Reading??? Reading?? What's that?

                                                             From the City. 

Alright, I'll admit it, I haven't read a book in three (er, 5) months.  Haven't even tried to get through one.  Since returning to work, all I do in the evenings is melt into a pile of mush on the couch watching tv and working on my laptop.  Horrible right? I can't even use our sleeping arrangement as an excuse anymore because Theo now sleeps in his own bed.  

So i've decided something's gotta give. 

The book is Free for All by Janet Poppendieck and the timeframe is exactly one month starting today. It's like 10 measly pages a day, nothing right?? Try telling me that when the new season of cougar town is on. 

In other news, here's a really good soup recipe.  Kale, potatoes and sausage, gooooood.  

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

2 Sausages minus the casings

2 large potatoes cubed

1 large bunch of kale, washed and chopped

3 cups stock or water

1/2 cup cream

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic with sausage (minus the casings) for 3 to 5 minutes until sausage is no longer pink.  

Add potatoes, mix well, making sure to get that good pork fat all over those taters.

Add stock and kale.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

Allow to cook for a good 45-50 minutes so all those good flavours can mingle.

I pureed the soup for just a minute or two to make the kale easier for Theo to eat and its also a good way to make your soup creamy healthily.  

Add cream or milk or soy (whatever you like and have on hand)

Season and enjoy.

happy tuesday everyone,

-amelia

Creamy Tomato Soup

From the City...

Any recipe that comes together with only the things that you have on hand, whether in your pantry or in your freezer, is definitely a friend of mine.  

 Tomatoes, onions, and garlic.  Before.

 Tomatoes, onions and garlic roasted.  After. 

 A close up of that roasted garlic.  Olive oil and tinfoil.  That's it.  

 Completion/Perfection.

1 can whole tomatoes

2 onions

1 large head local garlic

stock or water

a handful of freezer basil

salt /pepper to taste

olive oil 

a splash of cream (1/4Cup)

Roast tomatoes, onion and garlic with a little olive oil and salt and pepper for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Once finished, heat a splash of olive oil in a pot, toss in onions and garlic and then the tomatoes and basil.  Thin with water or stock as much as desired. Add basil. 

Remove from heat and puree.  Put back on the heat and add your cream and salt and pepper to taste.  

If you feel so ambitious, you can put it through a strainer to thin it out even more but I like a little texture so I kept it just the way it was.  

Every cold rainy Sunday should be spent with these three, plus loads of blankets, toys, books and of course, tomato soup.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

-ab

Fall Is...

From the City...

My beaten up Blundstones, worth every penny.

Soup, soup and more soup

Layers upon layers upon layers.  Yes, that is plaid on plaid.

Click on the pics for the recipe.

-ab

Sunday Soup Series

From the City:

It's been cold and rainy in Toronto for the past three days. Simon and I have literally been hibernating all weekend just so we can avoid going out into the wind and the cold rain, because of this I have been cooking all weekend.

I'm a big fan of my freezer. I love spending a Sunday cooking large batches of soups, stews, lasagnas, casseroles and burritos for those nights during the week when you get home and don't feel like cooking but totally feel like eating.

This is another recipe that I came across at work. It's a crockpot recipe so it requires a little planning because it takes about 8-10 hrs. What I like to do with these long crockpot recipes is I prep the whole thing the night before and then just start it in the morning when I get up.

Beef and Barley Soup:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb stewing beef
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots
• 5 cups mushrooms (whatever you like)
• 6 cups stock
• 1/2 cup pot barley
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf

Heat oil in a pot. Sprinkle beef with salt, pepper and thyme. When the oil is hot, braise beef. Add to crockpot.

Add onions, carrots and garlic to pot and cook until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 min. Add vegetable mixture to crockpot.

Add stock, barley, 1 cup of water, barley, tomato paste and bay leaf. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs.

Enjoy your Sunday!