Sweating for Soup

The weather in New York City just doesn't want to change. I still can't walk outside without getting an attractive little sweat stain on my back, and my electric bill continues to grow as I pump the AC.

Hello Fall, you were supposed to start on Friday. Where are you?!? Okay, fine. You're not ready to show yet, but I will do everything in my power to tempt you out. Starting with delicious food.

So on this lovely, muggy Sunday afternoon I decided it would be the perfect time to make a big, steaming pot of soup. Yes, I was literally sweating over my stove and had to air myself out every 5 minutes by standing in front of my AC, but the end result was totally worth the steam sauna.

I intended to make cauliflower parsnip soup - yet another recipe from my favorite blog Big Girls Small Kitchen - but when Trader Joe's didn't have parsnips, I decided to take my own spin on it and do a cauliflower carrot ginger soup. It was super simple and made my apartment smell so warm and slightly sweet from the carrots and ginger. And the best part is now I have a delicious, healthy lunch for the whole week, and it only took one pot, about 40 minutes, and lil-bit-a sweat.

Fine, Fall. Be stubborn. But even if you refuse to come, I can at least eat like you are here.

Cauliflower Carrot Ginger Soup
Makes 6-8 servings


2 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
7-8 fresh thyme sprigs
8 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until translucent - about 8 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower, carrots, ginger, thyme, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the thyme stems and season with salt and pepper if needed.
4. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or food processor, until mostly smooth but still somewhat chunky. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Soup simmering away...Me sweating away

This soup just looks like fall

Dining With The Stars

I’ve always loved to watch awards shows to ogle at the fashion and dream about what my life could have been if I ever pursued my dreams to become the next orphan Annie on Broadway at a young age. I may have missed the boat to become the next Lea Michele, and I can barely afford my rent, let alone expensive designer dresses (although my New York City rent is probably comparable to some of those price tags), but at least I can cook and can dine like one of the stars at these awards shows. In fact, I probably have the better deal here: I can enjoy delicious food from the comfort of my sweatpants and couch, while these celebs have probably starved themselves for weeks to be sewn into those size triple-zero dresses. When you look at it from a food perspective, being poor and  not famous doesn’t sound so bad after all…

Anyways, this year’s Emmy’s served as another great excuse to indulge and pop open the zipper on my pants (take that Lea Michele!). In keeping with the elegance of the Emmy’s, Elana and I decided to make some dainty finger foods from one of our favorite blogs (and now a cookbook!) Big Girls Small Kitchen. I discovered Big Girls Small Kitchen (BGSK) a couple years ago during an episode of The Barefoot Contessa. I was easily hooked by their “cooking for the quarter-lifer” spiel and delicious, yet simple recipes. I’ve been religiously following BGSK ever since, and even had the chance to contribute to their blog!

BGSK is all about cooking and entertaining on a budget within the confines of a teeny NYC kitchen, so we knew these Sweet Pea Crostini and Caramelized Onion Tartlets would be perfect for us broke quasi-New Yorkers. Both of these small bites were super easy, but also tres chic. My days of becoming a Broadway sensation may be behind me, but I can certainly take center stage when it comes to eating like one.

Sweet Pea Crostini

Caramelized Onion Tartlettes

Sweet Pea Crostini
Makes 15-25 bites


Ingredients:
1 tbs butter or olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
20-ounce bag of frozen peas
1/4 white wine or water
1 tsp salt
1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-think rounds
1/4 fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt the butter or heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and red pepper flakes, and saute until onions are translucent, 5-10 minutes.
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Arrange baguette pieces on cookie sheets and toast under the broiler until lightly toasted.
4. Add peas and white wine to the onion mixture, raise heat to medium-high. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring the peas until they defrost, 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the mixture to a food processor and add the salt and a few mint leaves. Blend until the peas are similar to the consistency of hummus.
6. Scoop a tablespoon of the pea mixture onto each toasted baguette round and garnish with chopped basil and grated Parmesan.

Caramelized Onion Tartlettes
Makes 15 tartlettes


Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
Olive oil
1 large onion
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste

1. Coat a skillet with olive oil and saute onions over medium heat, stirring infrequently. Once they soften and begin to brown, reduce heat to low and allow onions to caramelize, about 30 minutes. When the onions are dark brown, add the spices and salt to taste.
2. Meanwhile, using a round cookie cutter or the top of a glass, cut the puff pasty into several small round circles, about 15.
3. Top the pasty rounds with the onions and bake in the oven according to the directions on the puff pastry package. Pastry should be slightly golden and crisp. Serve immediately. 

Falling for Autumn

This summer has flown by at lightning speed. It’s been over a month since my last blog post, and yet it feels like it was only Memorial Day a week ago. Unfortunately, I think the summers will only get shorter as my years as an “adult” progress. I’m kicking myself now, wishing I soaked up every last second of freedom last summer rather than stressing out about finding a job.

As sad as it is to see summer go, I always look forward to this time of year—apple picking, sweater weather, and pumpkin everything! For me, the fall is a time of comforting traditions spent with friends and family, and a welcome change of pace after a summer on-the-go…So the recent dreary and cooler weather in NYC was the perfect opportunity to make something warm and wholesome for dinner.

Sloshing through the puddles on my way home from work, I had this craving for a curry dish. Now don’t be fooled—curry was never a tradition in my home. I don’t know that curry has ever set foot in my family’s home, but something about the rich spices and the deep orange color of curry just has “autumn” and “comfort” written all over it. Luckily, this recipe is so simple that I already had all the ingredients and didn’t have to trek back out in the rain to the grocery store. I served the curry sauce with shrimp over brown rice, but it would also be great over chicken or vegetables. The curry perfumed my whole apartment with this spicy, almost cinnamony smell, and had a rich, creamy texture that I just crave in fall foods. Not having a true summer vacation anymore is definitely a bummer, but it’s these hearty, comforting meals that I look forward to all year round.

Easy Curry with Shrimp and Brown Rice (served with roasted baby zucchini, pictured below)

Serves One

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

2 tbs honey

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tsp curry powder

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of salt

6-7 cooked shrimp (I just thawed some frozen shrimp in my freezer)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey, mustard and spices over medium heat. Whisk until the butter is melted and everything is combined even.

2. Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, allowing them to absorb the flavors and warm through—about 4 minutes.

3. Pour the shrimp and sauce over prepared brown rice and serve warm.