Balsamic Roasted Heirloom Carrot Soup

Lately, I’ve been getting really bold at the grocery store. Sounds enthralling right?

On Tuesdays, five minutes before I’m supposed to leave for the grocery store, I scour the internet for inspiration, throw together ideas of what to get at the store, call my mom to know what we have at the house and then frantically print my grocery list as I run for the door.

But lately I’ve thrown my lists out the window. Not literally. I don’t litter.

Now when I head to the market, I wander the produce aisles and protein counters until I figure out what might work out when I get home. Sure… this new method does cause some misses.

However the successes are great.

Yesterday the heirloom carrots were just screaming to me (they usually are) and I couldn’t resist their sweet, sweet cries.

They inspired this soup that is sure to warm your bones and stomachs during these late winter days. Or if you’re in California and it hasn’t been cold since December, it will just tickle your taste buds.

You will need…

2 bunches heirloom carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces and tops reserved (about 12 medium carrots)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 medium onion, diced

1 Yukon gold potato peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage

6 cups chicken stock

¼ cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Good crusty bread for dipping

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together the carrots, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Spread out the coated carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the carrots are roasted, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions just till they begin to soften. About 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and sage and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the potato, roasted carrots and chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Just until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and using an immersion blender or a food processor working in batches, blend the soup until smooth.

Pour in the half and half and blend until it is completely combined.

Wash the remaining carrot tops well and finely chop.

Top the soup with chopped carrot tops and some tasty bread and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Balsamic Roasted Heirloom Carrot Soup

2 bunches heirloom carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces and tops reserved (about 12 medium carrots)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 medium onion, diced

1 Yukon gold potato peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage

6 cups chicken stock

¼ cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Good crusty bread for dipping

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together the carrots, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Spread out the coated carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the carrots are roasted, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions just till they begin to soften. About 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and sage and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the potato, roasted carrots and chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Just until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and using an immersion blender or a food processor working in batches, blend the soup until smooth.

Pour in the half and half and blend until it is completely combined.

Wash the remaining carrot tops well and finely chop.

Top the soup with chopped carrot tops and some tasty bread and serve hot.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

It’s been six months now since I left my job of ten years to embark on a new path.

Not only has it been a totally crazy blur, it has been an amazing ride. I’ve learned so much at my new job both about my industry and about my life. Travel has become a major part of my work life and for that reason, I haven’t been able to get wild and crazy in the kitchen lately.

Since my brother gave it to me for Christmas, I have been DYING to play around with my ice cream maker attachment for my stand mixer. I’ve contemplated all the crazy combinations I would make like raspberry with chocolate chips and vanilla wafer crumbles or pistachio with bacon.

But alas, when it came time that I had time, I realized I need to crawl before I could walk. It became clear that I needed to tackle something that was pretty simple before I went and got crazy with expensive ingredients and silly techniques.

And while I can’t wait to get crazy with frozen treats, I highly recommend trying this home made vanilla classic. Everything is better homemade!

You will need…

3 cups half-and-half

½ cup sugar, heaping (not leveled off the top)

8 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Start by scraping the seeds out of the vanilla beans and adding the seeds and the pods to a medium saucepan.

Add the half-and-half and sugar to the saucepan with the vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the sugar has dissolved, cover with a lit and let steep off the eat for 30 minutes.

In a large stainless-steel bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Very gradually, whisk in ½ cup of the hot cream.

Once the ½ cup is incorporated, slowly whisk in the rest of the cream.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard chickens. About 10 minutes. The custard should be thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon.

Strain the custard into a large stainless-steel bowl that is set in an ice bath and discard the vanilla beans.

Stir occasionally until the custard is thoroughly chilled. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Churn until the ice cream is set but not hard. It should be the consistency of soft serve.

Pour into an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.

Serve solo or with your favorite apple pie.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

3 cups half-and-half

½ cup sugar, heaping (not leveled off the top)

8 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Start by scraping the seeds out of the vanilla beans and adding the seeds and the pods to a medium saucepan.

Add the half-and-half and sugar to the saucepan with the vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the sugar has dissolved, cover with a lit and let steep off the eat for 30 minutes.

In a large stainless-steel bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Very gradually, whisk in ½ cup of the hot cream.

Once the ½ cup is incorporated, slowly whisk in the rest of the cream.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard chickens. About 10 minutes. The custard should be thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon.

Strain the custard into a large stainless-steel bowl that is set in an ice bath and discard the vanilla beans.

