Refried Chili

Extended Shelf Life: Avocado

Because sometimes, even when you take crappy photos, the dish was worth documenting and making a little reminder to yourself that quick meals can be delicious and can even incorporate canned foods you'd rather not admit are in your pantry ;)

So, if you find yourself hungry with a pile of tomatoes, a few ripe avocados, a can of refried beans, a block of bream cheese, a can of tomato sauce and a ice cube of roasted jalapenos, rest assured that cooked together, served on top of Fritos with cheese and fresh avocado - it will yield a meal that you can easily enjoy.

Ham and Beans

Extended Shelf Life for: Ham Bone

After the Christmas meal in Sturgis, I was the lucky winner to receive the ham bone! I was truly thrilled and new that we would be enjoying a simple, quick to assemble soup within a few days of the new year.

Since I primarily use dry beans these days I let about three cups of beans soak over night - I used a combination of kidney, pinto and even some lentils.

In the morning, I threw in a diced onion, the ham bone and additional water and left it on low for the day. Upon returning home I merely had to add some additional spices which I deemed necessary at the time (and currently can't recall) and a single can of tomato sauce just for funsies!

Turkey Kimchi Chigae

Extended Shelf Life for: Mushrooms, Onions and a Turkey Carcass

With my recently fermented kimchi and the end of the first round of Turkey eating for the Thanksgiving holiday and the winter chill setting in, I was craving some Kimchi Chigae.

However, unlike my go-to Kimchi Chigae recipe, I used my turkey carcass to make a large batch of turkey broth, much in the same way that I make chicken broth and therefore was able to use Turkey Broth and the turkey pieces to add some meat and flavor to this pot of stew.

But that's just the great thing about stews and soups in general, they're easy to substitute and recreate...

Beef and Chorizo Chili

Extended Shelf Life for: Peppers, Jalapenos, Tomatoes

When it comes to chili, I lack an official recipe. I do however have a few tricks-of-the-trade or preferences and a new discovery (or two!)

To begin, I just got a cast iron kettle and it just makes chili seem that much more delicious, amazing and perfect for the cold winter night.

Next, let me tell you that doing a combo chili which is 50% Beef and 50% Chorizo is brilliant!

Now, on to some tricks-of-the-trade.

I've just recently learned this little gem of advice that comes from my good friend SJ's grandmother:

• When preparing ground meats, add enough water to cover the base of the kettle or skillet to the meat. As the meat cooks, the water will evaporate and you'll end up having a very uniformly ground meat to support your soup or go into your tacos. (Perhaps this isn't revolutionary to most folks, but there's just something about this perfectly ground meat that makes the chili that much more enjoyable.)

Another trick-of-the-trade, espeically for divers or gardeners:

• If you have an abundance of peppers, go ahead and roast the whole batch in the oven until they're fragrant, run them through a food processor or a juicer with mincing capabilities, throw them in an ice cube tray and then into the freezer for future use in soups, sauces and of course chili! 

One more thing I like to do for our chili, especially when we have an abundance of tomatoes: 

• Run fresh tomatoes through a mincing juicer or food processor rather than throwing in canned tomatoes, fresher and ultimately a bit healthier (tomatoes in cans can have dangerous interactions with the aluminum considering the acidity of tomatoes).

And finally, our personal preference when it comes to eating a bowl of chili is to add raw onions, cheese and corn chips.

Lemon Soup and Lemon Roasted Cauliflower

Extended Shelf Life for: Lemons and Cauliflower

Ingredients/Directions: 
Lemon Soup recipe from Rachel Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8 Cookbook

Bring 6 cups stock to boil with lemon peel. Turn off heat and cover, allow stock and lemon peels to steep for 5 minutes, remove peel (unless you used zest). In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks with 5 tbsp. Lemon Juice and Hot Sauce. Add to egg mixture 1/2 cup of the hot stock to temper the eggs. Whisk this egg mixture into the stock, then turn the heat to low and whisk until soup thickens slightly, should take about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and fresh parsley if available. Enjoy as an appetizer or side dish.

Roasted Vegetable recipe inspired and assisted by the Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook

Toss 1 head of Cauliflower, broken into florets, with 2 tsp. Olive Oil, 1 tsp. Lemon Juice, Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste. Roast in an oven heated to 450 F until tender (this factor always takes me a lot longer than I expect, so don't intend on having roasted veggies as a quick dinner).

