Suuuuuuper Easy & Protein Packed Steak Fajitas

While starting to prepare this dish tonight, I realized that I didn't have any limes - a key element to the marinade - so it was back to the store.  As I was pulling in (backwards), I didn't notice that there was a guy on a massive chopper (modified motorcycle), two spots away.  I didn't notice because he was concealed by the van in the space next to me.

I got out of my truck and started heading to the entrance, noticing a mother walking in front of me, holding the hand of (what I would guess to be) her 3-4 year old son.  As we approached the doors, the idiot fired up his motorcycle and the only thing louder than that bike starting was my confusing, startled reaction of, "WHAT THE FRICK?!!..."  as I did one of those awkward jumps when you're not expecting something.  (P.S. I'm not sure why I didn't just go all the way and outright curse, but that's what came out.).  All I know is that I was the only one in that entire parking lot that reacted to that noise.  That little kid didn't even bat an eyelash.  He did, however, turn his head to look back at me and gave me cockeyed look as if to say, "...are you serious dude?".   Anyways, here's my recipe.

...stupid kid.

Protein-Packed Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 1# Flank Steak or Well-Marbled Sirloin
• 1/2 Red Onion, Sliced
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 1 Tbsp. Chili Sauce
• Roma Tomatoes, Diced for Garnish
• Fresh Cilantro Leaves, for Garnish
• Whole Wheat Tortillas

How To Make:

• Slice the onion and chop the garlic, tossing them into a large bowl.  Slice your steak (with a different knife and cutting board of course) and add to the bowl as well.  Squeeze your lime juice over the mixture and add the chili sauce.  Give everything a good stir to combine, cover with saran wrap and allow to marinade it the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• When ready to cook, heat 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add the marinaded mixture.  Cook - stirring occasionally for 6-7 minutes.  When ready to serve, spoon some of the mixture into a wheat tortilla, garnish with tomatoes & cilantro and roll up.  These taste good by themselves, or you can serve with Frank's Sweet Chili dipping sauce or ranch dressing.  Yes, ranch dressing...it's good. 
• This meal has 52 grams of protein compared to only 23 grams of fat.  This will allow you to enjoy that Milano cookie later in the evening.

The "Boogie Shoes" Burger, Fries, and S'Mores Milkshake

There is a window in my kitchen above the sink that overlooks my driveway along with my neighbor's house that is currently vacant and up for sale.  Additionally, I have saved hundreds of my CD's to the hard drive of my playstation, giving me an endless playlist when I so choose.  These two facts must be known, or what follows next will not seem wondrous...(To quote Dickens).

My day happened in phases...

Phase 1:  For my birthday this past week, my mother was kind enough to bake me lemon bars.  When I got up, I found myself so full of energy, I decided to return the pan to her.  I got in my truck and took off - pan on the seat next to me.  Apparently, I was feeling a bit too positive and invincible to notice my lead foot as I cruised happily down Hoover Road (which incidentally is a 30 mph zone).  The police officer that pulled me over noticed this though:

Cop:  "...do you know how fast you were going?"

Grigal:  "....28....29 tops?"

Cop:  "Fifty-two....(notices the pan in the seat)...what's with the pan?"
Grigal:  (Nervously) "....I'm bringing this pan back to my mom....she made me lemon bars and they were good.."

9 hours later, I still have no idea why I told him that last part, but it was strange enough to make him chuckle and he let me off with a warning.


Phase 2:

I have been waiting for a number of items in the mail for a couple weeks now (a couple books, a DVD, my new license, etc.  After getting home from my parents' place, I checked the mailbox to see that not only did something arrive, EVERYTHING showed up at once.  Jackpot!  I opened my license first (Yes, I was excited to get my license) and was flabbergasted when I saw the picture.  I looked bloated, confused, and ready to sneeze.  I have to live with that for years now.  Next, I opened the DVD, but I was a bit too ravenous and the disc shot straight up in the air upon opening.  I tried to catch it on my lap, but it fell between my legs while I was closing them, snapping the DVD in half.  I can't MAKE this stuff up...

Phase 3:  I angrily retired to my bedroom to change immediately after breaking the disc.  I began to change and decided to toss my socks in the hamper in my bathroom.  I walked out of my room in only my skivies just in time to see the little old guy that delivers my Manney's Shopper opening my front door to drop it in. There is absolutely NOTHING you can say in that situation that's even remotely classy...but I tried.

