Dairy-Free Creamy Mushroom Soup

January can be summed up in two words:
1. polar
2. vortex.

Time for more soup!!!

Dairy-Free Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
2-3 tbs of olive oil
20 ounces of mushrooms, sliced - I used 2 whole packages, 1 white button and 1 baby portobello
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
32 ounces of beef broth - I used 1 whole container from Trader Joe's

A handful of fresh rosemary & thyme
Sprinkle of dried ground sage
Salt & pepper
Unsweetened, plain almond milk or coconut milk

Preparation: It's so simple! In a soup pot, sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Add fresh herbs and season with salt, pepper, and sage. Toss together. Once the veggies are soft and fragrant, add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes, then reduce heat. Carefully blend soup using immersion blender (or standard blender - work in batches if necessary). Blend until the soup is smooth, and then add almond or coconut milk until the soup reaches its desired creaminess. If you don't live the dairy-free life, feel free to use half and half to thicken your soup. Simmer for a bit before serving (about 10 minutes). Add more salt & pepper to taste and enjoy!

Love,
Amy

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sorry to disappear for a couple weeks folks, but this month has been surprisingly busy. Feels like I've hardly had time to unwind, let alone cook, but between all the places I've visited and all the people I've been able to spend time with, I'm exhausted in the best way. 

I've also been pretty inspired thumbing through my cookbook collection lately -- mostly by seasonal produce and flavors that scream "fall." Here is a recipe that embraces that! 

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash
(For two)

Ingredients:

1 medium to large acorn squash

Half of an onion, diced

1 pear, diced 

2 sausage links (pork or chicken)

Dried oregano

Dried thyme

Dried sage

Salt & pepper 

Brown sugar 

Nuts & raisins/dried cranberries

Plain bread crumbs 

1 tbs sour cream

Feta cheese

 

Preparation: Wash your squash thoroughly and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the stringy flesh and seeds in the center until there is a hollowed out space for your stuffing. Place the squash cut-side down on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until tender. 

Meanwhile, dice up the sausage (I used chicken this time) and brown in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and pears and cook until onions are translucent and the pears are tender. Add as many nuts and raisins as desired and toss. I added some sliced almonds, pecans and dried cranberries. 

Sprinkle your stuffing with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and sage to taste, but be careful not to overdo it as the flavor of dried herbs is usually more intense than fresh herbs. I also sprinkled in some brown sugar. 

Add the sour cream and a handful of breadcrumbs and toss until the stuffing is coated and combined. Once your squash is roasted, carefully remove it from the oven and scoop as much of your stuffing into the center as you can. Top with feta cheese, cover, and pop them back in the oven at 350 degrees for another 20 minutes. I'm already having visions of some Thanksgiving leftovers being worked into this recipe. Mmmm...

 

Also, if you don't eat meat, feel free to substitute the sausage for some mushrooms. You can really get creative with the filling. 

Enjoy! More seasonal recipes to come as we cruise through the fall and into the chilly winter months.

Love,

Amy 

Savory Sausage, Kale & Mushroom Soup with Pumpkin Broth

Happy October, friends! To start the month off right, I bring you soup #2 of the season. And yes, there's some pumpkin in it. 

 

Savory Sausage, Kale & Mushroom Soup with Pumpkin Broth 

 

Ingredients:

One medium onion, quartered and sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, diced

4 Italian sausage links

2 cups sliced baby portabella mushrooms

4 cups low-sodium veggie stock (sausage is salty & low-sodium stock offers a great, light flavor to this dish)

5-6 cups Tuscan kale

A can of pumpkin purée 

Sprinkle of dried rosemary

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

Salt & pepper

Block of fresh Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, and make sure it has a rind! (I'll explain later)

2-3 tbs olive oil

Fusilli noodles (cooked) 

 

Preparation: Brown sausage in a pan over medium-high heat (I removed the casing in order to "crumble" the meat). In a separate soup pot, sauté garlic, onions,  mushrooms, and kale in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add nutmeg and rosemary and a dash of salt & pepper. Once the veggies are tender, add the browned sausage to the soup pot and toss together. Confession: For flavor purposes, I did not drain the fat off my sausage using a paper towel. But I did use a slotted spoon so... don't judge me. 

