Gazpacho

I'm so lucky to have so many amazing, passionate and supportive people in my life. Just about everyone who is an active part of my life has something positive and motivating to contribute. I don't think too many people can say they are surrounded by such genuine people who have nothing but love and support to offer, so I consider myself very blessed. 

There are dozens of people to which that last paragraph pertains to, but this blog post will be dedicated to a certain one. My best friend Hope's mom, Joann (or Mama Jo, as Logan calls her, and what she will be referred to as from now on), has a passion for life that so many people lose along the way. Her passion for food is inspiring as well. She knows where all the best bakeries are, which restaurants have the most delicious dishes, and I know I can rely on her to know which specialty stores carry the obscure ingredients I may need. Mama Jo has always been supportive and excited about Resolution Kitchen from the beginning. She's been an inspiration for a couple recipes in here, like the roasted yellow pepper soup. She taught me how to make pesto (which I modified to this recipe), and has been fueling my sweet tooth and love for baking since she was the class mother in second grade. 

As a token of support, love and inspiration, Mama Jo recently bought me my first food processor- a Kitchen Aid in buttercup yellow (she knows me so well). I absolutely love every feature of the product, and have been using it every day. Mama Jo had one request- gazpacho. She had a delicious bowl of the cold soup at Michael Anthony's, one of her favorite restaurants in Wading River. I set to work, using fresh tomatoes and herbs from my garden, and turned out a huge batch of gazpacho. Thanks Mama Jo!!

Ready to chop my fresh garden herbs.

My new, oh so fancy food processor

Gazpacho

Serves about 8

• 8 roma/plum tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 2 scallions
• Juice from one lemon
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 4 cups tomato juice

1. Remove the skins from the tomatoes: Throw them in a pot of boiling water for one minute. Remove from the boiling water and into a bowl with ice water immediately. After a couple minutes the skin will peel right off.
2. Sautee the garlic.
3. Roughly chop the onion, pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, scallions and garlic. If you want to keep the recipe raw, skip the first two steps and start here. 
4. Add them to a food processor and pulse until just combined.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until combined but still a little chunky.
6. Refrigerate before serving. Serve cold.

I made this batch of gazpacho with my home grown roma tomatoes.
Does it get any fresher?

Strawberry Almond Soup

It's here! Strawberry season is upon us. The official start to the season doesn't usually begin until Memorial Day weekend, but with all the warm, dry weather we've been having on Long Island, the strawberries are off to an early start. I haven't been to any of the U-Pick farms out east yet, but I have stocked up on the organic strawberries that have been on sale in the grocery stores. Among the few strawberry concoctions I've created so far, this strawberry soup I adapted from this recipe takes the cake. It was so easy, and unbelievably delicious. With the summer heat making it's appearance, I'm sure  I'll be making plenty more "stove free" soups like this.

Logan couldn't get enough of it. I filled his bowl four times, can you tell?

Strawberry Almond Soup

Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side

• 2 Tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 lbs. (about 5 cups) of strawberries, tops removed
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1. Blend the sunflower seeds in a blender until a paste begins to form.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

No leftovers!

This recipe inspired me to make my own extracts. Extracts can be used to enhance the flavors of baked goods, soups, smoothies, stir fries. You name it. I've already made vanilla extract, so I thought, why not almond, and mint while I'm at it. The pretty containers I salvaged from my mom's collection are overflowing with mint. I need something to do with it! Plus, it would taste really good with the vegan chocolate bars I'm working on perfecting. More on that later!

My containers with lavender, spearmint, and chocolate mint

I won't be able to give you a review of my extracts until they're ready in a few weeks, but if you want to experiment with me, here's how..

Almond Extract

Chopped almonds

• 1 cup of raw almonds
• 2 cups of vodka

1. Toast the almonds in a 400º oven for 10 minutes. (Toasted almonds are delicious btw, eat them as is, or garnish your strawberry soup with them).
2. Pulse the almonds in a blender or food processor in short bursts. The goal is to just get them chopped, so don't blend them into a paste.
3. Add the chopped almonds to a glass jar, along with the vodka.
4. Keep in a cabinet for 6 weeks, shaking daily. 
5. Strain the solids with a cheesecloth, and you've made almond extract! (Hopefully)

Mint Extract

• 1 cup of loosely packed mint
• 3/4 cup of vodka
• 1/2 cup of water

1. Mix everything in a glass jar.
2. Keep in a cabinet for 3 weeks, shaking daily.
3. Strain the solids with a cheesecloth, and enjoy your mint extract!

"Cream" of Asparagus Soup

Hope, my bestie from way way back, challenged me to make a cream of asparagus soup free of animal product. She didn't believe I could make a healthy version of her favorite soup. People are generally surprised when I tell them that the food they're eating is vegan, so I knew I could replicate a healthier version of that soup without compromising the taste.

I was right!

It was perfect with a drizzle of truffle oil!

