Tomato Basil Soup

Let’s talk. Let’s talk about when we were kids. Life was SO EASY then.

Being a kid is easy because you can eat Poptarts for breakfast and nobody judges you. Yes, the kid version of me would love to have a sugar filled pastry iced with sugar and it will be delicious.

It’s easy because everybody just wants to be friends. There’s none of this he said-she said-we said-they said. No drama. Just friendships. And coloring books.

Being a kid is amazing because your mom lets you have Spaghettios and Elios Pizza and Kraft Mac and Cheese for lunch. And those things are awesome, every time.

See? SO MUCH EASIER.

I guess I should be honest. I think I am having denial about being back to the 9 to 5 grind after a 10 day vacation. And so this denial is making me wish I could sit at home, watch silly cartoons, play with play-dough and eat Spongebob Mac and Cheese. Last night, I needed some real good comfort food that would help me chill out and de-stress after a hard day at work.

So, last night, I made homemade tomato soup…and I dunked grilled cheese in it. And that, in fact, was delicious.

 I love cooking soups because you can really fly by the seat of your pants and come up with something dynamite. Following recipes is a good place to start, but I really let my imagination run wild when I have a simmering pot of goodness on the stove. Basic principles of tomato soup: lots of veggies, roasted tomatoes, a touch of cream, basil for good measure, and a quick blend to make it rich and smooth. My recipe below is roughly adapted from this Michael Chiarello recipe.
 

To the Beach!

Greetings from Virginia Beach, bloggies! If you are wondering where the heck I have been, let's just say I am taking a little jaunt to paradise.

Everyone deserves a vacation once in a while!

And I am so grateful--we have had spectacular weather since we first got here. If summer must leave us soon, I'm happy to send it off with a bang on the beach and by the pool in sunny VA.

I am also completely obsessed with the wildlife down here. I went for a morning run on the water yesterday and was treated to an amazing show from the dolphins. They were swimming right alongside from where I was running doing all sorts of jumps and dives! So cool. I want one.

Obviously I am also taking this time to eat at many of the fabulous restaurants on the strip down here, so don't expect new recipes until after Labor Day. Of course you can take a browse through the "List of Recipes" page to see if there is anything you missed!

I may be inspired by all the amazing seafood I've eaten down here near the Chesapeake. Like Thai style Mahi with a red curry sauce and coconut rice? Yeah, that is real life down here.

Anyway, I hope everyone has an awesome holiday weekend and I look forward to bringing you new and delicious fall recipes come September!

Ahh, sunshine :-)

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

When someone says "summer" what do you think of? Here's what I think:

Baseball.
Beaches.
Sunshine.
Air Conditioners.
Pink Lemonade.

Pink lemonade is probably one of the most refreshing beverages on the planet. I cannot say why. When it is poured over a mountain of ice, it's just always the most desirable beverage after a long day in the sun.

On an unrelated note, another thing that I love to use in cooking and baking is lemon. The flavor is  so aromatic and it brings a note of freshness to any dish.

Fresh. That's another thing I think of when I hear "summer." Fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh summer cocktails. Everything is just so fresh!

I was poking around the internet for some new cake recipes a while back when I stumbled upon a Paula Deen recipe for Pink Lemonade Layer Cake. The thought of pink lemonade sweetness in a cake really caught my attention. I tucked the thought away in my mental "recipes to try at some point in my life" file and continued my day.

Now summer is upon us (and rapidly leaving us!) and cookouts are aplenty. And I'm sure many of you would agree that bringing a dish to a cookout is a given. I always rack my brain trying to think of a reasonable dish to bring to a friend's summer get together.

That's when Paula Deen's charming southern accent came flowing through my cerebellum saying "Piiink Lemonaddeee Caakkkee y'aaallll!" Of course!

Now, cake is not always a practical option for a casual backyard barbeque. And, also, I don't have any cake pans. But cupcakes. Well, cupcakes are always in style. (Cupcake recipe adapted from Your Homebased Mom)

Potage Parmentier - Potato Leek Soup

"We should enjoy food and have fun. It is one of the simplest and nicest pleasures in life." - Julia Child, 1990

 

Julia Child was a pretty cool woman. In fact, "pretty cool" doesn't seem to fully embrace the kind of woman she was. She was spunky, talented, smart, funny, and loving. And of course, she loved food. The quote above is one of my favorites. Nothing can put me in a better mood than delicious, tasty foods--I'm sure Julia woud agree.

 

This past Wednesday would have been Julia's 100th birthday. Articles and blog posts about her and recipes inspired by her were all over the place! I won't pretend that I am some huge fan that worships everything Julia Child, but I personally was loving the great things honoring her this week. In case you missed it, this was the Google banner that day:

 

 

Love it! Those Google people are so dang creative.

 

Julia's creativity flourished in the kitchen. She embraced French cooking throughout her many years living in Paris and brought that cuisine into the kitchens of so many here in the States from her now infamous cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

 

In honor of her birthday, like many foodies out there, I wanted to try and cook a recipe from Julia. Many of her recipes require some impeccable skills and techniques and equipment, but when I stumbled upon this recipe, I knew I could do it.

 

So, ok, it's 80 degrees outside and we're having soup. But it's really, REALLY good soup.

 

Julia's Potage Parmentier -- that is, Potato Leek Soup -- adapted by yumsugar.com from the infamous aforementioned cookbook. Yes, please.

