Roasted Garlic Soup

yummy roasted garlic

I was supposed to make this roasted garlic soup with chorizo, but by the end it was italian sausage, potato, rosemary and roasted garlic soup. It was still delicious, but not exactly what I meant to make. The roasted garlic smells so good, you'll have to stop yourself from eating it. I only roasted 2 cloves because I thought 4 cloves would be overkill, but 2 wasn't enough! I normally roast garlic by the head in the oven, wrapped in foil, but this was faster- you just have to be careful not to burn the garlic.

Like I said, I used chopped spicy italian sausage because I didn't have chorizo and then I added diced potatoes because I have way too many potatoes. Delicious, yes, but maybe I'll actually follow the recipe next time.

Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

There is nothing more welcoming than a bowl of warm soup on a cold day. This soup is that soup. However you will encounter some unpleasant, fishy smells because you have to roast the shrimp shells. I felt slightly crazy cooking shells, but it turned out delicious so I'll do it again if I need to. I also felt a lot of asian guilt at having to throw out the onion and celery (though I did eat a few spoonfuls, but gave up after getting too many shell bits). Work through the guilt and make this soup. It is good and very easy.

Shrimp shells, it's whats for dinner.

I think I'm getting better at choosing wines to cook with- thanks to all the friendly folks at Trader Joe's. (PS: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!)

Roasted Tomato Soup

This recipe for a roasted tomato soup comes from Gordon Ramsey. It is sublime. I chose the best looking organic heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joe's and stuck them in the oven with onions and garlic... the kitchen smelled amazing. Roasting is my go-to preparation for almost everything. It takes little effort and it's difficult to mess up. Just cut up the vegetables, toss with some olive oil and garlic and stick them in the oven for awhile. Shake the pan every once in awhile and take it out once it browns or softens. Easy!

My favorite way to prepare cauliflower is to cut it up and roast it with garlic, olive oil and sea salt. The cauliflower gets brown and crisp at the bottom and soft and garlicy everywhere else. This was another great tomato soup! I'm really glad I decided to give tomato soup another try because otherwise I never would've found out how much I love it.

Post roast vegetables.

Baked Mac N Cheese and Roasted Potato Leek Soup

I really liked mac and cheese, but I'm really picky about what kind I like. I like the mac and cheese from Napa Valley Grill and even the Kraft blue box... I'm kinda on the fence about Trader Joe's boxed mac and cheese. This is a good make-ahead recipe for baked mac and cheese for when you have guests coming over- assemble the day before and bake when ready. It's from the great Barefoot Contessa.



This roasted potato and leek soup is so good. I really like roasting vegetables- you don't have to stand there watching it and the veggies come out with a completely different flavor! This also had a bunch of arugula blended in so it had a peppery kick to it.

I definitely burned the crispy shallots, but for what I paid for them I used them anyways. They are a really really good addition to the soup and would be great in sandwiches, salads etc.

Tomato Soup and Butternut Squash soup

It's cold and rainy again in Los Angeles and it's perfect soup season. First is a Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup from America's Test Kitchen- I really need to start subscribing instead of buying issues at Whole Foods. So much research and testing goes into each recipe! This one uses a bizarre method- you use white bread to make the soup "creamy." You can easily substitute a vegetable broth to make it vegetarian. I didn't even know I liked tomato soup because the previous ones I've had tasted like Campbell's tomato soup which is disgusting.

Unfortunately I don't have pictures because this is the week that I left my camera at my parents house and no one was around with a decent camera phone. ): Instead enjoy this picture of a pesto + tomato grilled (american) cheese. Just take my word that this soup is ammaazzzinnngggg.

I've typed the recipe up below:

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup
Serves 6 to 8
Note: You can use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. For a smoother soup, pass the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the chicken broth in step 2.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice. Using a potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain (avoiding the bay leaf). Stir in the sugar and bread; bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

2. Transfer half of the soup to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon more oil and process until the soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining soup and remaining 1 table spoon of oil rinse out the Dutch oven and return the soup to the pot. Stir in the chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return the soup to a boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with additional oil.



The second soup recipe is for a Roasted Butternut Squash soup. This was my first time cooking a squash. I had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be really good- I would eat it plain after roasting it. It becomes really sweet and the edges are caramelized. I always thought squash were mushy and plain.

This has few ingredients so it's easy to make, just cook and blend. I added crispy slices of potatoes and some Tabasco for some extra heat!

Look how orange this is!

Broccoli, leek and potato soup and bruschetta

Again, with the soups right? Well there was a cold streak awhile ago so I had a great chance to expand my soup horizons. This recipe is for a broccoli, leek and potato soup. Those are 3 of my favorite ingredients. That's a baked potato, spanish tortilla, quiche ready to go. This recipe requires a food processor or blender AND there's dairy involved so it's a very thick, filling soup.


I had some extra potatoes so I diced them, seasoned them with cajun seasoning and drizzled some olive oil and baked them until crisp. I served these on top of the soup for some contrasting texture, woooo getting fancy! I left out the cheese, I didn't feel like it needed any.


