Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

For some reason, I cannot seem to get enough soup lately. Usually, I'd blame the cold weather, but Kansas City has had an absurdly mild winter so far. This recipe, as the previous, is inspired by a featured recipe on Door to Door Organics for their Good Food Made Simple Contest. As always, I put my own spin on it. First, I opted to make this soup vegan. I've been experimenting with using more whole foods, which lead to the second big change: Eliminating pre-made stock. So far, I've been pleased with my stock/broth-free adaptations. Additional bonus? Less salt in the final product!

The soup is yummy topped with croutons, cheese, or additional basil. We went with a twist on the traditional and had it with basil grilled cheese.

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into fourths
1 lb tomatoes, cut into fourths
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
2 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 stalk celery, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into fourths
4 tbs light olive oil
1/2 tbs salt
5 c water
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 large bay leaves
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
1 can lite coconut milk
additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F.

Place peppers, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, celery,and onion in a large baking dish (I used a 10x13x3 lasagna pan). Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables start to brown.

Transfer the roasted veggies and the liquid in the bottom of the baking pan to a large stock pot. Add the water, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the thyme stems (if any leaves remain attached to the stem, strip them off and return to the stock pot). Remove bay leaves. Add chopped basil and coconut milk; purée the until smooth. Return the soup to stock pot over medium-low heat for another 10 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Makes about 8 servings.

Estimated Nutritional Info: 217kcal, 19g fat, no cholesterol, 615mg sodium, 425mg potassium, 12g total carbs, 2.7g fiber, and 3g protein. Bonus: It's really high in vitamins A and C!

Back from Blogging Hiatus with Salmon Broccoli Chowder and Veg-uary!

Dear Recipe Blog:
I'm sorry I left. Please take me back.
sincerely, the Anti-Chef.

I've been away for so long....that was never my intention, but that pesky thing called Life (outside the kitchen) demanded my undivided attention for quite awhile. I've been keeping chicken-scratch notes of my cooking adventures that I hope to share with my corner of the internet, but that will take some time. More immediate is....

Veg-uary.

Let me explain. My oldest spawn mentioned wanting to try a vegetarian diet. I haven't done the vegetarian thing in awhile, so I decided we could do it together. We picked February to be vegetarians (hence "Veg-uary"). Several people expressed an interest in doing this with us, so I made a Facebook group for everyone to join for support and ideas. The group is open to anyone, so if you feel this is something you'd like to partake in, feel free! I'm excited to revisit some of my favorite non-meat recipes, as well as create a few more along the way.

On the not-so-vegetarian side of things, I made salmon chowder today. The weather has turned (finally!), and nothing says winter comfort food like a nice, thick, hearty soup. My original inspiration is a salmon corn chowder from Door to Door Organics (my organic co-op of choice). I've done a considerable amount of editing as I'm not a big corn fan, nor did I have vegetable stock on hand. I hope you enjoy my debut recipe of 2012!

Salmon Broccoli Chowder

Ingredients:
4 tbs light olive oil
1 small head of broccoli
1 lb salmon filets
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs oil of choice (I use coconut oil)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp anchovie paste
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 stalk oregano
2 cups milk
6 cups water
3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 large bay leaves
1 dash hot sauce of choice
parsley to garnish, if desired

Directions:

Coat broccoli and salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place broccoli on one side of a baking sheet and put in the oven. With the broccoli in the oven, preheat oven to 375F. Once the oven is preheated, add the salmon filets to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes per inch of the salmon's thickness. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat oil of choice over medium-high heat. Saute onions and carrots until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add celery, garlic, anchovie paste, thyme, and oregano; saute another minute.

Add milk, water, potatoes, bay leaves, a teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and lightly boil until potatoes are very soft--about 20 minutes.

Once the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaves and herb stems (if not previously removed). Blend soup until smooth, then return to pot over medium-low heat.

Flake the salmon, discarding the skin. Cut the broccoli into florets. Stir salmon, broccoli, and hot sauce into the soup and heat another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste, garnish with parsley (if desired), and serve.

Makes 8 1-1/2 cup servings, Roughly 290kcal, 12.5g fat (half of which is monounsaturated), 1100mg potassium, 24g total carbs, 5g fiber, and 20g protein.

