Broccoli Potato Soup and Biscuits

On a cold, rainy day in the winter, there are two things that always make me feel a lot better. The first is to get my running shoes on and head outside for a good sweat. I feel so strong when I face into the weather and just run. The second thing is to make a hot, yummy soup. Today I did both! I also made homemade biscuits as an extra treat. I've been making these baking powder biscuits since I was a little girl. It's one of the first recipes I mastered, and it became my job at home to make the biscuits. I've adjusted the recipe that I use now to make it healthier: whole wheat flour and almond milk.

I have a secret weapon for making a soup creamier and thicker without a lot of heavy cream. I use my stick blender to 'mash' some of the veggies.

Ingredients
Broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
Potatoes, chopped
Carrots, chopped
Onion, chopped
4 cups Vegetable broth (or enough to cover all veggies)
Curry powder
Turmeric powder
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk (I use almond milk)


First make the soup:

1. Saute 1 medium chopped onion in olive oil in a large heavy pan.
2. Add carrots and potatoes and saute.
3. Add broccoli, broth, curry powder, and turmeric, and gently stir.
4. Use a stick blender to 'cream' the soup. I like to keep my soup chunky, so I put the stick blender into the pan and press power for a second. Move to a different spot and repeat 3-4 more times.
5. Bring to a boil and then let simmer with the lid on.
6. Just before serving, add a touch of heavy cream if desired.

While the soup is simmering, make the biscuits.

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the white flour, wheat flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
3. Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix with a pastry blender or fork.
4. Add the milk and mix together with a fork until the dough forms into a ball.
5. Put the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat.
6. Knead by turning over 10 times while slightly flattening it each time.
7. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it's about 1/2-inch thick.
8. Use a round cookie cutter or a drinking glass to cut out the biscuits.
9. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet. I like to use my round Pampered Chef stoneware to keep the biscuits soft with a nice light crust.

A hearty soup and biscuits right out of the oven are guaranteed to warm you up  :o)

Roasted Pepper and Mushroom Pizza

I love making pizza! The topping possibilities are endless, and it seems magical to make a pizza from scratch. It's a fun Saturday night, movie-at-home kind of dinner because it does take a some time to make and it feels like a treat. To balance out the carb-loaded crust, I made a fresh, healthy Romaine salad as an appetizer. We opened a bottle of Alexandria Nicole 2007 Quarry Butte that paired very nicely with pizza.

Ingredients
Orange Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Roma Tomato
Romaine Lettuce
Crimini Mushrooms
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Goat Cheese
White Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
1 envelope Pizza Yeast
Salt
Sugar

Start by preparing the veggies.

1. Slice 1 Orange Pepper, 1 Yellow Pepper, 2 Roma Tomatoes, and 5 Crimini Mushrooms.
2. Set aside a few of the peppers and roma tomatoes for the salad.
3. Toss the remaining peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil until well coated.
4. Spread them on a baking sheet and sprinkle on a little course sea salt.
5. Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, make the pizza dough.

1. Combine 1/2 cup white flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt in a medium size bowl.
2. Add 2/3 cup very warm tap water and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
3. Mix together until well blended - about 1 minute.
4. Add gradually 1 cup white flour until soft dough is formed - should be slightly sticky. Add additional flour if needed to form dough ball.
5. Knead on a floured surface adding more flour if needed, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
6. With floured hands, pick up the dough and begin to stretch it into a bigger circle about 8 inch diameter.
7. Lay the dough in the middle of a lightly oiled pizza stone and carefully press and stretch the dough outward to the edges of the stone.
8. Brush a good olive oil over the entire dough and sprinkle with a bit of course sea salt.
9. Add some light seasoning of your choice, such as fresh or dried basil, and red pepper flakes.
10. When the roasted veggies are done, take them out of the oven and spread them evenly onto the dough.
11. Add chunks of goat cheese to top it off.
12. Bake the pizza at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

While the pizza is baking, put the salad together.

