Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons

I know, I know…you are all saying “another soup?”.  Yes I too am getting tired of the soup recipes, I just find that they are super easy on busy evenings.  Peter and I went to see Steve Winwood last night at McCaw Hall and I needed a dinner we could prepare and enjoy before leaving the kiddos to survive on their own.  Charlie and I chose Easy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Croutons out of Ina’s newest cookbook Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.

This is an easy and quick meal to prepare and this is not your Campbell’s tomato soup…this has layers of flavor.  The recipe calls for onions, garlic, tomatos and of course cream; however, the unique flavor that makes this soup stand apart is saffron, yum!

The grilled cheese croutons are grilled cheese sandwiches, made with gruyere cheese, and cut up into little squares so they can be placed right on top of your soup.  Everyone loved it and we made it to our concert after enjoyoing a meal together with plenty of time to spare.

Charlie and I will be taking a little break from our recipes and time together in the kitchen.  Mommy is headed off on a spa trip with the girlfriends, yippee! We will be cooking an Ina Garten Thanksgiving Feast upon my return.  We look forward to sharing our holiday cooking story with you.

Happy Thanksiving to you and your loved ones.

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Grilled Cheese Croutons (see below)

Directions

In a large pot or Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve hot with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.

Grilled Cheese Croutons

4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country white bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyere on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyere, buttered sides up.

Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta

For the first time, this is Charlie writing tonight. I am going to talk about this amazing dish we prepared. This was a great, easy soup to do because of our plans. We went to a tennis match tonight so we cooked in shifts. My mom was not able to come to the match right away because she was preparing the beans and pesto for the soup.  When she got to the match I asked her how our dish was doing and she said, “It is all ready”. This recipe is a long but tasty dish. I recommend doing all of the chopping beforehand so that it is easy when it comes time to dump all of the ingredients in the pot. It might take some time, but I ate two large helpings of it! The soup consists of lots of hearty vegetables and my personal favorite, pancetta. I love black and white combos so I enjoyed having the sweet butternut squash and the smokey pancetta.

A great addition to the soup was the amazing bruschetta. I thought the bruschetta was an interesting touch. It was a crunchy delight that added to the soft soup. A perfect combo! I hope you enjoy making it as much as I enjoyed eating it!

This recipe can be found in  Ina’s brand new cookbook: Barefoot Contessa Fool Proof.

Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta

Serves 6 to 8

Good olive oil

4 ounces pancetta, ½-inch-diced

1½ cups chopped yellow onions

2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots)

2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks)

2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash

1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi

6 to 8 cups chicken stock

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 (see note)

8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

½ cup good dry white wine

2 tablespoons store-bought pesto

Garlic Bruschetta (recipe follows)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions: 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. 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, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

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. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add 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.

Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

Note: To cook the pasta, put 1 cup of pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside. You can make this soup ahead and reheat it before serving. It will need to be reseasoned.

 

Garlic Bruschetta

1 baguette

Good olive oil

1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle in inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic.

 

Chicken Chili

Halloween is one of my all-time favorite holidays to celebrate. I love fall, orange, candy and costumes!! We have a long standing tradition of preparing chili on Halloween night, a hearty, healthy, quick meal before heading out to trick or treat.  Of course this year thanks to our blog we prepared Ina’s chicken chili.  I went online to the Food Network website for this recipe.

We invited our friends the Jaff’s over for dinner and trick or treating.  I prepared the chili in advance so that I could get my costume on, pick up the kids and start our fun early.  As I sliced and diced the onions and peppers I watched AMC’s Halloween marathon.  It was a typical Seattle Halloween, rainy with beautiful falls leaves on the trees and in the air.

This chili is very different from other chili’s I have prepared.  No broth or stock, the base of the chili comes from two cans of whole plum tomotoes that you chop in your food processor. The tomotoes along with the other vegetables and chicken breast meat make a light and healthy chili. You still add all of the familiar flavors such as cumin, red pepper flakes, basil, chili powder and cayenne.  My family and guests loved it.  We topped each bowl off with cheddar cheese and sour cream and served a ceasar salad on the side.

This meal was a great foundation before hitting the streets to collect our candy. Fortunately the rain subsided as we headed outside.  It was a perfect spooktacular evening.

 

 

Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
• 1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
• 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

• Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Directions

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Grilled Steak & Arugula

Tuesday was a busy day so I wanted something easy to prepare.  I looked through Ina’s Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? cookbook and found a recipe for steak and arugula salad.  Be sure to pick up some really good steaks, this recipe calls for boneless rib eyes, lots of flavor. The key is to flavor the steaks first and let them sit for 15 minutes before cooking.  The olive oil tenderizes the meat.

The dressing of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper bring out the bitterness of the arugula.  This paired with the steak and a little shaved parmesan is mouth watering. Another simple weeknight meal that your family will enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 (1 inch thick) boneless rib-eye steaks
• 1/2 cup good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the steaks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces baby arugula
• 1 (4-ounce) chunk good Parmesan cheese

Directions

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat.

 

Brush the steaks lightly with olive oil and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

 

When the grill is ready, place the steaks on the grill. Cook them for 5 minutes on each side and then close the lid, making sure the vents are open slightly. Cook for 5 – 15 minutes more for medium-rare, depending on the heat of the coals, until the centers of the steaks register 125 degrees on an instant thermometer.  Remove to a plate, cover tightly with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Toss the arugula in a large bowl with enough of the dressing to moisten; divide among 4 plates. Place half a steak on top of each salad. Shave the Parmesan onto each steak with a vegetable peeler, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot.

Spring Green Risotto

I know it isn’t spring but we made this risotto dish this past Monday and it was devine.  I apologize because I do not have any pictures to share with all of you. My risotto did not hold a candle to the photo in Ina’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook, therefore I was too embarrassed to photograph it.  However, it was delicious and my family loved it.  I was watching the coverage of Hurricane Sandy while I was stirring the risotto and I lost track of time and therefore over cooked my risotto a stitch.  It turned out creamery than the recipe calls for but the flavor more than made up for it. My heart goes out to all who were affected by this terrible natural disaster.  It is truly devastating to see the pictures and hear the stories of what some people endured.

This risotto dish includes peas, asparagus, lemon juice and decadent mascarpone cheese.  My children have never been big fans of risotto but they devoured this dish.  Just be sure to stop stirring and adding broth when the risotto is still al dente.  It will be delicious.  A nice warm all in one meal that is easy to make but has flavors of sophistication. Enjoy!

 

Spring Green Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1 cup chopped fennel
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 pound thin asparagus
• 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.