Maple Pumpkin Soup

This is flagrant theft, but I'll cite my source (as good archivists are wont to do) because this soup is so lovely! I found this on Girl Chef so do please go and check her site out. There's lots of other delicious-sounding recipes, which I plan on trying.

I did consider changing the date stamp on this post because this is definitely an autumn soup, but it's cold in San Francisco and I've been surviving off soup for awhile (side note: I'm escaping to Palm Springs this weekend partially to enjoy cold dishes). I changed a couple of things from the original recipe and here it is:

Ingredients:

2 maple flavored sausages, sliced and browned
1 red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large can pumpkin puree
3 cups stock (+/- depending on how thick you prefer your soup)
1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Fresh sage, to garnish

Directions:

Saute minced onion in stock pot. When soft, add garlic and toss. Add pumpkin puree and mix. Add stock, beans, syrup, sausage, and nutmeg. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve with crusty bread and garnished with sage leaves.

Pear Cardamom Frozen Yogurt

"Still Life with Pears" Vincent Van Gogh

Having fun with the new ice cream maker again! I got this idea from my favorite Thanksgiving cranberry sauce recipe (it is on this blog), but I wasn't feeling the cranberries this time. I don't like particularly tart frozen yogurts. But this the pear and cardamom combination is a lovely subdued flavor, which I value in desserts.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup organic sugar

1 can pears, drained and blended (save the juice)

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

A few drops of green and yellow food coloring for a slight pearish color

2 containers of Trader Joe's Greek Style Yogurt (about 4 cups)

Directions:

In a saucepan mix sugar, blended pears, cardamom, and a couple tablespoons of the reserved juice. Stir with whisk till boiling and mixture bubbles. Turn off heat and remove from stove. Continue stirring till mixture stops bubbling and you're left with a simple syrup. Mix together yogurt and syrup and food coloring. Add mixture to ice cream maker and churn for half an hour. Transfer to airtight container and store in freezer.

Versatile Blended Cannellini Soup

For the past six months or so I've been playing around with blended cannellini soup not only because it's (typically) a super cheap and easy meal but also because there are so many directions you can take it. Here are two of my favorites!










Southwest Italian Blended Cannellini Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans drained (and washed) cannellini beans
1 can Progresso (or similar) Light Southwest Vegetable (noodle-less) soup
2 cans stock (or 1 1/2 can water)
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 shakes each of Oregano and Basil (or an Italian spice blend)
Mexican Chili Powder
Olive Oil
Garlic salt/pepper/salt to taste

Directions:

Begin by sauteing the onions with a sprinkle of chili powder and olive oil in a dutch oven or stock pot. When soft, add the rest of the ingredients (adjust water/stock to whatever thickness you prefer). Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend completely with an immersion blender (my favorite kitchen appliance). Adjust garlic salt/salt/pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, ground pepper, and crusty bread.

Blended Tomato Cannellini Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans cannellini beans, strained and washed
1 can Campbells Tomato Soup
1 onion, diced
Mexican chili powder
Olive Oil
Garlic, minced (however much you prefer)
2 cups stock or water
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
Salt/Pepper to taste
Oregano/Basil to taste

Directions:

Saute onions and a pinch or two of chili power with olive oil in a dutch oven or stock pot till soft. Add the rest of the ingredients (except ricotta cheese!). Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender. Add salt to taste. Serve with a dollop of ricotta in the center, a drizzle of olive oil, and ground pepper.

EXTRA:

Grilled Cheese Croutons

I know these have become super fashionable but I'm still a fan--especially with these soups. Just make a grilled cheese sandwich like normal (however you prefer, though good cheese and crusty bread helps). Let cool, and with a sharp knife slice into crouton-sized bits. Heat in the oven for a minute or so before serving with either soup.

Marshmallow Mermaid Pie

What pie-maker who has seen "Waitress" has not fantasized about Jenna's Marshmallow Mermaid Pie? Ever since I fist saw the movie and her pie topped with (childhood favorite!) fruit-flavored mini marshmallows, I've been looking for a recipe. I was shocked to find that the DVD includes a recipe for "Marshmallow Mermaid Pie" but it looks nothing like the one in the movie and the ingredients do not make me think mermaid. It's more like a cookies and cream kind of pie--plain white marshmallow filling mixed with chocolate wafers, I think. I didn't even bother making it. Instead, I set about imagining what Marshmallow Mermaid Pie would actually consist of. In the movie it looked like a pinkish custard with the colorful mini marshmallows. So what kind of custard is pink? Um, rose custard of course. If you know me you know I look for any excuse to use rosewater. But it needed something more and my favorite companion to rosewater is coconut extract. So this is a rosewater/coconut custard-y pie topped with the classic colorful mini marshmallows we all know and love.

Ingredients:

1 precooked pie crust (see recipe in my blog)
1 pint cream, whipped (I use an immersion blender)
1 6oz package instant vanilla pudding (and necessary ingredients to make)
2 tablespoons rosewater
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 package plain gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup water
Red food coloring
Flavored Mini Marshmallows

Directions:

In separate bowl mix together vanilla pudding till thick. If necessary, chill. Blend cream till thick, chill. In a saucepan mix sugar, rosewater, coconut extract, and water. Pour packet of gelatin over mixture, let sit for 1 minute. Turn stove to high heat and mix until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and continue mixing till mixture is syrupy. Immediately blend with pudding first then add whipped cream and coconut flakes. Add food coloring at this point till desired pinkish color. Pour mixture into baked & chilled pie crust. Top with mini marshmallows till covered. Chill overnight. I would use a shallow pie pan for this one as the custard makes it difficult to remove in nice pieces, and it's rather rich.

I think Jenna would be proud.

Rosewater/Coconut Frozen Yogurt

I was inspired recently by an article on a San Francisco ice cream parlor called Humphry Slocombe. After checking out the unique flavors listed on their web site I started thinking about my recent love affair with real frozen yogurt. I have been spending way too much money every weekend at my local yogurt hot spot (cold spot?) and on top of that they only have two flavors, both of which are incredibly boring. Now, I'm a fan of toppings as much as the next person but I think frozen yogurt should be able to stand on its own two feet. I recently moved to a studio apartment and this is the first time since I began baking that I've lived alone; so I can no longer bake pies every week and have been desperate for new creative culinary outlets. My mom very sweetly offered to buy me a Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence Ice Cream Maker (~ $70) as a housewarming gift and I made my first batch last night. I don't usually prefer standard fruit flavors and I wanted to try something different, so this recipe is a frozen yogurt take on my Rose/Coconut Cake (which you should try, by the way). I was so excited I actually started eating it while it was still churning. I am in love. I think Trader Joe's Greek Style Yogurt really made all the difference; if you use regular yogurt you're supposed to strain out the water with cheesecloth for a day or so.

Ingredients:

1 cup organic sugar

1/4 cup milk or soy milk (or water)

2 tablespoons rosewater

2 teaspoons coconut extract

1/3 cup coconut flakes (optional)

2 containers of Trader Joe's Greek Style Yogurt (about 4 cups)
Red Food Coloring

Directions:

In a saucepan mix sugar, milk, rosewater, and coconut extract. Stir with whisk till boiling and mixture bubbles. Turn off heat and remove from stove. Continue stirring till mixture stops bubbling and you're left with a simple syrup. Mix together yogurt and syrup and enough red food coloring to make the mixture pink. Add mixture to ice cream maker and churn for half an hour. Transfer to airtight container and store in freezer.