I also had a leftover, stale baguette so I made some bruschetta. Slice the bread diagonally and toast lightly. Then rub a garlic clove on it and top with mozzarella, thin slices of garlic and a little bit of olive oil. Toast in the oven with the potatoes and then top with shredded, fresh basil. Deliiccciouuussss.

Soup, post-blending.

Potato and Leek Soup, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, & Garlic Bread

You know when winter is transitioning to spring when all you want is to curl up with a warm, creamy soup. With Angela's recent corn chowder post I thought I'd follow up with one of my favorite soups: Potato & Leek.

Recipe here, followed to the T: http://pinchmysalt.com/2008/03/19/a-hearty-potato-leek-soup-recipe-for-the-last-days-of-winter/

The only part that wasn't explained well was cutting the leek. How? You cut off 1/4 inch from the bottom stub, and cut off all the dark green part (about 1/2 inch into the light green part of the leek). You only use the white & light green parts, since that's the tender part of it. Chop lengthwise and then chop it up into finer portions. Wash thoroughly using a colander.


I made one change, and that was to add in some white truffle oil that I've been wanting to use. It makes the soup taste different--even more delicious!



What pairs well with a hearty soup? Hearty food!! So I decided to complete the dinner with some simple Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Garlic Bread:

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: wrap uncooked bacon around peeled, raw shrimp and secure with a toothpick.


Grill on BBQ in medium to medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes. When the bacon is done, the shrimp will be done. (In the below picture the bacon is done but perhaps slightly undercooked for my taste.)


Garlic Bread:
Find the freshest french sweet bread you can find.
Make garlic butter sauce--mix 4 tbsp butter, melted + desirable amount of garlic spread + salt if butter is unsalted + dried oregano or basil

If you want crispier garlic bread:
1. Cut baguette in half horizontally.


2. Spread garlic butter sauce as desired, and add freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired
3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached (this really depends on the size of your bread)


If you want softer garlic bread:
1. Make several vertical cuts, short lengthwise, but leaving the bread still intact at the ends.


2. Spread garlic butter sauce as desired, and add freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired
3. Wrap completely in aluminum foil


4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until desired doneness is reached


Serve together and it makes for a surprisingly filling and delicious meal.

Corn Chowder

This recipe is from The Best of America's Test Kitchen. This is one of the few recipes I will pay for- they're always fool proof and always delicious- they undergo extensive testing. I love the science behind the recipes (also why I love Alton Brown).



I didn't have any fresh corn- I used a bag of frozen super-sweet corn from Trader Joe's and it was good, but fresh corn is probably better and it's be creamier. I used 1/2 cup of heavy cream, but it didn't sacrifice much flavor. I missed the crisp of the bacon so I'd probably save the bacon to top the soup off with instead of mixing it into the soup. This was also the first or second time I've used a blender to create a creamy texture and I think I prefer this to adding in extra cream.


I've typed up the recipe below:

Corn Chowder
serves 6 to 8
Note: Be sure to reserve the cobs for the chowder. They add an extra layer of corn flavor.

6 ears of corn (see note)
2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drianed
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped medium (1 cup)
Salt and pepper
1 pound red potatoes (about 3), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
4 scallions, sliced thin


1. Cut the kernels from the eras of corn (see photo at right. whooops... just use your imagination); reserve the kernels and cobs separately. Puree the canned corn and 2 cups of the broth in a blender until smooth.
2. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Cook the onion, corn kernels, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the bacon fat until the vegetables soften and turn gold brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, corn puree, remaining 3 cups broth, and reserved corncobs to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the cobs and stir in the cream, scallions, and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days).

(the photo reference is about how to cut the corn off a cob. The caption says "Cut the cob in half crosswise, then stand it on its flat, cut end. Using a chef's knife, cut the kernels off the ear, one side at time."

Cantonese-Style Preserved Egg & Pork Congee

(Pei Dan Sou Yuk Jook)

First! Let's clarify. I tell people about this wonderful dish all the time and I'll constantly receive comments like: "but I thought it was just a plain rice soup with no flavor!" Yes it is, but no it isn't--will be my answer. I'm well aware that in most of China (possibly even Taiwan), they call it "shi fan" or something like that in Mandrin--and that, is in fact, plain. Plain rice boiled with water, and you can add savory food to it as you like. I myself have never tried that but it doesn't sound very appetizing (sorry Chinese folk). But here's the version I grew up to know and love so well--the version you'll probably find most popularized in Hong Kong--it's what the Cantonese call "jook".

This recipe is a prized possession of mine, as I think it makes one of the best jooks I've ever had--better than several restaurants I've been to. It's adapted from a combination of sources: my grandma, my mom, my friend from Taiwan, online recipes, and as always I've thrown in a little twist of my own.