Chicken Taco Soup

Extended Shelf Life for: Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Avocados, Limes

If I am truthful, I will let you know that I remember very little about the true way in which this soup came together and as is incredibly common in this kitchen, I have no idea what amount of what went in or stayed out, etc. And I realize that makes me a poor food blogger. But here's the thing, I believe, that sometimes in the kitchen, the most important thing is knowing what goes together, to know your personal preference for how much broth to have compared to the density of other ingredients and above all else, I think what is important is to use what you have, to use it well and enjoy the results as they are...this was a delicious soup and I'm going to tell you what goes into, but as for how much and exact measurements, let go of that and just let it come together, it's a soup for goodness sake!

Ingredients/Directions:
Inspired by Rachel Ray's recipe Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

 In a stock pot or dutch oven saute 1 chopped onion in a drizzle of olive oil until tender and translucent. Add 2-3 (or more) minced Garlic Cloves and 1 minced pepper of choice (or a couple and a variety if you like spice - we have handy-dandy roasted jalapeno ice cubes which I added at the end), saute for a couple of minutes, then push to the side. Add additional olive oil if needed and begin cooking 4-6 Chicken Breasts until juices run clear. At this point, I like to take a pair of kitchen sheers and a fork and cut the breasts into bite size pieces. Add 2-cups Home Made (or store bought) Chicken Broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Run about 10 tomatoes through a juicer (but not on the juicer mode...more like mincing/blending mode) or blender and add to boiling broth. Adjust liquid according to personal preference by adding water or broth. Season with, lime juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder and cumin. Scoop into bowls top with Shredded Cheddar Cheese and slices of Avocado (or mashed avocado if they're a little ripe ;)).

Potato Chicken and Chard Soup

Extended Shelf Life for: Swiss Chard, Potatoes

When winter rolls around my heart skips a beat and my taste buds beg for soups, stews and chili. I realize not everyone enjoys the biting cold of winter, especially a Laramie/Wyoming winter, but I absolutely love it! I love being in flannel pjs and slippers with a large mug of hot tea, a book and a blanket curled up on the sofa - of course that moment follows making a hearty, delicious soup.

 I love soup.

Can't get enough! And in my adult years/dumpster diving years, I've discovered that hearty greens in a soup are an absolute win! Sasuage, Kale and Potato soup is one of my favorites and a frequent 'go-to' recipe during the late fall and long winter months.

This is essentially a variation of Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup and equally delicious and hearty and for those who might care: a bit more healthy.

Ingredients/Directions:

Toss 2-3 diced Medium Potatoes and 1 diced Onion in a touch of Olive Oil. Season as desired (salt, pepper, rosemary, etc.) Roast at 375 for 45 minutes. In a large stock pot heat a touch of Olive Oil and fry up 2-3 Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs (thighs are dark meat, so not as lean, but possibly cheaper and still delicious, so go for it!). Remove and cut or dice cooked chicken into bite size pieces. Pour in 4-6 cups Chicken Broth/Water into stock pot and incorporate chicken bits into the broth for added flavor. When potatoes are nearly done or completely finished, throw into the broth and bring to a boil. Using an immersion blender, blend a bit of the soup to create a semi-creamy texture. Add chicken pieces. Wash and tear into bite size pieces 1 bunch of Swiss Chard, throw into soup, let wilt. Season with sour cream, milk, half-and-half or plain yogurt. Serve with crusty bread and a nice brew, enjoy!

Things you DON'T have to do:

• Roast the Potatoes: I simply did this for added flavor, but it's definitely not necessary.
• Blend the Soup: This was more a texture and appearance adjustment, but isn't necessary by any means.
• Use Chicken: Sausage or Bacon would be nice as well.
• Use Swiss Chard: Kale or another hearty green, perhaps even spinach at the very last minute, would work out just as well.

Curry Spinach and Potato Soup

Extended Shelf Life: Carrots, Potatoes, Tomatoes

The great thing about crockpots is it's quite easy to simply throw things in and let it go to work for the day. The unfortunate thing is...when you're more than a month behind on updating the good ole blog, it's a bit difficult to remember the exact process used.

Apologies.

