Why do I only blog about soup? Here's another one...

The reason I've been blogging about soup so much recently is because I've been cooking soups every Tuesday for Helping Hands in Potsdam. So, soup it is, again, I promise next time will be something different. I'm in California now, for a extended trip and will be cooking to my hearts content, so I'll be sure to make some new recipes. But for now- here's soup.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup:

olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

one onion, small dice

1/4 cup flour

2 cups 1% milk

3 cups chicken broth

3 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

5 cups fresh broccoli (stem is okay too)

2 large carrots, small dice

2 1/2 cups good sharp cheddar- shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion over medium high heat until tender and translucent, add garlic and saute a few minutes more. Add the flour and cook until a light brown color. Whisk in the milk and broth, bay leaves, let simmer about 20 minutes. Add fresh broccoli and carrots and simmer another 20 minutes until tender. After all vegetables are tender, remove bay leaves and then blend soup about two cups at a time (be careful using the blender with hot liquids). Blend until smooth but leave about 1 1/2 cups of soup in the pot unblended (for texture). Add the blended soup back to the unblended soup and simmer another five minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Ladle up and enjoy. This soup is great with a crusty baguette (but what soup isn't)! Also, you will notice this soup is much greener than most broccoli cheddar soups- it's because the broccoli is fresh and there's more of it in there than usual- it's still delicious!

Seven Dollar Wine? Delicious!

I wrote this little article for a position I applied for as a "Boston Budget Wine Reviewer." The first time I bought this wine was when I was living in the North End and pretty much exclusively buying my groceries from the Golden Goose, which basically costs you a Golden Bar every time you go in there. Unless I was able to snag a ride from Kendra or brave the long haul to Shaws, I would just walk over to the Goose. Obviously once I got there I felt like I should treat myself to a bottle but because my checkbook was going to bounce once I left I would always go for the cheep stuff, and often regretted it after. However, this little bottle surprised and impressed me- since, it's a staple for me, I suggest it should be for you to- Cheers!

Seven Dollar Wine? Delicious!

By Sarah Tulloch

When you want an inexpensive bottle of wine but don’t want to feel like your drinking from a box, grab the bottle with the little red chicken on it, Le Coq Rouge.

At about seven dollars a bottle, this fruity, slightly tannic wine from France will pair nicely with pretty much anything from hamburgers and Chinese take out to steak or roasted lamb.

A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache makes it appealing to most everyone because it has a nice blend of flavors and not overpowering. Fits perfectly as the final touch on a weeknight meal or the stand out at a dinner party. The chique bottle makes a statement as well. Very simple in design, it appeals to the younger crowd who doesn’t want to spend thirty dollars on a bottle of but also don’t want to compromise on taste.

Since more quality wines are available at a lower price point these days, this once reserved beverage is now making a big come back. Showing up on the dinner table most any night of the week isn’t such a far fledged idea. Wine has a way of taking an everyday meal and turning into a romantic evening or adding the perfect touch to any dish. Luckily, with bottles like Le Coq Rouge low cost just means you’ll be able to buy two.

Chicken Tomato Soup

This is a very yummy soup that's easy to make and everyone loves. I enjoy making soups to have around especially in the winter. It's convenient to just heat up and have for lunch or when everyone is coming and going. Soups are economical too, and great for the figure. If I were to make my own food pyramid I'd say soup would be in the second tier, right after salad, followed by something sweet.

Chicken Tomato Soup:

2 large cans crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth (or stock if you have some on hand)

2 bone in chicken breasts, shredded

about 5 carrots, med dice

about 5 celery stalks

3 onions, med dice

2 green peppers, med dice

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 package fajita seasoning mix (I used McCormick)

In a small saute pan brown the chicken on both sides until cooked through. You can also brown it and then pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes to cook it through (easier). In a large stock pot add about 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, heat up and add the onion-saute. Once it has started to turn translucent, add the carrots, celery and green peppers-saute about 5 minutes on medium high. Add the fajita seasoning mix and toss to coat. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to the ingredients and stir. Once the chicken is cooked through, let it cook and then shred it with a fork making sure to only get the chicken bits (no skin or bone). Add this to the soup and cover, stirring every ten minutes or so for about 40 minutes (keep it on medium so it doesn't boil). Season with salt and pepper before serving. I like to serve it with a little shredded cheese and sliced avocado.