 

Add veggie stock to soup pot and bring soup to a boil. Drop in pumpkin purée by the tablespoonful (I did 6 scoops) and stir  to combine. 

Now here is the mother of all soup tips, given to me by my brilliant mother: cut the rind of your block of Italian cheese off, while leaving some cheese on it, and drop it in the soup. Let soup simmer with the rind for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. It'll make the broth opaque and really boost the flavor. Amazing. 

In the meantime, cook up some fusilli noodles according to the package's instructions. Add some to each bowl you serve and top with shaved parm or Pecorino Romano... and enjoy!

My next post will most likely not be a soup... but I can't make any promises. :)

Love,

Amy 

Curried Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup (gluten-free, with vegan option!)

 

Fall & winter are great for many reasons, but soup is definitely in the top 3. My favorite food of all time is my mom's homemade chicken noodle soup that takes a full day to make. It has magical healing powers, I kid you not. I'm pretty sure it could heal a broken bone.

To kick off soup season, here is a fairly quick & easy recipe to warm you up. The spices and color got me so amped for fall I went into the grocery store for sugar this week and came out with 2 mums and about 7 mini pumpkins & gourds. I've also just about overdosed on spiced lattes. And I'm just getting started. 

Curried Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
 

Ingredients:

3 medium to large sweet potatoes 

1 cup carrots, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup sweet onion, diced 

1/2 of a tart apple, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 can coconut milk (full fat)

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 tbs garam masala

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves (or 1/4 tsp if you're not as big a fan as I am)

A few sprigs of parsley 

2-3 tbs olive oil

Preparation: Scrub sweet potatoes, pierce each one several times with a fork, and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until tender (about 45 minutes). 

Meanwhile, in a large pot, sauté onion, carrots, apple, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add garam masala, curry powder, and salt and toss to coat the veggies in the spices. Once the potatoes are baked through, scoop their meat out and discard the skins. Add the sweet potato to the other spiced veggies and toss to coat.
 

Add chicken (or veggie) stock and bring to a boil for about 2-3 minutes. Then lower the heat to a simmer, add parsley, and blend soup using an immersion blender. If you are using a standard blender, work in batches until soup is smooth (careful - hot!). Once soup is blended, add coconut milk, ginger, and clove. I used coconut cream for my soup, and so I only added about 3/4 of a can. Feel free to adjust the coconut milk to your creaminess preference. 
 

Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until ready to serve. I garnished mine with a bit of cayenne and cinnamon for a kick. 

Stayed tuned for more soups as we head into chilly weather! It really is so good for your soul.

 

Love,

Amy

Chicken & Waffles Sandwich

Guys. I love waffles. They're one of my favorite items on a diner menu. Pancakes with syrup holders installed? Genius.

Naturally, a waffle iron is going on my Christmas list this year. I'm ready to take that next step & make my own. But until then, I'm not picky - frozen waffles are my jam too.

Here's a fun way to incorporate waffles into lunch/dinner, when the typical breakfast routine with syrup just isn't enough. I used frozen waffles, but if you have the power, by all means, make them fresh. 

Chicken & Waffle Sandwich 

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets (I like them sliced thin)

2 eggs

Cornmeal 

Canola oil 

1 cup maple syrup

Cayenne pepper or hot sauce 

Paprika

Fresh or dried thyme

Garlic powder

Salt & pepper

Your favorite frozen waffles

Your favorite sandwich toppings (I went with spinach, tomatoes and BACON, of course) 

Directions: Whisk the eggs together in a mixing bowl, and in a separate dish combine about 1 cup cornmeal with a half teaspoon of paprika and thyme and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I also added some chopped almonds to my cornmeal). Dip each chicken filet in the egg mixture, followed by the cornmeal mixture until coated. Fry in about a quarter inch of canola oil over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy -- about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Place chicken on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Warm maple syrup through in saucepan over low heat. Add cayenne pepper and/or hot sauce to taste and heat preference. 

