Fall is Souper

Fall finally arrived, so I've decided to work on my soup making skills. Here are a couple recipes I recently whipped up...



Pea Soup with Speck & Tarragon:

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
3 oz Package Speck (or any other "pork" product will do!)
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons Tarragon, chopped
5 Carrots, chopped
2 bags Frozen Peas
salt
black pepper
1-2 Qt's Chicken Stock (enough to cover veggies)
1 Cup Greek Plain Yogurt (Non-Fat)

Cooking Steps:
1. Heat Oil in the pan.
2. Add Speck and cook until crispy
3. Add Onion & Carrots and cook until slightly soft. (salt and pepper)
4. Add Tarragon and cook down for a few minutes
5. Add garlic and cook down for a minute.
6. Add Frozen Peas.
7. Add Stock and cook until peas are very soft.
8. Use an immersion blender to blend all ingredients to a smooth consistency.
9. Add Greek Yogurt until combined.
Serve immediately or chill and reheat. Either way, it's delicious.


Butternut Squash, Apple & Sage Soup:

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
4 Apples, seeded, peeled and chopped. (I used Mac's, but I'm sure any apple will work)
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
3 Tablespoons Sage, chopped
2 Butternut Squash, seeded and chopped
salt
black pepper
1-2 Qt's Chicken Stock (enough to cover veggies)
3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

Cooking Steps:
1. Heat Oil in the pan.
2. Add Onion and cook until slightly soft. (salt and pepper)
3. Add Sage, Apples, and Butternut squash.
4. Add garlic and cook down for a minute.
5. Add Stock and cook until all veggies are soft.
6. Add brown sugar & nutmeg.
7. Use an immersion blender to blend all ingredients to a smooth consistency.
Serve immediately or chill and reheat. Yum!

Hot & Spicy Day in Jersey

It's a spicy day out there in Jersey folks (and most parts of the country for that matter). I'd describe it as the kind of day that makes you feel like the you took a bath in a habanero broth. OK, so maybe that is an exaggeration (and I have never heard of "Habanero Broth") but either way, the description is close to accurate. This being said, I decided to beat the scorching temps and stay inside with my friend AC.

Getting to the point, I finished this ironically titled painting:



This was inspired by another painting I did last year:



Similarities but different. Unfortunately, the original has an owner already, but "Summertime Sunset" is looking for a home. If you are interested, please give me a shout. (Acrylic on Canvas, 36 X 24, unframed)

Wine Not?

This is a start to a new collection of paintings I am working on. I was inspired to create this work after reading some of my MET collection books given to me by my Great Uncle a while back. I'd like to say that this work is combination of many styles: Expressionism, Surrealism, & Impressionism. Van Gough meets Dali meets Matisse? OK, so enough of the art geek chatter...Either way, I hope you enjoy it. Cheers! Clink!

24 X 18. Acrylic on Canvas.

Meg's Red Velvet Cupcakes

Stop your nagging. Here's my red velvet cupcake recipe. You're welcome! Your midsection will thank you but will understand why they are well worth it.



Cake Mix (Makes about 24 standard size cupcakes):
-2 1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
-1 1/4 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I find that Ghiradelli is best)
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups cane sugar
-1 1/2 cups oil (I use Smart Balance oil-combo of canola & soy oil)
-2 large eggs, room temperature
-2 tablespoons red food coloring
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract (preferably a high quality)
-1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (or white distilled, either is fine)

Frosting:
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoon (s) milk (optional, if you decide to use a "whisk" tool to whip the frosting. This makes the frosting more "airy")
(This makes a crazy amount of frosting. Feel free to save the extra to bathe in it if you choose, eat straight out of the bowl as a nutritious breakfast...Endless possibilities.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard cupcake tin with liners. (I like the tin foil liners, because they look pretty and fancy) Whisk together flour, cocoa & salt. Use an electric mixer (medium-high speed), combine sugar and oil.  Add eggs (one at a time) until each is incorporated into the sugar & oil mixture. Mix in red food color and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, and stirring well after each.  Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl.  It will foam up. (it's very "science fair", but dont worry.) Then add that mixture to the batter and mix on medium speed.  Fill each liner 3/4 to 1/2 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely.

Mix the butter & cream cheese together. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Otherwise, you and your kitchen will end up looking like a powdered donut. Add the vanilla. (If you are going to whip the frosting, add milk and use the whisk attachment on your mixture to whip it into an airy topping). Frost the cooled cupcakes and decorate as you wish!

Voila! Delicious red velvet cupcakes.

Strawberry Cut Cake: Random Daily Drawing

This lonely strawberry just didn't have a chance...

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sheperds Pie Recipe

So I've had some more free time lately, and I'm finally getting more mobile after my surgery (*hip surgery on April 22). I was feeling pretty ambitious yesterday and decided to whip up something fun for dinner. I thought, "Why not Shepherd's Pie?" "But wait...", I thought. "That's so bad for us." I decided to make a more healthy version to save our arteries. I pretty much winged it and the outcome was delicious! The picture doesn't do it justice. It tastes much better than it looks & wanted to share the wealth...
I need to credit my hubby for doing some of the prep and chopping. thanks Chris, You're a "cut above the rest." :)


Ingredients:

Filling:
2 lbs. Ground Turkey (I used white meat for the "health" factor, but you can use dark meat or mix a combo of both)
olive oil
salt
black pepper
1 white onion, chopped (I used Vidallia)
1-2 Clove Garlic, chopped
8-10 Carrots, chopped.
1 1/2 tablespoons Dried Thyme
1 tablespoon Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 cup Red Wine (I used Cabernet, but you can use whatever you have on hand.)
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Dried Sage

Topping:
4 Sweet Potatoes or Yams, chopped.
2 Whole Cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
4 oz Non-Fat, Plain Greek Yogurt

Cooking Steps:
1. Boil chopped potatoes & garlic together until fork tender. Drain & Mash.
2. Add Greek Yogurt & cheese until smooth.
3. Preheat oven to 375 F.
4. Cook Ground Turkey. (I prepped ahead of time and refrigerated, but you can make at once, prior to cooking the veggies.)
5. Saute the onion in a large pan w/ olive oil (salt & pepper). Until translucent.
6. Add chopped carrots
7. Add chopped garlic.
8. Add thyme after the carrots are slightly softened.
9. Sprinkle mixture with flour & stir until the flour is translucent.
10. Add Wine & reduce.
11. Add tomato paste & Worcestershire sauce. mix completely.
12. Add chicken stock & reduce.
13. Stir in the frozen peas.
14. Add Cayenne & sage.
15. Pour the mixture into a 8 X 10 baking dish.
16. Top with your mashed potato mixture.
17. Bake for 30 minutes (covered with tin foil).
18. Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 minutes until slightly brown on top.

Enjoy :)

Cupcake Obsessed: Cherry Chocolate Cupcake

A healthier cupcake option. Acrylic on Board. Also FOR SALE, for those cupcake lovers out there. :-)


Also, please check out more of my artwork on Deviant Art!