soup recipe + SAD + moments

if you are friends with me on facebook, you already know that i've had a serious bone to pick with mother nature.  it has been so gray and rainy for days on end that i am about to snap.

this is typical of nc weather in february and about this time every year, i start to withdraw.  i don't want to talk.  i don't want to socialize.  i can't get motivated to do, well, much of anything.  seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a real thing folks.  i can testify to that.

it is frustrating, depressing, cyclical, and well, sad. 

apparently mother nature decided that i needed a ray of hope and she provided absolutely beautiful, sunny, 60-degree day yesterday.  hallelujah!

i made brunch for husband and then we headed out with bogue, the fearless brown dog, for a nice, *long* walk around downtown apex.

strange how a little bit of sunshine can completely change my mood.  it reminded me that this too, just like so many other things, shall pass.

rainy, wintery weather?  it is just a moment.  warm, sunny weather will return.  even though it too, is just a moment, but the good moments help when the bad moments pop up from time to time.

that beautiful day yesterday?  it too, was just a moment, as mother nature so rudely reminded me when i woke up to a gray sky and 30 degree temperatures and rain in the forecast tomorrow.

sigh.

oh well, at least i have this soup to keep me warm.

this is a bowl of pure deliciousness.  like most of my preferred weekday meals, it is super easy.  as my "real life" friends know, i am super skeptical of the 30-minute meal tag, because i don't know what clock these people use, but most of the "30-minute meals" i've tried take me an hour.

i had this from start to table in 30 minutes.  booyah.

garlicky tortellini, spinach, and tomato soup
slightly adapted from fine cooking

ingredients:

*  2 tablespoons butter

*  3 - 4 tablespoons bottled, minced garlic

*  1 9oz. package of frozen cheese tortellini

*  1 5oz. package of baby spinach

*  1 32oz. carton of low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

*  1 15oz. can of diced tomatoes, italian style

*  8 to 10 leaves of fresh basil or 2 - 3 teaspoons of dried basil (i used dried, because it is what i had on hand)

instructions:

1.  heat butter in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat.  add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn it.

2.  add broth to pan and bring to a boil.

3.  once the broth is boiling, add the tortellini.  cook for approximately 5 minutes, or 1/2 of the cooking time as described on the package.

4.  add the tomatoes, including their liquid, and let the soup continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

5.  add spinach and basil, stirring just until the spinach is wilted.

6.  top with parmesean and/or mozzarella cheese.  we used both, naturally.

enjoy!

xoxox -

soup

soup:  [soop]

~ NOUN:  A LIQUID FOOD MADE BY BOILING OR SIMMERING MEAT, SEAFOOD, OR VEGETABLES WITH VARIOUS ADDED INGREDIENTS. ~

i have a confession to make.  once the weather turns cold, and oftentimes dreary, as it has a tendency to do in the winter, i crave soups and stews.  i just simply cannot.get.enough.  there is something about a bubbly pot of goodness on the stove that just makes my heart happy.

sure, my southern girl heart would rather be in the tropics, soaking up the sun, listening to reggae, with a mojito in hand, but alas, this is not (always) possible.

i don't "do cold" very well.

however, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

so, soups and stews it is to warm up my southern girl heart in the midst of a cold winter's night.

on sundays, where there seems to be a fabulously excessive amount of time to spend in the kitchen, i will whip up a concoction that requires hours of simmering, soaking up the anticipation of a hearty stew that will soon be served for dinner.

however, on a rainy, cold wednesday, i've got things to do and i need to get my soup fix with a quickness!

as a girl who has a self-processed love for tomatoes (thank goodness for my childhood neighbor's garden, as well as that of my brother-in-law, for amazing tomatoes in-season), one would think that tomato soup and i would have quite the love affair.  however, much to my dismay, i thought for the longest time that i simply just didn't like tomato soup.  i wanted to like it, but the stuff out of the can and even from my favorite sandwich shop, well, it just fell short.