"Cream" of Asparagus Soup

Serves 8

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced
• 1 large bunch of asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cups vegetable broth, or just enough to cover the vegetables
• Dash of salt and pepper

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and leeks in oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the asparagus, and sauté for a few minutes more.
3. Add the potatoes, and cover with broth.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Logan refuses to let me feed him anymore.
He grabs the spoon and says "help".
How do I stop him from growing up so fast??

Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup

This one requires some patience, but the result is well worth your time. I adapted this recipe from one made by my bestie's mom. Thanks Mama Jo! She pulled a recipe for this soup from a magazine years ago. I made some changes to make it vegan, but you wouldn't be able to distinguish it from the original.

The part that requires patience is skinning the peppers. After roasting them, the skin is supposed to peel off easily. I had a little difficulty with it, even after putting them back in the broiler to roast more. I threw in the towel (literally and figuratively) after removing only about 60% of the skin, and the soup still came out fine. So no worries if you can't get all the skin off.

I love all soup, but a rich, creamy soup wins me over every time. Like the other creamy soups I've blogged about, this gets it's texture from a potato. It's so much healthier (and animal friendly!) than using cream. Bon appetit!

Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup

Serves 4

• 3 yellow bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced (white and pale green part only)
• 1 large russet potato, diced
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Dash of salt and pepper

The peppers should look like this once
removed from the broiler.

1. Roast the peppers: cut them in half and remove the seeds and stem. Place on a baking sheet and broil until the skins begin to blister, between 5 and 10 minutes. (I had to take some out after 5 minutes, and leave the rest in for 10, so keep an eye on them).
2. Once the skins have blistered and are beginning to brown, place the peppers in a bowl, cover with a dish towel, and let sit for 15 minutes.
3. In a large pot, sauté the onion and leek in oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the potato, broth, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Lower heat, cover and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
7. Peel the skin from the peppers.
8. Chop the peppers and add to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.

"Cream" of Carrot Soup

Check out the size of this sweet potato!

You wouldn't know it by glancing at the smooth, thick consistency of this soup, but there isn't actually any cream in here. The creamy consistency comes from sweet potato, which I used in place of heavy cream and milk in the original recipe. My inspiration for this soup came from the Hunger Games. As I mentioned in a previous post, I finished reading the trilogy and loved every word of it. One of my favorite parts of the books was the detail in which the food was discussed. The food was described with such depth, that it made me think about recreating the dishes myself. Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed, since there was an article on Huffington Post with links to recipes similar to those described in the books. Following the link I found a delicious sounding carrot soup. I made some vegan substitutions and scaled down the water. Like I said before, the creaminess came from a sweet potato. A very large sweet potato. Seriously, I didn't think any sweet potato could get that big, let alone an organic one. It must have been about 4 cups once it was peeled and chopped. It did the trick though. The result: a comforting, filling soup that we can't get enough of.

"Cream" of Carrot Soup

Serves at least 6

• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 lbs. of carrots, sliced
• 1 extra large sweet potato, cubed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 7 scallions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1. In a large pot, sauté the onions until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and sweet potato, followed by the vegetable broth and water. Add more water to just cover the potatoes and carrots if needed.
3. Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Uncover, lower the heat, and allow the soup to simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender. About 30 minutes.
5. Add the white and pale green parts of the scallions and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth.
7. Add the poppy seeds and stir until combined.
8. Serve, and garnish with the rest of the scallions and a sprinkling on poppy seeds.

Roasted Garlic Soup

I clipped this recipe from a newspaper a few months ago. Garden of Eve, an organic farm on the north fork of Long Island, holds a garlic festival every September. The festival was coming up, and I was keeping my eye out for garlic themed recipes. I'm so glad I found this one! I love everything about garlic; its taste, smell, health benefits. Roasting the garlic, like you do in this soup, really enhances the flavor (and makes the house smell great!).

For weeks now I've been meaning to make a batch to keep in the freezer. This soup is perfect for colds, especially since garlic has antiviral and antibacterial properties. I don't know how effective garlic is once it's been roasted and once you're already sick, but the soup is at least comforting. I made a few substitutions, like oil for butter, to make it vegan. The original recipe called for heavy cream, but it's still rich and creamy (and much more healthy) without it.

When I made this yesterday morning, it took a lot of willpower not to eat a bowl right away. As much as I love garlic, I know not everyone does. I was going to a spin class and as a courtesy to the other spinners, I didn't want to be sweating garlic. What I'm getting at is, after eating this soup, you're probably going to stink. I didn't notice it last night after dinner since we all ate it, but when Logan had a bowl for lunch today he really reeked!

*The key to this recipe is roasting the garlic. To make it easier to extract the actual clove once it's roasted, cut off the top of two whole heads, exposing the cloves. Place the cut heads on a piece of tinfoil with a couple bay leaves. Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and wrap it up. Roast in the oven at 350º for 45 minutes.