Elizabeth's Salad

Since my best friend has been home from Columbia for Christmas break I've been making this wild rice salad for her often. I call it the "Elizabeth Salad." I originally made it from what was laying around and since have made it a few more times changing it up depending on what I have. I also like to make it using Quinoa instead of Wild Rice. It's great chilled, or you can heat it up if you're in the mood for something hot. It's super healthy and easy. It's vegan (also gluten and oil free)!

The Elizabeth Salad:

2 cups of Wild Rice (or Quinoa)

2 cups carrot-small chop

2 cups sweet peas

1 cup almonds-toasted and chopped or slivered

1/2 cup scallions-cut on a bias

plenty of salt and pepper to taste

Simply cook the rice or Quinoa (4 cups water to 2 cups rice-salted and boil, turn the heat down, add the rice and cover until done). While the rice is cooking prep the rest of your ingredietns-chopping veggies, toast the almonds, etc... Then combine with the rice in a large mixing bowl, toss with a fork, season and chill (or consume)! So simple, so good. *In this picture I added celery, usually I don't make it with celery.

Healthy Cookies? Yes my friends, here they are.

No butter, flour, eggs or sugar in these babies. And, they're good! I make them frequently and they're always a big hit. They're great to make for kids because they're free of junk but also taste like a cookie. You can freeze them as well and just pull out a few at a time if you like, I do that a lot.
So here's to a new year, I'm sure many of you are doing the whole "I'm not eating junk and loosing those last 5 pounds" resolution. If so, this is a recipe that might just help you get there.

Note- for the almond meal, I always just process 2/3 cup of almonds in my food processor to a mealy texture (sort of like course sand). Don't go too far or you'll end up with almond butter.

Healthy Cookies:
3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.
In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and olive oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a baking sheet (spray it first). Bake for about 15 minutes. You'll want to check towards the end of the baking time and maybe move the baking sheets around a bit-bake them for as long as possible without burning the bottoms.
Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

I found this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs: 101cookbooks.com. Heidi Swanson is a photographer and cooking blogger extraordinaire. Her recipes are healthy, vegetarian and always delicious-I can spend hours on her site-check it out, it's a must!

Biscotti

I wanted to make some Biscotti the other day but only had whole wheat flour on hand. I have a no fail Biscotti recipe memorized and figured I'd just try it using whole wheat instead because it's so dense anyway it might just work. Work it did! It was great and I think I'll only use that from now on. I love how much lower in fat and sugar Biscotti is compared to other cookies, so adding the whole wheat just gives it an extra punch of goodness. Biscotti is great to make and freeze, or just have on hand to go with coffee when friends drop by.

Biscotti:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs- room temp

1/2 cup butter-room temp

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup pecans- coarsely chopped

3/4 cup chocolate-coarsely chopped

1 cup semi sweet chocolate-melted and reserved for dipping

1/2 cup shredded coconut-for garnish

Heat oven to 350. In one bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt- whisk to combine or sift through. In another bowl beat sugar, butter, and vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time until combined. Add in flour mixture just until blended, then fold in nuts and chopped chocolate. Form the dough into a "flattish" log, about 16" long, bake for 40 minutes then cool for 30. Using a bread knife, cut 1/2" thick pieces and place cut side down on a baking sheet, cook another 15 minutes, cool. Take the melted chocolate and reheat. Dip the cooled Biscotti in the chocolate and place on wax paper-sprinkle with shredded coconut. Cool again to let chocolate set-I like to do this in the freezer or place outside if it's freezing.

Really.Good.Soup.

This is a recipe I gave to my Mom to make a while ago, she makes it all the time and I hardly ever do. But, it's really good, very simple and healthy. If you're not a huge veggie fan (SHAME ON YOU), this is a great way to get in a lot of nutrients without sacrificing any flavor. I suggest making this easy soup on a weeknight and you'll feel like you're getting something special. Pair it with a glass of white wine and a crusty baguette (toast it up in the oven)...perfect.

White bean chicken spinach soup:
(This is a big recipe- it makes 8 large servings....make it all, you can always freeze it!)
-2 pkg of chicken sausage (al dente, whole foods or Trader Joe's makes them...you can find them anywhere..comes 4 to a pkg)
-1 pkg or container of fresh spinach
-4 cups chicken broth or stock
-2 cans white navy beans or cannelloni beans
-2 cans diced tomatoes
-salt and pepper to taste
-feta cheese -to crumble on top

Here's the directions..... Add it all to a pot and heat!
Let it heat through and simmer on medium heat for awhile so the flavors combine.
(except for the feta- sprinkle it on top of your own soup right before you dig in)

Granola and Yogurt

Some of my favorite people in the world are coming to visit me at Camp Tulloch this weekend!!! I've made some delicious granola for them to have while they're here...I hope you try this recipe at home, it's real simple (yes, pun intended), just make sure you don't burn it!!! It will go from brown to black very quickly. While the ladies are here I plan on showing them the Kings Land, the big C-Town and maybe even shoot some guns...I mean, we all know it wouldn't be a women's retreat without a good gun shooting.