Stir occasionally until the custard is thoroughly chilled. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Churn until the ice cream is set but not hard. It should be the consistency of soft serve.

Pour into an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.

Serve solo or with your favorite apple pie. 

Shrimp Bisque

When you were you in high school, there were always a bunch of reasons to get dressed up. Every few months there was some formal gathering to get all dolled up for.

Oh by the way, men who are reading this (all three of you), you can go ahead and tune out now because this is going to be a solidly girl post.

In college, I had even more reasons to get dressed up because when you are in a sorority, there is literally an event once a month.

There was always something so exhilarating about having an event to look forward to and to plan for.

And then, getting together with your girlfriends and getting ready together was just as fun as the event itself.

Now days, the opportunities to get dress up and get together are fewer and further between.

But last weekend, my sorority sisters and I gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate ten years of Pi Beta Phi sisterhood on Loyola Marymount’s campus.

It was amazing to relive my sorority days for a few hours. Lots of singing, dancing, cocktails and girls. Girls everywhere.

Now that the big event has come and gone, I can spend a little less time worrying about the waistline.

So bring out the creamy, hearty, warming soups.

Bisque me please!

You will need…

1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined, shells and tails removed

6 cups chicken stock or 4 cups seafood stock (if you can locate it)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped

5 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish

¼ cup Cognac or brandy

¼ cup dry sherry

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1/3 cup tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

The beginning of this recipe will be slightly different depending on the type of stock you have.

If you were able to locate seafood stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, trails and shells and simmer until the shrimp has cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

When the shrimp is cooked, remove the cooked shrimp from the stock.

Continue to simmer the stock until it is reduced slightly. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

Strain the tails and shells and reserve the stock.

If you are using chicken stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, shells and tails to the stock and simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the shrimp and leave the tails and shells in the stock.

Continue to simmer until the stock is reduced by about 1/3^rd. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil until it is hot over medium heat.

Add in the leeks and cook them down until they are soft but not browned.

Then, add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Season the leeks with salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper.

Stir well and toss the reserved shrimp in with the leeks just to reheat slightly. About 1 minute.

Add the Cognac or brandy and cook for 1 minute.

Then add in the sherry and cook until the alcohol has burnt off and the liquid has reduced by about half. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor and blend until roughly pureed.

Back in the same pot, melt the butter.

Slowly add in the flour while you are whisking the butter over medium heat. When the flour is completely combined, cook for 1 minute.

Then, slowly add in the half-and half while still whisking until the liquid has thickened. About 3 more minutes.

Then, stir in the tomato paste, stock and pureed shrimp. 

Season the soup with salt and pepper and heat over low heat until very hot but not boiling.

Serve with a dash of cayenne and black pepper.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined, shells and tails removed

6 cups chicken stock or 4 cups seafood stock (if you can locate it)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped

5 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish

¼ cup Cognac or brandy

¼ cup dry sherry

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1/3 cup tomato paste

Salt and black pepper to taste

The beginning of this recipe will be slightly different depending on the type of stock you have.

If you were able to locate seafood stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, trails and shells and simmer until the shrimp has cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

When the shrimp is cooked, remove the cooked shrimp from the stock.

Continue to simmer the stock until it is reduced slightly. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

Strain the tails and shells and reserve the stock.

If you are using chicken stock, heat the stock in a large pot until it is simmering. Add in the shrimp, shells and tails to the stock and simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the shrimp and leave the tails and shells in the stock.

Continue to simmer until the stock is reduced by about 1/3^rd. You want to have about 3 ¾ cups of stock.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil until it is hot over medium heat.

Add in the leeks and cook them down until they are soft but not browned.

Then, add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Season the leeks with salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper.

Stir well and toss the reserved shrimp in with the leeks just to reheat slightly. About 1 minute.

Add the Cognac or brandy and cook for 1 minute.

Then add in the sherry and cook until the alcohol has burnt off and the liquid has reduced by about half. About 3 minutes.

Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor and blend until roughly pureed.

Back in the same pot, melt the butter.

Slowly add in the flour while you are whisking the butter over medium heat. When the flour is completely combined, cook for 1 minute.

Then, slowly add in the half-and half while still whisking until the liquid has thickened. About 3 more minutes.

Then, stir in the tomato paste, stock and pureed shrimp. Season the soup with salt and pepper and heat over low heat until very hot but not boiling.

Serve with a dash of cayenne and black pepper.