When the 45 minutes is up, remove the foil packet from the oven and let it cool slightly. Over a bowl, squeeze the heads so that the cloves are released from the husk. 

The roasted garlic cloves in the bowl, and the husks on the foil.

Roasted Garlic Soup

Makes about 6 servings

• 2 heads of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 large potato, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roast the garlic. See above for directions*
2. In a large pot, saute the onions in 2 Tbsp of oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the roasted garlic, and mix well. 
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Lower heat and simmer covered until the potatoes and carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
6. Transfer batches to a blender using a slotted spoon, and blend until smooth.

Swamp Soup

This soup tastes a lot better than it looks, I promise. I found it on a website listing it as a detox soup. I don't know how detoxifying it was, but it was very simple to make, tasted good, and is very healthy. You'll only be able to stomach this if you like cilantro. I absolutely love the stuff, and I put it in everything from quinoa to homemade tomato sauce. When my dad announced he didn't like it and thought it tasted like dirt, I was shocked. Not only because I've never heard him say he didn't like anything, but because who doesn't like cilantro? I just recently came across an article listing the 10 most polarizing foods,with cilantro topping the list. Apparently dad isn't the only cilantro hater. So if you're like my dad, steer clear of this recipe. If you are a fan of the leafy weed and are looking for a quick and healthy way to warm up this winter, go for it.

The ingredients are few and basic. Once you scoop the solids out of the pot and into the blender, the leftover broth can be saved, and reused later. Every time I steam veggies, I save the liquid left over underneath the steamer and freeze it in a large, glass container. I add vegetable scraps to it to, like the ends of carrot sticks and the skin from squash. When the container is full I throw in some fresh herbs like basil and thyme and put it back in the freezer. This is all used later as a vegetable stock. It tastes different each time so it adds an unpredictable variety to my cooking. The taste can always be adjusted when it's being thawed to your liking with other herbs and spices. Best of all, this helps me keep a New Year's resolution I made about reducing food waste. 

Swamp Soup

Makes about 3 servings

• 1 quart veggie stock
• 1 bunch swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (leaves only)
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot.
2. Add the swiss chard stalks and simmer covered for 4 minutes.
3. Add the swiss chard leaves, zucchini and salt and simmer covered for 4 minutes. 
4. Add the cilantro, lemon and cayenne, and cook for another minute.
5. Remove the solid veggies from the pot and into a blender with a slotted spoon.
6. Blend until everything is thoroughly mixed, and enjoy right away.

Veggie Stoup

Stew + Soup = Stoup

I found a recipe online for a veggie stew. I changed some ingredients and cooking methods, and the result was.. interesting. It had the heartiness of a stew due to the chunky vegetables, with a liquid consistency of a soup broth. I guess you could omit the water for a thicker consistency, and rely on the tomatoes and wine for liquid. I'll try that next time and post my results.

I was looking for an excuse to use the Slice O Matic I got for Christmas, so I sliced the potatoes. Slicing and chopping veggies is my least favorite part of cooking, so the Slice O Matic and the Vidalia Chopper are my best friends in the kitchen. Anyways, slicing the potatoes was NOT the best idea. It made the dish awkward to eat with a spoon, and Logan was having trouble picking them up with his chubby hands. I'll definitely be cutting them into cubes next time.

Recipes like this are great because you can add almost any vegetable (or beans) you have on hand, and you can season it to taste with just about any spice. Plus, it calls for wine. I love cooking with wine. It adds an umani quality to the dish, and who doesn't like a glass of vino while preparing dinner?

Veggie Stoup

Serves 4-6

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 small potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups of brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 5 or 6 stalks of asparagus, sliced into one inch segments

1. In a large pot, sauté oil and onion and garlic over a medium flame for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes and brussels and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Raise the heat slightly and add the wine.
4. When the wine has reduced slightly, add the water, tomatoes and spices.
5. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer over a low flame for 20 minutes.
6. Add the asparagus, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the veggies are tender.
7. Serve warm.

Winter Butternut Soup

When Lewin Farms in Wading River closed the day before Thanksgiving, I stocked up on winter squash. I ended up with more butternut squash than I knew what to do with. I looked up some recipes and found a bunch of soups. There was no one soup in particular that jumped out at me, so I took inspiration from a few different ones. A few ingredient substitutions and cooking methods later, I turned out a rich, creamy, delicious soup. The ingredients are very basic, just veggies, broth and oil. The potato and squash puree so smoothly that heavy cream isn't necessary to make the soup rich. I made it again recently. It was the perfect meal for the frigid January weather we've been having and there
was plenty of leftovers for the next couple days.

Winter Butternut Soup

Serves about 6

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 leeks, sliced (white and pale green parts only)
• One onion, chopped
• One sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• One large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• One apple, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 quart of vegetable broth

1. Saute the leeks in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are tender.
5. Transfer in batches to a blender and puree until smooth.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

Logan feeding himself a serving of his favorite soup.