Red Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeno Crema

I just bought Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook (explosive flavors from the southwestern kitchen). The first recipe I decided to try was Red Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeno Crema on page 116-117. The recipe is a Mesa Grill classic. If you like salmon and spicy delicious food this is the recipe for you!


Bobby’s recipes are full of flavor, flavor that comes from spices and fresh ingredients rather than unhealthy fats. Some of the ingredients he uses are a little difficult to find so buy them before you start.

The heat in this recipe comes from three sources; jalapeños, chipotle in adobo and ancho chili powder. The jalapeños and chipotle in adobo are easy to find in most supermarkets. The ancho chili powder might be a bit of a challenge. Ancho Chili Powder is mild…low heat and high sweetness. It’s is the most versatile of the hot peppers. If you can’t find ancho chili powder you can use any mild red chili powder.

You  need to soak the black beans overnight so plan ahead.

There is nothing difficult about this recipe. Just follow the steps.
Make the Black bean sauce first and then make the Jalapeno Crema. Finally make the glaze for the salmon.

(The finished black bean sauce)
 

 

(The glaze for the salmon)
 
 

 
 
 

Red Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeno Crema

(Serves 4)




Black Bean Sauce

1-1/2 cups dry black beans, picked over

1 small red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Water

Salt

1.  Pick over the beans and discard any stones.Put beans in a container, cover with water and let soak overnight.

2.  Drain the beans and combine with the  onion, garlic, chipotles and cumin in a medium saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover by an inch; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.(adding more water if the beans appear dry.)

3. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender with a slotted spoon and add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and process until almost smooth, sauce should be a little chunk. Season with salt. If the sauce is too thick, thin with more of the cooking liquid.




Jalapeno Crema

1/2 cup crema (or sour cream or crème fraiche)

1 large or 2 small roasted jalapeno, chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped. ( Brush with olive oil, and place in a preheated 375 degree oven on a baking sheet.Rotate until charred on all sides. Remove from oven, place in a covered bowl and let cool for 15 minutes. Then peel, half and seed.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place crema and jalapeno in a food processor and process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.





Ancho Glaze Salmon

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 salmon fillets, 8-ounces each

2 tablespoons canola oil



1. Whisk together honey, ancho and mustard in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat grill pan or nonstick sauté pan over high heat. Brush salmon with oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Place salmon in the pan, skin side down and cook until golden brown and a crust has form, 2-3 minutes. Brush the top of the salmon with some of the glaze, flip over and continue cooking until a crust has formed and the salmon is cooked to medium doneness, 2 minutes longer.


3. Remove from the grill, glazed-sized up and brush with more of the glaze. Spoon some of the black bean sauce onto a plate, drizzle with some of the jalapeno crema and set the salmon in the center, glaze-side up.

Shrimp with Salsa

(adapted from a recipe by Eric Treuille)

I love shrimp and I love spicy food. So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I wasn't disappointed ….delicious! This is a recipe I will make again and again.



Salsa:

Seed and dice about 4 to 6 tomatoes. I used four large organic Jersey tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters if they‘re large and then give them a little squeeze to expose the seeds and scoop the seeds out with your fingers or the edge of a knife.

To the tomatoes add the onion, garlic, chili, lime juice, and cilantro. Let stand for 30 minutes.

4 large or 6 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 red onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 jalapeño peppers chopped, and seeded *

Juice of one lime

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

*We love spicy food so I left about 1/3 of the seeds in the peppers. (Adjust according to your taste.)

 
 
 
 
 

Shrimp:


1 pound of cleaned and deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons sour cream

Salt ,pepper and tobacco (optional)

1 large bag, lightly salted tortilla chips



Heat the salsa over high heat. When the salsa is hot and bubbling add the shrimp and stir until cooked about two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and sour cream. Add salt, pepper and tobacco if desired. Serve with additional chips.



 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic and Rosemary

You can cook these  lamb chops with or without the bone.   Trim the excess fat from the chop and then cut around the bone to remove it. Once the bone is removed pull the chop into a round shape and use a rosemary sprig  as a skewer. Remove the leaves from most of the rosemary sprig leaving some leaves on the end. I used my instant read meat thermometer to make a hole in the chop and then inserted the sprig through the hole.

8 sprigs of rosemary
8 loin lamb chops
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balamic vinegar

Bone and skewer chops as described above.

Combine the salt, pepper, oil, vinegar and garlic and apply to both sides of the chops. Grill 3-5 minutes a side.