until i found this recipe...and modified it....of course....because that is just what i do.

this, my sweet friends, is tomato soup perfection and is hands-down one of hubby's favorite soups (and mine too).

the best part?  it is done start-to-finish in 45 minutes.  it doesn't get any better than that for a quick night meal!

so, give it a shot.  even you tomato-soup haters.  i promise you will love it!! 

here's the scoop:

spicy tomato soup
slightly adapted from whole living magazine

ingredients:

* 1 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes (i typically use muir glen, and/or organic if i can find it.  don't skimp here on quality, as this is the basis for the entire soup.  you'll be glad you spent the extra moolah for top notch tomatoes.)

* 2 tbsp of olive oil

* 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (i use 1/2 tsp, since my husband likes the spice...obviously, he's married to a redhead.  ;-) )

* 1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic

* 1 half of a large white onion, diced

* 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth  (i am partial to vegetable broth)

* salt and pepper

* freshly shredded cheese

instructions:

1.)  heat oil and red pepper flakes in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat 30 seconds or until fragrant.

2.)  add garlic and onion.  saute until soft, about 5 - 6 minutes.

3.)  add tomatoes, crushing slightly with your hands or a wooden spoon.  stir in vegetable or chicken broth.  season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.)  reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

5.)  transfer soup to a food processor or blender.  puree until desired consistency.  (we leave ours just shy of completely smooth, so you still get small bits of tomato.)

6.)  top with your favorite cheese.  we enjoy mozzarella, parmesean, and/or fontina.

we also serve it with a garlic ciabatta bread for dipping!  if fresh basil is in-season, go ahead and throw some on top.  the possibilities are endless!

give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments.  :)

enjoy and stay warm!! 

xoxox -

 

asparagus

 as·par·a·gus:  \ə-ˈsper-ə-gəs\

~noun:  any plant of the genus Asparagus of the lily family, cultivated for its edible shoots~

 my husband and i got married a little over a year ago.

i'm pretty sure moving in with a girl was a shock to his system...

...and not just because my couches happen to be a lovely shade of eggplant...

...although, i'm that didn't helped the transition.

i think it may have been more of a culinary shock to the system.  my husband's diet consisted of stereotypical bachelor food.  pizza.  wings.  pasta.  grilled cheese.

then, he moved in with me.

his wife who belongs to a csa and really, really loves her veggies.

one evening, i was whipping up dinner and had some delicious asparagus, which had been grown locally.  it was beautiful.

as i was getting ready to pop it in the oven, my husband looked over my shoulder and crinkled up his nose.

oh boy.  here we go.

him:  "i don't like asparagus."

me:  "have you ever had asparagus?"

{this was obviously not my first rodeo.}

him:  "i don't know, but i'm pretty sure i don't like it."

me:  {eye roll}  "okay.  well, there is a can of peas in the pantry, so i can heat that up for you instead."

him:  "that works."

fast forward 20 or so minutes later as we are sitting down to dinner.

him:  "that looks pretty good."

me:  {smug grin) "it is good."

him:  {stammering, glancing at the peas, glancing back at my asparagus}  "can i try some?"

me:  {big ol' smug grin}  "sure."

my husband's love for asparagus was born.

i think about that evening often.  not just because i was right, {which i was} but because of how many things we don't try and why? because we could've sworn we had tried it before and didn't like it, if we could only remember.

really, what's life without trying something new, even if it scares us?  no life at all.

and life without asparagus?  that's just silly.

image via

the recipe that won my skeptic's heart?  here ya go:

ingredients:

- one bunch of fresh asparagus
- 1 lemon, zested and juice reserved
- olive oil
- fresh cracked black pepper

instructions:

1.  preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.  zest lemon.
3.  toss asparagus in olive oil, just until lightly coated.
4.  sprinkle lemon zest and cracked black pepper.
5.  roast for 5-10 minutes, depending on your style.
6.  serve with lemon juice on the side.

everyday's a holiday (when you've got fresh asparagus) -