Raw January Day 25 /26: Spicy Winter Veggie Soup

Mmmm....soup. I have to say, steamy soups and slow-stewed veggies are what I've missed the most during this experimental month. I mean, what was I thinking going raw in the month of January?

The good news is this has sparked my creativity more and forced me to come up with alternate ways to get that warm feeling in my belly. This soup is one of them. I had decided after butchering a kabocha square that came in my organic box that the silly thing wasn't worth it. There was a lot of hacking and chopping and at the end all I had was barely a cup of usable flesh. Originally this was going to be a squash/mango soup; however, I was discouraged. My eyes turned to the half a head of cauliflower, and I thought, "Why the hell not?" Into my dear, sweet Cuisinart it went with the rest of the ingredients I had assembled. A few taste-tests later, and

here you have it.

I imagine any winter squash would do....butternut comes to mind, of course. The heat from the serrano does a nice job of giving the feeling of warmth without over-powering the soup. I think this would also make a nice take on bruschetta (but hey, I think everything is better on bread!).

In other news, my new toy arrived today. I have two more nights at the job (and a desperate need to rearrange the kitchen) before I can use it, but needless to say I am very excited to set it up (right angles, people....right angles!).

Winter Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 kabocha squash, seeds removed, peeled, cut into 1" cubes (or about 1 cup of your favorite, easier to butcher squash)

1/2 cauliflower, cored, cut into 1" cubes

1 mango, peeled, core removed, cut into 1" cubes

1 serrano pepper, stem removed, seeds intact

8 fresh basil leaves

juice of 1/2 a lime

1/2 tbs dried lemongrass

1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbs almond milk

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse the squash and cauliflower until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and process until puréed. The soup will have the consistency of cream of wheat cereal; if necessary add a tablespoon or so of water to achieve this texture (I didn't need it). Chill for at least two hours, then serve. Makes about eight 1-cup servings.

Raw January Day 1 -- Cucumber Cilantro Soup

I started my raw food experiment yesterday, the second of January. As I had some very tasty Indian leftovers from New Year's, I couldn't very well start on the first ;).

Yesterday and today have been filled with prep work. I made a half-gallon batch of almond milk, juiced a ton of oranges, and started some cashew cheese (we'll see how that turns out in a few days). I also gutted a few young coconuts. Today I'm going to use the almond pulp from the milk to attempt to make some raw bread (again, we'll see how that works out!), marinate and dehydrate some veggies for future use, and attempt to make an Ethiopian inspired dish for dinner tonight. More will be forth-coming on that endeavor! I'm also going to play with a batch of raw sun-dried olives and see what I can come up with.

My meals yesterday consisted of:

• Breakfast: A smoothie made from almond milk, pineapple, and hemp seed
• Lunch: Asian kelp salad and cucumber soup (recipe below!)
• Dinner: A very tasty meal at Sushi Gin of sashemi and seaweed salad (see photos)

Not too bad, if you ask me! Snacking through the day consisted of flax crackers and my first attempt at raw hummus (which needs some tweaking), tomato slices, and a pear.

So far, I'm finding that planning is absurdly essential when it comes to raw fooding. Also, I need a bigger kitchen. I see some rearranging in my very near future....but for now, my latest recipe--

raw, vegan, super-quick, and very refreshing!

Cucumber Cilantro Soup

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers, cut into 1" pieces

2 tbs lemon juice

1" peel of lemon (or 1 tsp of zest)

1 tbs fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp salt, to taste

2 tbs tahini

2 tbs coconut milk

2 green onion, chopped

jalapeno, to taste (I used a 1" piece)

water, if necessary to thin soup (add a tablespoon at a time)

4 tbs fresh cilantro

Directions:

Blend together all ingredients except the cilantro until smooth. Add cilantro and pulse until well combined. If desired, garnish with extra pepper slices and cilantro. I also splashed a little Chipotle Tabasco on my bowl (not raw, but it's damn tasty!). Serves 2.

Big Pot of Chili and Jalapeño Beer Bread

As part of my preparation for my raw experiment in January, I'm trying to cook everything that I will most likely crave in the wee weeks of the year. One of those things is a steaming hot bowl of meat-ful chili and a thick slice of toasted bread.

