now that is good

Inspired by Ree Drummond and a sale on potatoes...potato bacon bisque - too good.

5 medium potatoes, scrubbed and peeled (I used Idaho...you da hoe? what?)

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

8 pieces of bacon

1/2 cup cream

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons flour

8 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

dash (or two) of cayenne pepper - we like heat so I used about 1/4 teaspoon

2-3 heaping tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

ground pepper

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.  Over medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Stir and cook for 5 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme oregano and cayenne pepper. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Chop up your delicious cooked bacon and set aside. Whisk together the flour and the milk in a cup and pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for about 5 more minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until a consistency that you like. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream, bacon and 2 tablespoons parsley. Taste for seasonings - may need more S&P. Garnish with additional parsley and other tasting toppings like a few reserved bacon pieces, grated Parmesan cheese or a dollop of sour cream. SO delicious!

You could leave the bacon out and use about 2 tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon EVOO to sauté vegetables in - delicious vegetarian option.

5 pounds is a lot

When I go to the store, I always just grab the two pound bag of carrots. Well between salads, pot roasts and soups - a two pound bag of carrots goes quickly. The last time I went shopping, I thought "you know what - go for it - get the 5 pound bag of carrots...you will use it!" Let me tell you - five pounds of carrots is a lot. Do not be fooled. But - if you do make the commitment to purchase lovely carrots in bulk then try out this spicy carrot soup!

spicy carrot soup
2-3 tablespoons EVOO

1 medium onion, chopped
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
ground black pepper
sour cream for topping
Toss the sliced carrots and chopped onion in the EVOO, season well with S&P. Preheat the oven for 400 degrees. Assemble vegetables on a cookie sheet and roast for about 30 minute until tender. In a large stock pot, add a tablespoon of EVOO and saute the garlic clove until fragrant. Add the chicken stock to the pot and bring to a light simmer. When vegetables are done roasting, add to chicken stock. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add curry powder, cumin, ginger and cayenne. Cook for about another 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt - taste for seasonings. When serving, place soup in a shallow bowl and swirl a tablespoon of sour cream into it.
You could also stir in a little heavy cream - either will cut the heat a bit and provide a nice bit of creaminess. Enjoy!

dive right in!

a warm winter salad

The holidays are over, but who says you still can't enjoy a delicious beef tenderloin for dinner? This dish, adapted from Country Living, is served with a warm salad that has a crisp pop of pomegranate.

beef tenderloin over cauliflower, kale & pom salad for two

1-1.5 pound filet of beef, trimmed & tied

1 bunch of kale, torn

1 pomegranate (seed from half the fruit)

1 head of cauliflower

2 shallots, quartered

5 tablespoons EVOO

Kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

1/4 cup chicken stock (optional)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Tie the beef in about three spots. Using about a tablespoon of EVOO, rub the beef down (woo!), salt and pepper well and assemble in the center of a flat pan (like a  lasagna dish). Toss chopped cauliflower heads, shallot quarters, about 3 tablespoons of EVOO with S&P. Assemble the vegetables around the roast. Test the beef after about 13-15 minutes - if it is at 120 degrees, remove to a plate and cover with foil. Allow vegetables to finish roasting (might take a bit longer depending on how big your florets are).

In a small saucepan, add about 3 tablespoons of EVOO, lemon juice, mustard and chicken stock - bring to a slight simmer. Remove the vegetables and add the torn kale to the the pot - stir to allow the kale to wilt. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Plate the warm cauliflower salad, pomegranate seeds and top with thinly sliced beef.

soup of the month

A work inspired post - in more ways than one! Today is my first day back to the office in almost two weeks. Prepare yourself for an odd comment - it actually feels a little good to be back to work. There I said it - now never speak of this again. 

My colleague, Irisa, mentioned that a "soup of month" post would be a good idea, and I (as a soup lover) totally agree. Oddly enough, I brought a nice bowl of soup for lunch today. I find soup to be the finest of the packable lunch selections. Today's special is cauliflower, corn & chicken chowder. Yum.