Gruyere and Tomato tart

I needed a quick dinner from ingredients  I had on hand the other night

Puff Pastry

Country Dijon Mustard

Pasta Sauce

Tomatoes

Gruyere Cheese

Salt and pepper



Preheat oven to 400 degrees



Defrost a puff pastry sheet on the counter for about 40 minutes. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and roll to desired shape. Press the pastry sheet into a tart pan with a removable bottom. Run a rolling pin around the top edge of the pan to remove the excess pastry.

Prick the bottom of the pastry sheet with a fork every inch or so and then cover the pasty sheet with whole grain Dijon mustard.

Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill with beans or rice to weight it. Bake for 8- 10 minutes,and then remove the beans and lining. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Spoon pasta sauce into the pan and cover with grated gruyere cheese. Add sliced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle a little more cheese on top. Bake until bubbly .

This makes a delicious appetizer or simple meal with a salad or pasta on a hot summer night.

Orange Berry Muffins

(Source: Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours)



Ingredients:

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

About 3/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

3 Tablespoons honey

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup blueberries – fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)


 sugar, for topping (optional)





Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.



Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.



In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough – the batter will be lumpy and bubbly, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.



Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with decorating sugar, sprinkle on the sugar after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.



Note: my muffins were based upon the above recipe however I adapted them slightly. I used larger muffin tins and made just 9  muffins. (I filled the 3 empty tins with a little cold water.) I also used more blueberries than the recipe called for; a heaping cupful and then another handful of berries.... so about a cup and a half.



 Absolutely delicious.  Dorie Greenspan, you're my hero!

Perfect Barbecue Chicken

Cooking with Indirect Heat

The best way to make great barbecue chicken on the grill is to use indirect heat. Learning to use indirect heat is really just learning to control the temperature of your grill. Think of your grill as an oven. I cook on a gas grill but you can easily adapt this to charcoal. Once you learn to cook with indirect heat you’ll love it!

To cook over indirect heat, you heat one side of the grill and use the other side of the grill for the food. You place the chicken on the flameless side,  close the cover and you let the heat and smoke cook the food. While direct heat is great for grilling steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs, when it comes to barbecue chicken, indirect heat is the solution to perfectly cooked, moist and delicious chicken.

Let’s get started!

You need two things to cook using the indirect heat method on a gas grill: (1) more than one burner and (2) a cover for the grill.( ....and chicken, of course).

Turn all the burners of the grill on high, close the cover and let the grill get very hot.

Oil the grill so the chicken won’t stick.

Turn the burner(s) on one side of the grill completely off. Set the burner(s) on the other side to medium high.
(You are looking for a grill temperature of about 300-325 degrees.)

Place the seasoned chicken skin side up on the cooler side of the grill, close the cover and let cook for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn the chicken over and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. (Do this for as long as it takes, you might need another 20 minutes depending upon the size of your chicken and the temperature of the grill)

You should have a beautiful crisped skin on your chicken at this point.

With the chicken still on the cooler side of the grill raise the temperature a little and liberally apply sauce to both sides of the chicken basting a few times  and let cook until your sauce develops a beautiful caramelization ( 15 minutes or so) Remove from the heat and let the chicken rest for ten minutes. Serve with additional sauce on the side.


Your chicken is perfectly cooked. Moist, delicious, sticky beautiful barbecued chicken!

 Finger lickin good.

adapted from everyday food

Vegetable oil, for grates
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Chicken (about 3 pounds)
Simple Barbecue Sauce




Directions

Prepare the grill as described above. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle over chicken. Reserve  at least 1 cup barbecue sauce in a bowl for serving.( I had leftovers) Keep remaining sauce in another bowl for basting.

Grill chicken, as descibed above and serve with  additional sauce on the side.



Sauce

Makes 3 1/2 Cups


1 bottle (24 ounces) ketchup (about 3 cups)

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup water

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1 tablespoon  garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4  teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced by a third, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before using. (To store, refrigerate, up to 2 weeks.)

Johnny Garlic's Cedar Plank Salmon

This is Guy Fieri's recipe and it's one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. It's certainly wonderful just as written. If however, you just want an delicious, easy meal or don't have a cedar plank you can just bake the salmon and then apply the warm sauce immediately before serving. I bake it at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes and then apply the sauce.


4ea - 6oz Salmon Filet, skinned and deboned

2 t Sea Salt

1 t Pepper, black fresh

4ea - Rosemary sprig, 3” fresh

2ea - Jalapeno, seeded, diced

1 T Garlic, minced

1 c Apricot preserves

1/2 c White wine

3 T Mustard, whole grain

4 pc Parchment paper, 4X4

4 pc Cedar plank, food service quality

1 Lemon, for zesting



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.



In a small sauté pan over medium heat add oil, when oil is hot add jalapenos and sauté until caramelized. Add garlic, before it begins to brown, deglaze pan with white wine. Next add mustard and apricot preserves, simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Let cool.