My super simple Granola recipe

4 cups oats

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

raisins (optional) or other dried fruit

Combine all ingredients except for the oats and raisins and thoroughly mix together. Add oats and coat. Put on two baking sheets so it's spread out. Bake in an oven set to 325 for 10 minutes. Pull out, toss around with a spatula and put back in oven for another 8 minutes. Remove and let cool on wax paper so it doesn't continue browning on the hot sheet pan. Allow to cool completely before storing. Granola will become more crisp as it cools. Add dried fruit after you remove it from the oven.

This granola is great with Windy Ridge Farms Yogurt- Local from a farm in West Potsdam!

Rustic Lasagne

So I'm back up on the land- which calls for rustic cooking, and a lot of it. Upon my brothers return from military school, his friend, and my other two brothers- we go through a lot of food. Basically any average recipe must be tippled. And, keep in mind no one just eats three meals a day. No matter how much time I spend at home I'm always shocked to see how fast the food goes. I made this lasagna yesterday with ground venison we had in the freezer that David shot off our own land. It doesn't get more fresh then that!

I simply made a quick no cook sauce of a few cans of crushed tomatoes, two jars of pesto my Mom had, a little salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and oregano. I layered the sauce, mozzarella cheese, and the venison that I sauteed with salt, pepper, and green onions. I also put some shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano between the layers. Also, I don't pre-cook my lasagna noodles- I just use plenty of sauce and add a little water to the bottom of the pan before I bake it (just pour it in the side and tilt the pan-it will disperse to cover the bottom). I also cover it for most of the cooking so the moisture steams the pasta. I uncover for the last 10 minutes or so just to brown the top. When you can insert a knife easy into the middle and you see it bubbling up- it's done!

It's always good

Having eggs on hand is always a good idea. I like to take them with me everywhere, just kidding. (Although, I did bring a hard boiled egg with me to school today). They're filling, good for you and very versatile. Last week I felt like there was no food in the house and wasn't feeling inspired to go grocery shopping so I just pulled what I had in the fridge and whipped up a quick frittata. I don't usually make quiche because I don't want to fuss making a crust, but I also like to bake the eggs- so I always put my frittatas in the oven. Here's my frittata that I made last week, but you can put in whatever you like when making your own.

The recipe varies depending on how big you want your frittata. I make mine in a standard 9" pie pan. All you have to know is to use 8 eggs with 1/3 cup of milk for a standard 9" pie tin, then add whatever you like. These are great for lazy Saturday breakfasts or a quick dinner.

Here's what I did when I made mine:
-Rendered the fat of 3 strips of bacon, removed the bacon and in the same pan added half a potato, small dice. Once that was mostly cooked I added onion.
-Removed the potato and onion and added it to the bacon bowl to cool. Added some sliced mushrooms for just a minute and then removed.
-In a separate bowl I whipped my eggs and milk together, seasoned with salt and pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes. Once my vegetables were cool I added them to the eggs and then folded in a large handful of spinach and about 1/2 a cup of shredded cheddar. Then, poured all the filling into a greased 9" pie pan and into the oven for about 20 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and once a toothpick comes out clean in the center it's finished. Allow to cool some and serve! I like to add a little "dollop" of sour cream, diced tomato and fresh cut chives on top.

Pass the peas, please

My Mom often sends me boxes filled with great organic ingredients from our home town co-op. One of my favorite things to get are big bags of split green peas. Not only are they super tasty, but they're also very nutritious with tons of vegetable protein and fiber. This velvety split pea ginger soup is sure to tingle your taste buds with its layers of flavor. I love making a big batch in the winter and keeping it in the fridge to pull out and reheat for lunch or dinner. It's the perfect cold day soup that's guaranteed to warm your heart.

Split Green Pea Ginger Soup: (vegetarian/vegan)
Ingredients you'll need: split green peas (4 cups), veg stock (10 cups), carrots, celery, onions, fresh ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, cayenne pepper and lemon are optional.

*Note-this is a big recipe, it serves 8-12, which in my mind is the only way to make soup. The more, the merrier!
It's also gluten free and vegan so you can give it to most anyone!

