Sunday, May 16, 2010

Roasted Pepper Tomato Bisque

Cheap Thrills

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Roasted Garlic Soup

Ingredients


2 large garlic heads, whole, unpeeled
1 clove(s) garlic, minced
3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
2 cup(s) onion, minced
1 cup(s) carrots, minced
1 large (1 1/4 cups) potato, peeled and cubed
4 cup(s) chicken stock
1/2 cup(s) dry white wine
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
1/4 cup(s) heavy cream

Directions

Roast the garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, cut the top off each garlic head so that the tip of each clove is exposed. Place the garlic heads on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the bay leaves and fold the foil to form a packet. Place the packet in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, squeeze the garlic head until all of the roasted flesh is released. Discard outer husks and bay leaves.

Make the soup: In a large heavy-duty saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil and butter, add onions, and cook over medium heat until translucent--about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the potato, chicken stock, white wine, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 35 minutes.
Finish the soup: Using a blender, purée the soup in small batches until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the heavy cream. Heat until warmed. Do not boil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients


1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken
3 quart(s) low-sodium chicken broth
6 carrots, peeled
4 stalk(s) celery, ends trimmed
3 medium onions, peeled
5 black peppercorns
1 clove(s) garlic, crushed
10 sprig(s) parsley
2 sprig(s) thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
4 leeks, tops and root ends removed
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
3 cup(s) (5 ounces) medium egg noodles

Directions

Make the stock: Place the chicken and chicken broth in a large stockpot and set it over medium heat. Roughly chop 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and 1 onion and add to the broth. Add the peppercorns, garlic, 2 sprigs of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is very tender -- about 1 1/4 hours -- skimming the surface periodically. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a very fine sieve into a large, clean bowl or stockpot. Discard the vegetables.

Make the soup: Skim any fat off the top of the strained broth and discard. Slice the remaining carrots, celery, onions, and leeks into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and set aside. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken, cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent -- about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, the reserved broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender -- about 1 hour. Stir in the egg noodles and parsley and cook until the noodles are tender -- about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.