Smoky Roasted Sweet Corn Soup

Dear Turkey,

I had this at a

Restaurant, but at home it

Costs like $2

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup and Breadsticks Hack

Dear Turkey,

I swear to God you

Will think you're at the Olive

Garden restaurant

Curried Split Pea Soup With Coconut

Dear Turkey,

This is so easy

And so tasty -- just go and

Make it for dinner

Garlicky Bean and Pasta Soup

Dear Turkey,

This tastes so creamy

But it's actually vegan

Prepare for bad breath

Life-Changing Pea Soup

Dear Turkey,

I first ate this soup

In 2007 and

It did change my life

Amish Soup

Dear Turkey,

An Amish lady

Writes a newspaper column

In Northern New York

Curried Pumpkin and Yellow Split Pea Soup

Dear Turkey,

When I made this, my

House smelled like the houses of

My Indian friends

Tomato Chickpea Soup

Dear Turkey,

The blog I read said:

"Best Italian comfort

Soup ever." Agreed

Homemade Croutons

Dear Turkey,

You know how I was saying that poached fruit is all over the web? Same with recipes that use leftover bread. Croutons are always on those lists of the top...things to do with stale bread. Since I make bread a lot, I figured it was time to start making my own croutons.

I don't really like croutons from the store, the ones that have, like, 100 ingredients, trans fat, and can break your teeth. These are not like that. These are like what comes off of the top of French onion soup when you make it yourself. You can put them on salad, soup, or even pasta (trust me).

Use Up Your CSA Cabbage Soup

Dear Turkey,

Your neighbor is wondering if you ever used up the rest of that cabbage from her CSA that she gave you in December. Luckily for you, cabbage keeps a long time.

I have never made a good cabbage soup before. This soup is so easy, so good, and so healthy, you would think that I or my stomach would be sick of eating it for three days straight. Not at all. I also froze some for later. It's really good with a big piece of pumpkin sourdough.

Another Guest Post!

Dear World,

Just when you were starting to think I didn't have any friends, everyone's favorite neighbor-guest-poster came through. You can tell she's really excited about this because she used A LOT OF UPPERCASE LETTERS! (I'm excited, too): 

(Vegan)*** Banana Peach Spice Bread***

depends on how you choose to use the ingredients--I used milk and the chocolate chips, which makes it not vegan

(This is from thatssovegan.wordpress.com, but I tweaked it, so it's only 3/4 plagiarized (because I am calling it mine, mostly because of the chocolate chips addition), also you can do apple instead of peach)

2 large bananas

1 peach, peeled

1 Tbsp white vinegar + 1/3 c soy milk= vegan buttermilk

1/2 c sugar (I used raw sugar, and cut this to 1/3, it depends on how sweet you want the bread)

2 c white wheat flour

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9x5 loaf pan with oil.  Mix soymilk and vinegar until it curdles.  Mash bananas and peach together, add the buttermilk and sugar and stir.  Separately (which I never do), mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir.

Bake until knife comes out clean-40-50 minutes.

BEAN AND KALE SOUP 

(I got this recipe from my Mom, who got it from somewhere?  probably Penn State ag. extension--I also added a few ingredients!!)

1 TBSP OLIVE OIL

4 LARGE CLOVES GARLIC MINCED OR CRUSHED

4 CUPS CHOPPED RAW KALE

4 CUPS BROTH

2 15OZ CANS WHITE BEANS

4 PLUM TOMATOES, CHOPPED

2 TSP DRIED ITALIAN SEASONING

1 TSP ONION POWDER

1/2 TSP GARLIC POWDER

1/4 TSP HOT PEPPER POWDER

SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE

1 CUP CHOPPED PARSLEY

**PARM CHEESE FOR TOPPING WHEN READY TO SERVE

SAUTE GARLIC IN OLIVE OIL ADD KALE, STIR UNTIL WILTED. ADD 3 CUPS BROTH, 2 CUPS BEANS, TOMATOS HERBS S&P. SIMMER 5 MINUTES. IN A BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR MIX REMAINING BEANS & BROTH UNTIL SMOOTH. ADD TO SOUP TO THICKEN. SIMMER 20 MINUTES. SPRINKLE WITH PARSLEY.

Picture and testimonial by Tofu (you can tell because it's my dishes):

This bread is really amazing. You will want to include a plastic fork so you can share it with your little one. I used 3 bananas (and no other fruit), regular whole wheat flour, and regular chocolate chips.

Enjoy,

Tofu 

My Custard Is As Good As Yours

Dear Turkey,

Now that I have your attention, I'm going to tell you how I made frozen custard that's as good as yours. It's probably better. We should have a competition.