1 medium head of cauliflower, roughly chopped

1/2 onion, diced

3 tablespoons EVOO

1 quart chicken stock

1 cup frozen corn 

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1/3 cup chopped parsley

lots of S&P to taste

shredded chicken from a rotisserie bird or roughly 3-4 breasts cooked and shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower and onion in 2 tablespoons EVOO and season well with S&P. Assemble in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for about 25 minutes until tender. Over medium heat, heat a tablespoon of EVOO and saute the bell pepper until just soft, remove to the side. In the same large pot, heat the chicken stock. Add cooked cauliflower and onion mixture - puree with an immersion blender (or remove to blender and puree in batches). Add in bell pepper, thyme, shredded chicken, corn and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and taste for seasoning. The cauliflower helps give this soup a creamy feel (yet with no cream - it is a cauliflower miracle).

Okay lunch break is over - happy Friday all!

no place like home for the holidays

How is that Christmas comes and goes so fast? We had a great time in Pennsylvania, celebrating with family and friends, eating and drinking too much and just enjoying the comforts of home. This is the first year we have been home for Christmas since we got married! A few holiday treats to share...

sour cherries (either fresh or canned - cans are roughly 14.5 ounces)

Maraschino liquor

You will need about 1 cup of liquor for a pint (or can of cherries). If using canned cherries (which I did), rinse in a colander. Bring liquor to a boil, add cherries, remove from heat and allow to cool. The cherries are much tastier than the jarred variety at the grocery store. Keep cherries in the refrigerator and enjoy for the next few months on your sundaes or in your favorite cocktail. 

Speaking of cocktails - try your cherry in an apple & bourbon cocktail.

1-2 shots of bourbon

apple cider

Stir together with ice and garnish with lemon peel and a cherry.

Before we left for the holiday, I had a luncheon with some of my Nashville girlfriends. We had Ina's butternut squash soup and some delicious almond chicken salad. This recipe looks a bit festive with the red grapes, and it is delicious in a sandwich or atop fresh greens.

4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

extra S&P for seasoning chicken

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup roughly chopped almonds

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/3 cup honey

1 and 1/3 cup Hellman's Olive Oil Mayonnaise

3-4 celery stalks, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with S&P. Assemble on a baking dish and bake for about 45-55 minutes until cooked. While chicken cools, mix together mayo, honey, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Remove chicken skin and shred chicken into a large mixing bowl. Add celery, nuts and mayo mixture - stirring to incorporate. Add in grapes and mix gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes at least 6 servings.

a snowed in Thanksgiving

A belated Thanksgiving post!

We headed to meet family in Asheville, North Carolina for Thanksgiving this year - where winter had arrived already. We stayed in a fantastic cabin in the Smokey Mountains at Wolf Ridge Ski Resort, about 30 minutes north of Asheville. 

On Friday, we enjoyed downtown Asheville - so many good spots to eat and drink!

Vance, Grandma-ma Helen & Kayla at Salsa's for lunch.

Peter with him pom-pom-pom for lunch.

Vance & his memorial.

Enjoyed exploring a few great breweries including Lexington Avenue Brewery, Wicked Weed and Asheville Brewing Company. We also toured the Biltmore and had a great brunch at Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village. 

Of course, we also visited French Broad Chocolates. 

The weather actually ended up keeping us in our cabin on Thanksgiving day so we dined on pasta bar with a few sauces I had frozen in the fall. It was no turkey dinner but still hit the spot. Getting up the mountain - in the snow - and darkness - and ice - and wind - was on the stressful side, but it made me realize that the most important thing is just being together. Doesn't really matter what you eat or where - just spending Thanksgiving with family was great. But...I am craving a nice holiday turkey dinner and can't wait until Christmas!

thankful for maple & apple & more

It was a great Thanksgiving - more on that soon. Here is how I started the long weekend...

maple applejack cocktail

1 ounce good maple syrup

3 ounces Applejack

squeeze of lemon wedge

2-3 dashes Agnostura bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a well-chilled martini glass and garnish with lemon peel. 

This cocktail isn't overly sweet because of the citrus and bitters. A bit of orange, in place of lemon, would be delicious also.

Hope Thanksgiving 2014 was great!