Sirious Experiment: Carrot Soup

Yes, that's a bunny rabbit. Yes, the garlic cloves are supposed to be whiskers (and the eyes are oregano if you care to know). Go to the site Sweetlife if you've never been, she takes the most amazing pictures of food and she inspired me to photograph my amateur and odd-looking bunny.

Moving on... I've been wanting to create some springtime, Easter-inspired dishes lately, and this Carrot Soup was my first attempt. Never mind that my boyfriend said it would be perfect for Thanksgiving. I THINK it's a great Easter soup. CARROTS!! NOT PUMPKINS!! I'm not mad.

People, I really love this soup. Sweet, savory, bright, creamy, springtime. SPRINGTIME!!


Carrot Soup
(Serves 4-6)

1 T unsalted butter
1 T olive oil
2 cups chopped carrots
1 small onion, diced
1 leek, cleaned and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1/4 tsp dried)
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream
More salt & pepper, to taste

Melt olive oil and butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, leek and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.


Add carrots, all spices, chopped oregano, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Saute for another 5 minutes.


Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.


Turn off heat. Transfer soup to blender or food processor to puree, or use an immersion blender if you have one. I highly, highly recommend one, especially if you like making soups.


If using blender or food processor, return soup to pot. Add cream and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


If you're watching your figure, you could probably do without the cream, but I think even a small amount makes it luscious and delightful. SPRINGTIME!

Corn and Lima Bean Succotash

What? That doesn't sound appetizing? Well it's not for you, it's for your child.


And actually, it's good. Lima beans get a bad rep, but they're tasty! Just like brussel sprouts, and spinach, and Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs.

I've been trying to add some variety to my son's diet. All he wants to eat is avocado, Cheerios, and my Blackberry. Next up for the little one is Pumpkin Pasta Soup. After that, Confetti Orzo. And for YOU, Big Person Reading This Post, I'm going to make Carrot Soup. Adults need to eat too. And so does the Easter Bunny.

Corn and Lima Bean Succotash
Recipe adapted from Cooking For Baby

1 T unsalted butter
1 cup lima beans, fresh or frozen
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add lima beans and corn, season with paprika and salt, and saute for 3-5 minutes.


Add stock, cover and cook until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.


I then processed the mixture in a Cuisinart ever-so-slightly, because I cannot get over my fear that my one-year-old will choke on even the tiniest bite. Please Lord, send him more teeth.


Mmm, baby food. This was actually sweet, buttery and delicious... I licked the spoon.

DOH-WHEN-TUH!

Another glimpse into my kitchen. Only that's not my kitchen. And this was shot 4 years ago. And I don't really talk like that.



Well, I did when I was 7.

Siriously? I'm Serious: K'Flaws

Lately, I've been thinking about the things I could improve on in the kitchen. I shall call them my K'Flaws, because that's nerdy, and I thought I would share them. Sharing is Caring. Also I didn't cook anything new last night and I'm trying to get creative with my posts.

LEFTOVERS
-I keep leftovers for WAY too long. I start out thinking I'll eat them the next day. Ok the day after that. Then it reaches a point where I know they're still good, and I feel guilty throwing them away. But soon, they're no longer good. Oh no, and they disgust me. I won't go near them for days. Confession: I kept the Tuna Casserole in the outdoor fridge for almost 2 weeks. Gross, just gross.


-I let dishes soak for days. The kind with food gunk stuck to the bottom of the pan. Are you sensing I have some avoidancy issues in my life? It's okay, I'll fix them later.

DISHWASHER
-I abuse it. I use it more than I'd like to admit. But I spent nearly 10 years of my life living in apartments with no dishwashers, washing everything by hand, so my time has come to waste water and energy!! And after a long day of running after a toddler and preparing dinner, sometimes I just want a machine to wash the dishes and put my son to bed. So sue me.


ANGER MANAGEMENT
-When I can't open a jar I get irrationally angry. In my brain, the inanimate object turns into a being, a being that has wronged me, and deserves punishment in the form of really bad words.

So, I ask you People of the World Wide Web, what are your K'Flaws?

Spastic Hunger Attacks

Anyone ever have those?

I just ate some leftover tortilla soup, pita chips dipped in peanut butter, pineapple and a piece of dark chocolate, all in a matter of minutes. I'm talking, shove food in your mouth until your hands stop shaking kind of thing.

No, I'm not pregnant. I'm him:

Strawberry Banana Muffins

I love this combination:


In a smoothie, in a pie, in a Starburst. Bright, smooth, tart, fresh, summer. It reminds me of summer. Yesterday, I found some frozen strawberries that I bought 4 months ago. I was going to feed them to my son at the time, until I realized that berries are an allergenic food and you're not supposed to give them to a baby under 1. So they sat there, until yesterday, when I realized now he CAN eat them and not only that, he can eat them in muffin form. And so can I.


