Roasted Tomato Soup

Now if I had been thinking, I'd have taken pictures of the actual roasting process. Unfortunately I did not . . .  I roasted them a couple days before actually making the soup. Sorry! : )

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat; cook onion, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the roasted tomatoes, stock, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar and basil; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Now you could let it cool for a few minutes and then blend in a blender or food processor, but I used my immersion blender and did it right in the pot. I'm all about less dishes. I have too many to wash as it is.

Heat soup through, if it cooled down any. Add any salt or pepper if needed.

Yum! Would be good topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese (but I didn't have any). Or add a little cream or milk and some crackers.

Here's the recipe for the soup, followed by the recipe for the roasted tomatoes:

40 roasted tomato halves
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp parmesan or asiago cheese (optional)

Roasted Tomatoes

4 lbs ripe plum tomatoes (about 20 whole)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt & pepper

Trim stems off tomatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Arrange, cut side up on a large foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Stir together garlic, basil and oil; brush over tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 400F oven for about an hour or until softened, shrivelled and edges begin to darken.

Zuppa Toscana

What a perfect soup for a cool day! This is a version of the soup made famous by Olive Garden. So good!

1 lb ground Italian sausage (I used spicy to give it some kick because I didn't have the next ingredient)
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic, minced
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
3 large potatoes, sliced
1/4 of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 min or until the onions are soft.

Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

Add the heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage and kale. Heat through and serve.

Mini Donut Muffins

So it's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. I have been cooking, but I've been too lazy to take pictures or post anything. But I did a little baking today and I took pictures! You know those delicious mini donuts you can find at The Ex and all those summer carnivals and fairs? The ones that are bad for you, but taste so good? Well these muffins are pretty close to that. And I consider them a somewhat "healthier" version, since there is no deep frying involved. Enjoy!

1/3 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl cream butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended.

Mix dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and stir until well combined. Spoon batter into a lightly greased muffin tin.

Bake for 16 minutes or until golden in colour.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes, until you able to handle them. Dip tops of muffins in melted butter/margarine and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon).

Makes 12 muffins.

*From Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Grilled Potato Chips?

This is super easy and a nice addition to a burger or sandwich. Just slice a large baking potato into 1/4 inch slices. Use a crinkle cutter if you have one to make them look more like ripple potato chips. Then just toss them with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. You can also season with whatever spices you like. Then place directly on the BBQ grill over medium heat and let cook for about 8-10 minutes. Flip them over and grill until soft in the middle and nice and golden brown (or until they are as crispy as you like them, without burning them!).

Quinoa Salad

So I'd been hearing lots about quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") lately. So I thought I'd check it out. Quinoa is a grain that originates from the Andes Mountains of South America. It was one of the three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes of the Inca civilization. It doesn't look like much, but its actually really good.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 English cucumber, diced
1 pepper (red, orange, green, whatever you prefer, or a combination), chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt & pepper
5-6 fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Quinoa usually needs to be rinsed first, so put the quinoa into a pot and run some warm water into the pot. Let sit for 3 minutes and then drain the water. Then add the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Drain.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop up the veggies. You can be creative with the veggies, use what you have (I have also used corn kernals).

In a bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, dijon mustard and oregano. Season with salt & pepper. Stir well to combine.

Once the quinoa is cooked and cooled slightly, mix together with the veggies, basil, feta cheese and dressing.

Orzo Salad

This recipe is very vague, you can kind of use however much you'd like of most of these ingredients.

1 cup orzo (uncooked)
mozzarella (cut in small chunks)
cherry tomatoes (or regular as I didn't have cherry at the time)
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
toasted pine nuts
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions and cool. Add balsamic vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add toasted pine nuts, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving.

Chicken Quesadillas with Carmelized Onions & Peppers

I made this about a week ago already and just haven't had time to post it until now. Another wonderful version of the quesadilla. Makes for an easy and fairly quick dinner. I'll give you the full recipe, but I have only made one at a time, so feel free to alter as needed.

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinkly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
8 - 10" flour tortillas

Heat oil in a 10 inch pan; add onion and peppers until onions are caramelized. You may also wish to add the chicken to warm it up a bit. Remove and set aside.

Sprinkle a small amount of grated cheese in the hot pan. Place one tortilla on top of the cheese and pat it down on the cheese. Layer the chicken, onions and peppers and more cheese. Place another tortilla on top. Use a flat plastic spatula to carefully lift the bottom tortilla from the pan so the cheese is no longer stuck to the pan. When the cheese inside the quesadilla has melted slightly and the tortilla can be easily lifted from the pan, carefully flip the quesadilla and heat thoroughly. Slide the quesadilla from the pan to a cutting board.

Repeat the process to make three more quesadillas.

*From Mennonite Girls Can Cook