soup

November 30, 2012

Squash & Apple Soup

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites apple, bacon, beets, chives, soup, squash

Squash & Apple Soup with Bacon & Beets

Of course the month I vow to start posting again is the month my site is hacked so badly that it’s down for a week. On the very bright side, symptoms I finally took some time to refresh the site design and logo. And by took the time, visit web I mean that I lost most of my old files and had no other choice than to start fresh. Which suits me just fine. A fresh site for for a fresh resolution.

Which brings us to this very lovely Squash & Apple Soup with Bacon and Beets. I actually made it for Thanksgiving without testing it out first. How’s that for ballsy? Luckily, it was just perfect. Of course, I did adapt it slightly – using a dash of chili oil for kick, subbing shallots for the onion and creme fraiche for the sour cream.

This soup makes the most beautiful appetizer. Slightly sweet and savory, but balanced by the acidity of the creme fraiche and the spice of the chili oil. The bacon and beets add earthiness and just the right amount of textural contrast. I loved this soup on Thanksgiving and I loved it with my leftovers. A very versatile dish that will work just as well on a holiday table or a Sunday supper in your sweatpants.

August 2, 2011

Tomato Carrot Soup with Bacon Croutons

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites bacon, carrot, soup, tomato

Tomato Carrot Soup with Bacon Croutons

Diet food. Two words that make me shudder. I’ve always thought it better to take an extra walk or run an extra mile rather than give up the things I love to eat. I guess it’s good that I don’t like junk food, ailment but a life without full-fat cheese and pasta is no life at all. Even so, I find myself heavier than I’d like 6 weeks after pregnancy. I guess a pint or two of Ben & Jerry’s a week for 9 months will do that to you. So, it’s time to buckle down and diet. For me, that means more vegetables and more workouts, but no less flavor.

Tomato Carrot Soup with Bacon Croutons

This soup is packed with good-for-you stuff and lots of taste. Bacon on a diet? I say yes! A little bacon goes a long and delicious way. It’s an easy soup – carrots, diced tomatoes, onions and garlic. Some spicy smoked paprika and saffron give it loads of flavor, and everything is brightened with lemon juice. Torn bread toasted in bacon fat makes some nice bacon croutons that add just the right amount of crunch and interest. With diet food like this, I should be skinny in no time! That is, if I can stay away from the Ben & Jerry’s…

April 12, 2011

Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites chicken, chowder, cilantro, corn, potatoes, soup

Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

I’ve been thinking a lot about freezer meals. Over the past few years, patient I’ve developed a morning routine that I really love. I get up before the sun rises, pharmacy work out and cook lunch or dinner. I guess that makes me a morning person. But I have a long commute and my job keeps late hours, so there’s no way I’ll be up for making dinner after 8 at night. My little routine has worked out really well for us so far.

All that is about to change. I know there’s no way I’ll be able to cook in the mornings before work with a newborn. So, it’s going to be all about weekend cooking and freezer meals. Or salads, sandwiches, omelets and other super-quick dinners. Luckily, I love leftovers and think that some foods benefit from some time in the freezer. Especially soups.

The trick to making freezer meals is making sure it’s a well-rounded one. Sure, braised meat freezes well, but then I have to think of a side dish and I want something easier. Thick hearty stews and chowder fit the bill and this one is especially tasty.

Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

For the chowder, I browned some onions, potatoes, Mexican chorizo and chicken with dried guajillo chile peppers. I added some fire-roasted tomatoes, corn and chicken stock and let the whole thing simmer until the potatoes were tender and the chicken was falling apart. Stir in a little lime zest and some cream and that’s it. The chowder is richly flavored – spicy, smoky and creamy. The lime zest and cilantro add a brightness that I think every freezer meal needs. A wonderful thing when you’re starving and your fridge is bare of anything but condiments and juice.

January 26, 2011

Orzo Soup with Merguez Lamb Meatballs

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites collards, greens, lamb, orzo, sausage, soup

Orzo Soup with Merguez Lamb Meatballs

So I hear it’s cold and snowy up north. I hear that the snow is pretty and all that, approved but you’ve all had enough of it. I guess it’s not a good time to complain about the temperatures dipping into the 40’s here tonight. And I probably shouldn’t boast about how delicious the weather’s been for outdoor dining. That would just be mean.

So instead I’ll offer up a soup recipe that begs for cold winter days. It all starts off with merguez lamb sausage. If you’ve never had it, let me tell you – you’re missing out. This sausage is bright red, spicy and piquant. Because it’s seasoned with harissa, it has a subtle Middle Eastern spice that gives this soup such great flavor. If you can’t find lamb mergeuz sausage, you can definitely make your own by mixing ground lamb with a couple spoonfuls of harissa. If even that sounds like too much work, you can always substitute Mexican chorizo or spicy Italian sausage, though the flavors are not the same.