 

 

This soup was elegant, filling, and downright delicious. It is also a simpler recipe, and so any home cook could whip this up to impress house guests. It is honestly so delicious that it can (and SHOULD) be cooked year-round.

The Harborthon -- My First 5K!

I ran my first 5K yesterday. By ran, I mean I jog-walk-jog-walk-jogged it. Like my mom said – you have to start somewhere!

It’s not like I came in last place or anything. For someone who played tennis and softball throughout high school (meaning, of course, that long distance running was not a regular part of my day), I have to say I held my own. I’d love to keep up with the training and run more races in the future.

The race itself was a charity run to benefit the Camp Harborview foundation. Camp Haborview is a program designed for Boston-area kids and provides it’s campers with opportunities to build confidence, encourage creativity, and develop leadership skills (according to their website). From running around a majority of the camp grounds, I have to say it looks like an amazing way to spend the summer. The camp and race are located on Long Island—now, this is not the New York Long Island that I am from…it is actually a knock-off Long Island located in the Boston Harbor. But, hey, it was a nice island, so I’m not mad about the name.

I finished the race after 35 minutes -- which was great for me considering I was guessing I could do it comfortably in 45. Turns out, the course was a bit hilly -- something I didn't account for during my training. For the most part I trained on the treadmill with no incline or at Jamaica Pond (an amazing but not very hilly park near my apartment). The added challenge didn't deter me though! And there is nothing better than the feeling of making it to the top of the hill then flying down to the bottom.

Here’s my bib! So official. It’s hanging on my fridge. I felt like a 5th grader bringing home an A+ paper.

I wanted to quickly share my food regimen from race day.  Like I said, I am no professional runner/racer/or marathon guru, so I would encourage you to discover what kind of race-day diet works best for you. I also do not guarantee that this is going to in any way improve your race performance. However, for me, this meal plan left me feeling full but not bloated. I also felt sufficiently hydrated and energized (come mile 2, that energy is REALLY important).

Breakfast: 2 pieces of whole wheat toast (be sure there are no “enriched” flour products in your bread!) with all-natural peanut butter, sliced banana, and honey.

Mid-morning snack: fresh strawberries and blueberries, followed by a small bottle of low-fat chocolate milk.

Lunch: a whole wheat pita stuffed with black pepper turkey (this stuff is awesome), kale, romaine lettuce, hummus, and feta cheese. I had cherry tomatoes on the side (they always make the pita pocket bust…)

Afternoon snack: a black plum. And, ok, let me be honest. There was this huge ice cream social at my office. I had 2 scoops of coffee ice cream. With reeses pieces and some cherries. I WAS WEAK. But it was delicious.

Pre-race snack: Nature Valley Dark Chocolate and Peanut protein chewy bar.

Post-race dinner: cheeseburger and homemade potato salad (provided by b.good to the foundation).

Water: an estimate of at least 50 ounces throughout the day, 2 small cups (drank slowly) before the race, and 1 water bottle immediately after (again, sipped fairly slowly).

Have you run any races before? What’s your race-day routine? Any suggestions for improvement?!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

Burgers.

An American classic. The perfect complement to a heaping plate of French fries and ketchup. A juicy getaway from reality.

I think I love burgers (among MANY other reasons) because a simple hamburger on a bun is an amazing empty canvas waiting to be painted with summer tomatoes and condiments and tangy pickles. There are so many ways that you can take an ordinary burger and elevate it to new, creative levels.

I have to credit my mother for first introducing me to the idea for last night’s dinner. That clever woman took a traditional dish, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and made it into an easy but delicious meal that can get pulled together in a flash on weeknights. That’s right – she made it into a chicken burger!

Traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu is typically a chicken breast, pounded out thin and then rolled with ham or prosciutto and Swiss cheese, then finally it is breaded and baked or fried until juicy and gooey. Pretty mouth-watering, yes. Quick and easy meal option? No.

So you would probably agree that Susan’s (read: Mom’s) idea for a Chicken Cordon Bleu Burger was a stroke of genius. I’d have to say it was. And I’m not even trying to butter my mom up for some nice gift or piece of jewelry or anything (I swear. Just compliments here. No games. Though I have been dying for a Kitchen Aide Mixer…) And since we are jazzing up our burgers, we should probably fancy up our starchy side dish. Let’s 86 those frozen fries that are far too familiar to the McDonald’s variety and roast up some red potatoes and sprinkle them handsomely with fabulous herbs.

I am hoping this recipe will inspire you and let your ham/chicken/turkey/veggie burger creative juices flow freely. What other traditional dishes can we form into patties and slap on a deliciously toasted bun!? Chicken Parm? Thanksgiving Dinner? TACOS?! I’ll let you decide.
 

Asian Steak Roll Ups

I love Asian cuisine. I love the flavors of soy, lime, teriyaki, honey, and sesame--combinations of these flavors are some of my favorites.

I have unfortunately found that Asian foods tend to be some of the most difficult to pull together in my own kitchen. It is difficult to find sesame oil, hoisin sauce, or miso paste in the average person's pantry. However, this should not discourage us!

A few nights ago, I pulled together an Asian-inspired steak dish that had bold flavors and textures for the whole pallet. Even my recipe guinea pig boyfriend enjoyed the strong essences of soy and honey. This will definitely be a dish I will be making variations of over and over again!

Now, I didn't run to the specialty store and pick up a myriad of Asian marinades, sauces, or seasonings. In fact, the main flavor agents here are pantry staples, namely low sodium soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.Still think you can't bring the flavors of Asia into your own kitchen? Think again!