BLT Soup

Prep Time:
60 Min

Cook Time:
30 Min

Yields:
8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup 50% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar
• 5 slices applewood smoked bacon
• 3 cans plum tomatoes, 28 oz.
• 2 medium onions, sliced thin
• 2 fennel bulbs, sliced thin
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Drain tomatoes through a strainer. Reserve juice.
3. Roast tomatoes in single layer for 25 minutes.
4. In large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels, crumble into bits and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Season onions, fennel and carrots with sea salt and cook over low heat in bacon drippings. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are soft.
5. Remove cover, add garlic and cook uncovered 5 more minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
6. Add white wine and stir, deglazing flavors from bottom of pan.
7. Add roasted tomatoes, spinach, chicken (or veggie) stock and reserved tomato juice, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
8. Remove soup from heat and stir in basil leaves. Cool soup for 30 minutes.
9. Puree soup in small batches in blender or food processor
10. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper.
11. Heat soup in stockpot. Serve piping hot in bowls and garnish with shredded Cheddar and bacon bits.

Grilled Romaine with Cheddar Dressing

Prep Time:
10 Min

Cook Time:
5 Min

Yields:
4 Servings

Ingredients

Dressing

•  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic or red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt, preferably sea or kosher
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad

• 2 medium heads Romaine lettuce.
• Olive Oil

Directions

Dressing

1. In bowl, combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and garlic. Whisk together vigorously.
2. Fold in sour cream and mayonnaise; whisk again until thoroughly blended.
3. Stir in cheese and green onions. Stir in salt and season with pepper.

Salad

1.  Cut two medium heads in half, drizzled them with olive oil and cook them for about three minutes on each side.
2.  

Roasted Beet & New Potato Salad

Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
60 Min

Yields:
8 – 10 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 large red beets
• 1 head garlic
• 2 lbs small new red potatoes, unpeeled and cut in half
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 2 cups green beans, cut in half and blanched
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For Garlic Mustard Vinaigrette

• 2 rounded teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• roasted garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Cut off the top of the garlic head, exposing all cloves. Wash and top the beets. Place in small roasting pan and generously drizzle garlic and beets with olive oil, dust with salt and pepper. Cover roasting pan and cook until beets can be easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on size. Check after half an hour, as the garlic may be ready before the beets.
3. In separate roasting pan, generously drizzle potatoes with olive oil. Dust with salt and pepper. Roast next to beets and garlic, tossing once or twice to brown evenly. Potatoes are ready when they can be pierced with a knife, about 30 – 45 minutes.
4. When beets are cooked, let cool, then peel and chop into bite sized pieces.
5. In a large bowl combine room temperature potatoes, beets and green beans with celery.

For Vinaigrette

1. Combine mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic cloves from the skin and combine with mustard and vinegar. Whisk the olive oil into the mixture until combined.
2. Dress the potato salad with the vinaigrette and serve at room temperature.

Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 4+ hrs

Yields: ~ 2 Quarts

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 5 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 large parsnips, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• roasted chicken carcass
• fresh rosemary
• fresh oregano
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Directions

There is no magic to making chicken soup. You throw the above ingredients into a stockpot, cover them with water and cook them low and slow – many hours of simmering makes for great soup. I tend to collect chicken bones in the freezer so that I have a lot to go into each batch. I have no shame at collecting bones from plates at the end of a meal and using them in the next batch of soup.

This stock is always in my freezer. It heals the sick and calms the anxious. It is the basis of many great sauces and stews or is a perfect meal on the fly with veggies or left over meat.

Vegan Caesar Salad

Prep Time: 1o Min | Cook Time: 2 Min | Yields: Approx. 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces silken tofu
• ¼ cup canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until very smooth. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Will keep in refrigerator for three to four days.
2. This is a perfect dressing for a classic Caesar presentation – crisp Romaine lettuce and homemade garlic croutons. It also makes a tasty dip for crudite or a topping for grilled veggies.