I made little meatballs from the sausage and browned them up. Then I sauteed onions and carrots in the same oil to infuse them with meaty goodness. All of that is simmered in beef stock with collard greens until tender, then the meatballs are added back along with some whole wheat orzo. Ladled into a big bowl and dusted with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, this soup was better than I expected. Meaty, but still full of vegetables and whole grain pasta. One of the most satisfying lunches I’ve had this year.

October 27, 2010

Chorizo, Chickpea & Sweet Potato Soup

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites chickpeas, chorizo, kale, soup, sweet potato

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I love dishes that are a bit surprising. Foods that are sweet, stuff smoky and spicy all at the same time. Ones that have texture and flavor and smell wonderful. This soup is all of those things. The potatoes make it creamy, the chorizo adds a smoky undertone and chewy niblets, and the chickpeas anchor the dish and give it a nice heft.

Chorizo, Chickpea & Sweet Potato Soup

It’s an easy soup. One of those things that come together fairly quickly, freezes well and you can eat all week long. A soup that makes bringing your lunch to work actually exciting and keeps you warm when it’s too chilly outside.

October 5, 2010

Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal Soup

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites arugula, garlic, parmesan, polenta, soup, spinach, vegetarian

Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal Soup

So I hear that it’s cold and rainy up north, there and that can only mean one thing. Soup weather! It may still be in the 80’s down here, but we’re finally waking up to cool breezes. Nothing is more exciting than the end of a brutal Miami summer and the promise of blue skies and outdoor dining for the next 6 months. You may hate me if you wish, but you guys get Fall and snow on Christmas. It’s a trade off.

Not matter what the season, soup is my all time favorite thing to make. I love chopping the onions and garlic and the way they smell in hot olive oil. I love the warm simmering pot and the glossy look of the bubbling broth. And most of all, I love being able to taste and adjust along the way, adding more spice or more acid until it’s just perfect. So when I saw Lidia Bastianich’s recipe for Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal Soup in this month’s Bon Appetit, I knew it would be just the kind of thing I love.

Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal Soup

Of course I changed a few things. Using roasted garlic instead of raw and arugula as well as spinach, for example. But I kept it close to the original because you don’t need to mess with such a simple recipe. The soup was warm and thick, perfumed with roasted garlic and full of tender greens. The last thing I did was add toasted Parmesan rindsfor surprising pockets of toasty salty cheese. All in all, the ideal soup for cold and rainy days.

July 22, 2010

Corn Chowder with Bacon and Basil

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites bacon, basil, chowder, corn, potatoes, soup

I know what you’re thinking – it’s 100 degrees outside and this crazy girl in Miami is making soup? What can I say? I love a good corn chowder and a good chowder starts with good corn. Sure, viagra frozen corn works in the winter, but fresh corn is best and the best corn of the season is just starting to show up.

Since I’ve been hitting the strawberries and Nutella pretty hard lately, I wanted to keep this light. I was not kidding about my pants being too snug lately. So instead of cream and flour, I thickened the soup with skim evaporated milk and potatoes. To keep it tasty, I added some crisp and crumbled pepper bacon and ribbons of fresh basil. It’s hearty enough to be called a chowder, but light enough for summer. A happy little summer soup.

May 25, 2010

Refreshing Gazpacho Soup

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites bread, croutons, cucumbers, peppers, soup, summer, tomato, vegetarian

Ah, anesthetist Summertime in Miami. The thermostat hits 80 before the sun rises and the air wraps around you the second you step outside. It’s so hot and sticky, buy you don’t want to do much other than sit on the beach enjoying the ocean breeze and a cold beer. But of course, more about I have these silly things called responsibilities. Like going to work. And since I bring my lunch to work every day, I want something refreshing, a respite from the sweltering Miami heat. Something like Gazpacho.

Gazpacho is the perfect soup when it’s too hot outside. Made from tomatoes and bread, topped with crisp, fresh vegetables and croutons – it’s refreshment in a bowl. Not only is it a chilled soup, but (with a teensy tiny exception here) you don’t even cook it. I know I brag about my central air conditioning all the time, but I remember how darn hot my kitchens in NYC and Boston got in August. You don’t want to be turning on the stove, least of all to make soup.

The base is a tart and tangy blend of tomatoes, stale bread, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, olive oil, vegetable stock and sherry vinegar blended into a creamy soup. This is your base, but the beauty of gazpacho is in the toppings. Sweet and crunchy, they contrast with the tomato soup perfectly – diced cucumbers, red and green bell peppers and toasted croutons. (If you don’t toast your croutons, you will from now on. Homemade toasted croutons are life-changing. I promise.)