1. In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl, pour in 1-2 tablespoons good olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
2. Add a dash of course sea salt and whisk it all together.
3. Add the raw peppers, tomatoes and torn romaine lettuce and toss until well coated.

The timing on this worked out perfectly so that we were able to eat our salad while the pizza was baking. Enjoy!

Tablas Woodstone Taverna

I went to Tablas in Mill Creek Town Center last night night with my good friend, Sue Beck. I highly recommend Tablas for a fun happy hour, a casual romantic dinner, or a big group at the large family-style table in the middle of the restaurant. Much of their food is cooked in the woodstone oven. They have delicious flatbreads with fresh, unique toppings. I had the Brie, Caramel Apple and Pecan flatbread, and it was even more heavenly than it sounds. I also had the Spring Mix Salad which is a nice spring greens mix with apricots, pecans and balsamic vinaigrette.

They have a fun mixologist menu and a decent wine list. On the Liquid Fresh Sheet is everything from Sangria Blanco to a Snapdragon made with Jim Beam, orange, mint and brown sugar.

Every Tuesday and Saturday night, they have live music. Last night was Brazil-style music by a singer/guitar player. It was the perfect background music - loud enough to appreciate but not too loud for conversation. Coming up Saturday night is Flamenco!

Quinoa, Broccoli and Peppers

This is a quick, healthy, tasty after-work dinner.
It only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.


Ingredients
Olive oil
Onion, diced
Carrots, sliced
Red, yellow or orange peppers, diced
Broccoli
1 package of organic Quinoa & Brown Rice with Garlic (Seeds of Change brand from Costco)

1. Saute onion in olive oil.
2. Add carrots and peppers and saute.
3. Add quinoa and brown rice and stir.
4. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
5. Steam broccoli.
6. When the quinoa mixture is heated through, add the steamed broccoli on top.

Ready to serve and enjoy!

Risotto with Brown Rice and Prawns

This was one of the best risottos I've had anywhere and certainly one of the best that I've made. I love making risotto, but I typically use the traditional Arborio rice. This time, I wanted to experiment with using brown rice instead. It was delicious with great flavor and a slightly chewy texture. I'll continue using short grain brown rice in risotto because it tastes great and is healthier.

Ingredients
Olive oil

Medium white or yellow onion

Peppers (yellow, orange or red)

Short grain brown rice

Masala cooking wine

Vegetable broth

Pecorino Romano cheese

Garlic cloves

Prawns

This isn't the most flattering picture, but it gives you an
idea of the correct consistency.

1. Saute a finely chopped medium onion in olive oil.
2. Add and saute 2 chopped peppers.
3. Stir in 2 cups short grain brown rice.
4. Stir in 1/4-1/2 cup Masala cooking wine. Cook until absorbed.
5. Stir in 1 cup heated vegetable broth (this can be made with Vegetable broth base powder) and cook until absorbed.
6. Turn heat down if boiling too much. It should be more of a simmer.
7. Continue adding broth one cup at a time and letting it absorb before adding more.
8. Allow risotto to cook about 50 minutes total.
9. When the rice is cooked and still chewy (but not crunchy at all), decide if you need to add more broth. At this point, there should be some broth that hasn't been fully absorbed. When the rice is cooked to your liking, turn off the heat.
10. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
11. Turn off the heat to the risotto and keep the lid on.
12. In a skillet, saute 2 cloves fresh minced garlic on low heat.
13. Stir in 1/4 cup Masala cooking wine.
14. Add in prawns and cook on each side until just done.
15. While the prawns are cooking, add 1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese to the risotto and gently fold in.
16. When the prawns are cooked, chop them into bite-size pieces. Gently stir the prawns and garlic into the risotto.

 

Enjoy with a glass of wine of course. We opened a bottle of Columbia Crest H3 from the Horse Heaven Hills in Eastern Washington.