Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

I had a roasted red pepper and sweet potato soup ages ago at a local Richmond cafe. And loved it. I went home determined to make my own, but never found a recipe that seemed adequate or the inspiration to dream one up. Then a few weeks ago I happened upon this one. No butter. No cream. Purely vegetables. Pure goodness. It sounded perfect. The recipe came from Canadian Living, a publication I'd never read nor cooked from before. It seems I've been missing out. Apparently they've got a stash of seriously good recipes north of the border. (Although in fairness, I knew this. My mom hails from Alberta and some of the recipes she grew up on are our favorites to this day.)

I didn't realize that making a fresh and healthy vegetable soup was so easy. All you have to do is combine all the ingredients in a shallow pan and roast them 'till they're tender and blistered. Then you add the liquid (your choice of chicken or vegetable broth) and puree them. Simmer a few minutes to reheat, adjust seasonings to taste, and dinner is served. To round out the meal, I went with oozing grilled cheese- there's nothing better for dunking in a steaming bowl of soup.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
dash crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
4 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine sweet potato, red pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and parsley. Toss to coat. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Roast in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally. Remove from the oven and let cool for several minutes.

4. Working in batches, puree vegetables with chicken or vegetable broth in blender or food processor until smooth. (You can add up to a cup of water for a thinner consistency.) Pour mixture into a large pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with crushed red pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Canadian Living)

Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Another recipe that I grew up on. Addictive oatmeal cookies stuffed with raisins and coconut. Little clusters of happiness. The key to the perfect cookies is slightly under-baking them. Take them out just before you think they're done. This way once they set they'll stay irresistibly moist and chewy. Even the raisin and coconut-hater around here appreciated these.

Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups raisins
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or line a large baking sheet.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the oatmeal, raisins, and coconut. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Shallots and Blue Cheese

Last weekend was so beautiful that we had dinner outside by the grill. We were wearing flip flops and dining outdoors on burgers and salad and cookies. Life was good. But now it's cold again (with a chance of snow tonight). Come on, it's practically April! It's so hard to plunge back into winter once you've had a taste of spring. So depressing. I'll get through this frigid spell by thinking of all the warm-weather foods to come. The barbecue, the berries, the watermelon, ahhh....

After my recent acceptance of blue cheese, I encountered this recipe which I would have formerly shrugged off. It's a healthier take on the burger, but not lacking in flavor. To my astonishment, Dustin announced that it was his "favorite burger ever"! What?!

"Do you realize that you're eating chicken and not beef?" I asked.

"Yup." he said.

"And blue cheese?"

"Uh-huh." he replied.

He stated that he felt the combination of mayonnaise and blue cheese was just right and paired expertly with the shallots and juicy chicken patty and homemade bun.

What has become of my husband? He's turned into a foodie! (One that still craves a gloriously unhealthy Five Guys burger and grease-soaked bag of fries on occasion.) But also a chicken-burger, gorgonzola appreciating kinda-guy. And it's sexy.

To his credit, this is a fine burger. I'm not sure I'd say it is the best ever. I'm still partial to beef. But he was right about the combination of mayo and blue cheese, chicken, and onion. Pretty awesome.

Rosemary Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Shallots and Blue Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 lb. ground chicken (I used ground chicken breast)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola, crumbled
lettuce or mixed greens
4 whole wheat hamburger buns (I made these buns)

DIRECTIONS
1. To caramelize shallots, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and season with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook, reducing heat to prevent burning, until soft and golden, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat.

3. Combine ground chicken, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Form into four patties. Grill until the juices run clear.

4. Mix together mayonnaise and blue cheese. Divide spread among the four bun tops. Place a bed of lettuce on each bun bottom. Top with a grilled burger and caramelized shallots and serve.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Sunset)

Spinach, Orange, and Fig Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

My new obsession: figs. I can't get enough of them. They're chewy and sweet and completely delicious. Since it's not fig season, I'm sticking with the dried variety for now (but just wait- I'll be posting plenty of fresh fig recipes come summer!). They didn't even belong in this salad and I inserted them. Lightly dressed baby spinach, segments of juicy orange, slivers of crunchy red onion, warm pecan-encrusted goat cheese, and the figs. An improvement on an already stellar salad.

Spinach, Orange, and Fig Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS
10 oz. baby spinach
navel orange, peeled, sliced, and segmented
4 oz. goat cheese (preferably in log form)
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried figs, stemmed and quartered

Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. whole grain Dijon mustard
pinch organic cane sugar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk to combine orange juice, vinegar, Dijon, and sugar in a small bowl. Slowly stream in olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Slice the log of goat cheese into four medallions. Roll in the chopped pecans. Place on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for about 5 minutes, until warmed through.

4. In a large bowl, combine spinach, orange segments, red onion, and figs. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss to coat. Divide among four plates, top with the warmed goat cheese, and serve.

