...boil just until the tips turn bright green, drain, and run the tips under cold water to stop the cooking process and set them aside (this process makes sure that the tips hold their color)
-use an immersion blender or blender to blend the soup to a smooth texture...you may need to add more broth to reach your desired creaminess
-add salt and pepper to taste
-add a dash of white vinegar and give a final stir

enjoy!

kale chips

i love french fries, salt and vinegar potato chips, popcorn...you get the idea.  i had to find some healthy way to satisfy these unhealthy loves of mine.  my friend travis suggested that i try making kale chips...thank god for friends and their suggestions because these are a perfect solution to my savory, salty, crunchy urges...

ingredients/supplies:
-1 bunch of organic kale
-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
-1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
-1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
-1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
-1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
-2 cookie sheets, a cutting board, a knife, a whisk, and a mixing bowl

prepping/chopping/mixing/cooking:

prepping:
-pre-heat oven to 200 degrees and place oven racks in the highest 2 positions
-wash and dry the kale
-measure the olive oil, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper, and salt and place in a large mixing bowl

chopping:
-chop kale into 1-2 inch slices discarding the non-leafy stem (no need to destem the kale this time)

mixing:
-whisk the olive oil, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper, and salt in a large mixing bowl (you may want to salt to taste here but you can always add salt at the end)
-lightly toss the kale in the dressing (you want a light coat - there will be and should be dressing left in the bowl after you toss the kale)

cooking:
-place kale on the cookie sheets in a single layer
-place cookie sheets in the pre-heated oven on the highest levels for about 40-50 mins or until the kale is potato chip crispy
-check on the kale after about 35 mins and see if you need to swap the tray positions as the highest level will cook a bit faster

i added a pinch of fleur de sel after the chips were cooked before i served them....

if you don't care for vinegar...mix it up and add your own favorite chip flavoring.  you could simply dress the kale with salt and olive oil...maybe add some parmeasan...

cooking the kale at this low temp is great for keeping more of the nutritional integrity of the kale so even though this recipe may take a bit longer than most other kale chip recipes that suggest a hotter oven temp...you will end up with a less likely to burn and healthier chip...

enjoy!

baby arugula salad

this is one of my favorite salads...it is so fresh and simple.  i serve it with a shallot and red wine vinaigrette that is so easy to make....

ingredients/supplies (makes 1 large salad or 2 small salads):
-2-3 handfuls of organic baby arugula
-1 handful of organic garbanzo beans
-1 handful of organic heirloom baby tomatoes
-1 heart of palm
-1/4 of an avocado
-dash of grated parmesan cheese
-1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
-1/3 of a shallot
-2-3 pinches of fleur de sel (or kosher salt)
-a large bowl, a whisk, a cutting board, and a knife

prepping/chopping/mixing:
i mix everything in 1 bowl...starting with the salad dressing...

prepping:
-wash and dry the arugula, tomatoes, and the garbanzo beans
-measure the extra virgin olive oil and vinegar into a mixing bowl

chopping:
-slice the tomatoes, heart of palm, and the avocado
-dice the shallot

mixing:

-whisk the olive oil and vinegar together and add the shallots and 2-3 pinches of salt

-add the arugula, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, heart of palm, avocado, parmesan cheese to the bowl and toss together 

i take this salad on the go all the time...i pack all the veggies together and keep the dressing separate in a glass jar until i am ready to eat...so filling and delish....

enjoy!

broccoli soup

this soup makes me happy...it reminds me of being a kid....

ingredients/supplies:

-2 heads of organic broccoli (if the head is larger - you may only need one)

-1 small white or yellow onion 

-2 small organic carrots

-2 stalks of organic celery

-1 box (32oz) of organic, low sodium veggie or chicken broth (homemade broth or canned broth works too)

-1 tablespoon of olive oil

-salt and pepper to taste

-dash of white vinegar

-you will need a blender or immersion blender, a soup pot, a knife and a cutting board

prepping/chopping/cooking:

prep:

-rinse the broccoli, carrot, and celery with water
-peel the carrots

-put your pot on the stove

-get your blender or immersion blender out

chop:

-chop the onion, celery, carrot into slices - whatever shape you fancy as it will all be blended in the end
-cut the broccoli off the main stalk into little flowers - or trees as they look to me
-cut the broccoli stalk into thin slices

cook:

-heat the stove to medium heat and place the pot on the heat

-add the olive oil to the heated pot

-add the carrot, celery, onion, and saute until the colors turn bright and the onions look a bit translucent

-add cut broccoli and stir together with the other veggies until the broccoli turns a bright green

-add broth just to cover veggies

-lightly boil until broccoli is tender

-use immersion blender or blender to blend to a smooth texture...you may need to add a bit more broth or water to achieve your desired texture...this is a matter of preference and play with it by adding a little more liquid at a time until you reach the smoothness you prefer. 