            Grigal:  ".....uhhhh...so....how about this weather?." 

I don't think I'll be getting a Manney's Shopper anymore...

Phase 4:  Now I was not only feeling angry, but I was also feeling embarassed.  I decided the only thing to do was take it out on my drums.  (Such a good stress reliever).  I sat down and went to town.  I got about 4  bars in when the stick in my right hand clipped my cymbal, causing it to spin backward in face.  I now have a tiny welt between my eyes.  I calmly put my sticks down and went upstairs.

The Final Phase:  I started preparing dinner when I realized that I needed music in the background.  I popped on the playlist on my PS3 (see, there's the tie-in) and hit random.  In my head, I wanted loud, aggressive music to let out the tension.....and then "Boogie Shoes" by KC & The Sunshine Band came on.  I reluctantly found myself bobbing my head while I was rinsing my lettuce in the sink.  Before long, I grabbed two mis-sized wooden spoons from the dish rack and was playing along, utilizing my cutting board and faucet.  Suddenly, the breakdown at "1:18" in the song kicked in and I lost it.  I threw down - right there in my kitchen - I...threw...down...and out came every terrible dance move that I have in my arsenal.  As the song was wrapping up, I turned to see a couple that had arrived to view my neighbors house that's up for sale, looking at me through my kitchen window.

So, how was your day?

(If you need to understand my need to dance, listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux2WXNsqfe8   Pay attention to the breakdown at "1:18".)

"The Boogie-Shoes Burger, Pub Fries, and S'mores Milkshake"

Ingredients:
(Burger - Makes 2):

• 1# - 80/20 Ground Chuck/Beef (You want the fat content for this type of burger)
• Kosher Salt & Pepper (This is all about the flavor of the meat.  If you'd rather follow the current trend of adding egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, basil, etc., then perhaps you should just make a meatloaf.)
• 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• Sesame Seed Buns

(Pub Fries):

• 4 - Russet Potatoes
• 2 (24 oz.) - Bottles of Peanut Oil  (You can use Vegetable or Canola, but this is the best for this.)
• Kosher Salt

(S'mores Milkshake - Makes 1 Large Shake):

• 1/3 Cup - Whole Milk  (I never use this unless it's in a shake.  You'll appreciate the creaminess.)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. - Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
• 1 - 14 oz. Tub of your favorite Vanilla Ice Cream
• 8-10 Marshmallows
• 2-3 - Karate Chopped Graham Crackers to sprinkle on top.

How To Make The Whole Meal (I'll post individual recipes later):

• Start with the potatoes for the fries.  You can leave the skin on, peel them completely, or just peel the sides for aesthetic purposes like I do (see pictures below).  Then slice them into discs and slice the discs into fries, about 1/4" thick and 3 inches long.  Place in a bowl of cold water and refrigerate 1-2 hours to get all the starch out.
• (This entire meal happens very quickly, so prepare yourself).  When you're ready to cook, remove your ice cream from the freezer to begin to thaw.  Then, start heating the oil for the fries in a medium pot over medium heat - looking for 325 degrees.  While the oil is warming, form your beef into 3/4" thick patties.  *Cardinal Rule #241:  Make sure you press down in the center of the patty to make an indentation.  This will prevent the burger from bubbling up in the middle while cooking.  Annoying as hell...
• When your patties are formed, remove your fries from the fridge.  Drain the water from the bowl and blot the potatoes dry. (You do NOT want excess water hitting the hot oil).  Begin to add your potatoes to the oil and fry - you're going to have them go 3-4 minutes for the first round.  Simultaneously, heat the vegetable (or canola) oil in your skillet and add your patties,frying 3-4 minutes on first side. While they fry, sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Before turning patties for side 2, remove fries from oil to a dish lined with paper towels to dry.  THEN turn patties over to cook the second side - again sprinkling with the salt and pepper.
• While patties are cooking, turn the heat up on the pub fries oil to get to about 375.  While that is all working, turn your oven broiler on and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Give the paper a shot of cooking spray and lay out your marshmallows.  When the patties are just about done (3 more minutes), reduce the heat, top them with American cheese and cover with a pan or pot to melt said cheese. 
• While cheese is melting, add your fries back to the oil (assuming it's reached 375) and fry 4 more minutes until golden brown.  Remove to a platter lined with paper towels (again) and sprinkle IMMEDIATELY with kosher salt.  *Optional step - when your burgers are just finishing up, feel free to add some butter to your buns and toast on the flat top as well*
• Final step before plating everything -- finalize your shake.  Place your shake glasses in your freezer to chill.  Put the cookie sheet of marshmallows in the oven to roast (this takes less than a minute so watch closely) and then place the chocolate syrup and milk in your blender and blend 5-6 seconds to combine.  Remove marshmallows from oven when the tops are golden brown and turn them over.  Place back in oven for 30 more seconds just to melt.  Once you've removed them, add your ice cream to the blender along with MOST of the marshmallows (leaving 1 or 2 to garnish the shake with).   Blend 20 seconds.  Karate chop your graham crackers.  Pour shake into glass and garnish with crackers and mallows.  Serve all together.

