Winter Tomato Soup

It’s been frigid in the Philadelphia area the last several days and on Friday we got a blanket of snow to boot.  Since we can’t survive off of mug after mug of hot cocoa, why not make a big pot of warm, comfortable soup?  This Winter Tomato Soup just seemed like the perfect dish to make when I just couldn’t seem to warm up.

Made with canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste, this simple soup also has a little milk and non-fat Greek yogurt which gives it a slightly creamy, velvety touch.  If you are expecting a taste similar to Campbell’s Tomato Soup out of the can, you will be disappointed.  No matter how great that canned stuff is, this vegetarian soup is a much lighter and more fresh option (only 76 calories a serving too!).  I’ve never attempted tomato soup before now because honestly I grew up on that Campbell’s soup and love it.  But this was a nice bowl of soup that paired perfectly with a sandwich (which I’ll have for you later this week).

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The ingredients:

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Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Cook onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.

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Add tomato paste, sugar, thyme, bay leaf, tomatoes, and 2 cups water. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

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Remove bay leaf. Use a handheld blender to puree the soup in the saucepan, or transfer soup to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. (If you’re using a standard blender, allow the mixture to cool first; hot liquid may cause the blender to squirt out contents. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in batches.)

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Heat milk in microwave for 30 seconds to warm, and then stir it into the pureed soup along with yogurt. Mix well.

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Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Women’s Health Magazine

Garlicky Asparagus

It’s January so that typically means that we have all made some resolutions which as this point we are still sticking to or already caved on already days ago.  I made a deal with myself (again) to eat more fruits and vegetables which really shouldn’t be as hard as it has been.  I bought a box of clementines and ate about 4 before I saw one get slightly molding so I threw the rest away.  Last night I ate leftover blackened chicken and boxed macaroni and cheese with nary a veggie in sight while a bag of unopened broccoli I bought last weekend still sights comfortably tucked away in my refridgerator’s produce drawer.  This is the problem with resolutions:  the intent is good but the reality is a struggle.  At least once this week though I did make one simple vegetable side dish: Garlicky Asparagus.

Crisp asparagus is steamed until perfectly bright green before being simply sauteed with sliced garlic and olive oil.  Seasoned with nothing else but salt and pepper, this flavorful side dish is perfect as a side to chicken, steak or added into a little pasta or on top of a healthy salad.  Asparagus doesn’t just have to be eaten in the spring so if you see it on sale this winter, grab some.  If you are like me, sometimes you need something green other than broccoli.

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The ingredients:

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Steam asparagus 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.

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While asparagus steams, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic; cook 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring frequently.

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Add asparagus, salt, and pepper; toss to combine.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Herbed Ricotta Tart

Sometimes I think I could just change this blog to “A Fork In Each Tart”.  Every time I make a tart, I devour it.  I think I could eat them every single day.   And there are so many different ways to make a savory tart.  My favorite so far is Summer Squash and Ricotta Galette.  A thisclose second is Rustic Summer Squash Tart.  Both of those tarts are made with refrigerated pie crust (easy peasy!) and are so, so good that I really have to stop myself from eating the entire tart by myself in one sitting.  I came across this Herbed Ricotta Tart and didn’t expect it to be as good as the other two tarts because a) it uses pizza crust instead of pie crust and b) it only has scallions and herbs.  But once again, yet another tart did not disappoint.  I devoured this one just as easily as the others.

Scallions, chives and dill are mixed with ricotta and eggs, poured onto pizza dough and topped with parmesan cheese before being baked until golden brown.  The scallions and chives do not overpower this vegetarian tart but instead provide a subtle onion flavor.  Any herb, such as thyme or basil, would be great substitutes or additions here also.  That is the great thing about tarts – any mixture of herbs and vegetables will work perfectly.  And trust me, this tart is good cold right out of the fridge like cold pizza.  If you haven’t jumped on the tart train yet, please get onboard.

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The ingredients:

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Unroll dough and press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray or mold into a square or circle, carefully rolling up the sides (as I did) onto a baking sheet.

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Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add thinly sliced green onions to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Combine cooked green onions, ricotta cheese, sliced fresh chives, minced fresh dill, salt, freshly ground black pepper, eggs, and egg white.

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Pour onion mixture into prepared crust; sprinkle mixture with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 35 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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