Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

Back to soup. Wanting to change up our normal grocery list, we picked up some broccoli. Intended for some sort of stir-fy, or some Chinese-style dish, we instead opted to use the whole bag for soup.

We also opted to indulge a little, and combine a little half & half into this soup. After all, it's mostly broccoli, a little something extra isn't exactly going to make this an unhealthy dinner, right?

The color was a bit of a shocking green, but the taste was spot-on. I think next time we'll use either a white cheddar or a sharper yellow cheddar, as the cheese flavor could have been a little stronger.

 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
recipe adapted from Blendtec
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Yield:
2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 oz cheddar cheese, shredded or roughly chopped

Method:
Add ingredients to Blendtec in the order listed above, and then select "Soup."

Garnish with a little shredded cheese and a few drops of sriracha, and serve.

Additional Notes:
The half & half did create quite a thick soup, but we didn't mind. If you want your consistency to be more liquid, substitute water for the half & half.

Also, to prevent you from having to microwave your soup once it's made, be sure the broccoli is still warm/hot from being steamed, and warm the broth prior to adding it to the Blendtec. These steps will ensure you have hot soup right from the Blendtec!
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Tortilla Española

A few years ago, a couple girlfriends and I ventured to Spain. It was a few weeks of laughs, sunshine, World Cup celebrations, A LOT of walking, coupled with A LOT of eating. Being vegetarian, I found my food options a little limited, but what I did eat, I really enjoyed. In particular, I fell in love with the Spanish omelette, Tortilla Española. Especially when paired with pan tomate (tomato goodness spread onto bread) & glass(es) of cava.

I found the beauty of Spanish food to be in its simplicity. It's dishes are comprised of only a few ingredients, but always the right ingredients paired together. This dish is no exception.

My recipe and method may not be true to the origins of this dish, it's my interpretation of a dish discovered while traveling. The flavors always bring me back to those sunny Barcelona days and cava bar nights.

 

Tortilla Española
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Yield:
2-3 Servings

Ingredients:
For the Omelette:
4 eggs
1 small potato, boiled and sliced*
1/4 onion, chopped finely
1/2 green chili, optional
salt & pepper to taste
For the Tomato Sauce topping:
1 tomato
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt

1 avocado, sliced for garnish

Method:
Start with the omelette preparation. In small bowl or measuring cup, beat eggs with green chili, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in pan. Make sure pan and oil are hot before placing any further ingredients into it. Add onions to pan and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Arrange potatoes in pan in single layer. Then, pour egg mixture on top. Let cook until omelette starts to form. Once sturdy enough, flip the omelette. I've found one fool-proof method to not breaking the omelette is to hold a plate against the pan, flip, and slide the omelette back in to the pan. Though, even if the omelette breaks a little, don't sweat it. Let omelette finish cooking.

While the first side of the omelette is cooking (prior to the flip), you can prepare the tomato sauce topping. To do so, grate a tomato. Place a bowl under the grater to catch all of the juice. Discard tomato flesh once finished. Add olive oil and garlic sauce to tomato juice, and mix well.

To assembled the dish, cut omelette in half and transfer each half to a plate. Pour tomato-oil mix in equal parts on both halves. Top with sliced avocado, and enjoy!
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Sai Bhaji (Spinach + Chickpeas)

Ok I must admit, I am starting to enjoy this cooking and picture taking and slowing starting to get to enjoy blogging as well :)

There is a certain joy that fills you when you try to recreate your mom's recipe of your favorite dish and it comes out to be perfect! So needless to describe, this is my favorite childhood food that my mom cooked during finals week to make sure that studying didn't feel as stressful or painful after this meal.

Hope you all can try this recipe out and enjoy it the same way as I have done for the last 25 years.

Sai Bhaji (Spinach + Chickpeas)
recipe courtesy my mom :)
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Yield:
3-4 servings

Ingredients:


10oz of spinach, chopped finely 
1/2 cup of channa daal (chickpeas)
1 onion
1/2 green chili (change as needed)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of coriander powder
salt to taste

Method:

Fry onion in 2 tbsp oil. Once onions start to become soft, add garlic and green chilies and saute until the onions are translucent  Add spinach and saute for 5-7 minutes until spinach starts to blend with rest of the paste nicely. Add the channa daal and mix well. 

Now spice it with turmeric, coriander powder and salt. Mix well. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 8-10 minutes until the daal is soft (can generally take between 2-4 whistles depending on the pressure cooker)

When done, take it off the stove and use a potato masher to soften the daal so that it makes the gravy thick.

Serve with plain white rice or tandoori (plain or garlic) naan (we generally get our naan from Trader Joe's)

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Daal + Chawal (Lentils + Rice)

Daal chawal (translation: Lentils & Rice) is ultimate comfort food. It's the type of dish you make when you're craving mom's food. When it comes to daal chawal, we keep simplicity in mind. Simple flavors & simple textures.