Homemade Pizza - Roasted Hawaiian and Spicy Supreme

Oh man, doesn't that picture just make you drool?  I love making my own pizza.   It's typically healthier and it just tastes better when you've taken the time to do it properly. 

I was thinking about this all day today and then remembered that I no longer have my pizza stones anymore.  If you haven't made pizza on a stone, you're missing out - it really alters the foundation of your pizza.  Rather than going out and buying a couple, I opted to just use my regular pizza pans which work just as well. 

One of the cool things about this recipe is that it's done in segments, allowing you to do other things in between.  I, for instance, took the time to workout while my dough was rising.  In fact, I had another interesting interaction with myself while I was in the basement doing incline bench presses.  Allow me to elaborate:

Grigal (lifting):  "ONE!...(Oh man, this pizza is going to be so good)....."TWO!...(I can already taste those peppers)...."THREE!"...(...I feel like I'm forgetting something...Nah.)..."FOUR!! ...(...did I put together the pizza sauce?  Yeah, yeah I did.)...."FIVE!!"...(Are you sure?... I don't remember opening the tomatoes.)..."SIX!!"...(Oh shit, I didn't make the marinara.)..."SEVENEIGHTNINETEN!"  

After successfully hyperextending both of my shoulders from double-timing the last 4 reps, I ran upstairs to make the sauce, accompanied by a barrage of "Ow's".  Yes, I could have used store-bought, bottled sauce but I committed to myself to do this the right way today. 

Ingredients:

(Crust):

• 3 1/2 Cups Bread Flour (Yes, bread flour.  I use this rather than all-purpose for this.)
• 2 1/4 Tsp. Active Dry Yeast
• 1/2 Tsp. Light Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups WARM Water (Not hot, not cold.  Lukewarm.)
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp. (Approximately) Corn Meal (You will use this to dust your pizza pans prior to baking.)

(Easy Marinara/Pizza Sauce):

• 1-28oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1-8oz. Can Tomato Sauce
• 1-6oz. Can Tomato Paste
• 8oz. Cold Water (Just use the Tomato Sauce can to measure.  :) 
• 2 Tbsp. Oregano
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Basil
• 1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Cup Sugar

(Fixings For Spicy Supreme):

• 1 Cup - Red Onion, Sliced
• 1 Cup - Mushrooms, Sliced
• 1/2 Cup - Hot Italian Bulk Sausage, Pinched bite size.
• 1/2 Cup - Green Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1/2 Cup - Pepperoni Slices
• 1/3 Cup - Fresh Jalapeno, Sliced in coins
• Enough freshly shredded Mozarella to cover the surface of the pizza.  Yes, you can buy the pre-packaged cheese, but there are a fair amount of preservatives in that.  If you shred your own, it makes a creamier base for your pizza.  You will thank yourself.)