Place parchment paper on planks, add salmon, lightly salt and pepper, place rosemary sprig on filet, and liberally apply cooled apricot mixture.



Place cedar plank on gas burner and begin to set wood on fire. When plank has begun to smoke, place in oven.

Cook salmon until medium rare, remove from oven and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes before serving, Garnish with lemon zest.

Yum!

Banana Bread

Use  very ripe bananas for this bread. If your bananas aren't ripe put them in a brown paper bag for a day or so and they'll ripen faster. I used  large bananas for this bread; if yours are small add an extra banana.

Your house is going to smell heavenly.


• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large eggs

• 3 ripe bananas

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk, cinnamon and vanilla.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add dry ingredients, to the banana mixture and mix just until flour disappears

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake approximately 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing

Moist, delicious, simple.

Blondies

White chocolate, dark chocolate, pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts; it’s up to you. Use 1 cup of nuts and 1 cup of chocolate in any combination.

Adapted from Cooks

Cooking spray

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 11 3/4 X 7 1/2-inch baking dish with 2 pieces of foil or parchment paper.  Coat the lined pan with vegetable cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips and the nuts, and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, for about25 minutes. Place the pan on a rack and let cool completely



Ridiculous.

The Best Turkey Burger

This recipe was adapted from a recipe that first appeared in Gourmet in 2004 entitled “Turkey Cheddar Burgers”.

I used a mixture of equal parts white and dark ground turkey from Whole Foods. The dark turkey keeps the burgers moist but it adds fat.

 Make these on an outdoor grill If at all possible.

Now for the cheese… if you have a Whole Foods nearby, you want to use Seaside Cheddar. Seaside mature English cheddar is a cow's milk cheese. It is smooth and nutty with a little bite. It combines both a creamy sharpness and a crunch that comes from the calcium crystals. It is full-bodied and complex with a start, middle and an end. This is an amazing cheese; once you taste it you will never forget it. (If you don’t have a have a Whole Foods near you, from what I have been able to determine this could be similar to what is sold under the name of Coastal Cheddar available at Trader Joes.)

FOR BURGERS

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 lb ground turkey (white and dark meat)

• 2 ½ oz Seaside Cheddar cut into 2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices ( the cheddar must be extra sharp)

• 4 Brioche hamburger rolls

FOR SUN-DRIED TOMATO MAYONNAISE

• 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

• 1 tablespoon water

• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• ACCOMPANIMENT:

lettuce leaves

MAKE MAYONNAISE

• Purée tomatoes with water, vinegar, and salt in a blender or mini food processor, scraping down sides as necessary, then blend in mayonnaise.



MAKE BURGERS:

• Prepare or preheat an outdoor grill.

• Cook shallot in oil with salt and pepper in an 8-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, and then transfer to a bowl. Add turkey and mix gently but thoroughly.

• Turn out turkey mixture onto a sheet of wax paper and divide into 4 equal mounds. Pat 1 mound into a 4-inch patty and top with 1 piece of cheese then put a second mound on top, patting it onto other patty to enclose cheese. Pinch edges together to seal and shape into a single patty.

• Grill burgers, turning over once, until just cooked through (no longer pink), 8 to 9 minutes total.

• While burgers are cooking, lightly toast the Brioche rolls.

ASSEMBLE BURGERS:

• Spread cut sides of rolls with tomato mayonnaise. Serve burgers on rolls with lettuce.

Tuna with Sundried Tomatoes and Nicoise Olives

I've been making this tuna for years. It takes almost no time to make so it’s perfect for a rushed weeknight meal and yet it’s special enough for entertaining. You can make as much or as little of the sundried tomato mixture as you like and you can finely chop the ingredients or leave them a little larger as I've done here.

It’s best cooked on an outdoor grill.

3/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped

3/4 cup pitted Nicoise olives- cut in half

A handful of fresh mint, chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 tuna filets

Fresh ground black pepper

Olive oil



Preheat a broiler or grill.

In a bowl stir together the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, mint, garlic and pepper. Add two tablespoons of oil from the sundried tomatoes. 

Brush the tuna with a little olive oil and grill or broil about 2 – 3 minutes per side (do not overcook) .

Plate the tuna and spoon the sundried tomato mixture over the filets.

Enjoy.



 

Brown Rice and Lentil Soup

This is a one of my favorite soups. I like  it  spicy but you can adjust the seasoning to your taste. Lentils are the quintessential comfort food and they are high in fiber, protein, B vitamins and folate. Serve this with some whole grain bread and perhaps a salad...completely satisfying. This soups is wonderful.