Also, I wanted to try out my shiny new Cuisinart. Formerly when I wanted ground beef, I'd pick up the cut of meat I wanted then have the butcher grind it down for me (I have a very serious aversion to pre-packaged ground beef....I mean, really, who knows what is put in there?). With the powerful new processor on my counter, I can grind my own meat. Yay! These are the things that make me happy....

So here it is....a HUGE pot of chili. I wasn't thinking clearly when I decided to grind one pound each of chicken and beef (instead of total). The result is enough chili to feed a small army....or just my family for two nights.

The bread was a vehicle to help me get rid of an insane number of jalapeños from my parents' garden. I still have quite a few, but at least this made a dent!

Big Pot o' Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb chuck roast, placed in freezer for about an hour

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, placed in freezer for about an hour

4 tbs butter

1 tbs dried marjoram

1 tbs dried savory

1 tbs mustard seed

1 tbs caraway seed

1 tbs peppercorns

1 tsp salt

1 tbs chili powder

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 6oz can tomato paste

4 15oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained

2 c water

2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbs Chipotle Tabasco sauce

additional salt and pepper

greek yogurt and fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions:

Cut the beef and chicken into 1" cubes. In a food processor, pulse until ground to desired consistency.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add the ground meat and allow to brown. In a spice grinder, combine marjoram, savory, mustard, caraway, and pepper; grind into powder. Add ground spices, salt, and chili powder to the browning meat and stir to combine.

Once the meat is mostly brown, add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Allow to cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat ingredients. Pour in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add kidney beans and Tabasco. Stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If needed, add additional salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle into individual bowls and top with a spoonful of greek yogurt and some chopped parsley. Makes a whopping 16 servings of chili!

Jalapeño Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 c unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c roasted jalapeños, diced

1 c shredded smoked cheddar

1 12oz bottle beer

1/2 c butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add the jalapeños and cheese. Pour the beer into the mixing bowl and stir until blended. Pour mixture into a greased 9" loaf pan and pour melted butter over the top of the loaf. Bake one hour or until golden brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and cool an additional 10 minutes before slicing. Makes one spicy loaf of bread that is perfect for dipping into soup or sandwiching for grilled cheese with a kick.

Roasted Broccoli Cheese Soup

Winter is fast approaching, and soup is on the brain. Some might suggest that there are those of us that have soup for brains, but that's an entirely different conversation.

Actually....maybe that's what zombies are really after....

Anyway, here's a soup I made last weekend. It's warm, creamy, and delicious. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1 head garlic, cut in half

2 lb head of fresh broccoli

1 tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, plus additional to taste

3 tbs butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

1/2 tbs fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)

2 tbs flour

2 c vegetable stock

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 c whole milk

1 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Brush cut surfaces of garlic lightly with oil. Cut broccoli stems into 1/2-inch slices; cut florets into slightly larger pieces. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with remaining oil. Spread broccoli and garlic in a single layer on a large baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring about ten minutes through.

When the broccoli is halfway through roasting, melt butter over medium heat in a medium stock pot. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add thyme and sauté an additional minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to create a paste. Whisk in half the stock and bring to a simmer.

When broccoli is tender and lightly browned, remove from oven and place about 1 cup of the florets into the stock pot. Place remaining broccoli into a food processor. Squeeze the garlic from peels into the food processor with the broccoli and purée with the remaining stock. Pour puréed broccoli into the pot. Stir in the cayenne and milk and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Allow to simmer for five minutes.

Stir in the cheese until completely incorporated and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Makes 4 servings. If desired, garnish with paprika and/or croutons.

Tomato-Cauliflower Soup with Thai Flavors

'Tis the season....no, I'm not following the lead of certain radio stations and starting my caroling in November. The next line in this particular ditty would say something witty about soup, for that is what our new-found freezing temperatures has me in the mood for. Well, that and the (also new) sore throat....

This is a product of another fridge-busting attempt. It's easy, soothing, and satisfying. The cauliflower lends a creaminess and body to the soup, which was a nice surprise. I had my bowl with a grilled cheese sandwich that I also infused a bit o' the Thai into by rubbing the bread with garlic and lime, adding cilantro and garlic-chili sauce to the insides, and grilling in a mixture of coconut and sesame oils. Did I just create an Asian fusion comfort food? I think so!