(Fixings for Roasted Hawaiian):

• 2/3 Cup - Red Onion, Sliced
• 1/3 Cup - Roasted Red Peppers, Sliced (You can just buy a bottle of these if you don't want to roast your own.)
• 1/4 Cup - Canned Pinneapple, Sliced
• 3 Slices - Provologne Cheese

How To Make:

• Gotta start with the crust.  In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the warm water.  Give it a stir and let it sit for 10 minutes so the yeast can do it's thing.  When the 10 minutes are up, add the salt and olive oil and stir to combine.  Next, add about 2 1/2 cups of the bread flour and stir for a minute or two until combined.  (Dough will be sticky, you'll add more flour later.  Don't sweat it.)
• Dust your clean, working surface with more flour so the dough doesn't stick to your cabinet or cutting board and have about 2/3 cup flour in a bowl nearby for easy adding.  Pour the dough out onto the flour and knead 6-7 minutes adding flour as needed (knead, needed?) so the dough doesn't stick. 
• When kneaded, form the dough into as tight a ball as you can, sealing the seam underneath and place into to a well-oiled bowl.  At this point, your dough wants to take a nap, so cover it with a clean towel and set aside to rise 1 hour.  (This is the same technique I use on my birds when they get ornery and need to go to sleep.)
• While dough is rising, combine the elements of the marinara in a medium sauce pan and begin to simmer over low heat.  You will allow this to simmer for the hour while the dough rises in order for the flavors to come together.  Additionally, you can slice your vegetables and cook your pieces of Italian sausage in a small fry pan for 5 minutes.  (No need to cook through, it will finish in the oven.)
• When dough has risen, give it a little punch right in the center to let the air out.  (Don't hit the dough, just use your fist and press in.)  Flour your surface lightly again and pour the dough out and divide into 2 equal pieces.  Then, either with your hands, or a rolling pin, form into large, pizza-shape discs (imagine that) pressing from the middle out to the edges.  Drizzle a little olive oil onto your pizza pans and sprinkle lightly with corn meal.  Place your dough on the pans and poke a series of holes with a fork so it doesn't balloon up while in the oven.  (I'll tell you another funny story about that another time.)
• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place the pizza dough on the middle racks.  Allow to cook 6 minutes and remove from the oven.  (If your dough ballooned up a bit, poke it with a fork again.  It's ok.  It happens.)  Ladle on enough marinara to create an even coating along the surface.  *Cardinal Rule #1 - Layer your cheese on the sauce BEFORE adding your toppings.  That way, your cheese will stick to your sauce and your toppings will stick to your cheese.  If you reverse this, your toppings will fall off easily as soon as you try to slice your pizza.*   Tear up the provologne and place on the 2nd pizza, add toppings and bake for 8-10 more minutes until the crust has become crispy and golden.

Look at that crust.  Perfect:

The Birthday Meal I Never Had - Pan-Seared Steak with Balsamic Reduction, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Blanched Asparagus

I had such a bad day yesterday.  It was bad enough that I didn't even want to cook myself a good birthday meal, so I ended up getting McDonalds.  Oh man did I get flack from my co workers when they found out.    Don't get me wrong, the Chicken McNuggets I had were fantastic (always are), but nothing beats a well prepared, home-cooked meal.  After all the positive texts and calls I received after I posted this combination of recipes to my Facebook page, I decided to re-post it here. 

In retrospect, this is what I should have made yesterday,  but as I said, it was a bad day and I know I would have ruined this.  Here's a brief synopsis of things that sucked yesterday in no particular order:

1. My beard trimmer got snagged on my stubble - causing immense, tearing pain to my face.  This resulted in me yelling at myself in the bathroom mirror.
2. Took my Apple Cherry juice out of my refrigerator, poured a glass, and put the bottle in my cabinet for some reason and not in the fridge.
3. While in the shower, I put shampoo in my hair.  Without rinsing, I promptly added conditioner.  When I realized what I did, I panicked and instead of rinsing it all out, I just stood there while the soapy combination ran into my eyes.  ("No More Tears" my ass.)
4. Played Jenga with my dishes as I strategically stacked a billion of them into my under-sized dish rack, eventually causing it to tip back into my sink forcing me to re-wash them all.
5. Left one of my box fans in the hallway and tripped over it, crushing it to smithereens under my knees in the most awkward fall in recent history.

Anyways, here is one of my absolute favorite meals.  The balsamic reduction is an extremely savory and sweet element to this.  Later, I'll post individual recipies for the 3 components in case you'd like them.  This was written assuming you'd prepare all elements.  It looks intimidating because of the length, but it really isn't.  It is so good...