This is a more traditional recipe for Gazpacho, but feel free to experiment with your favorite crunchy toppings. I really want to try some perfectly grilled corn, but I have to wait until sweet corn is in season. Maybe some bacon, too. Maybe I’ll report back later this summer with a grilled corn and bacon gazpacho. Just think of the possibilities!

March 26, 2010

Re-post: Chickpea & Bread Soup

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites bread, cheese, chickpeas, onions, soup, vegetarian

I know, link I know. It’s cheating to re-post an old recipe, here but it’s just the right time for chickpea and bread soup. You see, for us Catholics it’s still Lent. And any good Catholic school girl knows that you shouldn’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent. And I honestly could care less about being meatless as long as I can have soup that’s as good as this. It’s kind of like French Onion soup, but the toasted chickpeas give it a slightly nutty flavor and make it more of a meal. Just perfect for Holy Week next week and pretty much any other time. Still one of my favorites!

Original Post

January 6, 2010

Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon & Cilantro

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites bacon, cilantro, lentils, soup, sweet potato

Happy New Year! It’s been a while, adiposity hasn’t it? My fingers feel stiff and rusty from lack of blogging. Or maybe it’s the frigid weather. Yes, medical it’s frigid in Miami! While you Michiganders and Minnesotans are probably scoffing at our Floridian fragility, capsule 40-degree weather is unheard of down here and I’m freezing. It doesn’t help that we don’t even know how to turn the heat on. So, what to do when it’s cold out? Make soup, of course.

In Italy, it’s good luck to eat lentils on New Year’s Day. I think everyone’s looking for a little luck this year because my local grocery store was completely sold out of lentils all week. I had to pilfer some from my mom’s pantry (thanks Mom!). So I’m kicking off 2010 on Bitchin’ Camero with lucky lentils and a resolution to blog more often and redesign the site. Here’s hoping.

This recipe is actually an adaptation from my favorite Christmas present – Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home cookbook (thanks Tom!). If you’re going to buy one cookbook this year, this should be it. Not only is it spectacularly beautiful, it’s full of all kinds of tips for mastering home cooking, from essential cookware to building the perfect salad dressing. Did I mention the hundreds of amazing recipes? I am in love with this book. It’s all about showcasing good ingredients in interesting ways. Like the Roasted Beet and Potato Salad with Smoked Salmon and Soft-cooked Eggs we had last night. Sounds weird, but tastes like heaven.

This soup caught my attention immediately. Sweet potatoes, lentils, bacon and cilantro are definitely a few of my favorite things. Of course I decided to make this before work, and the recipe ended up being too much for me to handle in the morning, so I simplified it a bit. When I have more time, I’ll be making it Thomas Keller’s way and I’m sure it will blow my mind. As it turns out, the simplified version is pretty darn good, too. A little smoky from the bacon and curry powder, a little sweet from the potatoes, carrots and onions, and brightened up with cilantro and sherry vinegar. For me, it’s the perfect bowl of soup and the perfect way to ring in this rather nippy new year.

October 7, 2009

White Bean Soup with Mini Lamb Meatballs

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites beans, kale, lamb, pasta, soup

They tell me it’s fall. Actually, advice I know it’s fall because the ice cream shop was serving pumpkin and chocolate pecan pie flavors. I know it’s fall because of college football and baseball playoffs and Octoberfest. But it actually feels nothing like fall down here. It’s all record highs and stifling humidity. And mosquitos. Sigh. At least we have the beach. I’ll always be happy at the beach.

But just because it’s hot, and that doesn’t mean that I’m not in the mood for fall flavors like squash and pumpkin and cranberries. And I’m always in the mood for soup, web so this week I made a simple white bean soup with mini lamb meatballs. This is definitely a soup that’s a meal. White beans, dark green Lacinato kale, whole wheat pasta and ricotta lamb meatballs. Very hearty. Very fall-like. I’ll just close my eyes and pretend the leaves are changing…

September 9, 2009

Zucchini, White Bean & Leek Soup

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites basil, beans, garlic, leeks, soup, vegetarian, zucchini

pills White Bean & Leek Soup” />

I spent Labor Day weekend on Lake Michigan – eating s’mores by the beach bonfire, prosthesis drinking the first of the season’s Octoberfest and generally lounging around. At night the temperatures dipped into the 50’s and I snuggled into my hoodie. A very welcome taste of Fall for this Floridian. And it got me thinking about soup, even after I returned to the stifling Miami humidity.

So, with Fall on the brain , but summer in the pantry, I made this Zucchini, White Bean and Leek Soup. Instead of using potatoes and cream as a base, I simply sauteed some leeks and simmered those with zucchini and lots of garlic in some chicken stock. I added cannelini beans for creaminess and blended it into a nice, soothing puree. Topped with croutons, a dusting of Parmesan cheese and some basil oil – it was a pretty perfect lunch. A little summer, a little fall and just right.