Asparagus: A Love Affair (Part Two)

Last night, I put those remaining asparagus stalks to good use and turned them into a soup. First I sauteed a small yellow onion, roughly chopped, three cloves of garlic, and 1 tsp of finely minced thyme leaves in olive oil. Then I added the diced asparagus (into 1/2 inch chunks) and let it heat up for 5-10 minutes. Next, I added a combination of chicken stock and water, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. I added salt and pepper, and used an immersion blender to puree it in the pot. Final touches included a squeeze of lemon, and a cookie-dough-sized scoop of sour cream with a few sprinkled of grated Gruyere cheese for garnish.

Recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cream-of-asparagus-soup-creme-dasperges-104746

Zucchini & Yellow Squash Soup!

I love to make soup purees using fresh vegetables and not much else. The basics are easy: sautee and onion and some garlic cloves in olive oil, and then add any diced vegetable (in this case 3 zucchinis and 5 yellow squashes). Once all the veggies are softened, add enough chicken stock to cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes, until everything is tender. Then I like to add salt, pepper, white wine, lemon juice, and a touch of cream before pureeing everything into a warm, comforting soup. As you can see, this was a hit at my house! I like to make this soup because it is so versatile. You can make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth or vegan by omitting the cream at the end. You can use frozen vegetables, or whatever is in season.

Chicken Tortilla Avocado Soup!

My parent's wedding anniversary is in January, and as of last year, the tradition is that instead of giving them a gift, I make them dinner. Last year my boyfriend and I made quite the feast (memories!), but this year I kept it simple and made a chicken tortilla soup, partly inspired by Rachel Ray's recipe. I tweaked it a bit, adding taco seasoning to the chicken and then mashing up a few avocados with lime juice, olive oil, salt, and garlic powder, and then using my small cookie scoop to put a scoop of it in the middle of the soup. Yum!

Kale, Soup, and Muffins!

This weekend my goal was to cook healthy, using plenty of fruits and veggies. I spent all of yesterday in the kitchen, dancing around to Cheryl Cole and Rihanna, since it was cloudy and raining outside. I was also studiously avoiding thinking about my upcoming Microeconomics final. Oops!

Kale Chips!
Salty, crispy, good-for-you, what's not to love?

Butternut Squash Crab Bisque!
This is a great soup for rainy weather, it's creamy and hearty and goes great with a kale chip and crouton garnish. I used shallots instead of onions for a sweeter taste.

Finally, for Sunday brunch, and using the blackberry jam I made last month, blackberry jam mini muffins (with walnuts)! I adapted a recipe from Cook Bake Nibble

Chicken Chorizo Soup!

Yesterday I made Rachel Ray's Chicken Chorizo Soup. I used tricolor fingerling potatoes, shallots (instead of onions), black beans (instead of kidney beans), left out the red pepper and hot sauce, and topped with colorful tortilla strips. The soup is very flavorful, it has a kick from the chorizo and its chunky consistency makes it a very hearty dinner!

Made on 04/03/2012.

Chicken Tortilla Soup and Garlic Corn Muffins!

Annie's Chicken Tortilla Soup!

Made on 02/03/12.

Served with Giada's Garlic Corn Muffins!

Made on 02/03/12.