Ingredients:

(Pan-Seared Steak):

•       2-4 Your Favorite Cut of Steak (Rib-Eyes and Strip are best)
•       3 Garlic Cloves
•       3 Tbsp. Butter
•       1 Tbsp. Thyme
•       Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil

(Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes):

•      2# Small Red Potatoes
•      1 Full Head of Garlic
•      3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
•      5 Tbsp. Butter

(Balsamic Reduction):

•      3/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
•      2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
•      1 Tbsp. Butter

Directions:

• Gotta start with the potatoes. Preheat an oven to 425.  Slice the top off a full head of garlic (that's the portion where all cloves come to a point - not the flat part).  Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil.  Place on a baking sheet or in a dish and pop into oven for 30 minutes.  When done, set aside to cool. 
• While the garlic is roasting, slice your red potatoes in half to get even-sized pieces and place in a large pot of water.  Season with salt and bring to a boil.  Once up to temperature, allow to boil 20 minutes - should be finishing up just as the garlic is finishing in the oven. 
• Once potatoes are in the water, create the balsamic reduction.  Combine the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and butter in a small sauce pan and bring to a soft boil.  Reduce heat, stir, and allow to simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and place in a bowl - set aside to cool.  Afterwards, remove steak from the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature.
• While potatoes are cooking,  trim about a half inch off the base of the asparagus and bring a 2nd, medium size saucepan to a boil.  Once boiling, toss asparagus in and cook 3 minutes.  Remove asparagus from water and toss those bastards in an ice bath to shock 'em.   Allow to chill for 2 minutes, remove to a plate and set aside. 
• Once garlic has been removed from oven, lower temperature to 300 degrees and place an oven-safe dish in the oven to heat up.  (This won't be necessary if you have an oven-safe saute pan or cast iron skillet.)  Heat pan on stove over medium-high heat with 2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil.  Season your steak with salt and pepper and place in pan.  Allow to sear for 2-3 minutes on both sides to seal in the juices.
• When steak is finishing up, take hot dish out of the oven - place 3 Tbsp Butter, 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Garlic cloves, and Thyme and stir.  Place steaks in dish, spoon garlic-butter mixture over and place in oven for 5 minutes to cook through.  (Still with me?)
• While steak is cooking, do 2 things:  Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in saute pan over medium heat and add blanched asparagus.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and saute' 3 minutes.  Additionally, remove the roasted garlic cloves from their skin and mash in a small bow AND in a small saucepan, combine the butter, cream, and mashed garlic.  Stir until butter is melted.  Mash the red potatoes that have cooked and pour butter-cream mixture over - stir to combine.

To plate:  Serve steak over asparagus and drizzle with balsamic reduction.  Spoon red potatoes on either side and serve with a chilled Manhattan or dry red wine.  If you made it this far, congratulations.  ;)

 

 

No frills Sesame Chicken - Just seriously good eats...

Sesame chicken rocks.  I absolutely love it and I've been making my own for quite some time.  One thing I've come to the decision on, is that Sesame Chicken needs a wet batter as opposed to a dry one that's used for many other versions of fried pieces of chicken.   Additionally, you need to adpot the "double-fry" method for this (see details in recipe for specifics).  This is another dish that looks as good as it tastes.

Many people tend to shy away from preparing proper Chinese Food as soon as they see the list of ingredients.  I admit, I used to be the same way but the reality is, most of the ingredients you'll purchase and use in small portions so they'll last a long time in your cupboard and refrigerator.  Subsequently, once you start preparing your own fresh Chinese Food, you'll find that you will prefer this to your favorite takeout PLUS it's far healthier.  I'd also like to point out that traditional Sesame Chicken is made with thigh meat while I use breast meat.  I know, go ahead, rip me apart but I find the breast meat fries better.

Before I post my recipe, I realize that I didn't share anything humorous in this blog, so here goes:   I ran into a clothesline pole when I was 7.  Really hard.  I was at a friends' house playing tag and I had just tagged someone while running in the opposite direction quite fast.  What followed was the sickening sound of skull crashing into metal as I felt lightning bolts of pain course through my head.  I remember running in circles crying from the pain but being more upset that my nose was running (I hate that sensation).  I finally hopped on my Huffy (you bet) and double-timed it down the alley to my house, crashing into all 5 garbage cans on the way.  Blows like that can easily cause brain damage, but I haven't noticed anything...blows like that can easily cause brain damage, but I haven't noticed anything.  That being said, here is my Sesame Chicken.