NOTE: If you don't want to go to all the work of baking the goat cheese, this salad is as equally delicious topped with crumbled goat cheese and toasted pecan pieces.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Gourmet)

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Salmon

It's hard to come home after a carefree week of sand and warmth. Hard to get back to a daily routine and not wish you were still sitting lazily on the beach or strolling the streets of charming Savannah. The one thing I look forward to after being away is coming back to my kitchen. As much as I enjoy eating out and trying new local cuisines, I always miss cooking. So when I'm desperately missing the South Carolina shores, I try to focus on the benefit of life being back to "normal" (normal for now anyway), which means Dustin and I and a home-cooked dinner.

Two reasons I love fish: super healthy and super quick to prep and cook. And that's the case with this recipe. I figure you can't have too many ways to prepare a good fillet of salmon. (A side note on salmon: if possible, choose wild Alaskan/Pacific salmon. For health and ecologic reasons Atlantic and other farm-raised salmon are not the best choice. You can visit this site to learn more.) All this salmon needed was a rosemary-garlic-olive oil rub to enhance it's flaky pink goodness. I rounded out the meal with roasted cauliflower florets and a dressed spinach salad.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Salmon

INGREDIENTS
2 6-oz. salmon fillets
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, rosemary, and garlic to form a paste.

3. Place salmon on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the garlic-herb mixture over the surface of the salmon fillets.

4. Roast in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Banana Bars, Revisited

My mom must have made these banana bars more than any other dessert (besides chocolate chip cookies) when I was growing up. And now after years of baking experience, they're still one of my favorite treats. I think the secret is the sour cream. It adds a unique tang that cuts the sweet. A single recipe fills an entire cookie sheet, so make sure to have someone special to share them with.

1/15/09: Sunday dinner was a throwback to my Mom's home cooking. So of course I finished it off with one of her classic desserts. These bars are reminiscent of banana bread, but sweeter, moister, and frosted!  It's the perfect way to use up over-ripe bananas. (I usually freeze them when they are turning brown and then have them on hand anytime I want to bake with bananas.) They're light but devilishly decadent.

Banana Bars

INGREDIENTS

1/2 (1 stick) cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

4 ripe bananas

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Continue to add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Spread batter into the prepared cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

3. To prepare the frosting, mix the ingredients until creamy. Spread over cooled bars, cut, and serve.

Makes 1 sheet pan.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta over Orzo

Just before we escaped for spring break, I made this one last dinner. Talk about tasty, quick, and easy. And the leftovers were just as delicious. A simple tomato sauce is simmered for a short time on the stove before being tossed with shrimp and topped with feta. A few minutes in the oven and it's ready to scoop over al dente pasta. (I chose orzo because it's fun, but really any noodle would work.) I might have thrown the whole container of feta on top (when has extra cheese ever hurt?) and included an extra green onion or two (admitted onion-lover), but that's what's so wonderful about cooking your own dinner. It's yours. To embellish, ruin, or improve. Enjoy!

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta over Orzo

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens divided
2 cloves garlic
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup feta, crumbled
8 oz. whole wheat orzo pasta

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook several minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes and their juice, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and shrimp. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle with feta and scallion greens.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orzo according to package directions.

4. Bake pasta in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese browns and the shrimp turn opaque. Serve over prepared orzo.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Epicurious)

Wheat Berry Salad with Golden Raisins, Pistachios, and Goat Cheese

It worries me when I make a recipe that claims to serve six (or sometimes more) and I manage to finish it off all by myself. Or Dustin and I share a dish and then the leftovers disappear before he can get to them the next day. Am I really that gluttonous? (Admittedly, there are certain foods I'm prone to overeating. Like cinnamon rolls. I eat them by the panful.) But in general, I'm not a heavy eater. So instead of letting faceless recipe creators make me feel insecure about my food consumption, I've decided to take a healthy approach and not believe them. Six servings? Ha! What nonsense!

In the case of this salad, I did share. A little. Dustin (the raisin and cilantro-phobe) quite enjoyed it. I found it irresistible. The wheat berries are pleasantly chewy, the dressing fresh and sweet, the goat cheese soft and creamy. According to Cooking Light it serves six. You might be able to stretch it to feed four. But not if I'm invited to dinner.

Wheat Berry Salad with Golden Raisins, Pistachios, and Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked wheat berries
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. shelled unsalted pistachios
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup (2 oz.) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Place wheat berries and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to 2 inches above wheat berries, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Drain.

3. Place pistachios on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, stirring once. Cool slightly, and chop.

4. Combine olive oil, juice, honey, coriander, and ginger in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add hot wheat berries and raisins; stir well to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.

5. Add nuts, green onions, and cilantro to wheat berry mixture. Toss to coat in the dressing and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)