Ingredients/Directions:

Wash and quarter a significant number of fingerling potatoes. Also chop 1-2 carrots, and some tomatoes. Throw into the crock pot. Season with curry powder, turmeric, coriander, salt, pepper, etc. For broth, use chicken broth and coconut milk until vegetables are submerged. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours. During the last 30 minutes, add washed and chopped spinach until wilted. Serve over rice or with naan or simply as soup and enjoy!

Beer Cheese Soup

Extended Shelf Life: Onions and Carrots

That's Right! Extended Shelf Life!

That can only mean one thing!?!?!

We're back in the land of abundance and waste and we're hitting up the grocers dumpsters and proving that expiration dates and scarred food don't make food inedible...just in need of some immediate tender loving care.

So when our good friend Harris, who heard about our dumpster diving ways while we all lived and taught in South Korea made his way out west, it seemed only fitting that he a) go for a dive and b) eat the fruits of his labor.

And since we were all so fresh to the homeland, it seemed most fitting that this inauguration meal incorporate a tasty micro brew and creamy delicious cheese.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 1/2 cups chopped Carrots, 1 1/2 cups chopped Onions and 2 minced cloves of Garlic. Add 1 Tbsp. Hot Pepper sauce, 1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper and salt and pepper to taste.

Add 3 cups of Broth and 2 cups of flat Beer, simmer til veggies are tender. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat 1/3 cup Butter in large soup pot over medium high heat. Stir in 1/3 cup flour with a whisk until flour is light brown. Gradually stir in 4 cups of Milk. Maintaining your whisking action, gradually add in 6 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese, letting it melt and incorporate with each addition.

Stir the beer and veggie mixture into the cheese mixture. Season with 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard, 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce and 1 tsp. Dry Mustard. Add additional Hot Pepper Sauce if desired, simmer 10 minutes and serve up on a chilly fall night with a set of good friends and perhaps some football on the tele if you're so inclined.

Sausage and Kale Soup

 

Upon returning to Laramie and even to our old abode, I was not disappointed when our good friends and upstairs neighbors/home-owners offered me the opportunity to do some food prep with their CSA veggies, so long as everyone in the house could have some food to chow-down on.

When I saw the fridge filled with Kale and realized that Italian Sausage was just a few blocks away at the local grocers, I remembered this Sausage and Kale soup from a couple years ago and knew exactly what to do!

 Ingredients:

4 cups Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 lg. Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch Kale, green or purple, chopped
3 qts. Broth or Cold Chaser Tea
1 cup Heavy Cream (can also substitute yogurt, sour cream and/or milk)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Frank's Red Hot Sauce, to taste

Directions:

Boil potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, in a seperate pot, cook Italian sausage. Remove sausage from pan, drain some drippings if there are a lot or just use them to saute onion and garlic. Stir in Kale, cook about 2 minutes, then add broth. Drain potatoes, add potatoes and sausage, salt and pepper, cook until heated through. Before serving, add Heavy Cream, heat through.

Crockpot Chicken Lentil Chili

When preparing to move to the other side of the world, there seems to be a steady realization that there are food items which have been begging to enter the home-dweller's bellies.

And so I found myself accessing my 99 or so Kindle cookbooks (all free downloads...don't worry) to find a way to use up some major lentils.

This Chicken and Lentil Chili was top notch!

Directions/Ingredients:
Original Recipe thanks to The Everything Healthy Cooking for Parties by Linda Larsen.

Combine 2 chopped Onions, 5 minced Cloves of Garlic and 2 chopped Carrots in the bottom of 4-5 qt. Slow Cooker. Sprinkle with a seasoning mix of 3 Tbsp. Chili Powder, 1/2 tsp. Cumin, 1 tsp. Basil, Salt and Pepper.

Top with 1 1/2 cups Dry Lentils, 1/2 cup Brown Rice and 1 lb. Chicken Breasts. Pour 3 cups Diced Tomatoes (fresh or canned) over all. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup Tomato Paste with 1 cup of the Chicken Stock; stir until tomato paste dissolves. Add to crockpot along with additional 3 cups Chicken Stock and 3 cups Water.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until lentils and rice are tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with sour cream (plain homemade yogurt) and salsa if desired.

Lasagna Soup

Inspired by the ease and success of a recent Tofu and Pork Skillet Lasagna, I opted to allow Pinterest to continue inspiring my kitchen creations and also to use up some lasagna noodles and complimentary ingredients I had at my finger tips.