It hits the spot. Every time.

Moong daal probably one of the easier lentils to find in the marketplace; while we always buy daal from our local Indian store, I believe places like Whole Foods stock it as well.

Moong Daal
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Yield:
2-3 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup moong daal (yellow/golden colored moong)
2 cups water
1 green chili, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander powder, for garnish
1/4 tsp red chili powder, for garnish


Method:
Soak moong daal in water for as least 2 hours. Drain the water.

In a sauce pan, heat daal and 2 cups water until water begins to boil. Then, add the green chili and turmeric. Let cook until almost dry, then stir. Add salt. Stir, then put daal in serving bowl.

In a separate pan, heat oil, and once hot, add cumin seeds. Let sputter for a few seconds. Be careful not to burn. Pour this over the daal.

Finish by garnishing the daal with coriander and red chili powder.

Serve with rice.
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Tortilla Soup

It's been a rainy few days here in San Francisco. Rainy days mean soup cravings. Here's another gem of a Blendtec recipe. It's foolproof. And super delicious.

We added a little avocado and Sriracha love to complete the dish.

 

Tortilla Soup
recipe slightly adapted from Blendtec cookbook
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Yield:
~4 cups of soup.
Enough for a hearty meal for 2. More servings if serving with another dish.

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup bell pepper, cut in big slices
1 avocado, divided in half
1/4 small onion
2 tbsp pepper jack cheese
couple sprigs fresh cilantro
1 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cup warm water
1/2 cup tortilla chips

Method:
Add ingredients in order listed to blendtec, except 1/2 the avocado and the tortilla chips. Press "Soups" and let the bledntec run its course. Once done, add the tortilla chips to the jar and "Pulse" 3-4 times until the chips are incorporated and the soup has reached the desired consistency.

Serve soup in bowls. Add remainder 1/2 avocado (diced) for a nice texture and garnish. We also added a few drops of Sriracha, for an added spice.
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Asparagus + Tomato Tart

Even after making the delicious green soup, we had about half of our asparagus bounty remaining. After turning to Pinterest for some recipe pin-spiration, I noticed a trend of beautiful asparagus tarts. Most of the recipes I found involved puff pastry, but we had a box of phyllo that was feeling a little neglected in the freezer. So, after a lot of browsing, reading, gawking, (and becoming really hungry, as always seems to happen when I'm on Pinterest...) I went in the kitchen to make my own asparagus tart creation.

Working with phyllo dough is a labor of love. My patience in the kitchen was definitely tested. But, the as the end result shows, a few tears here and there are no cause for frustration. Channeling Paula Deen, I also realized a bit of melted butter fixes any torn-phyllo woes. And really, apart from the phyllo prep, this tart comes along so easy and it's so, so tasty. All the fuss is worth it. The result is a bit like a light, crunchy, sauce-less pizza. Cut into little squares, it's a great appetizer. Cut into bigger squares, it's a perfect dinner. And with toppings like tomato & asparagus, it screams SPRING.

  
Asparagus + Tomato Tart
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Yield:
3-4 servings as main course, more as an appetizer

Ingredients:
9 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted according to package directions
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 oz asparagus
2 tomatoes, finely sliced
3/4 cup grated cheese, I used a mix of gruyere & white cheddar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp italian or pizza seasoning

Method:
Preheat oven to 350* and lightly butter a baking sheet (I used a pastry brush). Gently place one sheet of phyllo dough on the baking sheet. Brush melted butter on phyllo sheet, and lay another on top. Repeat with three phyllo sheets. After brushing melted better on the third sheet, sprinkle with some cheese. Repeat this process until all 9 sheets of phyllo are layered. Once the tart base is made, roll all sides of the tart a couple times, to contain all the ingredients you're about to place on the tart. To build the tart, start by evenly spreading garlic and onion. Then, layer tomato on top. Sprinkle with all seasonings. Line asparagus on top of tomatoes, and lastly sprinkle the remaining cheese over it all.

Bake for about 30 minutes in the oven, or until phyllo is a golden brown color, and all the cheese has melted. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
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Asparagus Soup

Spring is here! Here in SF, here's how we decided to celebrate the arrival of spring: with a hot cup of soup. We used asparagus, though. That makes it spring-like, right?

H introduced me to the idea of asparagus soup. And, while I'm a big fan of my green veggies, green veggie soup seemed like a wild (and weird) concept. I went with it anyway. Life is an adventure. Plus, we used the Blendtec, so no matter the end result, at least I knew the process of making it would be exciting.

The soup was a-mazing. Beyond all expectations. We gulped down every sip and licked our bowls clean.
Put any reservations aside, and make this. It's as delicious as it is healthy!