(if you are using a blender, make sure that you are careful when starting the blender as the steam will create a ton of pressure and the soup will explode all over you and your kitchen (and it hurts to be burned with hot soup) so make sure you are very firmly holding the lid on the blender before starting to blend)

-add salt and pepper to taste

-add a dash of white vinegar and give final stir

i topped ours with white cheddar cheese and served it for dinner....it was my low carb way of reliving my childhood love of hot broccoli soup with a white cheddar grilled sandwich.

enjoy!!

kale

kale is something that i have been trying to master for a while....the flavors were there every time I cooked it but i could not get the texture right.  my friend travis taught me a trick and it never fails to get the texture exactly perfect...

ingredients/supplies:
-1 bunch of organic kale (this serves two people as a side dish. if making for 1, make 1/2 bunch)
-1 shallot (if you are a garlic lover, substitute 1-2 cloves of garlic for the shallot)
-1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (if you like spicy food, use 2 teaspoons)
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-salt to taste
-2 dashes of red wine vinegar (optional)
-a knife, cutting board, colander, saute pan with a lid, and spatula

prepping/chopping/cooking:

prepping:
-remove the thick middle stem of the kale
(this is easy to do by holding onto the bottom of the stem and sliding your fingers along either side of the stem.  the leafy greens easily separates from the stem and rips into small pieces in the process so no additional chopping is needed)
-place leafy greens in a colander and rinse throughly.  leave excess water on kale - do not dry
(this is the trick travis taught me.  the excess water is needed for the kale to soften properly while cooking)
-place saute pan on stove

chopping:
-chop shallot or garlic into even slices (shallot is pictured)

cooking:
-heat pan on medium heat
-add olive oil to heated pan
-add shallot (or garlic)
-add red pepper flakes
-saute shallot (or garlic) and the red pepper in olive oil until the shallot is just starting to turn translucent (or the garlic just starts to turn a bit yellowish)
-add kale and saute evenly coating the kale with the oil, red pepper, and shallot (or garlic)
-add 2 pinches of salt (or salt to taste)
-once the kale is bright green (probably about 6 mins of sauteing), lower the heat low and cover for about 10 - 12 mins (make sure to stir  and check on it while it is steaming as it may take less time to soften depending on your stove)
-once the heat is off and the kale is ready, i like to stir in a dash or 2 of red wine vinegar before serving (this optional and is totally a taste preference)

kale is really yummy served as a side with quinoa or potatoes or a sweet veggie like roasted yams...it is also great in the morning with a fried egg.

if you like your greens a bit sweet (a lot of people from the south do), you can add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup to the kale at the end instead of the vinegar....i did this by accident one time...it is was pretty delicious.

enjoy!

cauliflower soup

this yummy soup reminds me of potato leek soup minus the potato....

ingredients/supplies:
-2 heads of organic cauliflower (if the head is larger - you may only need one)
-1 small white or yellow onion (if it is a large onion - use only 1/2)
-1 shallot
-1 leek
-2 stalks of celery
-1 box (32oz) of organic, low sodium veggie or chicken broth (homemade broth or canned broth works too)
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-dash of white vinegar
-you will need a blender or immersion blender, a soup pot, a knife and a cutting board

prepping/chopping/cooking:

prep:
-rinse the leek and celery with water
-cut the cauliflower off the main stalk into little flowers - or trees as they look to me - and rinse with water
-put your pot on the stove
-get your blender or immersion blender out

chop:
-chop the onion, celery, shallot into slices - whatever shape you fancy as it will all be blended in the end
-chop the leek (first discarding the root) by chopping the white portion into rings until the leek starts to turn light green (this will be the only portion used for this soup)

cook:
-heat the stove to medium heat and place the pot on the heat
-add the olive oil to the heated pot
-add the leek, celery, onion, and shallot and saute until the colors turn bright and the onions look a bit translucent
-add cut cauliflower and stir together
-add broth just to cover veggies
-lightly boil until cauliflower is tender
-use immersion blender or blender to blend to a smooth texture (if you are using a blender, make sure that you are careful when starting the blender as the steam will create a ton of pressure and the soup will explode all over you and your kitchen (and it hurts to be burned with hot soup) so make sure you are very firmly holding the lid on the blender before starting to blend)
-add salt and pepper to taste
-add a dash of white vinegar and give final stir

top with cheese (i love it with a bit of parmigiano) or truffle oil or bacon or just plain...

enjoy!