Tortilla Soup

I like soup. A lot. It is comforting, it is satisfying, and you can make it out of almost anything in the refrigerator. This is a soup that my mom used to make for me as a kid, especially after I became a vegetarian since she didn't know what else to do with me. I don't know if this is actually how my mom made it, but she was the one who gave me the idea. I would add some beans to it next time but I didn't want to open a can since I knew I wouldn't use all of them and didn't want any more leftovers.

Recipe:

1 T olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
1/2 a green bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup-1/2 cup prepared salsa (I used GardenFresh)
1 boca burger, chopped and cooked through
3 cups water
2 boullion cubes
crushed tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced scallions

In a medium-large pot, heat oil and cook the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper until soft. Add the boca burger (or veggie crumbles) and heat through. Add in the salsa and stir to combine. Add the boullion cubes and water. Heat until simmering. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pour into bowls and top with crumbled chips, shredded cheese, and scallions.

Raw Vegetable Pizza

The other day I was thinking of all the different things I used to eat as a child and I honestly couldn't remember liking any veggies. But then I thought of this vegetable pizza that my mom used to make and I remember loving it even though it was topped it a ton of raw veggies. I thought I should try it again since I remembered loving it so much. I just guessed on how she made it but it turned out really well.

Recipe:

4 refrigerator crescent rolls
4 ounces of light cream cheese
1/2 Tablespoon of ranch dressing powder
1 cup of raw chopped veggies (I used broccoli, carrot, green onion, green pepper, and tomato)

On a foil-lined cookie sheet spread out the rolls and press them together so that they make a solid square with no gaps or breaks in it. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 11 minutes (check that package and cook accordingly). Cool this completely.

While the rolls are baking, combine the cream cheese and ranch dressing powder in a small bowl. When the rolls are cool spread the cream cheese all over them and then top with the chopped veggies. Press down just a bit on the veggies so they stick to the cream cheese.

Roasted Sweet Dumpling Squash

I really like squash. It reminds me of Fall, which is by far my favorite season. Even though I love squash I haven't really tried a lot of different kinds. I decided to try a sweet dumpling squash and I'm glad I did. Like the name indicates, it had a sweet flavor after roasting it. It kind of tasted like honey even though I didn't add anything to it.

Recipe:

1 sweet dumpling squash
salt
butter

Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the squash in half but be careful when cutting through the top of it - the stem was really tough to cut through. Sprinkle with salt and place, cut side down, on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft. Turn the squash over and place a small amount of butter in the center. Bake for another 5 minutes or so until the butter is melted and the squash is very tender.

Roasted Radishes

Radishes have always been the one of the few vegetables that I thought I hated (brussel sprouts are the other). I got a large bunch of them from the farmers market and tried a few raw. To my surprise they were actually really good when sprinkled with some salt. I liked the crunch and the spicy bite they had. I just couldn't use them all raw before they went bad so I tried roasting them. They were wonderful. The roasting process really brought out the sweetness in them and mellowed the flavor.

Recipe:

1 handful radishes, cut in half
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with foil. In a bowl, toss the radishes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour onto the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn them and then bake for 10 more minutes or until crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

White Pizza with Mushrooms and Arugula Salad

Again with the CSA, I'm trying to use up all the greens before they go bad. Arugula was in the CSA share I got this week and I love it's spicy, peppery flavor. By the time I got to it the leaves had already started to droop, so I knew I had to use it where that wouldn't matter. Using it raw as a pizza topping was perfect!

Also, I cheated a lot on this one and used a store bought pizza crust and already prepared mushrooms. You can use the same mushrooms I used by making a batch of "wine braised mushrooms" that are already included in the archives.

Recipe:

1 pizza crust
olive oil
parmesan cheese
garlic powder
dried basil
5 wine braised mushrooms (or mushrooms that you sautee with some oil), sliced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
10-12 arugula leaves, torn into bite size pieces
olive oil
lemon juice
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450. In a bowl, combine olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and basil. Spread this mixture on the pizza crust. Top pizza crust with mushrooms and then the cheese. Turn oven down to 425 and bake for 8-9 minutes. Broil for 30 seconds until the cheese is slightly brown and bubbly. While this is baking, toss the arugula with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. When the pizza is finished baking, top it with the arugula salad.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

A friend of mine has a CSA share that she splits with her room mates, since her room mates were out of town this week she lt me take the majority of the share. It was a beautiful collection of greens and Fall vegetables like radishes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash. Most of these things can last for quite some time but the greens started to wilt the day after I brought them home. The box contained two bunches of fresh spinach. I knew I could eat one raw before it went bad, but the other one needed to be cooked before it became unusable. Hence, Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Recipe:

2 T butter
2 T flour
1 cup warm water
1 bouillon cube
garlic powder
pepper
parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese (about an ounce or so, not much)
1 bunch (about 2 cups) fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 a small onion, minced
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

In a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat and add flour. Whisk together and cook for a few minutes until it is thick and bubbly. Dissolve the bouillon cube in water. Slowly whisk in stock to the roux and simmer to thicken. It should already be fairly thick. Season with garlic powder, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Add a bit of mozzarella so that things hold together. In a separate pan heat oil over medim heat, add onion and garlic and sautee a few minutes until softened. Add spinach and artichokes and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Add this mixture to the roux. Stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes so that everything comes together. Top with mozzarella and maybe a little parmesan. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits

Baking a whole cake seems crazy when there is only one person who is going to eat any of it. Any time I make something it will go bad before I can finish it. I've started trying to bake things in smaller sizes so that I can have it once and not have to worry about eating the rest of it. Ramekins are perfect for this. The only problem is that baking things from scratch usually means that you will have way more than you need for one person. So I cheated a little bit and used biscuits. Whatever.

Recipe:

1 ring of canned pineapple
1 T brown sugar
1 T corn syrup
1 splash of pineapple juice (or water)
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 canned jumbo biscuit

Combine sugar, syrup, juice, butter, and vanilla in a saucepan and heat until it bubbles. Remove from heat. Place pineapple ring in a ramekin and top with the sauce until it comes up around the side of the pineapple. Stretch a bisuit out a bit and place it over the pineapple. Place the ramekin in a preheated oven (check biscuit wrapper for temperature - mine said 350) and bake for 5 minutes more than the directions said. Mine called for 15 minutes so I baked it for 20. Remove from the oven and turn it out on a plate immediately.