As with the skillet lasagna, I opted to use tofu in this recipe simply because ricotta is difficult to track down in Korean markets and while I'm not opposed to either a) tracking it down nor b) making it from scratch, I'm equally satisfied with tofu as a substitute and since I was trying to put together a quick meal I figured the best bet was the ingredient which could be gathered from the small grocer at the bottom of the hill.

Directions/Ingredients:

Most of this is subject to change based on what's in the refrigerator and what your personal taste preferences are, that being said...

In a large pot, brown some ground or finely chopped pork (about 1 lb). Once browned, add a bit of olive oil if there is a lack of pork drippings and saute a chopped onion and bell pepper. As the onion and bell pepper begin to soften, add 2-3 minced garlic cloves shortly followed by about a cup of chopped mushrooms. Once this first set of ingredients is sufficiently sauteed and cooked add a jar and a half of pasta sauce and/or homemade tomato sauce (or tomatoes and tomato sauce would be a reasonable substitute about 4 cups total) and additional water or broth until ingredients are sufficiently covered and a bit of extra liquid remains. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, break apart 8 or so Lasagna noodles. Add noodles to boiling soup and let cook until al dente adding water or broth as necessary. While noodles are cooking, prepare one large package of tofu by draining off the water then crumbling as much or as little tofu as you like. Once noodles are cooked through add the tofu and cook for a couple of minutes until the entire dish is heated.

Serve with mozzarella cheese and crusty bread. Enjoy with the greatest of friends before enjoying some ruckus game-playing!

Tomato Basil Noodle Bowl

We've had the great pleasure of being invited to various meals at the homes of our Korean friends lately and I'm continually finding myself being inspired to try out ingredients that are common in Korea and food preperation methods that also seem relatively specific to Korea.

The other night, my friend served us a bowl of cold noodle soup with water kimchi. She explained it's kind of a common and quick dish in many Korean homes - simply boil noodles (I'm not sure about this specific kind of noodle...it's a common noodle in Korea, a little like spaghetti meets ramen). Anyway, once the noodles are drained, you place them in a bowl and then spoon over the top some broth or in the case of water kimchi, you spoon in some kimchi and the liquid portion of the kimchi.

I like noodle bowls. Spooning a broth of already prepared noodles, it's just nice.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare adequate amount of Korean noodles or ramen per individual being served. In seperate sauce pan, heat up chicken broth with any desired spices (salt, pepper, garlic, onion, etc.) Drain noodles and divide amongst the bowls. Tear a few fresh leaves of basil into each bowl, slice of chop tomatos and add to bowls, spoon broth into bowl, top with fried egg and grated parmesan if desired.

Taco Soup

This soup received rave reviews. Actually, I keep forgetting to post the recipe, but one friend has reminded me via Facebook that she would like to make this recipe, or rather she'd like her husband to make this recipe, so I suppose I should get to posting the recipe ^^

Unfortunately, for those living in South Korea, all of the ingredients aren't that easy to come by such as ranch dressing packets or Mexican chili powder. However, I think the ranch seasoning can be left out and perhaps you can replace the Mexican chili powder with Korean chili powder or take a look at some of Korea's online grocery stores.

Anyway, on to the recipe.

Ingredients/Directions:

Adapted from the Fix-it and Forge-it-Cookbook

I use a slow-cooker otherwise called a crock-pot which we purchased at Costco to prepare this soup, however it can easily be made in a large pot on the stove and should take significantly less time. It is ready to eat when it's been thoroughly heated.

Into a large crockpot mix together 2 cups prepared Black Beans, 2 cups diced tomatoes (either canned or fresh - if you use fresh you may need to add water or chicken broth to the soup for the purpose of consistency), 1 diced Onion, 3-5 roasted and chopped Green Chilies, 1 can of Tomato Sauce, 1 can of Corn. Season the soup with 3-4 Tbsp. Mexican Chili Powder, 1/2 or whole package of dry Ranch Dressing seaoning (depending on what other uses you have for it/how difficult it is to get where you are currently located ^.~), a shake of Cumin, Cayenne Pepper (Tobasco Sauce would also work) Salt, Pepper, and 2-3 minced cloves of Garlic. Stir and add any liquid if necessary. Turn the slow-cooker to low and cook for 6-8 hours or heat on the stove-top for an hour or so. Serve with Cheese and Tortilla Chips!