I've also made this with jalapeño pepper or hot pepper oil instead of the tobasco sauce. If you use jalapeños just slice them and saute them with the veggies.

adapted from a recipe by Jane Brody


10 cups of water

2 cups lentils

1/2 cup of brown rice

1 tbs olive oil

4 large cloves garlic minced

2 tbs grated ginger

1 cup chopped scallions, including green tops

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tbs white rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

tabasco sauce to taste



In a large pot bring the water to a boil. Stir in the lentils and brown rice and boil over moderate heat for 30 minutes.


In a large skillet ( non-stick if you have it) heat the oil , add the garlic, ginger, scallions, celery, green pepper and parsley and saute until softened.


When the lentils and rice are done, add the vegtables to the pan along with the soy sauce, vinegar, salt and tobasco.



Serves 6-8.

Chicken Adobo - Filipino style

Adobo/Inadobo" − cooked in soy sauce, vinegar and garlic. It could also refer to just roasting on a wok, with light oil, garlic and salt, as in adobong mani (peanut adobo).

I was looking for something I could make with ingredients I have in the house today and I came across Chicken Adobo, the national dish of the Phillipines. Adobo is actually a Spanish word meaning marinade. The ingredients in this dish are ones we all know well but the combination was a delightful surprise.

Not only is this quick and easy but it is incredibly delicious. There is no overpowering vinegar taste and the aroma is heavenly. This one is definetely a keeper.

I served it on a bed of couscous and I left the whole peppercorns in the sauce, but you can strain it if you like.


• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 whole garlic bulb , peeled and crushed

• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger , grated ( I throw it into the food processor)

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 3 pounds chicken, cut into pieces



1. Combine the first seven ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add chicken. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, basting the chicken occasionally. After 30 minutes, remove lid and cook until liquid reduces ( by about half)

2. Remove chicken from the pot to a serving plate. Serve chicken hot over rice and drizzle with reserved sauce

John Barricelli's Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake but I haven't made one in years. This carrot cake was incredible. Wonderful for Easter.

Worth every calorie.

Delicious cold right out of the refrigerator too.


Makes one 8-inch layer cake


• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted plus more for pans

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

• 1 cup (3 ounces) pecan halves

• 1 pound large carrots, peeled

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2cups sugar

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, and tap out any excess. Set aside. Spread pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking pan, and toast in oven until lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand until completely cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Finely chop pecans and set aside.


2. Using the smallest holes (less than 1/4-inch in diameter) of a box grater, grate carrots, yielding 2 1/2 cups. Place carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, and ginger in a large bowl; mix until well combined.

3. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until combined. Fold in the butter and toasted pecans.

4. Divide batter between the two cake pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove pans from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool.

5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so surfaces are level. Slice each layer in half crosswise. Place a layer on a cake stand or cardboard round, and spread 3/4 cup frosting over top. Place a second cake layer on top, and spread with another 3/4 cup frosting. Repeat with third layer and another 3/4 cup frosting. Place last cake layer on top, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of assembled cake. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 3 to 4 hours.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting


Frosts one 8-inch layer cake


• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

• Pinch of salt

1. Place butter in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add sugar, orange zest, ginger, and salt, and beat for 5 minutes.

Cream of Tomato Soup

From my childhood, I remember piping hot bowls of Campbell’s tomato soup, made with milk (not water) with Ritz crackers floating in the soup until they became sufficiently saturated to break with the spoon. I would eat the crackers and then add more to make the bowl last longer. And as if this wasn’t enough, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wonder bread (uggh) or a grilled cheese sandwich made with American cheese.

So when I said I was making homemade tomato soup and the response was “Why would you waste your time when you can open a can?” I understood.

This soup is worth the effort. Delicious.

Cream of Tomato Soup

1 large onion

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cans San Marzano tomatoes (28 oz, whole peeled)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups half and half

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon ground white pepper



Melt butter over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent.

Add tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook uncovered for about an hour, until the tomatoes and onions are soft and broken down. Remove from heat. Remove bay leave and puree in a food processor, blender or food mill.

Strain soup. Return to a large pot set over low heat. Add salt, pepper and half and half.

San Marzano tomatoes are considered, by most chefs, to be the best tomatoes for any sauce. The San Marzano is an heirloom variety of the plum tomato. The legend is that the first seeds were given to the Kingdom of Naples, as a gift from Peru in 1770. The seed were planted in San Marzano a small town southeast of Naples near the base of Mount Vesuvius. The variety is grown in the United States and worldwide and is naturally sweet, with fewer seeds and lower acidity.

Still delicious with a grilled cheese sandwich. M'm! M'm! Good!