Deliciously Easy Tomato Soup

Remember when you were little and it was a bit cold outside and someone made you a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup? Remember how the bread was a little bit greasy and the cheese was perfectly stretchy? Remember dipping the gooey sandwich into a warm bowl of what basically amounted to marinara sauce? Me too. You've most likely already mastered a good grilled cheese, but have you found that perfect tomato soup to go with it? The one thats slightly textured, creamy and full of flavor? Look no further.

This is all you need to make my favorite tomato soup (plus a little salt and pepper and a pat of butter). Start by chopping the onions, celery and carrots. Get them cooking over medium heat in a soup pot with a little olive oil. Toss in your chopped garlic when the veggies start to get tender and translucent.

Pour in a can of good tomatoes. This is the most obvious flavor of the soup, so splurge with the extra dollar or two and go for the san marzano style tomatoes. Turn the heat down to simmer the soup.

Add a heaping handful of torn up basil, followed by a bit of salt and pepper to taste (start with less, you can always add more). Add about 1/2 C chicken (or vegetable) broth. Allow the soup to simmer about 10-15 minutes. Then, get out your hand emulsion blender.

Blend the soup (careful - it can splash!) until you reach your desired consistency. It should look somewhat like this after you've added in the cream and butter.

Serve immediately with your favorite grilled cheese, panini or crusty bread. This soup actually doubles as a marinara sauce if you leave out the broth, add in some parmesan cheese and cook it down a bit longer.

Deliciously Easy Tomato Soup

1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 24oz can San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes
1/2 C chicken broth
1/4 C heavy whipping cream
1 T unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat with 1 T olive oil. Add the first three veggies into the pot and cook until they become slightly brown and translucent. Add the garlic, cook for one minute more then add the tomatoes and turn down the heat. Toss in the torn up basil, salt and pepper and broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Blend the soup using a hand blender or by scooping it into a regular blender in batches. Finally, add the whipping cream and butter. Taste the soup and adjust the salt level if necessary. You can certainly double this recipe if you need to serve more than 4.

Enjoy!

Brownie Ice Cream Pie

A few weeks ago I was challenged with making my brother his birthday dessert, which he requested be a surprise. I wanted to make something I knew he would truly love, but that was special enough to sing over. And this easy and sinfully good Brownie Ice Cream Pie was born.

I started with a delicious brownie recipe from Baked bakery in New York that I found via Pinterest. It is super chocolately and perfectly decadent.

Adding to the decadence of the chewy brownie, is the top layer of Vanilla ice cream, crumbled oreos and chocolate ganache.

This is what birthdays are all about. 

Brownie Ice Cream Pie

It's important that you use the best ingredients possible for this recipe. When making the brownies, choose high quality butter and chocolate or the best boxed mix available(such as Ghiradelli) . I chose to use Haagen-Dazs Vanilla ice cream, but you could use any flavor you want from Mint chip to Coffee. If you have the time, homemade ice cream would really add to the specialness. It's also best to make this ahead of time, I made this a day before my brother's birthday party.

Ingredients:

1 recipe for brownies (here's the one I used-which I split into two round pie plates) 

1 pint of really good ice cream

1 C crushed oreo cookies (mini or regular oreos work)

1/2 C chocolate ganache (recipe below)

Bake the brownies in a greased and lined pie plate. Allow the brownies to cool completely, which will take anywhere from 1-2 hours. Once cooled, take the ice cream out of the freezer and allow to sit for about 15 minutes to soften. Scoop the ice cream onto the brownie and using a spatula, spread it over the entire thing. It's ok if the ice cream is melting in some places, it will just re-freeze later. Sprinkle the ice cream with the crushed oreos and a dusting of ground cinnamon for an extra punch of flavor. Place the pie into the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or overnight if possible (cover it with plastic wrap once it begins to set). Make the chocolate ganache, spoon into a small plastic bag and snip off a small corner. Squeeze stripes of the ganache over the pie. Return to the freezer and keep the pie frozen until ready to eat. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes prior to serving, using a hot knife will help to cut the brownies easier. 

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 C heavy whipping cream

4 ounces dark chocolate morsels or chunks

Heat the cream to a light simmer, watch it carefully to avoid scorching. In a heat proof bowl, pour the warmed cream over the chocolate. Stir gently. The chocolate will begin to melt gradually, keep stirring until it becomes shiny and looks like chocolate sauce. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Think Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla actually has Bourbon Whiskey in it? I did too, until I decided to make my own. After a little bit of research, I learned more than I ever intended about Bourbon and its origins.

In the 16th century, the House of Bourbon was a royal membership with French origins whose kings and monarchs ruled over many parts of Europe. They occupied a small Island off of the coast of Madagascar and called it Île Bourbon. This is where a portion of the worlds famed Madagascar vanilla beans are grown. The island has since been renamed Réunion, but still belongs to the French and still produces vanilla beans. Bourbon Whiskey is in fact named after the very same French House that founded Île Bourbon. In the late 1700s, territories in Louisiana, Kentucky and Virginia were given French names to honor Louis XVI for his aid in the American Revolutionary War. Bourbon County, Kentucky (originally Old Bourbon) is where Bourbon whiskey was first produced. Barrels of corn whiskey were sent down the Ohio river with the marking 'Old Bourbon' and in order to distinguish the difference in flavor from the already existing rye whiskey, the name Bourbon stuck.
How's that for a history lesson?

