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The perfect soup to go with grilled-cheese sandwiches.
Print Recipe
Chunky Tomato Soup
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sauté onion and bell pepper until onion started to become translucent.
Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
Added diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasoning packets, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduced to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. With a ladle or large spoon, scoop some of the vegetable solids and broth into a blender. Purée to desired smoothness. (How much of the solids you purée and for how long depends on how smooth or chunky you'd like the finished soup.)
Returned the purée to the soup pot. Add half and half. Return to burner on medium heat until mixture begins to return to a simmer.
Remove from heat. Stir in basil and serve immediately.
For Connie
Frittata is the perfect kitchen-sink dish for using up leftovers, for impressing your brunch guests without a ton of work, or for reheating out of the freezer for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I suggest accompanying it with some spring greens or arugula that you’ve dressed lightly with vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 15 eggs (see below for notes on scaling)
- 1½ c half and half, whole milk, or cream
- ½ t salt
- ¼ t dried chervil
- ¼ t dried basil
- Generous grind of black pepper
- Generous grind of fresh nutmeg (or a large pinch if you’re using pre-ground nutmeg)
- 3–5 cups of various filling ingredients of your choice (see below)
- 3 T chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, and/or basil
- ¼ c grated Parmesan (or Romano or Asiago cheese)
…[MORE]
Thirty-one days of talking about fitness and eating better are all well and good, but we must not neglect life’s simple pleasures. I have a busy day scheduled—a meeting with my business partner, two meetings with clients, and a big project that’s ready for finishing touches before it goes to the printer. But in the interest of setting a joyful tone for the day, I reserved half an hour this morning to get a batch of scones into the oven.
With the encouragement of my friend and coach Gika Rector, I’ve been giving some thought lately to cooking as an art form. I’m overdue for grocery-shopping, so today’s performance started from the concept “What’s hiding in the pantry?†A can of yams and the last bit of a bag of crystallized ginger became my inspiration. (I also found some vacuum-packed salmon, but my artistic vision wasn’t bold enough for fish scones—yet.)
(Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.) …[MORE]
I came up with this recipe and made it for the first time this morning. I’ve only eaten one of them, but I’m ready to call this an “instant classic,†a candidate for my scone hall of fame.
(Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.) …[MORE]
Ingredients
- 1 batch of blueberry scones
- 6 eggs, scrambled, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pinch of Cajun spices
- 12 oz. bacon, fried until crisp, drained on paper towels
- 1 pint nonfat Greek-style yogurt
- Fresh fruit (cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, kiwis, and strawberries)
- Lots of coffee
- 1 amateur chef
- 2 hungry friends
- 1 breezy, sunny day with nothing that urgently needs to get done
Instructions
In a cozy Galveston weekend house, combine all ingredients in no big hurry. Later, walk on the beach for an hour. Follow with nap if desired.
Here’s another scone variation that’s been very well received by my tasters. They’re made with apples, so they must be good for you, right?
(Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.) …[MORE]
 This is one of my most popular scone recipe variations. Dipping the scones into a powdered-sugar/juice glaze while they’re still warm gives them a crunchy, sweet-tart crust. (Start with the basic scone recipe and instructions.) …[MORE]
 The scone recipe on which I’ve based my variations comes from the Alice Bay Cookbook by Julie Wilkinson Rousseau, care of my dear friend and sous-chef, Julie Brown. It contains recipes from the Alice Bay Bed and Breakfast. I don’t want to violate the copyright by reprinting the instructions, but here’s my slightly modified version of the ingredient list for that recipe, which you’ll need if you’re going to attempt …[MORE]
This beverage doesn’t fool me into thinking I’m drinking a milk shake. But I still enjoy it a lot. …[MORE]
 I made polenta for the first time at Christmas, but I found the stovetop method tedious and time-consuming. Then I had the idea to try making it in a rice steamer. I couldn’t find a recipe online that I liked, so I made up my own. I was very happy with the results, so here it is. …[MORE]
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