Gypsy Soup

Feeling so confident after my first soup making experience, I wanted to make another soup! This is a recipe that my good friend Kaitlyn's mother passed down to her and we are so happy that she did! Gypsy Soup is the perfect soup for fall! Easy to make, flexible with ingredients, and I already had most of the vegetables in my fridge! Colors, texture and taste create a delicious healthy hommade soup that will warm your body with every bite.

Recipe:

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 cups chopped, peeled sweet potato

½ cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

¾ cup chopped sweet peppers

1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas

3 cups stock or water

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon salt

dash of cinnamon

dash of cayanne

1 bay leaf

1. In a large pot saute onions, garlic, celery, and sweet potatoes in olive oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add seasonings and the stock or water. Simmer, covered, fifteen minutes.
3. Add remaining vegetables and chickpeas. Simmer another 10 minutes or so - until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them.

A couple notes:

The vegetables in this soup are so flexible. I used 1 medium yellow onion, chopped. 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped. Added 2 whole carrots sliced into thin round pieces. 1 orange bell pepper sliced into pieces about as big as the carrots.

Instead of using fresh tomatoes I used 1 can (15 ounces) of diced tomatoes, including juice. I also replaced the 1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas with I can drained, rinsed garbanzo beans. The beans weren't quite as tender as the vegetables so they can probably be added 5 to 7 minutes into the simmering in step 2.

Because the portions I used were a bit bigger than the recipe called for and I added the carrots, I used about 5 tablespoons of olive oil. I also added more vegetable broth, about 4 cups.

This recipe is one of my new favorites and provides lots of leftovers to enjoy later or share with family and friends!

Enjoy!

Acorn Squash Bisque

I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart website and it was absolutely delicious! As the weather turns colder and we find ourselves in the middle of the beautiful fall season I was extremely motivated to learn how to make soup. I had never attempted to make soup before so I was pretty intimidated. Let me tell you, there is nothing to be intimidated about! This recipe was easy to follow and the taste and texture of the soup was beyond anything I ever thought I could create. This was my first time using Acorn Squash and I will definitely make this soup again!

Recipe:

2 acorn squashes (3 pounds total)

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Course salt and ground pepper

½ teaspoon thyme leaves, and more for garnish

1 can (14 ½ ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth

½ cup half and half

1. Place squashes on a paper towel and microwave on high just until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the microwave, and halve each squash lengthwise (to speed cooling). When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the seeds. Scrape out flesh into a bowl; discard skin. (To prepare in oven, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds. Place squash, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast until almost tender when pierced wtih a knife, 15 to 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scrape out flesh, discard skin, and proceed with step 2).
2. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add squash, thyme, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to medium, and cook until squash is very tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Working in batches, puree mixture in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute. Return to pan; add half-and-half, and season generously with salt and pepper. Thin bisque, if needed, by adding more water. Serve garnished with thyme.

A couple notes:

Instead of placing the acorn squashes in the microwave I used the oven. Slice squashes in half and place them face down on a baking sheet. Place in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.

I replaced the chicken broth with vegetable broth because that is what I had on-hand. Works just as well if not better.

I didn't feel the need to thin the bisque at all. The texture was thick and creamy and perfect to serve right away!

Enjoy!

Enjoy Life's Simple Pleasures

Enjoy life's simple pleasures. There are three things in life that I really enjoy doing. Cooking, Running and Wine Tasting.


I discovered my love for wine while I was in college. I was fortunate enough to go to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. The perfect college setting. Close to the beach, amazing weather, and a downtown filled with boutique shops and restaurants in restored historic buildings. Breathtaking views surrounding the quaint little city. Everything a college student could ever ask for. It didn't take me long to figure out that I was in the heart of the Central Coast wine country. Vineyards lined the country back roads. I was surrounded by wineries featuring some of the best wines in California. Wine Tasting in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles quickly became one of my favorite things to do and unlocked a lifelong passion for wine.

Staying healthy is very important to me. Exercising regularly, taking vitamins, drinking water everyday and eating foods that fuels my body. I'm not very athletic so staying motivated to go to the gym everyday is a constant battle. I've found that setting fitness goals to work towards is a great motivator. The treadmill and I have a love/hate relationship. I love running and feeling the sense of accomplishment when I reach a running goal. I'm not a good runner, at all. I can barely run a mile without walking and when I do my time is definitely not race worthy. I've set short-term and long-term goals for myself. By the end of this year I would like to be able to run a 5K without walking. My long-term goals are to run a half-marathon and eventually a marathon. 
 
Cooking is a skill that I don't have very much experience in. The kitchen is the one room in the house where everybody gathers. Food, drinks and good company. That is what the kitchen is for. If you go to a party or invite friends over you will always without a doubt end up in the kitchen. It really is the best room in the house so I decided that I wanted to spend more time there. I know the very basics like how to hard-boil an egg and how to steam vegetables. If you were to send me in there right now and ask me to make a meal out of anything I could find, I would probably make a salad....assuming there was lettuce. I've never considered myself to be a very creative person so the thought of blending together foods and flavors is a pretty scary task. I've decided to not beat myself up over my lack of creativity in life....my goal is to find recipes that are delicious, healthy and push me out of my cooking comfort zone.