Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Delicious Delicious Soup!

I don't know about you but for me nothing sounds better on a cold January evening than hot soup.  But I hate canned soup.  It just doesn't taste right.  So when I got this recipe from a friend for homemade Tomato Bisque, it was love at first bite.  I've never had a better tomato soup.  Not even from Panera.  It's that good.

I have tweaked the recipe slightly from what he gave me but in essentials it's the same.

Doesn't that look delicious?


Ingredient list:
2 lb. Roma Tomatoes
1 onion, chopped (I use vidalia)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
4 c Chicken broth/stock
2 cans (6oz) tomato paste
2 T Fresh Parsley (I use dry, just use less, it doesn't affect the flavor noticeably)
1/2 c Fresh basil (same thing as with the parsley)
2 t oregano
1 t thyme
3/4 c Red Wine (The original recipe says sweet, but I think it's better with dry.  Just use whatever you like)
3 T Balsamic vinegar
1 c Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

A note on the tomatoes: The original recipe said to blanch and peel the tomatoes before chopping them.  I find this step way too time-consuming and not at all necessary.  You puree everything together at the end anyway so peeling them at the beginning hardly seems important.  I did blanch them the first time I made this soup but haven't since.  I just chop them up with skins on and put them in that way but if you're weird about skins or want to make sure everything gets blended consistently you can always do this extra step.

Putting it together:

1. Heat olive oil in large stockpot

2. Add chopped onion and saute until soft

3. Add garlic and saute another two minutes

4.  Add tomatoes and salt and pepper.  Cook for 5-10 minutes.

5.  Stir in chicken broth, wine, vinegar and tomato paste.  I'd recommend adding the paste first, it's easier to make sure it gets thoroughly mixed in that way.  Bring the mixture to a boil.

6.  Add all herbs and reduce heat to medium (you want it to be just simmering).  Allow the liquid to reduce by 1/4.  You can also let it reduce slightly more or less depending on how thick you like your soup.

7.  Let cool at least 15 minutes.  I like to put it in the refrigerator overnight at this step but that does take planning ahead, which is not something I excel in.  Letting it sit overnight allows the flavors to blend and get stronger and also ensures that it's at appropriate temperature for blending.  It comes down to this:  The next thing you are going to do is puree the soup.  The hotter the soup is at this point, the harder that will be.  Now, it's not impossible to put hot soup in the blender and mix it, but you definitely want to make sure the lid is on tight and that you're holding it down even tighter.  (Trust me, I know from experience).

8.  Puree on high speed in a blender or food processor.  I prefer a blender (mostly because it's easier to clean) but everyone has their own preferences and it really doesn't matter as long as the soup gets made.

9. The original recipe says to transfer the blended mixture into a clean pot.  Well, I don't know about you, but I only have one stockpot.  I usually just blend in small batches and put them into a mixing bowl. Once everything's out of my pot I rinse it out and transfer the soup from the mixing bowl to the stockpot.  It's kind of a hassle but it's way cheaper than buying another stockpot.

10.  Slowly reheat and stir in the cream.  Once it's up to the proper temperature, serve!

11.  Die of happiness.




I would recommend trying one batch at first, to get the hang of the recipe but after that all double batches.  Everyone loves this soup and it's great for parties. And it's even better warmed up on the second day.  You'll never go to Panera again. (Okay, maybe you will, but not for tomato soup!)


It's Andy's favorite!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Happy 2012

Happy New Year!

Personally, I hate New Year stuff.  I don't really like New Year's parties, New Year's eve, the fact that everyone uses it as an excuse to try and do everything in their life completely different for a month before they get sick of it and revert back to their old ways.  You know, everything.

But this year, I'm trying something new.  I'm calling it Project 2012.  (Super creative, I know)

The past few months have been rough and 2011, although it started out wonderfully, didn't have a great ending.  I've been feeling pretty down lately and like I've been stuck in a rut, in my personal life, work life, etc.  I go to work and do the same things every day.  Then I come home and do the same things every day.  On the weekends I do the same thing every weekend.  In general, I think I just need a change.  Thus, Project 2012.

Spoiler Alert:  It involves healthier eating, getting involved and a big move.

This isn't a New Year's resolution.  It's a decision to make changes that will make me a happier person.  I don't want to instantly convert to a new lifestyle, change everything about myself or give up anything that I currently enjoy.  I just want to make my life a little better.

Step 1:  Getting involved.  I feel like I don't have a ton of friends.  I don't mean that in a sad way, because I know I do have quite a few awesome friends.  But they don't live around me and the ones that I do I never end up seeing because one of us is always busy.  So I want to start branching out a little more.  Taking a few classes, volunteering, etc.  Just a way to meet some new people and get out of the apartment once in awhile.


I'm happy to say I've already started this step.  I am currently enrolled in both a beginning knitting class (I've always wanted to learn how to knit) and an Adult Tap class.  I used to take a lot of tap when I was young but sadly haven't much since.  Both are going very well and I really enjoyed the first classes of each!


Step 2: Eating Healthier.  Andy and I have both been feeling we should start this.  It's easy to fall into the "This tastes good so I'm going to eat it all the time" trap.  And we have.  Big time.  We've both gained some weight since the wedding, which neither of us is feeling good about and we just haven't been eating great food.  And it's amazing how much that can affect how your body feels and how you feel about yourself.  In addition I recently started taking insulin, which in addition to allowing me to survive (an awesome effect) has also caused me to gain a ton of weight in the past two months (a not so awesome effect).


We haven't started this yet but it will be going into effect this month and will involve a lot of soups and salads. ( Some of my favorite healthy things).  So be prepared for those recipes to show up on the blog!


Step 3: The Big Move.  I can't say much about this, as it's still up in the air as to time and place but we've been feeling like a change of scene for the past year and we've decided to do something about it!  I'll let you know more when I can.  Maybe I'll be moving to a town near you, very soon!


I wish a very happy 2012.  May it be your best year yet!