1st- Get yourself a nice large stock pot and put it on the stove but don't add any heat
2nd- Cut up 3 onions, 3 large carrots, and about 1/2 a bunch of celery all into about 1/2 inch dice. Peel and smash 3 cloves of garlic. Peel and slice up about 1/4 cup of fresh ginger (add more or less to your liking-I like a lot).
3rd- Give a "glug glug" of olive oil around the bottom of your pot and add your garlic- turn up the heat gradually to draw the flavors out of the garlic without burning it. Once the heats up some, add the ginger and saute for a few minutes more.
4th-Add the carrots, onion and celery (this is called mirepoix). Stir, and season with some salt and pepper.
5th-Let the vegetables saute for awhile over mid-high heat. Once they start to soften up, add 4 cups of split peas and toss with the vegetables. Then pour in 10 cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
6th- Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and add 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. Let it simmer for about 40-60 minutes or until everything is very soft.
7th- Get yourself another stock pot or big bowl and a blender. Using a ladle, transfer the soup to the blender (about 2-3 cups at a time with enough liquid/peas/veg each time). Put the lid on the blender but leave that little plastic stopper off (it's in the middle of the lid). Put a dishtowel over that hole so some steam can get out but the blender doesn't get too hot. BE CAREFUL- you do NOT want to burn yourself, and this can be a little tricky.
8th- Blend from low to high the soup until it's velvety soft, then transfer to the new, clean pot.
9th- Repeat this until all the soup is blended. Voila! Your soup is done- season with salt and pepper and taste. You can dish it up in bowls and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon if you like. Maybe a LITTLE pinch of cayenne to add to it's richness.
Come and get it!

(Picture is from 101cookbooks.com, recipe is my own)

If Kendra can do it, so can you!

Please, Please, Please friends- stop buying canned marinara sauce! It only takes a few minutes to make a delicious, easy, healthy, and cheep marinara-(about 1/6th of the cost if you buy it canned).

Last night, my friends Kendra and Jackie came by for some dinner, wine and gossip. I had Kendra make the sauce to prove to her how easy it is to make- so if she can do it, so can you. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how great the flavors are and hopefully never go back to canned sauce again!
All you need are 6 ingredients- and most of them you'll just have lying around.

Very Basic Marinara
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Garlic, Onion, Basil, Canned Tomatoes, Red Wine

1st- Start with a large saute pan. Put a good "glug glug" of olive oil in the pan and slice your garlic (it doesn't have to be sliced super small). Place the garlic in the pan with the oil and start it COLD. VERY GRADUALLY start heating up your garlic and olive oil (this will ensure that the garlic doesn't burn and will let it give off great flavor).

2nd- While your garlic is cooking, dice the onion. Once your garlic has a golden color, add the onion and cook until it's translucent.3rd-Add the canned tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and let it come to a simmer, then add about an 1/8th cup of Red wine, stir. Pour yourself a glass and drink that while the sauce simmers. Let it simmer about ten minutes and turn down the heat to low. You're glass will probably be empty by now, so give yourself a refill.
4th-Add the basil- I just like to tear mine by hand into pretty big chunks, but you can cut it to your preferred size. Season, and serve!

I like a good marinara with a nice fire- like the one I made tonight! I'm so rural.

Quick note: This recipe is good for about three small portions, I'd usually double it for more than four people, or triple it- I mean, everyone always goes heavy on the sauce. You can also adjust the seasonings however you prefer- add dried herbs, (towards the start of the cooking) red pepper flakes or whatever you'd like!

It's Hunting Season

My brother, David got a 7 point buck over the weekend with his bow. Yay! He loves hunting and my Mom loves spreading the news as quickly as possible. I, on the other hand, only know how to cook the meat, not kill it. Since venison is such a lean meat it's important to either cook it quickly- as not to dry it out, baste it constantly, or add in a fatty meat to accompany it.

There are some venison recipes out there...but in my mind, it's better to keep it simple and let the flavors do the talking. And besides, I haven't found any that I like.

Some ideas for hunters out there:
-Pan sear the sides then add butter, thyme, smashed garlic and constantly baste for a few minutes each side- reduce butter, deglaze with red wine and beef stock and finish with butter- viola!-venison with beurre rouge!

-Ground venison on a pizza. Simply, sear your ground venison in olive oil until it's browned. Remove your venison and add whatever herbs and spices you like. I would suggest garlic, thyme, tarragon, onions and shallots. Then, add your venison back and deglaze the pan with beef broth. Reduce, and season to taste! It would be delicious with sauteed leeks and mushrooms with ricotta cheese on top. I would also try to grill the pizza dough to get a smoky flavor on the crust. Delicious!