Here's the good news is: Not only can you make your own Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, you can also use Bourbon Whiskey to make it. Most recipes I've seen call for vodka, but being that I am not a fan of vodka, I don't typically keep it stocked in my house. I did, however, have plenty of Maker's Mark.

You need just three things. Madagascar Vanilla Beans, good Bourbon and a glass jar or bottle. I used a ratio of 4 pods to 1 Cup of Bourbon. Try to buy the best vanilla beans available to you. I know they are pricey, but you will save more in the long run not having to buy expensive extract.

Score each pod with a sharp knife and scrape out the beans. Place the beans in the bottom of the jar, then place the pods in the jar and snip them into a few pieces using kitchen scissors. Fill the jar with the bourbon, screw on the lid and place it in a cool, dark place. Try and remember to shake it up a bit everyday and in about 4 weeks, you'll have your very own Homemade Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. Just top off the jar as you use the vanilla and it will last for ages!

Enjoy!

Easter Pinspirations

I've gathered some interesting and beautiful Easter egg ideas in my Pinterest basket just for you. Check out these unique egg dying kit alternatives for the upcoming Holiday.

SheKnows.com

I love these gold leafed eggs with their contrast between glamorously fancy and ruggedly imperfect. They shine like just unearthed gems. Perfect for hiding in the garden. 

mom. me

   

These chalkboard eggs are so fun and great for inspiring creativity. I love the idea of geometric shapes that can be wiped off and replaced with any number of beautiful designs.

studiodiy.com

With the sudden popularity of Ciate caviar nail manicures, it only makes sense that the trend would make its way into other creative outlets. You can find the tiny microbeads to decorate your eggs in all sorts of colors at your local Craft Store or online from MarthaStewart.com

kailochic.blogspot.com

CountryLiving.com

These eggs are incredible little works of art and I hope to be able to recreate the intricate details of some of the patterns on my own. The art is done using pure silk fabrics with beautiful designs. I LOVE these. 

Red Pepper Tomato Spread

This incredibly delicious and savory spread is so easy and versatile. It came about when I was in need of a really good tomatoey sauce for paninis. These few ingredients I already had in my kitchen turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

Jarred roasted red peppers in water are so convenient! I always have some at the ready to snip into salads, pastas, soups and now this spread. 

Blend everything together in a mini prep food processor with a little bit of ground pepper, salt to taste and a dash of olive oil.

It should look like this after about 2 minutes. You could add more cheese, more basil or more salt and pepper at this point if you need to.

Pop it into a jar and it will keep for about 3-4 days in the fridge. Spread it on a baguette topped with ricotta, throw a spoonful into your pasta sauce, or bake it into a pepperoni calzone. The options are endless.

Red Pepper Tomato Spread

1 whole roasted red pepper
Half a small jar of tomato paste
1/4 C parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
8-10 large leaves of basil, torn up
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Add all of the ingredients up until olive oil into a food processor. Blend until smooth, add salt and pepper, blend again and stream the olive oil in with the processor on. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Enjoy!

5 Days of Breakfast - Day 5

It's our last day of breakfast together! At least until I post another morning meal :) How about those blueberry pancakes I mentioned on Monday? Oh yeah.

This may look a bit strange. You don't often see cottage cheese and scrambled eggs on the same plate, but stick with me, because this is seriously delicious.

Scramble one or two eggs/egg whites. Scoop about 1/2 Cup lowfat Cottage cheese onto the plate and sprinkle with a bit of ground cinnamon. Then add a helping of fruit, any kind you like. I love the apple slices, because they are delicious with a scoop of the cottage cheese. And go ahead and try the cottage cheese WITH the eggs, which creates a super yummy, creamy concoction that is unique and so satisfying.

So there you have it, I hope these ideas will inspire you to take a second look at your breakfast plate and try some new things.

Enjoy!

5 Days of Breakfast - Day 4

This fluffy little cloud of an english muffin is one of my very favorite things to eat in the morning, and here's why it's worth suggesting on Day 4 of my 5 Days of Breakfast: it's homemade. I know you totally already know about english muffins and you can totally go buy a pack of Thomas' and call it a day. But this truly is one of the best bread recipes I've ever used. It requires very little mixing, a fairly quick rise time, and best of all...NO BAKING. That's right, these are cooked on a griddle (or griddle pan) in about 12 minutes flat. The result is not your typical 'nooks and crannies' muffin, but rather a slightly sweet, super soft breakfast bread that is perfect for any topping of your choosing. From pb&j, to ham and eggs, to cream cheese and red onions, they are a fantastic and delicious way to start your day!

This is a recipe I shared last year, so go check it out, mix up a batch and have a great morning :)