Tomato-Cauliflower Soup with Thai Flavor

Ingredients:

2 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs coriander seeds

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp ginger, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 -28oz can crushed tomatoes with basil

1/2 head of cauliflower florets

2 tsp garlic-chili sauce (more or less, to adjust heat)

1 tsp agave nectar

3 c water

2 lime wedges

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped (if desired)

Directions:

In a large stock pot combine the oil and coriander. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the onions and cook another 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper; cook 3 more minutes. Transfer onion combination to a blender and pureé.

Return pureéd mixture to pot and add tomatoes, cauliflower, chili sauce, agave, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer until the cauliflower is soft, about 20 minutes. Add lime wedges and simmer 5 more minutes.

Remove from heat and discard the lime wedges. In batches, pureé the soup in a blender until the desired consistency is reached (I like to leave about one-fourth of the soup "as is" for a chunkier texture). Season with additional salt and black pepper and garnish with cilantro, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

It's fall (my favorite season!), which means sometimes all a girl needs is a comforting bowl of soup, and what's more comforting than chicken soup? While all ingredients can be prepared fresh, I admit that I cheated some. I used one can (drained) of wild rice to avoid dirtying a second pot; I also used the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. After all, there is little comfort to be had in a meal that you know you'll have to clean multiple pans after! Using my shortcuts turns this into a one pot meal.

I served this with some slices of Italian bread topped with fresh grilled tomatoes.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

5 tbs butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

4 tbs flour

1/2 tbs fresh cracked pepper

6 c chicken stock

1 c milk

1 c heavy cream

3 cups prepared chicken, cubed

8 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tbs fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 c prepared wild rice

salt to taste

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a large stock pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, celery, and carrot and saute an additional 5 minutes. Stir in flour until thickenedy; add pepper.

Stir in stock, milk, and cream. Add chicken, thyme sprigs, oregano, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fish out the thyme sprigs and strip the leaves off; return the thyme leaves to the soup and discard the stems. Add rice and simmer another 15 minutes. Salt to taste; stir in parsley just before serving. Makes about 8 servings of soup.

Shrimp Diablo and Chilled Avocado Soup

Hot and cold, spicy and mild....this duo lends credence to the old saying "opposites attract." The shrimp is marinated in a puree that includes the infamous habanero chili pepper; one whole pepper gave me exactly the spice I wanted without obliterating the flavor of the shrimp. Of course, a milder pepper could be substituted--or just omit the chili altogether and go all the way with the garlic chili sauce. When handling hot peppers, remember to wash your hands well immediately after. Not only do you want to avoid getting the pepper's oils in your eyes, but you also want to avoid touching anything else. I can't tell you how many times I've ended up with burning eyes because I went straight from chopping block to the computer. Trust me, capsaicin lasts a long time on hard surfaces.

The soup is a chilled vegan soup that can easily be adapted to a raw recipe. The creamy cooling action of the avocado and sour coconut cream (recipe here!) tame the spicy kick of the shrimp beautifully. If you choose to serve the soup alone, I'd recommend kicking the cayenne up a notch to help bring out the avocado and lime.

In the interest of time-management, I made the soup first so it would chill the necessary amount of time. Once the soup is in the fridge, I prepped the rest of the ingredients and got the shrimp into the marinade. The corn can be prepared during the last 15 minutes of the shrimp's marinating time, and then all that is left to worry about is babysitting the crustaceans so they don't overcook. After that it's just a matter of whisking the soup ingredients together and plating!

Shrimp Diablo

Ingredients:

2 tbs lime juice

1 tbs garlic chili sauce

1/2 to 1 whole habanero pepper

1 tsp cayenne powder

1 tbs oil (chili infused, if desired)

1 lb large raw shrimp, peeked and deveined

Directions:

Place all ingredients except the shrimp into the blender and puree. Combine sauce and shrimp in a freezer bag and marinate for 30 minutes.

Skewer shrimp, if desired. Grill or broil about 5 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes each side. Serves 4.