Ingredients:

(Batter):

• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
• 1/8 Tsp. Sesame Oil
• 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 Tbsp. Water
• 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 1 Egg

(Sauce):

• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Cup White Vinegar
• 2 Tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce
• 1 Large Clove of Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tsp. Rice Vinegar
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 4 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 2-3 Large Chicken Breasts

(Etc.)

• Sesame Seeds
• 2 qts. Vegetable Oil
• White Rice

How To Make:

• Slice the chicken into 1" thick strips and place in a large ziploc bag.  In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the batter and stir well.  (Watch what happens when you add the baking soda and powder - cool.)  Once combined, pour over the chicken and allow to marinade in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
• While chicken is marinading, bring 2 qts of vegetable oil up to 350 degrees.  While oil is warming up, combine all the elements of the sauce into a sauce pan and begin to stir over low heat.  (Yup, it's going to look clumpy and weird at first, but when you turn up the heat later, it'll come together perfectly).
• When oil is hot, add chicken pieces to it, frying 4 minutes.  (You're not cooking fully through yet).  Remove chicken to a plate with paper towels to drain.  Bring heat back up to 375 this time.   Add the chicken back to the oil when the temp is back up and fry 3 more minutes. While the chicken is cooking again, turn the sauce up to medium-high and stir occasionally until it thickens and nearly boils. 
• Transfer chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce over.  Combine well and serve over white rice, sprinkling with sesame seeds.  Eat.

Roasted Tomato Soup - Looks and smells like Autumn...

There is nothing funny about a tomato.  I mean it - absolutely nothing funny about them.  I scoured the internet and even a few books looking for something entertaining to share before I gave this recipe, but to no avail.  Next to a potato, the tomato is the most boring thing ever - - thank goodness they taste good when you cook them.   On cold, rainy fall evenings, there is nothing better than hot tomato soup and grilled cheese.

I started making this soup a couple years ago after I got sick of tomato soup in a can.  I ruined the first few batches of this when it initially came out quite runny.  I tried to thicken it up with a cornstarch slurry, but I found out quickly that you can't adopt a "Chinese food" mentality when adding dimension to your soups.  It smelled good, but had the consistency of a poorly made jello when it was finished. 

The cool thing about this dish is that it's not only fulfilling for those days you don't want to get out of your pajamas but it's also elegant enough to serve as a first course before a fine meal - assuming you plate it properly.   Speaking of which, let me re-assert my feelings about plating food.  Food should be just as much a feast for your stomach as it should be a feast for your eyes.  (Ooh, that's a fine quote.  I'm keeping that one.)  I find that you enjoy meals on a different level if you take those few extra minutes to serve them properly in halfway-decent dishes.  You don't need to break the bank by any means.  Almost all of my dishes and cookware came from Target.  In fact, the restaurant-style plates you see pictured in my enchilada-chimichanga blog were purchased on clearance for 6 bucks this week and they look great.

That being said, here's my recipe for Tomato Soup - it is remarkably easy and the scent of the roasting vegetables will permeate through your house long after this dish has been consumed.  Serve this with toasted baguettes or ciabatta bread.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 cups fresh tomatoes.  (For example, I used 3 large vine ripened tomatoes, about 5 roma tomatoes, and couple handfuls of grape tomatoes - but use what you like.)
• 3/4 Large Yellow Onion - roughly chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves, smashed
• 1 Cup Basil (approximately), ripped or torn
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley
• Olive Oil
• 1-12 oz can chicken broth
• 4-6 oz heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf

How To Make:

• Start by pre-heating the oven to 425.  While the oven is preheating, roughly chop the tomatoes & onion and smash the garlic.  (This doesn't have to precise, it's going to get blended later.)  Layer the vegetables on a cookie sheet or oven roaster, drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the parsley & basil and stir slightly to make sure vegetables are coated.  Place in oven for 15 minutes.
• When finished, remove vegetables to a large pot on your stove and add the chicken broth & bay leaf.  Stir over medium-low heat for 8 minutes to bring the flavors together.  Remove bay leaf and CAREFULLY transfer to your blender (you may need to do this in batches so it doesn't explode all over your kitchen) and puree'/blend until smooth, approximately 1 minute.
• Once blended, return mixture to pot.  Add the cream, butter, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for 10 minutes before transferring to bowl.  Garnish with sliced grape tomatoes and a basil leaf and serve with bread.