Asian Mushroom and Noodle Soup

Using this Food Network recipe as my starting point I threw together this Mushroom Noodle soup just a few nights ago. As is common in my personal cooking adventures, I made some adjustments based on what was available in my home and on what I was and wasn't willing to go to the store to purchase.

For example, I wanted to add Udon noodles. I had only a single person serving of said noodles. Regardless, I wanted noodles, but not a walk to the grocery store. So the resulting recipe featers a serving of udon noodles mixed with a serving of Ramen noodles, not necessarially 'ideal' or 'beautiful' but edible and fine and why not? Why not cook in such a way that allows us to be creative and lazy at the same time. The dish was nourishing and tasteful, all that matters after a long days work.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large pot heat 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil and saute 3-4 sliced or minced Garlic Cloves and 1 tsp. ground Ginger until fragrant and lightly browned. Add 2 qts. Broth or Tea (I'd recommend black or green or a hearty herb tea if you happen to have one), 3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce and 2 Tbsp. Fish Sauce (the udon I purchase comes with it's own sauce packets, I throw that in the pot and add soy and fish sauce per taste). Bring the stock to boil while you prepare any combination of 3-5 cups of mushrooms you fancy (I can give details on my own because I frankly don't know, one is thin, white and squeaky on the teeth, one is quite plump and some were dried). Simmer for about 15 minutes before adding choice or combination of noodles (udon or ramen) and continue to simmer 2-3 minutes until noodles are soft. If you'd like to add a bit of protien, whisk 2-3 eggs and slowly drizzle mixture into the simmering pot, let simmer with out stirring for 1-2 minutes. Stir, ensure eggs and noodles are cooked properly. Serve hot with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds!

Cheesy Slow-Cooker Potato Soup

I love potato soup. I love comfort food. I love the slow-cooker.

Ingredients/Directions:

Into a slowcooker throw: 8 cups peeled and diced potatoes (between 6 and 10 potatoes depending on size, Korean potatoes are generally quite small), one Onion chopped, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, equal parts water/broth and milk (you want the potatoes and onions to be covered, so the exact amount can be tricky to calculate). Cook on high for 5-6 hours.  Add to broth your choice of thickening agent (flour + water or more effective, cornstarch + water) and cook on low 3 hours.  During the last hour of cooking add additional milk if necessary for consistency and 1-2 cups grated cheddar (or your choice) of cheese and 2 Tbsp. dried Parsley, season with Salt and Pepper. During the last hour, cook up some bacon until crispy and slice some green onions to use as garnish, serve and devour.

Tomato, Spinach, Mushroom and Chickpea Pasta Soup

This came together in the most perfect, beautiful way possible.

I somehow end up with a ton of things in my freezer, all.the.time.

There's all the 'once-a-month-cooking' that I'm still using because honestly, I like to cook things fresh, but having certain things in the freezer is a huge blessing.

There's always some beans because the canned variety aren't abundant in South Korea, so, I'm always putting a load in the slow-cooker and freezing about half.

There's always some homemade chicken broth because that's also great in the slow-cooker and home made broth is outstanding compared to powdered or store bought versions AND if you eat a chicken, why not get the most out of that bird!

There's always other random bits and pieces of only God knows what.

And the other night, a little bit of all that mess made for a most fabulously delicious dinner that way exceeded my expectations and which could be re-created...I think ^.~

Ingredients/Directions:

Since most of these are pre-made but still home made you may want to experiment, I'm sure by the end you could have something delectable and quite similar

Saute in a touch of oil one chopped Onion.  Add to the pot 3-5 minced cloves of Garlic, saute one minute before adding 2 Tbsp. Butter and 1 cup chopped Mushrooms. (If you don't want butter, no problem, I just believe that butter and mushrooms are a beautiful combination).  After a few minutes of sauteing these veggies together, add 1 cup home-made Chicken Broth, 1 cup Water (or 2 cups store bought broth ^.~), and 2 cups Tomato Sauce (I recommend the one linked here as it has a few added depths and flavors that really amp up this dish) and 1 cup Spinach Pesto - without cheese (or you can add chopped spinach toward the end of cooking and surely have an equally delicious experience). Bring to boil add one cup of Chickpeas (or one small can) and about a cup of Pasta (macaroni or another short style) continue to boil 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness, add water if needed. Serve with toasted baguette slices, a glass of red wine and enjoy!