Strawberry Banana Muffins
(Makes 18 muffins)

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
About 2 cups chopped strawberries (frozen or fresh)
Cinnamon sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and both sugars until smooth. Add mashed bananas, melted butter, vegetable oil, milk and vanilla. Stir until combined. Banana lumps are fine by me.


In another bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt together with a fork.


Fold dry ingredients into wet, until just combined. Add strawberries and gently stir.


Grease muffin tins or add liners. Spoon a generous amount into each tin. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar.


Bake for 15 minutes until muffin tops turn a slight golden color, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.


I asked Carson to bring some of these into work but he refused, said he'd eat them all. So now I'm eating them all. Super.

I'd like to thank the Academy...

I recently received an award from a fellow blogger, Andrea The Kitchen Witch... check it out here!


This is what I love about food blogging... I've never even met Andrea but on any given day, I know that if I made one of her creative and mouth-watering recipes, my tummy would be pleased. So to be recognized by her is truly an honor, thanks Andrea!

Now it's my turn to pass on the award. I read too many blogs that span too many categories, so I'm going to try and narrow this down to my top 5 favorite food blogs:

ANDREA THE KITCHEN WITCH
Well, I've already told you how I feel about her blog. Did I mention she includes Nutritional Facts for each recipe? Awesome.

PREGNANT
Ashleigh is constantly posting exciting new recipes. This might change soon because she's about to have a baby (wonderful news for her, not wonderful news for my recipe obsession). I relate to Ash, and I feel like I know her well enough to call her "Ash" apparently (we've never met). Her mission is to find a "signature dish for baby and man" - also something I relate to. Check out her blog for good food and good humor.

SWEET LIFE
Beautiful blog. I don't know what else to say about it, beautiful food, ideas, photographs. It makes me smile.

ROOTS AND ZEST
I'm a sucker for food blogs written by mothers, and R&Z is one of the best. Virginia often throws parenting into the mix of her well written blogs, cooks with her kids, indulges in great restaurants, and makes some good-looking food!

I AM CHASING THIRTY
A breath of fresh air. I broke my own rules a little because this is not solely a food blog, but when she does post recipes they're innovative, delicious and photographed beautifully. Katy was my roommate for years and I'm lucky to know her AND her food.

Okey dokey, thanks for listening, and for more on this award click here...

The "Rules"
1. Display the Stiletto badge of honor.
2. Brag about it - post a link to the page to highlight what the award is about.
3. Say thanks! Include a link to the friend who nominated you.
4. Share the love-nominate 5-10 more blogs. Leave links to their blogs and leave them a comment so they know they won!
5. Do what you do! Keep at it and keep inspiring others!

Spinach and Chickpeas on Toast

I could go on and on about Smitten Kitchen, but I'm not going to. All I'm going to say is, try her recipes. Don't ask questions, just try them. I made the Spinach and Chickpeas dish last night and it was beyond fabulous. I don't even know how to describe it. You feel like you're eating pasta, or fried cheese, but you're not... you're eating spinach and chickpeas. Well, I did serve mine on toast like suggested, but it's still much healthier than it tastes. My only alteration - frozen spinach. It's all I had and it worked just fine.

I won't be redundant and repost the recipe, CLICK HERE for that. I will leave you with some images of my experience. And then I will go eat leftovers.

What Would Ina Do?

I am about to show you something I might regret.

Yesterday, I found a flash drive with all of this missing stuff. Pictures, resumes, my old working-woman files, and... embarrassing videos. No, not those kind of videos! You're sick. No, once upon a time, I wanted to be on the Food Network. My sister decided to help me make this dream come true. This was our attempt. This is why I am a Food Blogger, and not a Food Network Star.

Soup Azteca (aka Tortilla Soup)

I finally made a Rick Bayless recipe, and now the Good Lord can take me. I want to be him when I grow up! (Rick, not the Lord, I am not worthy.) I don't necessarily mean a genius of Mexican cuisine, but I want to be just as good at what I do as he is. I'm telling you, make this recipe. It's not very difficult (especially if you have a blender unlike me), there aren't a ton of wild ingredients, it makes plenty of soup, and IT'S INSANE! I was a little afraid that it wouldn't be enough food for dinner, but it was, we were full.

My alterations... Rick says use a dried pasilla, I could only find fresh. Rick says use an epazote sprig, huh? I cheated and bought a pre-roasted chicken from the market, because why not? I used Cojita cheese and skipped the Mexican crema step. But I'm sure if you do exactly what Rick says to do, you will not be upset, because Rick is God.

Soup Azteca
Recipe adapted from Rick Bayless website
(Serves 4-6)

1 large pasilla chile
1 15oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 T olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts chicken broth
1 roast chicken
1 large avocado, cubed
Cojita cheese
Broken tortilla chips

Toast the chile over an open flame. OR, if you don't have access to an open flame or you're afraid of burning your house down, toast it in a dry pan over medium heat for a few seconds per side.


Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add sliced onions and garlic cloves. Saute for approx 7 minutes.


In the meantime, break apart chile and throw in blender. We don't have a blender, so I used a Cuisinart. I included the seeds for some heat (the pasilla is only a mild to medium-hot chile). Add the tomatoes to the blender and process until smooth. My Cuisinart didn't really turn this into a puree, but I enjoyed the texture.


Once onions and garlic are sauteed, remove from pot (try to leave oil) and place in blender. Process until smooth, but again, I had some texture and that was good. Add to chili/tomato paste and stir.


Turn up heat on stove to high. Add more oil if you need to. Once hot, place puree back in pot and saute until it resembles a paste, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, add chicken broth. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste (I used a low sodium chicken broth and then added a ton of salt).


While soup is simmering, shred your chicken. I used only the white meat, and decided to toss it in some hot sauce because I thought the soup could use a little more heat. Add chicken to pot.


When ready to serve, place cubed avocado and broken tortilla chips in bowls.


Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheese and some more chips. Serve hot. Unless you're into cold soup.


FLAVOR FLAV!!!!!! (Sorry for that.)

That's Amore...

It's 5:30am. I'm doing that thing again where I wake up 2 hours before the baby to try and get stuff done. Get stuff done, like write a post about this picture...


I have wanted this photo hanging in my dining room for YEARS, and I've never been able to track it down. I've googled every permutation of words I can think of... girls, spaghetti, black and white, food porn, etc. Nada. I've even had a very unpleasant conversation with the manager at a Bucca Di Beppo (where above photo was taken) who told me they owned the image and I'd never be able to find it, ever. Screw you Bucca Di Poopoo.

That photo speaks to me. If YOU have a clue where this picture lives in the world, I will cook you a thousand pieces of food.

Chipotle Pancetta Cornbread

I love bacon. I don't eat enough bacon in my life. Wait, strike that, reverse, yes I do. I eat more bacon than I should, yes, that's what I meant to say. But life is short, right?! Especially when you eat lots of bacon.

Pancetta is one of my favorite forms of bacon. I love finding new homes for pancetta. I came across a recipe for Bacon Jalapeno Cornbread in my daily recipe perusal, and thought, pancetta would be a happy replacement for the bacon! Also, since I seem to have an excess of chipotles in my fridge, I decided to swap those for the jalapenos.

There you have it, my friends, Chipotle Pancetta Cornbread. It just came out of the oven and I haven't tasted it yet, but I will report back.

Chipotle Pancetta Cornbread
Recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated
(Serves 9)

2 T unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsps sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup milk
1 minced chipotle in adobe
3 oz. pancetta, chopped
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Butter a square baking dish. On stovetop, saute chopped pancetta in a small amount of olive oil until crispy. Remove onto paper towel and save for later.


In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Press dry ingredients to side of bowl, creating a well.


Crack eggs into well and stir gently.


Add buttermilk and milk and stir until just combined. Finally, add melted butter and stir again. The word STIR looks funny when you write it over and over. Careful not to over-stir!


Add minced chipotle and cooled pancetta and, guess what, STIR IT UP! Place batter in greased baking pan.


Bake for 25 minutes.


Two final things...
1. I plan on making Chicken Tortilla Soup tonight, and serving this bread on the side.
2. That is not my arm above. I do not have a bacon tattoo. But I do not judge those that do.

I Love the Web.

I am so gosh darn smitten with Smitten Kitchen, it's ridiculous. Just look at this.


I want to jump into that dish and swim around with my mouth open.

Adding it to my to-do list, this instant...

Lucy's Ham Sandwiches

My dear friend Eva's mother is my mother's dear friend Lucy. I think that made sense. Anyways. Lucy makes a sandwich that has become famous within my circle of friends. You can read about it here and you can gaze upon this gorgeous, mouth-watering photo taken by my other dear friend, Katy.


I will venture to say that it is the perfect sandwich. Easy to produce in large quantities, can be made ahead, great for catering events such as my baby shower (the sandwich on the right)...


Sticky, sweet, savory, sinful. Alliteration.

Lucy's Ham Sandwiches

1 stick of butter
1 T mustard
1 T worcestershire
2 T brown sugar
1 T poppy seeds
Small buns
Ham
Swiss cheese

Bring butter, mustard, worcestershire, brown sugar and poppy seeds to a boil in a saucepan. Set aside.


Make sandwiches with small buns, ham, and swiss cheese. I use Hawaiian Sweet Rolls because I think they're delicious. Place sandwiches in baking dish.


Pour sauce over the sandwiches. Cover and marinate in fridge for 24 hours or overnight.


Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes covered then 10 minutes uncovered.


I'm eating one right now, getting sticky goo all over my keyboard as I type, and not caring. I love you Lucy.

p.s. Check your teeth for poppy seeds when you're done eating 12 of these.