Curried Carrot Soup

sweet and spicy - warm up with this fresh carrot soup

Yesterday was one of those chilly, rainy spring days in Cincinnati that required a warm up. I've also not been feeling well due to allergies and the crazy weather we've been having...65 one day and 40 the next! So, nothing sounded better than soup.

My Curried Carrot Soup combines garlic, ginger, onion, carrots, and curry powder into a wonderfully sweet and spicy soup. It's sure to stifle the sniffles and warm you up from the inside out.

Recipe - Serves 4
1T Olive Oil
1/2 Large Yellow Onion (approx. 1C), chopped
2 in. Fresh Ginger, minced/grated
4 Cloves Garlic, minced/pressed
2 lbs. Carrots, peeled & chopped
1T Curry Powder
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 Box Veggie Stock (can use Chicken), approx. 4C
Toppings: Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt, Cilantro, & Nuts/Seeds

Directions
Prepare all of the ingredients by peeling, chopping, washing, etc. Once you start building the soup, everything comes together quickly. Chop the carrots into equally sized pieces, approx. half an inch, to ensure even cooking.

Begin by heating a soup pot over med-high heat, add the olive oil and onions. Allow the onions to cook 2-3 minutes or until soft, but not browned. Add in the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add in the chopped carrots, curry powder, and salt. Stir until coated with the aromatics and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes.

Next add the veggie stock to the pot and turn the heat up to high. Bring the pot to a gentle boil. Boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender.

Prepare the toppings as you wait for the carrots to cook. Roughly chop the cilantro, toast any seeds or nuts, etc. I used pistachios and they were delicious!

After the carrots have softened, puree the soup with either a blender or an immersion blender. If using a standard blender, work in batches and be careful that the blender doesn't get too hot - vent the top often to allow steam to escape. After the soup is pureed add some water, approx. 1/4-1/2C, to thin out to desired consistency. Return to the heat for 1-2 more minutes to ensure the soup is heated through. If needed, add salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and add any desired toppings. I served this with crusty bread for dipping. Get well, warm up, whatever you need to do to get through these last few cold and rainy days.

Roasted Chinese Five Spice Carrots with Cilantro-Lime Yogurt Dipping Sauce

fresh carrots spiced & roasted then cooled w/ a dipping sauce

I admit that I've never been a fan of cooked carrots. Growing up I loathed dinner on the night that canned cooked carrots were served. Yes, canned cooked carrots. I now know that's why I hated them! Here I will use only beautiful fresh carrots in my recipes. If you think you hate cooked carrots too, try this recipe. You might find that you do actually like them...

Recipe - Serves 4
Roasted Carrots
Bunch of Fresh Carrots (approx. 8)
1T Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

Cilantro-Lime Yogurt Sauce
7oz. Container Plain Greek Yogurt, nonfat and light okay
1/2 Lime, zest and juice
1/4C Cilantro, minced

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and peel the carrots, removing the tops. Chop the carrots into 1 inch pieces and spread into a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.

Next drizzle the sesame oil over the carrots. Sprinkle the Chinese five spice powder and salt over the carrots. Chinese five spice powder can be found at a spice store or fresh market. It has a mixture of cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger, and cloves. Using your hands, mix the carrots around to be sure they are coated with the oil and spices. Place in the oven and roast for approx. 15 minutes, flipping the carrots halfway through the cook time.

As the carrots roast, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl mix together the yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Plate the roasted carrots alongside the dipping sauce and enjoy. I promise, this is nothing like the canned cooked carrots you might have had growing up!

Strawberry & Vanilla Ricotta Cream Tart

sweet-tart strawberries meet lightly sweetened vanilla ricotta

All I could think of for dessert with strawberries was strawberries and cream, strawberries and cream...so, that's what I made! This dessert encompasses all the textures I love with a bit of a twist. It has a crunchy crust, creamy middle, and soft strawberry bites on top...it looks like a cheese cake...but boy is that wrong!

This is super easy to make ahead and great for a party. Bake the tart shell, whip the filling, and slice the strawberries all before the party starts. Just before serving, fill the tart shell with the cream and top with the sliced strawberries in any design you like. Make it before your next shin-dig...

