Winter Minestrone Soup

So last weekend I posted about how it was so summery and warm that I felt compelled to have a barbeque and top it off with strawberry shortcake. This weekend, we're taking it full circle and going back to the winter I know is out there somewhere. Why the sudden change in heart? Well first off, it is January, after all. And secondly, there is a chance of RAIN is this week's forecast!! Maybe if we embrace the idea of winter, it will actually happen?

There is only one way to find out. Enter the Barefoot Contessa's Winter Minestrone Soup! Those of you who know me may know that the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, is my cooking-slash-life role model. Not only is her life in the Hamptons perfectly enviable, but her cooking philosophy is all about meals that can be made at home without too much fuss and hard labor. I love soups, and this one is very hearty and really hits the spot on a cool night.

Ingredients: 
Olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch-diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) carrots (3 carrots)
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (26-ounce) can or box diced tomatoes, such as Pomi
6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot.

3. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

4. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick, add more chicken stock.

5. Just before serving, add the spinach and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve hot and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. 

 

I couldn't find tubetti pasta, so I used Orecchiette

Add a dollop of fresh pesto...

And don't forget to serve with some good crusty bread if you have it!

The Best Strawberry Shortcake

So you may have heard that California is experiencing crazy high temperatures this winter, while the poor east coast has been stuck inside a "polar vortex" of freezing ice. To illustrate just how insane our California weather is right now, I will tell you what I did yesterday: Went to the beach and laid in the sun at beautiful Montana de Oro state park, watched my car's temp gauge reach 86 degrees, and rounded the day off with an outdoor barbeque with friends. It honestly felt like the 4th of July.

Because I was in such a summery mood, I decided to try taking a personal spin on strawberry shortcake for dessert. You may have made a decently yummy strawberry shortcake with store bought ingredients, such as those pre-made round cakes and some canned ready-whip (how I loved that combo as a kid!). However, I would like to tell you that there is a better way...

Super easy homemade pound cake and homemade whipped cream!

I looked at a ton of pound cake recipes online before deciding that none of them were quite right. Either the photo of the cake looked too white and styrofoamy, or it was a recipe for a huge, Bundt style cake. So, I decided to wing it and make my own variation based on a couple of different recipes. It turned out perfect - moist and buttery on the inside, with a slightly crunchy, caramelized crust on top. It took about 15 minutes to make and an hour to bake. When smothered in homemade whipped cream and covered in a pile of strawberries, this dessert is pure perfection at any time of year.

Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used Fage brand yogurt)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoon Cointrequ orange liquor (optional) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated.

3. Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating in each egg 1 at a time. Add vanilla and Cointreau. 

4. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Whipped Cream & Berries:

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

1 pint of strawberries

Using an electric mixer, mix the cream, vanilla, and sugar until soft peaks form and the cream is the thickness that you like. This can take several minutes with a stand mixer on the highest speed. Be careful that you watch it though, as cream will literally turn into butter if mixed too long! 

Serve the cream and berries on thick slices of pound cake.

Splash Cafe

This month so far I've been dreaming of soup, soup, and more soup. Mayyyybe a stew or a bisque thrown in here and there to liven things up. Last weekend, I posted about my new favorite soup to make in my own kitchen, this tasty Broccoli Cheddar soup. This week, I want to share my favorite place to grab a bowl of soup in San Luis Obispo - clam chowder to be exact.

This discovery at local SLO eatery Splash Cafe is pretty much the best clam chowder I have ever had. If you like your chowder thick and creamy, versus thinner and more brothy, this is the chowder for you (and me!). The next best part about this particular chowder is that it can be ordered inside a warm, toasty, buttery bread bowl that is baked on the cafe premises. This is NOT a chowder that I want to get a calorie count for, I'm sure, but it is one that I'd want to pick up on a brisk January night.

The cafe's on-site bakery also makes all sorts of good looking treats, like the muffins, cupcakes, and focaccia bread that I snapped photos of below. But for me, the standout winner is the creamy, carb-o-licious bowl of clam chowder. I wish all of you could come to town and try a bowl with me!

 

 

 

 

Year in Review and Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Welcome to the New Year! While the holidays have officially come and gone for another 365 days, I am pretty darn excited for 2014. I only have to think back on all of the incredible and fun things that happened last year to get pumped up for the year ahead. Let's just do a quick 2013 year in review, shall we?

• March - Attended a best friend's bachelorette weekend in beautiful San Diego, CA (just what my Seattle sun-starved body needed for spring break!)
• April - Started on a path of freelancing work that provides my full-time work today; traveled to the Olympic Peninsula/Washington coast, watched above-mentioned best friend get married in Sacramento, CA
• May - Stuart and I celebrated our 7 year "dating" anniversary  
• June - Received my Master's degree from the University of Washington, Seattle; Stuart and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary (!)
• July - Traveled to Israel for two weeks (for free!)
• August - Moved back to California; embarked on a whirlwind tour of the state to see friends and family; watched by mom (via laptop) complete the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii
• September - Traveled to New York City (aka the best vacation ever); celebrated my mom's 60th birthday in great style; Stuart began a graduate program at Cal Poly in City Planning
• October - I turned 27, officially entering my "late" 20s! Attended the wedding of friends in Santa Fe, NM
• November - Hosted our first Thanksgiving at our condo with both families (lots of cooking help was provided)
• December - Holiday, holidays, and more holidays!

Whew. What a packed year. That is not to say, of course, that this past year did not have its stressful moments and its ups and downs. However, in general I always make it a point to look at the "big picture" and remember just how good I have it!

Last January, I posted about my thoughts on resolutions and my campaign to start eating healthier. Well...my feeling have not changed much since then! I start the year yet again with the desire to shed my holiday/winter weight, make sound financial decisions, and enjoy the little moments life brings.

 

One little moment I have been enjoying lately is every bite I've had of this perfect-o Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe. I absolutely HATED broccoli as a kid and you couldn't get it near me with a 10-foot pole. Now, I almost believe my dad's favorite phrase from back then, when he used to say it was "like candy." I don't know if it's better than chocolate, but this is my new favorite soup by far - I think it even has a leg up on this carrot soup and this butternut squash soup. 

Ingredients

1 medium sized bunch broccoli, chopped (about 12 oz florets)

2 T butter

1 russet potato

1 yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8th tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

2 T all purpose flour

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 oz)

Directions:
1.Blanch your broccoli by placing it in boiling water for 30 seconds. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven, melt the butter. Peel and chop the potato into small one inch dice. Saute both the potato and the onion in the butter for about six minutes, or until the onion starts to become translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Then, add the cayenne and salt. Toss to coat.
4. Add the flour and stir well. Pour in the broth and add back in the broccoli florets. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potato is tender.
5. Slowly pour in the milk and add the cheese, stirring to melt.
6. Carefully pour the hot soup into a blender and process for 10 seconds, or just until slightly smooth with just a few chunks. Pour soup back into the pot and keep warm until serving.