Chilled Avocado Soup with Warm Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados

2 tbs lime juice

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chilled

1 shallot, minced

3 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne powder, or to taste

1 tbs butter or olive oil

1 c corn kernels

1/2 tsp lime zest

1/2 tsp cumin

1/3 c red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups coconut sour cream

salt and pepper, to taste

chili oil, if desired to finish

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, puree the avocados with the lemon juice until smooth. Add the stock, shallot, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and cayenne pepper; blend well. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and chill for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter or oil over medium-high heat. Add corn, zest, cumin, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; saute until corn is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and stir in red bell pepper and last tablespoon of cilantro. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Whisk the sour coconut cream into the avocado puree and salt/pepper to taste. Spoon the warm corn salsa over the soup just before serving. Finish with a drizzle of chili oil. Makes about 6 cups of soup.

Raw Carrot-Ginger Soup with Sour Coconut Cream, Thai Flavors

I don't know how the rest of the country feels, but it is damn hot here in Kansas. Lately I have had to shower after cooking just because slaving over a hot stove renders me sweaty and gross.

I have a friend--Amber of Almost Vegan--who has been experimenting a lot with raw foods. While our dietary goals are very, very different, I can't help but salivate over the idea of a delicious meal that doesn't require heating up the house. And, being the open-minded girl that I am, I do really like the idea of quite a few raw dishes. I'm actually planning to do a lot more raw food (mine will include meat and fish, however) in the near future to help beat the heat.

I've been craving carrot-ginger juice lately, and I always adore Thai flavors. I took these two and put them together into a soup that is absurdly filling, completely vegan, and--on top of all that--raw. It's the perfect meal for a hot, sticky day.

I realize that not all the ingredients I used are technically raw. I used normal canned coconut milk, as well as garnished my bowl of soup with sriracha. For all I know, my vinegar doesn't even qualify as raw. I trust that the true raw purists out there know where to find the appropriate ingredients for their own preparation, though.

Speaking of garnish, the Sour Coconut Cream actually ended up tasting like real sour cream. The viscosity is a little thinner (especially at room temperature!), but the flavor is absolutely perfect. This was nothing but pure luck on my part, but I am pleased nonetheless. I also made a simple cilantro-basil oil to drizzle over the top by blending together two tablespoons each of cilantro leaves, basil leaves, and olive oil. The sriracha was to add a little more heat to my serving, but could easily be replaced by making your own raw chili pepper puree.

Raw Carrot-Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

4 c carrot juice

2 medium carrots

1/2 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed (may peel if desired)

1-2 tsp fresh red chili, diced (adjust according to heat preference)

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tbs fresh ginger, diced

3" stalk of lemongrass, the tough out 3-4 layers removed and reserved for another use

1 c coconut milk

1 avocado, removed from peel and pit

1 tbs tamari

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 c cilantro leaves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cardamon

pinch nutmeg

Directions:

Blend 2 cups of the carrot juice with the carrots until completely pureed. Add the rest of the carrot juice and the remaining ingredients and blend until completely pureed.

Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate an hour before serving. Makes about 8 cups of soup.

Sour Coconut Cream

Ingredients:

1 c coconut milk, chilled

1 tbs rice vinegar

1/2 tbs coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Beat all ingredients until fluffy. Chill an hour before serving. Makes about a cup of cream.

Vegetarian/Vegan Chili

Sometimes a girl just needs a nice hot bowl of soup. I was craving such a thing last night, and yet despite my greatest efforts, soup did not magically appear. Instead, I took stock of what I had on hand in the kitchen and threw together this vegetarian chili (vegan, if you use peanut oil instead of butter). This is a spicy, filling soup packed with veggies. A one-cup serving is 250 calories and loaded with vitamins A and C. I think this would be perfect to ease the pain of cold and flu season: The jalapeno really clears the sinuses!

In the photo, I topped the chili with shredded pepper jack cheese and some whole wheat flat bread to round out my meal. These additions are not included in the calorie count listed above.

Vegetarian/Vegan Chili

Ingredients:

4 tbs butter or peanut oil

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 c onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp each salt and fresh ground pepper

1 jalapeno, diced

2 cloved garlic, minced

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs chili powder

1 tbs fresh minced oregano

1 tbs fresh minced thyme

1 tbs minced fresh basil

1/2 tbs fresh minced sage

1 15oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 15oz can kidney beans, drained

1/2 c dark beer

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 bay leaf

Directions:

In medium pan over med-high heat, melt butter (or heat oil). Saute carrots, celery, onion, and bell pepper until onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add salt, pepper, jalapeno, and garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Stir in spices and herbs; add tomatoes, kidney beans, beer, vinegar, and bay leaf and mix until combined. Lower heat to med-low and simmer covered about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serves 4.