Toast your waffles and pile on your chicken and toppings. Drizzle the spicy syrup over your sandwich, or coat the chicken with it before assembling. Serve with whatever your heart desires and enjoy. 

Weird? A little. But definitely worth a try. Chicken & waffles is quickly becoming my new favorite combo. 

And for dessert, top a waffle with Nutella, vanilla ice cream, and fresh fruit. 

End waffle rant.

Love,

Amy

Wasabi Lime Vinaigrette

It’s just been way too hot lately, guys. As much as I love hovering over my stove cooking my little heart out, its just been way too sticky in my apartment to fire up the oven or range for more than a few minutes.

So I figured why not get creative with salad?

Buying an immersion blender has totally enhanced my cooking. On top of homemade soups & smoothies, it’s a great tool for blending homemade dressings and sauces. And that’s just what I did the other night when I felt like experimenting in the kitchen, minus the heat. If you like wasabi or anything with a kick, then I think you’ll really enjoy this dressing!

Wasabi Lime Vinaigrette

 

Ingredients:

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tsp wasabi powder

½ tbs lime juice

½ tsp sugar

1 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped

Blend ingredients together using an immersion blender, or standard blender, until the ingredients emulsify and the dressing looks nice & green & creamy. If you don’t have a blender, you can whisk the ingredients together by hand until emulsified.

I drizzled this tangy dressing over a fresh ahi tuna salad. I sprinkled fresh ground black pepper all over an ahi tuna steak and seared it on medium-high heat for only about 2 minutes on each side. Then I laid the tuna over a bed of greens with cherry tomatoes, orange bell pepper, cucumber, avocado, sunflower seeds, and a sprinkle of goat cheese... and topped it with the wasabi vinaigrette!

And I hardly broke a sweat. 

Love,
Amy

Summer Pasta - 2 Ways!

Sticky, hot days & evenings full of thunder... its summer time & I'm feelin' the heat, people.

One of my favorite foods to eat & cook is pasta. I mean, I thoroughly enjoy many kinds of food, but Italian has its own special place in my heart, as some of my most zen moments have involved a big bowl of pasta, crusty bread, and red wine.

When cooking my own pasta, I tend to stick to heavy red sauces, but since its summer I've really been looking at ways to take the dishes I love and make a lighter version. So recently I've been combining some colorful farfalle pasta with a variety of seasonal veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, oil, and fresh herbs I have growing on my windowsill. And since I've been hooked on goat cheese this year, I sprinkled that in as well. Here are 2 summery pasta dishes that would be great served warm or cold:

Summer Pasta with Spinach, Artichokes & Prosciutto

Ingredients:
3 cups farfalle or "bow tie" noodles (I love the presentation with the multi-color kind!)

Baby spinach

Chopped artichoke hearts

Sun-dried tomatoes
Sweet corn removed from the cob

1 clove garlic, diced

Sweet peas, frozen or fresh
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar

Sprinkle of goat cheese

1 or 2 pieces of thin-sliced prosciutto, chopped up into small pieces 

Fresh basil

Summer Pasta with Yellow Zucchini & Sweet Peas

Ingredients:
3 cups farfalle
1 medium yellow (or green!) zucchini, chopped
Sun-dried tomatoes
Sweet corn removed from the cob
1 clove garlic
Sweet peas
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Fresh basil
Fresh chives
Sprinkle of goat cheese
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese too

For both recipes, I cooked the farfalle noodles according to the package's instructions, then set aside to cool. I then heated the olive oil over medium heat and slowly sauteed the garlic until it was heated through and tender, but not brown. I then added all my veggies to the oil and heated through until tender. Then I set that aside to cool to room temperature as well. I drizzled the farfalle with olive oil and red wine vinegar and tossed until the noodles were coated. Then I gently folded in the sauteed veggies, and topped the pasta with the fresh herbs, prosciutto, and goat cheese. I stored leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container, and then enjoyed it cold the next day for lunch. Yum!


I left the measurements for these recipes off, because I feel that you should go heavy on the ingredients you particularly like, and easy on those you don't like as much. And get creative by tossing in whatever extra ingredients you're craving. Pasta is fun because of the variety it offers!

Enjoy!

Love,
Amy