Recipe - Serves 8 (11 in. tart pan)
Tart Shell
1 1/2 Sticks of Butter
4 1/2 T Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Fine Salt
1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour (more as needed)

Vanilla Ricotta Cream
3 C Ricotta Cheese, full or half fat, or mix
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Vanilla Bean, split and seeds removed
Pint of Fresh Strawberries, halved or sliced

Directions
Start by making the tart shell. In a medium heat proof bowl, melt the butter. I usually microwave it for 30 second intervals. Add the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Begin adding the flour, a little at a time, and stirring until a soft dough forms. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour until you can handle it. Press the dough into the tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 and make the filling. In a large bowl, whip the ricotta and sugar with a hand mixer. Whip for approx. 2 minutes or until the sugar is completely incorporated into the ricotta. Add the vanilla extract and seeds. Whip until incorporated, about another minute. Cover and refrigerate.

Bake the tart shell: Remove the plastic wrap and prick the crust all over with a fork. This will keep the crust from getting bubbles. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely.

Just before serving, assemble the tart. Smooth the vanilla ricotta cream into the cooled tart shell. Decorate with the halved or sliced strawberries in any pattern you like. Slice with a serrated knife and have your guests try to figure out what this dessert really is...hint: it's not cheese cake.

Strawberry-Balsamic Salmon with Blue Cheese Polenta & Arugula Salad

strawberry wine and balsamic vinegar - saucy goodness

Steven and I visited South Haven, MI in the spring of 2009. It was a quaint, artsy town full of bed and breakfasts, shops, local restaurants, and, best of all, wineries. We visited a few, most featuring fruit wines. We aren't huge fans of these types of wines for drinking, BUT they are quite tasty when used for cooking.

It was about time I opened this bottle (nearly 4 years later) and cooked with it! Inspired by this wine and the fruit used to make it, I could think of no better pairing but salmon. The sweetness of the strawberry-balsamic sauce cuts through the fattiness of the salmon for a balanced spring main.

For a well rounded meal, I paired this dish with a simple blue cheese polenta and arugula salad. Have it for your next dinner. Here's how...

Recipe - Serves 4
Strawberry-Balsamic Salmon
1/2C Semi-Dry Strawberry Wine
1/2C Balsamic Vinegar
3 Shallots, thinly sliced
8-10 Strawberries, sliced
1 1/2 lbs. Center-Cut Salmon w/ skin on
Salt & Pepper

Blue Cheese Polenta
1C Quick-Cooking Polenta
4oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled

Arugula Salad
2C Arugula
1 Orange, zest and juice
Salt & Pepper
1/4C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions
Begin by making the sauce, combine the strawberry wine and balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan. Put the pan on medium heat and allow the mixture to reduce by half; approx. 20 minutes. Be sure to turn on your vent, the vinegar will clear your sinuses!

Meanwhile, slice the shallots and strawberries and put them in a small bowl. Also, preheat the broiler to high and place your rack 2 slots down from the top. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the salmon, skin-side down, on the baking sheet and season with salt & pepper; broil for 10-12 minutes.

After the sauce has reduced, pour it over the shallots and strawberries. Allow the mixture to maserate for no more than 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make the polenta: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Salt the water and add the polenta, whisking constantly. It will come together quickly. Turn the heat off, stir in the blue cheese, cover & keep warm.

After the salmon has cooked, top with the strawberry-balsamic mixture and return to the broiler for another 2 minutes.

Make the salad: In a bowl combine the orange zest, juice, salt, and pepper, and whisk in the oil. Toss with the arugula.

Serve the salmon topped with the strawberries, shallots, and sauce along side the blue cheese polenta and arugula salad. To enhance the flavor, serve with a glass of the strawberry wine. Now that's a spring supper!

Simple Strawberry Spinach Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

ruby red gems sparkle in this simple salad 

Red is the first color in my rainbow and begins this first series. Strawberries, being in season, are lush, sweet, and tangy. They scream eat me!

I've been making this simple strawberry salad since college. I was inspired by a salad I had from the Miami Rec Center after a long workout. I was looking for something that wouldn't spoil all my hard work. I found this berry salad and it was so light, refreshing, and different. I knew I had to come up with my own recipe to share with others. I hope this salad tantalizes your taste buds like it always does mine...


Recipe - Serves 4-6
Salad
12-15 Strawberries, sliced
4oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled
1/3C Sliced Almonds, toasted
5oz. Fresh Baby Spinach



Champagne Vinaigrette
1 Shallot, finely diced
1/8C White Balsamic or Champagne Vinegar
1/4C Champagne
1T Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions
Begin by making the dressing, combine the shallot, vinegar, champagne, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. The dressing will separate as it sits, just whisk again before serving or dressing the salad.

Make the salad by arranging first the spinach, then the strawberries, next the blue cheese, and finally the toasted almonds.

Serve the salad dressed or with the dressing on the side. Enjoy post workout (or whenever)...it won't negate all those calories you just burned!