Notes:

• If using dried herbs, cut the amount to one-third to one-half.
• Decrease or skip the jalapeno depending on your heat tolerance. One jalapeno (seeds included) makes a decently spicy chili.
• If you don't have beer on hand (teetotaler!), don't drain the beans; the liquid they are packed in will make up the difference.

Baked Potato Soup

As the weather cools, I start craving soup. It's warm, it's easy, and it can be made from pretty much anything. Not to mention, leftovers are very easy to deal with (when there are leftovers, that is!). This soup combines traditional favorite potato toppings into an easily portable meal.

This soup is also easily adapted to your own favorite toppings. Like ranch dressing? Mix a packet of seasoning into the sour cream. More cheese? Go for it. Broccoli? A pound of steamed florets will do the trick. Half the fun of cooking is making a recipe your own, so don't be shy!

Baked Potato Soup

6 baking potatoes
6 tbs butter
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
salt/pepper
2 cloved garlic, minced
6-8 oz bacon, diced
2/3 c white flour
1/2 tbs salt
1/2 tbs pepper
4 c milk
2 c vegetable broth
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
8 oz sour cream
chives, finely chopped

Prick potatoes with fork and bake ~40min in 400F oven. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and mash with fork.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter over med-high heat. Sautee carrot, celery, and onion until tender. Season with salt/pepper. Add garlic and saute another minute. Remove from heat.

In 4 quart pan saute diced bacon over med heat until crispy. Remove bacon bits with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel, leaving remaining fat in the pan. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and melt. Slowly wisk in flour and cook about a minute. Add salt/pepper.

Wisk in milk gradually, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in vegetable broth.

Set aside 1/4 c bacon bits, 1/2 c cheese, 1/2 c sour cream to use as garnish.

Add sauteed vegetables, potatoes, bacon bits, and cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream and heat. Adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish with set aside sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, and chives. Serve with crusty bread.

Mushroom-Leek Soup

This recipe had been conceptualized while discussing soup with my vegetarian sister. There are many vegetable-oriented soups that are NOT vegetarian due to the use of beef broth. This hardly seems fair. In messing around with the idea of making a French onion soup my sister could eat, I came up with this warm offering. Not only did my sister absolutely love it, but it is also offspring-approved (my offspring, not The Offspring).

I like to add a pinch of cayenne or habanero flakes to my individual bowl for a little touch of heat. A simple tomato salad, slice of French bread, and glass of pinot grigio would make this the perfect light supper for an autumn night.

Mushroom-Leek Soup

Ingredients:

4 c vegetable broth

1 leek, sliced into thin rings

1/4 yellow onion - very finely chopped

3 oz brown cap mushrooms

3 oz white cap mushrooms

4 tbs unsalted butter

2 tbs lite olive oil

1 ripe tomato - peeled and very finely chopped

2 sprig fresh thyme

1/2 c bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic - peeled

3 almonds - toasted and unpeeled

1/4 tsp salt

shredded parmesan (optional)

fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Wipe mushrooms clean with a dry cloth. Remove and discard the mushroom ends. Slice the mushrooms into fourths or halves, depending on the size of the mushroom.

Heat butter in a deep pot over medium-low heat. Add olive oil to melted butter.

Add the chopped mushrooms and sautee for a moment. Add the onion and stir. When the onion has turned golden, add the tomato and leek and stir-fry for 8 minutes.

Add the broth, reserving 2 tablespoons for later.

When the mushroom soup begins to boil, add the bread crumbs and thyme. Season to taste.

Simmer for 15 minutes on medium-low heat.

In the meantime, prepare a thickener by combining the garlic, almonds, and 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor. Once these form into a thick paste, thin with reserved broth.

Drop the garlic paste in the cooking pot. Let it boil for an additional 3 or 4 minutes, adjust the salt if necessary, remove from heat.

Garnish with parmesan and chives, if desired, and serve hot.