 

Asparagus Soup
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Yield:
2 servings (as a stand-alone dish); it will serve plenty more if using as an appetizer or side dish

Ingredients:
6 oz asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 avocado
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Sriracha, to taste
1 tbsp gruyere cheese, for garnish

Method:
Heat oil in medium-sized skillet, and add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent. Add asparagus to pan, and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. Pour vegetable broth into pan, and cover with lid. Cook until asparagus is tender (you can test the tender-ness by piercing the asparagus with a fork; when it pierces easily, it's done). Salt & pepper the mix. Once cooked, pour into Blendtec (or food processor, or use an immersion blender). Add avocado and hot sauce, if using, to Blendtec also. Press "Soup" button on Blendtec, and let the magic happen. If using a food processor or immersion blender, you'll want to continue to use them until you have a puree-like texture. Pour into bowls, and garnish with more hot sauce, if desired, and sprinkle with gruyere cheese.
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Pav Bhaji

After nearly a week of (rare) sunshine and happy days, we're back to what SF knows best: clouds and fog. Weather like this begs for comfort food.

We're both big fans of Pav Bhaji here (loosely translated to Bread + Vegetables). This was an out-of-the norm day of the week for this type of dinner. We usually turn to this dish when we have a mish-mash of vegetables left over from the week. It's the perfect dish to use up leftovers, you can incorporate pretty much any vegetable and starch into it! It's also the kind of dish that tastes even better the next day, so make sure you make a little extra. It's hearty, healthy, and so, so satisfying. Hence, comfort food.

Every Indian home probably has their own version of Pav Bhaji. So, let this recipe serve as a guideline. Work with it and make it your own. We rarely repeat the exact ingredients and method when making pav bhaji, it always depends on what's in the fridge!

 

Pav Bhaji
recipe adapted from our mothers :)
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Yield:
4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 onion, divided: 3/4 of it chopped finely, 1/4 of it sliced for garnish
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped finely or grated
1 potato, boiled & peeled, and cut into pieces*
1/2 cup frozen veggies, thawed in microwave*
2 tsp pav bhaji masala (can easily find this at an Indian store, or online)
1 tbsp butter
3 oz tomato paste (or 1/2 cup tomato sauce)
salt, to taste
Pav / bread (fluffy dinner rolls are the perfect substitute for actual pav)

Method:
Heat oil in pan. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and ginger, and fry until lightly browned. Stir in the thawed veggies and boiled potato. Stir until incorporated. Add pav bhaji masala. Stir. Add butter, and stir until melted and incorporated. Add tomato sauce and salt. Continue to stir, and if the bhaji appears too thick, add water as needed. Continue to heat and stir until desired consistency is reached.

To prepare the pav (bread): in a separate pan, melt butter on and place bread on top. Once it's lightly browned & toasted, and flip once to toast both sides.

Serve with sliced onion, lime wedges, and chopped green chilies.

*Protip: We've found we prefer to boil fresh vegetables and thaw frozen vegetables prior to cooking. This both saves time and eliminates the need to use a pressure cooker to bring the Bhaji together.
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Stuffed Baby Bells

Let's continue with the theme of making meals with whats-in-the-fridge ingredients.

We haven't made it to the grocery store this week, but our knack for being resourceful has proved to be a strength in the kitchen.

This might be more of a side-dish than an actual dinner, but it was main-course worthy for us!

 

Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

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Yield:

2 servings as main course, 6-8 servings as an appetizer

Ingredients:

8-10 mini bell peppers, sliced in half, and de-seeded & de-membraned.

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup crimini mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes

1 tsp taco seasoning

1/3 cup enchilada sauce

Method:

Preheat oven to 375* F. On a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over sliced bell peppers until each is decently oiled. Arrange bell peppers, open side up, on a baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are slightly browned and they are tender. Remove peppers, but do not turn off the oven.

While the bell peppers are baking, whisk together cream cheese, chopped mushrooms, chopped onions, and all seasonings in a medium sized bowl. For convenience, spoon this mixture into a ziplock bag, and cut a hole in one corner. This will serve as your piping bag to more easily fill the cavities of the bell peppers.

Once the peppers are removed from the oven and slightly cooled, pipe cream cheese mixture into each one until all the mix is used. Pour enchilada sauce over all the bell peppers, coating the peppers evenly.

Place stuffed peppers back in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until tops are slightly browned and cheese is bubbly. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

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Kale + Pistachio Pesto

It's been a whirlwind of a week. Which, in terms of preparing dinners, has meant an everyday mission of: use whatever is in the fridge to make a creative, delicious, healthy meal. Luckily for us (and for you!) we had quite a few successes.

We're 100% aboard the kale band-wagon. It's so versatile, and when prepared properly, so delicious. Here's attempt number one to entice you, fellow reader, to also try the goodness that is kale.