Ingredients (per cup of rice)

Congee Portion:

• 9-10 cups water
• Ginger, peeled and cut into slivers
• 1/2 tbsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 preserved ("thousand year old") eggs, chopped into 8 pieces each
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce (optional)
• 15-20 small dried scallops (optional)
• 1/4 cup dried skin peanuts (optional)

Dried Scallops

Pork:

• vegetable oil
  
• 1/4 lb ground pork
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1-2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

• 1 stalk green onions, chopped
• you tiao (savory fried Chinese donut)

Directions

Congee

• Wash and drain rice. Add ginger and boil with 9-10 cups of water per cup ice. After about 10 mins, let simmer on low-med to medium heat. If you don't have non-stick be sure to stir occasionally so rice doesn't stick and burn at bottom. You might have to add a little more water if the congee becomes too thick during simmering. During this time you can prepare all your other ingredients.
• About half an hour into simmering add all other ingredients to taste except for preserved eggs and beaten egg.
• Simmer until pot has been cooking for about 3 hours total. It could be ready sooner, after maybe 1.5-2 hours, but I usually let the jook simmer for at least 3 hours. This really pulls out the flavors and infuses it into the soup.
• Turn off heat when done, and stir in beaten egg.
  

Pork

• Now this pork isn't your traditional sau yuk pork, but I enjoy the separation of flavors, not to mention the ease, of ground pork.
• Coat frying pan with oil, enough to have a thin coat to cook pork with.
• Heat at medium to med-high heat, and check to be sure oil is hot (To check: if you put a drop of water into the pan, it should sizzle)
• Add salt and pepper. Once pork is thoroughly cooked, turn off heat and add oyster and hoisin sauces to your liking. Set aside, as this will top the congee.

After the congee has cooked, fill a bowl with hot congee, add some chopped pieces of preserved egg, and top with pork, green onions, and you tiao to your liking.

Preserved Egg

This savory dish is great for several purposes: breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizer, sick days, and cold winter days... enjoy! :)

(P.S. I took all the pictures except for the last one with a borrowed Nikon D90. I'm hoping to get one of my own soon, too. Hooray for nice dSLRs!)

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

This is one of my favorite soups and I was craving it recently with all the cold weather, luckily I found a copycat of the recipe online here. I had no idea it was KALE in there- who knew I liked kale? I've seen recipes for kale chips, but I'm not sure I love kale that much...

It was a fast and easy recipe, brown the sausage and the onions. Then add cream, broth and the kale last, and then you have zuppa toscana. I served mine with some garlic bread (toasted slices of an old baguette and rubbed with a clove of garlic).

Julia Child's Ragout of Chicken and Onions

I read Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France and then a few weeks later I watched Julie & Julia. I'm so sad that I never watched her on TV! I also realized I've never made a Julia Child's recipe! I sort of wanted to make the roasted chicken, but that would require rubbing butter in a chicken's crevices and under the skin, TOTALLY NOT READY FOR THAT YET. But Julia Child's always talked about how the chicken she had in France tasted more chicken-y so I will make her roasted chicken one day.... for now I will settle for a chicken ragout. The recipe is from Good Morning America.


All I had to do with the chicken was brown it, much more manageable. Mmm it was delicious. This is probably my 5th time cooking with wine and my first time using it in a stew. Thank goodness the recipe suggests a few types because I had no idea what a "young red wine" was.


The only weird part is that you end up with purple stew. I served it with some garlic roasted potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts. I'm going to look for some more of her recipes because she vigorously tested them time and time again. Although some of them are a bit dated... I remember aspic and I do not ever want to have to eat it again.

Bouillabaisse

I was obsessed with seafood soups for awhile. I decided to try and make a bouillabaisse. Unfortunately it's sort of like bolognese where there are different variations of "authentic." It varies from region to region.... but I liked this one I saw from epicurious. And this one for the rouille, which was really good. Who knew soggy bread crumbs and olive oil could be so good??

the rouille

I made a LOT of substitutions. I don't have a lobster or saffron budget. I grabbed a mixed frozen seafood bag from Trader Joe's and threw in some fresh shrimp and bass. I also used canned tomatoes. I also used some canned fish stock and then some chicken bouillon.

A nice big bowl of soup and rouille, not pictured... crusty french bread with a dash of extra virgin olive oil.

I think this was a really

Oxtail Soup

I adapted this recipe from my mom, who I think got it from my grandma. Over the generations, it's changed a bit here and there (I'd like to say for the better :P). Just a note--this is semi-homemade! I used a bit of canned ingredients, but this can be made entirely with fresh ingredients. I am using canned stuff for now until I can figure out how to flavor the soup correctly.

Ingredients (Makes a huge pot... probably serves 10+)

• 2 cans ITALIAN diced tomatoes (the Italian flavoring is the best I've found)
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 can corn, drained
  
• 1 can long green beans, drained
  
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cauliflower, chopped
• 1 package oxtail (usually about 4 small and 4 larger pieces)
  
• 2 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• water to fill over ingredients
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions
I just threw everything in, brought it to a boil, and let it simmer on low-medium heat for two hours. (Lazy-person's way.)

Ideally though, you want to throw in everything except the cauliflower and long green beans up until about 30 mins left in the cooking process--this is because these soften up a bit and break apart if you cook them for too long! You know when the soup is ready when the carrots and potatoes are soft and oxtail is very tender/falls off the bone easily.

Other comments: most of the flavoring will come from the Italian-flavored canned tomatoes and the oxtail itself.

Enjoy!