First of all, my recipe came from a famous, old, French person. The day before, I gently heated 4 egg yolks (save the whites!), 1 c milk (you could scald this milk with a delicate flavoring agent, like an herb, beforehand; since I was using strong flavoring agents, I waited until later), a pinch of salt, and 1/2 c sugar (that's it!) until it reached 165 degrees. Yes, use a thermometer. I stored this in the fridge overnight.

If you are using a kitchen-aid ice cream maker like I do, make sure that it's been in the back of your freezer for over 24 hours, and that your freezer is on the coldest setting. Also, freeze the bowl that you plan to store the custard in when you're done. When you're ready to make the ice cream, pour in the batter, 1 pint of heavy cream, and any strong flavoring agents (I used a T of vanilla extract and a few T of coffee liqueur). When it's almost done, add anything chunky (I used mini chocolate chips).

Eat it right away for that custard-y feeling, or freeze for a couple hours for maximum scoop-i-ness but optimum softness. In other words, you are trying to optimize taste and texture. As you know, custard with no artificial stabilizers won't keep for weeks in the freezer. 

For dessert, you will probably want something healthy, like iced coffee with foamed milk, coffee liqueur, whipped cream, and cinnamon:

And now for something actually healthy: Cornspacho. It's gazpacho made out of corn. Just boil or steam some corn for 1 minute (or microwave it with the husk on for 1 minute), cut it off the cob, and blend it with just enough water to make it soupy and salt to taste. If you still don't believe me about how good this is, try it.

Also, another awesome recipe from Smitten Kitchen: roasted tomato salsa. Just broil some salted tomatoes, jalapenos, and garlic until you start to see brown spots. Then blend it up, adding water if necessary.  

Oh, yeah, those egg whites. Mix them with a pinch of cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, 1 T vanilla, and 1/2 c or 1 c (depending on how sweet you like it) sugar, until stiff peaks form. Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 200 degrees (this will take several hours if it's humid).

Enjoy,

Tofu

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Dear Turkey,

7:30 PM. Your family is playing outside. You are left to your own devices with the following: a fridge full of seasonal (in California) veggies that need to be used up, NPR, and these instructions: 

"It's easy. Just cook the shallots in some oil, then add the broth, the carrots, the asparagus, the milk, the cream, the spinach. Do it in that order and don't overcook anything. Use salt and pepper. Just do it. It takes five minutes:" 

In case anybody cares, here is a better description of what I actually did: I cut up one shallot and cooked it in some hot oil until it started to brown. Then I added 2 c of veggie broth and brought it to a boil. I added a handful of cut up carrots and let them boil for a minute, and then added a huge handful of cut up asparagus. After another minute I turned the heat down to low and added 1 or 2 T each of milk and cream. I turned off the heat and threw in a very big handful of spinach. After it wilted I added a few t of salt and pepper. This made enough for two people, which was enough, because I think that this soup is better made fresh each night.

Happy Spring (in California -- just kidding, it's been spring there since February),
Tofu

What to Eat When It's Zero Degrees

Dear Turkey,

Here is some more of my famous free advice. 

Adoring Fans: Tofu, what are some good things to eat when it's zero degrees and you can't get out of your driveway because the town is supposed to plow it but the truck that they usually use is "broke?" [Direct quote from the town.]

                                      

Tofu: well, Adoring Fans, first, I would recommend things that will give you a lot of calories per bite, since nothing burns as many calories as sitting at home in front of your fire worrying about when you'll be able to go running. 

Like, maybe some scalloped potatoes and sweet potatoes:

Followed by smoked trout dip:

And some crab cakes [scroll down -- thank you fellow blogger]:

Still hungry? What are you, me? Have some soup:

Roast some butternut squash, onions, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks (remove before blending), oil, salt, and pepper. Add it to 3c veggie broth and 1c cider. Puree.

I moss you,
Tofu

Navajo Stew

Dear Turkey,

Here is your New Years present.

Navajo Stew. It's on everyone's diet and it won't let you down.

I moss you,

Tofu

What Do Vegetarians Eat On Christmas?

Dear Turkey,

In order to keep my mom young, my family members and I like to add lots of weird dietary restrictions to her holiday planning. As usual, she (and her magazines) did not disappoint:

This recipe from The Washington Post (I guess it's famous). I used soy milk instead of real milk, veggie broth instead of chicken broth, and added a few T of maple syrup. (Vegan version obviously not pictured here; this is the one I ate.)

A little something from one of my mom's favorite magazines (we didn't make the salad on the recipe, but I want to).

Salad, of course.

More pumpkin stuff. We just held the butter (and the creamy garnish) for the vegans. 

Same plate, different day, different salad.

Mazel Tov,
Tofu

Creamy Cauliflower Bisque

Dear Turkey,

Remember that. cauliflower. that I got as a present? Well, I had only used half of it, and it was time to use the rest. Since I have OCD, I hate it when I can't see the back of my fridge at all times (or when I can't see my reflection in any given shelf at any given time). So I emptied the fridge and challenged myself to make the contents disappear (and not by putting them in the compost). 