This recipe sort of came together on a whim, and we decided it was worthy-sounding enough to inaugurate our Blendtec (a generous wedding gift)! It made the blending and chopping process a BREEZE. Pesto was made in a matter of seconds, people, seconds. I'm a big fan, already. If you don't have a Blendtec, a blender or food processor will serve the purpose just fine.

Kale & Pistachio Pesto

recipe adapted from here, in the Blendtec cookbook

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Yield:

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic

2 cups kale, roughly chopped

1/4 cup pistachios, shelled and roasted

1/3 cup cheese (I used feta since we didn't have Parmesan on hand)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional (if you like it spicy!)

Method:

In the order listed, add olive oil, garlic, and kale to blendtec. Pulse 6-8 times, until kale appears further chopped. Add remaining ingredients in the order listed above, and pulse again for 6-8 times until all ingredients are combined and you're left with a bit of a puree-like mixture. If it appears too dry, add a bit more oil and pulse 2-3 times more. To store, cover and keep refrigerated. It will last for up to 3-4 days.

Serving Suggestion:

On Day 1: Pesto over spaghetti, with the addition of grilled tomato & mushroom.

On Day 2: Pesto over bread: spread 1 tbsp of pesto onto bread, then toast.
On Day 3: Pesto scrambled eggs. Cook the eggs, and then mix in the pesto. Winner of best combination!

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Naan + Pizza

In the spirit of quick recipes, we present to you naan pizza. Credit goes to H for this masterpiece.

This was the perfect Friday night meal. It was easy to customize, quick to prepare, and quick to cook. We made two varieties, and both were fab.

Garlic Naan Pizza

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Yield:
2-3 Servings

Ingredients:
3 frozen Trader Joe's Naan (We used Garlic, but Tandoori would work just as well!)
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pasta sauce
1/2 onion, diced
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
3/4 cup shredded cheese (we used jalapeno pepper jack)
3 tsp pizza seasoning

Method:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place garlic naans on a baking sheet, and bake for 5-7 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Remove naans, and keep the oven at 425 degrees.
Then, prepare pizzas.
For the cream cheese based naans, start by spreading about 1 tbsp cream cheese per naan. Top with sliced tomato, onion, and green chili.  Add 1 tsp pizza seasoning per naan. Finish with cheese.
For the pasta sauce based naan, start by spreading pasta sauce on naan. Top with onion and green chili. Add 1 tsp pizza sauce per naan. Finish with cheese.
Once pizzas are assembled, place back in oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.
Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Fun fact: I loved the cream cheese base, while H preferred the pasta sauce base.

This would be great meal for a group as well - easy to customize and each guest could "build" their own pizza. The possibilities are endless. 

Tomato + Avocado

This is hardly a recipe, as much as it is a reminder of the happy seasons to come.

There are fewer things lovelier than a perfectly green avocado. What do you get when you layer it with a tomato, add some cheese. and top it with balsamic vinegar? A heavenly bite of warm weather.

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Yield:
2 servings

Ingredients:
1 tomato, sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
shredded cheese of choice (I used Manchego)
sea salt
black pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:
Starting with tomato, stack alternating slices of tomato and avocado. Top with sea salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Lastly, drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
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Polenta + Tomato Sauce

I've been in the mood to try new things, lately. There's been a lot of change happening, why not incorporate that into our nightly cuisine!

This recipe was simple, yet oh-so satisfying. It has the comfort of mashed potatoes, without as much butter.

Baked Polenta topped with Tomato & Mushroom 
recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

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Yield:
2 servings

Ingredients:
Polenta:
2 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
salt, to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used Manchego)

Tomato & Mushroom topping:
1/2 can whole tomatoes
1/2 onion, peeled
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp pizza seasoning (or crushed red pepper flakes + italian seasoning)
salt, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz sliced mushrooms
crushed black pepper, to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 350*F.
Start with the polenta. Mix water, cornmeal, and salt in a baking dish. I separated the mix into half, and divided it among 2 oven-safe bowls in order to prepare individual servings. The cornmeal will settle to the bottom, and the water will be a bit cloudy. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and mix in the butter. Once butter is melted, return the polenta to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. You'll know the polenta is fully baked when it's not jiggling and the top is dry. Remove from oven, and stir in cheese and red pepper flakes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

While the polenta is baking, start the tomato & mushroom topping. Heat olive oil in a skillet, and add mushrooms. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally  until mushrooms browned and fragrant. Mix in black pepper and red chili flakes. In a separate saucepan, add tomatoes, butter, and onion. Try to keep the onion intact, as it will be easier to discard later. Let simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once sauce thickens, remove from heat and discard onion half. Stir in pizza seasoning. Then, combine mushrooms in the tomato sauce.

To serve, scoop tomato & mushroom mixture over the polenta. Top with shredded cheese.
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