Roasted Vegetable Soup

As I mentioned in my last post, it's that time of year again. Time for Fall, Winter and all the soulful flavors that accompany them. I'd argue that the most distinct dish of these colder seasons is soup.  It is hearty, delicious and capable of warming our mind, body and soul. Aside from the odd summer soups like gazpacho, soup lays claim to these colder days and serves as a companion as we are cozied up inside.

That said, making a good soup can be much less comforting. My previous attempts always seemed to come up short handed... They were edible but lack the "oh my, yum" factor. This soup is relatively easy to make and the roasting of the vegetables beforehand guarantees a soup exploding in flavor rather than one that tastes like store bought vegetable broth (not so "yum"). 

As promised, I will give you a few health factoids about soup... Did you know that people drink less water when it is cold? Furthermore, people are much more likely to drink dehydrating beverages like tea, coffee and alcohol. This means that sneaking in extra hydration is incredibly important. As long as soup doesn't have a ton of salt and has a decent amount of veggies, it is incredibly hydrating. Hydration helps with all bodily functions, increases energy levels, helps brain clarity and clears up skin. If a soup has vegetables, it is safe to assume it is also a great source of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Vitamins are essential to good health. Importantly, dietary fiber helps regulate blood cholesterol and blood sugar and aid in weight loss.

  Roasted Vegetable Soup w/ or w/o Chicken

                          6 Beefsteak Tomatoes, Halved
                          2 Carrots, 1/2inch Slices
                          1 Small Zucchini, 1/2inch Slices
                          1 Onion, Diced
                          1 Bell Pepper Chopped
                          1 Yam, 1/2inch Slices
                          2 Leeks, Diced
                          1 teaspoon dried thyme
                          4-5 Garlic Cloves
                          2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
                          4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
                          1 Small Bunch Kale, Chopped
                           Salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste
                           Optional:  * 4-8 ounces of Chicken, Cooked and Diced 
                                              * 1 cup Mushrooms, Chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees. Place the tomatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, yam, leeks, mushrooms*, thyme, and garlic on a large roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, stirring occasionally (every 20 minutes for 45 to 60 minutes). Transfer vegetables to a large pot on the stove. Add the vegetable/chicken broth, kale, and chicken*, bring to a boil then simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Put half the soup in another container and puree the halve still in the soup container with a hand blender or food processor*. Remix the two parts back together.Serve hot, in bowls with crumbled goat cheese, shaved parmesean, fresh basil, and/or pesto. 


Notes: It is not necessary to puree half the soup. The benefit of blending/pureeing is that it creates a "creamy"  consistency without adding any cream or dairy. Another option is pureeing the entire soup which will make a health yet creamy pureed soup. 

Puff Pastry Tart with Three Cheeses

It has been about a month since my last blog post... I promise that I've done lots of cooking and eating in the past month. I just haven't found the time to blog about it. It seems that life is finally starting to get into a rhythm since my move up to Whistler. Soooo.... I've been trying to push my culinary comfort zone and make things I've never made before. The last post was a white wine linguine with mussels which was a lot of first for me. I have never made a white wine sauce nor have I cooked mussels. And let me tell you that I am so happy I challenged myself- the pasta dish was one of the best things I've ever made! So in this adventure I experimented with puff pastry dough (also referred to as philo dough). It is the flaky multi-layered dough that is often used in spanikopita and flaky desserts like apple turnovers.

My brother accidentally defrosted a package of the dough (it typically comes frozen in most grocery stores) and thus, it needed to be used pronto! So I got my foodgawker on and found many people used philo dough to substitute convention wheat crust. Naturally my mind went to savory tarts and pizza and I dreamed up a tart with all my favorite things: mushrooms, carmelized onions, spinach,  zucchini, pesto, cherry tomatoes, chicken AND cheese: feta, parmesan and goat cheese. The great thing is that the tart can be as simple or as complex as you'd like it. I'll give you some ideas as we go :)

Ingredients:

      1 package of philo dough

      olive oil

      1 container pesto

      an assortment of veggies*: mushrooms, carmelized onions, spinach,  zucchini,  tomatoes

      1 chicken breast*

      AND cheese*: feta, parmesan and goat cheese

*other possible ingredients: prosciutto, bacon, olives, artichoke hearts, asparagus, bell peppers, mozzarella, cheddar

Directions:

Thaw the package of pastry (philo) dough according to the package's directions. (Some require thawing over night). Select which ingredients you would like on your tart. It can be as simple as spinach, mushroom and goat cheese OR as complex as mine:  mushrooms, carmelized onions, spinach,  zucchini, pesto, cherry tomatoes, chicken AND cheese: feta, parmesan and goat cheese. The tart comes out best if you pre-cook the majority of the ingredients. For example, if you are using onions, mushrooms, spinach or zucchini, you should saute them in olive oil before putting them into the tart. You should also cook and raw meat like chicken or bacon.

Once you've sauted and pre-cooked all your ingredients. It is time for the fun part! Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the veggies you've chosen with olive oil and pesto- to your desired taste. Set the mixture aside. Roll out puff pastry dough onto lightly floured surface. Brush puff pastry dough with olive oil (or melted butter). You can do this with a pastry/bbq brush or I used my hands. It is best if you separate the dough and brush multiple layers. Place brushed layers flatly in a baking pan- I used a 9 x 13. Layer the dough in such a way that it creates a crust around the pan.

After placing the last piece of dough, brush it with oil as well. Gently spread your vegetable pesto mixture over the tart. Next crumble in the cheese you chose (feta, goat cheese and Parmesan are what I used) as well as what meat you'd like ( I went with chicken). After doing so, put the tart in the oven! Cook for 20-30 minutes til the crust is browned and cheese melted. 

Let it cool a little bit then... enjoy!!

     Other puff pastry ideas including how to make sweet tarts can be found at:      http://foodgawker.com/?s=puff+pastry