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!