cauliflower soup

so, this post is kind of a cheat, as i am stealing the pictures and recipe from another site (one of the prettiest recipe sites i have found), sunday suppers.  i could honestly stare at the pictures on this blog all day, they are so beautiful.  they also do reviews of little markets, delis and restaurants in NY, which is always fun to see as well.  i made this soup on valentine's day and it is delicious.  i am already dreaming of making it again.

Cauliflower Soup
Serves 4

1 head cauliflower, separated in to medium size pieces
1 onion, diced
3 c chicken stock
¼ c heavy cream (allie speier told me she made it with milk and said it is still delicious)
3 sage leaves
salt and pepper

Boil cauliflower florets in chicken stock until soft. Sautee onions separately and add to cauliflower mixture. Add cream, sage salt and pepper and reduce by half.
Remove sage leaves and add cream mixture to blender. Puree on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chive oil and parmesan crisp.

Parmesan Crisps
Cover a baking sheet with parchment. Place tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese on parchment and spread each out with a spoon into small flat circles. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-6 minutes.

Chive Oil

Blanch 2 bunches of chives, Dry on paper towels. Blend in a blender with 1 cup of good olive oil. Strain through a fine sieve.

so, what is on everyone's menu for the week?  

tomato soup and grilled cheese

i used the following recipe to make tomato soup the other night at jack's request.  i altered it based on ingredients i already had, so as to avoid a trip to the store and i think it still turned out delicious (i actually prefer basil to thyme, so i might have made that substitution anyway).  the kids all loved it and especially loved dipping their grilled cheese in it.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. plum tomatoes, cored and halved (i used canned tomatoes and was able to completely skip roasting them, although i am sure that is the tastier way to go...  i was going for quick and convenient).  
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs  (i used chopped basil instead)
• 4 garlic cloves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 5 Tbs. olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup mascarpone cheese (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
    cheese (optional)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 4 slices country-style bread, toasted (we made grilled cheese instead of toast)

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 275°F.

Arrange the tomato halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Scatter the thyme sprigs and garlic on top of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Roast until the tomatoes have dried slightly and some of the skins have burst, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, stir together the mascarpone and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pass the roasted tomatoes through a tomato press according to the manufacturers instructions. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, stock and bread and simmer for 5 minutes.

Using a stick blender or blender, puree the soup and season with salt and pepper. Divide the soup among 6 warmed soup bowls and top each with a dollop of the cheese mixture.

Serves 6.

sorry to be kind of a cheater by not following the recipe and make it more confusing by still posting it.  i figured there might be people who likes to follow recipes more exactly.  otherwise, just make any tomato soup recipe you love.  

Soup Week: Spinach, White Bean and Italian Sausage Soup

This is one of the tastiest soups ever. The recipe comes from my aunt Mary Dooley, who once told me that if you like to cook, you have to like to eat. So true. Kids love it, especially when you substitute some macaroni or little pasta for some of the beans!! I'm not a big bean person myself and can never bring myself to use 4 cans.

1 lb. Italian sausage
10 large garlic cloves
20 oz. spinach, (2 10 oz. bags)(or frozen)
4 cans white beans (cannelini or Great Northern)
3 cans chicken broth
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes (pass at table if desired)

Brown sausage in bite size chunks, first removing casing if link-style. Drain on paper towel. Wash spinach well and dry; chop into 2 inch pieces. In a large soup pot, saute garlic in olive oil until softened. Add spinach and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally until wilted. Drain and rinse beans. Add to pot, along with chicken broth. Bring to gentle boil. (This is where I throw in some pasta and extra water). Cook 10-15 min. Add parmesan and sausage and heat through. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serve with crusty bread and extra parmesan cheese! Serves 8

photo credit: eatshowandtell.com

Still Soup Week: Tortilla Soup!

Ok, so I'm a little late for Soup Week, but we are actually having our first soup weather, and I made this last week so it should qualify! It's kind of a combo of a Burch family recipe (from Aunt Cathy via one of Darrell's newsletters I think) and a Williams-Sonoma recipe.

6 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 small tomatoes, diced (or 1 can diced)
1 jalapeno, seeded, and finely choopped
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1 chicken breast
2 cans chicken broth
2 Tblsp. oregano
1 Tblsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 cup water
FOR SERVING:
tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, grated cheese, cilantro

Saute first four ingredients in olive oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Boil for 1 hour. Remove chicken from bone and cut up into bite-size pieces. To serve, put broke up tortilla chips on bottom of individual servings. Top with cilantro, grated cheese, sour cream and avocado.

I've also made this with leftover turkey or chicken bones... cover with water and boil for a while to get your own broth. Good way to eke another meal out of a roast chicken/turkey.

photo credit: williams-sonoma.com

online cooking group - week two: butternut squash soup

i used a combination of this recipe (from the barefoot contessa) and general tips from my sister-in-law christine to create this delicious butternut squash soup. my ingredients are going to be a little all over the place, so this might be a good recipe for someone who likes to wing it, not for someone who needs to follow exact directions (the ina garten recipe might be better for you). i will do my best though...

ingredients:

2 T olive oil

2 large onions

2 butternut squash

2 apples (i had gala on hand...)

1 T thyme (or seasoning of your choice)

salt and pepper, to taste

about 2-4 cups water (or chicken stock)

heavy cream or half and half (i didn't have either, so i just stirred in a little extra sour cream to each bowl when i served it to make it creamier)

optional: honey, spinach, bacon, sour cream, lemon
Directions

Warm the olive oil, onions and thyme in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks. (next time i might try baking the squash and then scooping it out, as i found it a little hard to peel it... turned out fine, though, so either way).

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Here I also threw in a few handfuls of spinach. (I find soup is an excellent way to get vegetables in my kids). Christine usually serves it with spinach on top, but i knew my kids wouldn't go for that, so i thought i would try this out.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add enough chicken stock or water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Here i would have liked to add some half and half or heavy cream, but didn't have either. I did add a bit of honey and some lemon juice. then seasoned it with salt and lots of pepper (pete added even more pepper when it was served... it really is good if you make it peppery). then i served it with a little sour cream and bacon pieces on top.

my whole family loved it. we had a decent amount leftover, but who doesn't love something easy for lunch the next day? i made little chicken salad sandwiches to go with it, which my kids always love, thus i found it to be a relatively easy and all around pleasing meal. any time you don't have to convince your kids to take "a few more bites" i would say it is a success.

so, i am going to make this week "soup week" on pots and peter pans and encourage everyone to share a favorite soup recipe. you don't have to make it this week if you don't want to and don't feel like you can't share just because you don't have pictures. throw down the recipe and be done. that is all the inspiration the rest of us need.