Ddeokguk - Korean Rice Cake Soup

You can have a new year in Korea without having a bowl full of Ddoek-guk.  And when we opted to host a Redneck Life game night on the 2nd of January our friend Aaron and a Korean friend decided it was good and appropriate to bring us a bag of ddeok-guk-ddeok (the rice cake noodles specific to this soup - pictured top left and top center). So I did a bit of research and whipped up an incredibly large pot of ddeok-guk one week after the new year!

The original recipe calls for boiling beef in the first step but since I still have an abundance of freezer goods including shredded pork, I went that route.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large pot bring to boil 1/2 onion, 3 scallions and 8 smashed garlic cloves with 10 cups water (or mix of water and choice of broth).  Reduce heat and simmer (1 hour if you added beef, 20-30 minutes if you're using freezer pork).  Meanwhile, soak ddeok, Korean rice cake, in a bowl of cold water about 20-30 minutes.  Mix 1/2 lb. cooked meat with 2 minced cloves of garlic, a touch of sesame oil, salt and pepper (can be used as topping or thrown into broth after the next step). Strain onion, scallions and garlic from broth pot. Drain ddeok of cold water. Add deok and meat to the boiling broth, let boil for 8-10 minutes until ddeok is soft and chewy. Whisk 2-3 eggs, drizzle into soup, let set about one minute before stirring. Serve soup with crushed seaweed on top and welcome in the New Year!

Eggsplosions and Spicy Black Bean Soup

Pinterest is the source for so much inspiration, it is unbelievable.  This latest 'pinspiration' can be tracked back to this website, and let's just say - my world may never be the same! You may know that we have a deep, deep love for fried eggs, match that up with some toast and a slice of cheese and even the worst of days get to end in a glorious fashion. If you've ever made a grilled cheese and if you've ever made a toad-in-a-hole, you can nail this sandwich.

Using a biscuit cutter or a glass remove a circles-worth of bread from each slice of bread that will soon become a sandwich. Grease a fry pan, throw in one or two slices of bread (depending on space) crack an egg into the hole and let set for a minute or two until bread is toasty and egg is cooked through on the bottom. Flip each slice of bread over, sprinkle or lay on some cheese, let the cook on the other side, but two breads together and you have a eggy, cheesey, amazingly AMAZING sandwich! Serve that up with a bowl of soup and you've got yourself the perfect meal to beat the winter blues.

As for my black bean soup I boiled about 2 cups of Chicken Stock from the freezer added a cup or two of water, roasted about 6 tomatos and an onion, threw them in a food processor with some garlic for a quick chop dumped that into the broth mixture added about 2 cups of black beans and some crisp bacon. Seasoned with salt, pepper, red chili powder, cumin, cilantro (from the freezer) and a roasted green chili mix I had also froze before the chiles could go bad.

(These freezer concepts revolve around a desire to extend shelf life of certain foods, I've posted about the cilantro before, I did the chiles in a similar fashion. Roasted in the oven, threw into the food processor with olive oil and garlic, pulsed and placed in ice cube trays. Now, if I want to add a punch to my dish, I just throw in one or two cubes of 'fresh roasted' chiles from my freezer!)

Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

I really wish I were better about posting recipes and such immediately...we're just going to add that goal to the News Years Resolution/30 Day Challenge what-not that I'm taking on for 2012.  Anyway, I was feeling quite sick throughout December and got hit with such an intense craving for Tomato Soup while I stayed at home with a high fever.  I didn't make it that day, because I felt shitty, but the craving hung on until I finally roasted some tomatoes (in the oven, about 30 minutes, helps to remove skins) and whipped up a pot of creamy tomato soup.

The problem that we have currently is...my Pinterest refuses to work on my home computer and I'm not sure which recipe I loosely based this on, nor the details of the recipe.  What I do know is that it includes fresh roasted tomatoes, sauteed onion and garlic, broth or cold chaser tea, milk, salt, sugar, and pepper.  And it's easy. Not as easy as a can, but easy enough. Cook the roasted tomatoes up in the broth with onions and garlic, a touch of spices until warm and fragrant, blend it up in a blender or using an immersion blender then add milk till you reach your preferred consistency and level of creaminess - can also add a mix of cornstarch and water/milk to thicken it up a bit if you so desire. Serve with toasted baguette or a grilled cheese and you'll enjoy yourself the perfect pick-up for the winter blues and cold!