Let's try this on for size!

Alright, so I admit it. I really like to cook. Find myself loving it, actually! And another confession - I've found myself cooking the same old, same old things over and over here lately. Just shameful. When Mike and I first got married I was always trying out new recipes, experimenting in the kitchen, putting to good use all those brand new cookbooks (or precious family keepsake ones!) we received as wedding gifts. I guess after a while you fall into a routine, regular old humdrum, and find that your grocery list has become a no brainer! Well, with a quarter of a century behind me I'm sitting pretty on prime and I want to get back to the good stuff - sure, find some good solid recipes to add to the tried and true rotation, but try some new things and expand my repertoire! I am a dietitian for crying.out.loud.


And this being the personal blog of a dietitian, I don't share recipes nearly enough. You can consider that confession #3. And I've just made a solemn vow to start! And you must know how I feel about vows, so - shall we?


Monday night menu this week in my little household was Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup with Toasted French Bread. I know, I know, it has really been warming up. God bless my dear, sweet SC for putting some umph into each season - I'd call her a showoff in that department! Anyway, Spring is too late for soup, but gimme a break and just make it sometime in April and you won't be sorry!


Ingredients:

3 cups diced tomatoes with juice (you can use canned, I used a combination)

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 Tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried

4 Tbsp fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dried
1/2 bay leaf

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup flour

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter

2 cups half and half, warmed (You could use skim if you want to skinny it up)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper


And here's the destructions - and you'll call it that too if your husband tries to step in and help. 

1. Heat oil in 4 quart soup pot. Add celery, onions and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender (about 15 minutes).

2. While soup simmers, prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup (the broth portion). Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add back into soup pot.

3. Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend. Stir warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Never hurts to have a friendly reminder :) In case I botch the batch.

And that first bite right there, I'm tellin' you what...you won't care one bit if its 90 degrees outside :)


Recipe courtesy of Karen Petersen. I stumbled across this on Pinterest (its like the Walmart of online sites, you can leave there with everything you need plus tons of stuff you never even planned on!) which took me straight to her blog Utah Mama.