Roasting and pureeing are two of my secret weapons for turning a lot of food into not a lot of food. (My other secret weapon is just sitting down and eating it all up.) So I made a soup and a chutney.

Creamy Cauliflower Bisque:

In a big Pyrex baking dish, coarsely chop the following and roast it at 425 degrees for about an hour:

3-4 c cauliflower

2 small sweet potatoes

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 handful of fresh parsley and oregano (who says you can't roast parsley?)

1 poblano

1/4 c olive oil (you don't have to chop that)

1/2 stick butter

lots of salt

Then heat up 6 c of veggie broth, several tablespoons of cumin and lime juice, and add the roasted veggies and all of their delicious juices. Puree it and stir in a tablespoon or two of cream. Decorate with the chips and chutney, and serve with a sliced serrano on the side for non-wusses:

For the "chips" I ripped up some corn tortillas and sprinkled/drizzled them with olive oil, salt, lime juice and cumin and baked them at 425 degrees for ten minutes. For the chutney: blend 1 c (each) parsley, cilantro, and mint with 1 or 2 t (each) sugar and salt (start with 1), and several tablespoons of lime juice. It would be a lot easier if you had a Vitamix. Oh, wait, you do. But I don't. 

I was inspired to make the cake by this cool blog. If you click on her link you will see how much easier (but less beautiful) my version is. The cake is just our standby Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (PCCB) without the chocolate chips:

3.5 c flour

2 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1 t nutmeg

3 c sugar

1 c oil

4 eggs

2/3 c water

1 regular-size can pumpkin

Mix until combined. Bake 1 hr in a greased pan at 350 degrees. 

I used her recipe for the frosting, but on her blog it is "the filling." It was not hard and it was totally worth it. I'd been reading a lot lately about how good homemade butterscotch is and I needed to know if the hype was real. It's real, Turkey. 

So, stale corn tortillas, almost-expired cream and broth, and a two whole grocery bags of veggies and herbs that are almost dead + a couple of hours + someone to watch your baby + Vitamix = happy full family.

I moss you,

Tofu

How To Impress Your Parents

Dear Turkey,

Here is another one of my famous money-saving tips: if you are in the mood for Asian food, ask your parents to take you out to get some; that way you can order lots of different dishes at no cost to you. If that doesn't work, here is a Plan B to impress them. They'll be so amazed that they'll be sure to take you out to dinner next time.

First, the miso. Since they are paying, be sure to get delicious barley miso. Put it in a pot with water, spinach, straw mushrooms (from a can), tofu, and green onions. Heat until almost boiling (don't kill it!). Remember, for miso, more is more. 

Sesame noodles: cook one bundle of soba. Combine the following in the blender: 3 T tamari, 2 T mirin, 2 T rice vinegar, 2 T peanut butter, 1 T sesame oil, 1T honey, 1 T minced garlic, 1 t chili oil. Toss with the noodles. 

Dumplings always impress people. For the dumpling filling: 1/2 block extra firm tofu, 2 T ginger, and 1/4 c celery, all minced. Then microwave some spinach to yield about 1 c wilted; cut it up with scissors. 

To that mixture, add: 1 T mirin, 1 T tamari, 1 T cornstarch, 1 T lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. 

I wrapped them in pot-sticker wrappers (from the store). 

Steam (for wusses), or fry until deliciously black. You will need to use the lid of the pot as a shield. 

For the sauce: 1/4 c tamari, 2 T rice vinegar, 2 T lemon juice, 1 t minced garlic, 1 T sugar, and 6 ginger slices.

Parents are impressed. 

For dessert, you are tired, so they will buy the gelato. 

I moss you,

Tofu 

The Last Winter Soup

Dear One of my Two Friends (You Know Who You Are -- if not, use process of elimination),

I am so excited to see you, your baby, and your Lt. Veggie Nugget (aka sister) for lunch today. In your honor, I took everything perishable out of my fridge/hanging root basket (don't worry -- nothing was bad -- I am anal, remember?) and made it into The Last Winter Soup. People who think that it hasn't been winter for a while obviously don't live around here.   

Here are the suspects (not pictured are some canned tomatoes from the other day):

I put the roast-able suspects in my dutch oven with lots of olive oil and salt: 

Here are the non-roast-able suspects:

One hour, 425 degrees (cover off) later:

I carefully put the dutch oven on the burner (can you tell that I'm trying to minimize dishes? you don't even have to wash the dutch oven when you're done -- quality), and added the non-roast-ables and a quart of veggie broth: 

Cook just until tender:

Puree:

I made this yesterday so that the flavors would be all married by lunchtime today. We are going to enjoy it with whole milk ricotta on top, homemade bread, iced coffee, and whatever you guys bring.

See you after nap time (I'll leave it to the audience to decide who is napping),

Tofu