New Year's Day Good Fortune Soup

I like traditions. I think they can be fun and exciting. However, the only tradition we have involving New Year's is watching the Rose Parade. As a child, I can remember waking up early to make sure I saw it all...even though they play it over and over all morning. I don't watch it anymore. My parents still do, though. 

 

Yeah, my bowl wasn't big enough. If I ever cleaned my sinks, I could have used one of them :( 

I used the recipe from Homesick Texan. It looked delicious and it had a delightful reasoning for why it would bring good fortune :) 

The differences between the original recipe and what I did are as follows:

• I halved the recipe EXCEPT the collards. That was doubled.
• Cooked the beans from dried in a little bit of broth. Used the broth as the base. 
• Removed the bacon grease
• Removed the ham

The result? It was a little bit too acidic. I think that if there had been ham, it would have soaked up the vinegar and it would be perfect. However, I liked it very much. I would definitely make it again sans vinegar. 

I SHOULD JUST FUCKING GIVE UP ON COOKING NOW

I BURNT PRECOOKED BACON.

Happy New Year.

White Bean and Tomato Soup

When I was a child, I was a very picky eater. One of the only things my mother could get me to eat were sliced tomatoes, coated in Italian dressing. I'm not really sure why she ever offered them like that initially, but it was literally all I would eat for dinner many a night. Perfectly ripe tomatoes are by far my favorite fruit. 

I genuinely love them more than other fruits, even the sweet ones.

I never lost my love for tomatoes. 

When I first started cooking for myself, I would buy pints of cherry tomatoes, slice them and add them raw to cooked pasta. I would saute them with vegetables, basil and garlic, and eat them over rice. 

When I was wondering around my apartment today after work, I had an overwhelming desire for tomato soup, preferably paired with a grilled cheese sandwich. I don't think there has ever been a more perfect pair. Although someone left a half quart of milk in my refrigerator after the seasonal cookie festivities, and I could have hypothetically made the cream of tomato soup that traditionally accompanies a grilled cheese, I lacked the bread to make a grilled cheese. I also had a half cup of white beans I had cooked on Sunday languishing in my refrigerator, lonely and begging to be used. 

So I did. 

Ingredients: 

1.5 cups cooked white beans, and approximately 1/2 cup cooking liquid if from scratch  

7 oz canned tomatoes with liquid (1/2 can)

1 carrot, peeled and sliced 

1/2 onion, chopped 

2 cups stock 

Water to cover 

A pinch cayenne 

Bring water, stock, tomatoes, carrot and onion to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 30 minutes, then add white beans and cayenne, and heat through. 

I Think My Family Might Secretly Be Jewish

• Reason #1:  Apparently it's a Jewish thing to go see a movie on Christmas day. 
• Reason #2: Apparently it's a Jewish thing to eat Chinese food on Christmas. I, personally, can't imagine  Christmas without char siu bao and jin dui. 
• Reason #3: CHRISTMAS IN MY FAMILY IS CANCELED THIS YEAR. WE AREN'T DOING ANYTHING. 

NOT EVEN DIM SUM. 

Sigh. 

Remember kids: 

Whatever. All I've been eating for the last 24 hours are sugar cookies and gingerbread I made. They were intended for the family, but if they're not going to participate in TRADITION I'm just going to NOT SHARE. 

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

It's sad how if I eat like crap for just a bit, I feel like crap for much longer. I hung out with a few of my best female friends on Saturday, and we pretty much gorged ourselves on fried and sugary foods. I pride myself on cooking the vast majority of my own meals, and for sticking to a relatively healthy diet. However, that day, I did not eat anything that hadn't been fried. 

Someone told me recently that's a sign of getting old. I know that isn't really what it is.

I can't possibly be getting old.  

I've always been like that. 

Maybe I was born old. 

I've been told I'm old soul, on several occasions. 

Maybe that was a nice way of saying "That skirt looks like it belongs to an geriatric with dementia." 

Regardless, I felt the overpowering need to cook something with VEGETABLES. 

AND NO MEAT. 

AND VERY LITTLE OIL. 

AND SUNSHINE. 

AND HAPPINESS.  

AND RAINBOWS. 

AND UNICORNS.

Due to a severe lack of unicorn steak, I opted instead for a delicious sounding stew at Everyone Likes Sandwiches. I left out the rice, since I bought some rather disappointing onion rolls from a grocery store, and added cooked adzuki beans for protein. 

And obviously, too much stock. 

And too much spicy curry paste.

So I topped it off with coconut milk to lower the heat. 

It was delicious, and just what I needed. 

Split Pea Soup

The first time I experimented with split pea soup was in college. I made the decision to pursue a vegetarian lifestyle when I was a freshman, so, as one might imagine, my culinary options were vastly limited. It was great, initially.  SALAD AND CAKE FOR EVERY MEAL. CAKE IS ALWAYS VEGETARIAN! No guilt from a giant slice of cake because I ATE SALAD LIKE A BOSS. ERRYDAY WAS CAKE DAY.

Eventually, I got sick of that. I moved on to pb&j sandwiches, cereal for lunch, rice and cookies for dinner. And then I realized they had a soup section most of the time. I actually remember the day I tried split pea soup for the first time. It was raining. I was damp and miserable, worn out and worn down from a winter quarter filled with SCIENCE. My freshly minted physics notes were wet, thanks my despondent ambling back and forth across campus.  When wandering through the dining common, searching for something to warm my cold bones and keep me full enough to last until my next meal, I lingered in front of a hotel pan filled with suspiciously colored split pea soup. I decided to take the plunge.

It was satisfying, warm and deceptively delicious. I was won over.

The soup I made tonight was definitely tastier. I used a recipe from 101 Cookbooks, where it's explained far better than I could ever hope to.

Red Lentil and Squash Soup

Yet another dubiously mustard colored soup... At least when I take pictures of it. In reality, it was a nice warm gold. Light but with a creamy consistency, easily slurped while spacing out and watching terrible TV. 

Which is what I've devoted the lion's share of my free time to lately. In my defense, I've been reasonably sick, since I appear to have an immune system comparable to that of a seven year old. 

I've been obsessively watching Top Chef. I adore shows that involve making things. I used to be obsessed with Project Runway. I love Iron Chef. I'm always glued to the TV when Chopped is on. 

Top Chef has a bit more drama than I usually enjoy, but somehow I keep getting drawn in to the drama. The bitter hipster in me is really disappointed that I get into this stuff. I am perfectly fine with being interested in the food aspect of it, though. 

I'm not really sure where I was going with this, but I had half a roasted butternut squash from yesterday so I wanted to use it all up. Squash IS ridiculously cheap, but I knew if I didn't use it today, I wouldn't use it at all. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 white onion, chopped 

1/3 cup red lentils

1/2 butternut squash 

1/2 tsp tumeric, cumin, and minced fresh ginger 

1 tbsp olive oil 

2 cups stock 

2 cups water 

pinch of cayenne 

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Feeds two absent minded Christina's 

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. 

Meanwhile, in a soup pot bring red lentils and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. When tender, add roasted squash, spices, and stock. Simmer for about five more minutes. Allow to cool sufficiently to blend in a blender. Blend until smooth, and top with cilantro.