The Best Creamy Cheesy Tomato Soup EVER
To be honest, I have not been a connoisseur of tomato soups or tomatoes period for too long, but I know enough to know what I like. Campbell's tomato soup…ugh no thanks. Panera Bread's tomato soup…getting better. My delicious tomato-ish creation…yum. Not to brag, but even my picky eating son dipped his grilled cheese right in and went to town.
My inspiration came from this great little Indian/Pizzeria place called Bombay Pizza we have here and I must say they have the best tomato soup. It's creamy and very Italian with Indian spice mixed in as well. The problem is I do not have the recipe and they only give you one slice of bread for dipping at the restaurant. No good. I need carbs to balance out my soups. So last night I had the urge to make an Indian feast. It was pretty good, but not good enough to post just yet. It did, however, make me think about Bombay's soup, and so I decided to give it a go. I wasn't going for an exact replica, but instead, a toned-down version with a little more consistency.
Before we get started, let me just mention that I wanted to add a little Indian kick to this soup, so I looked through my pantry and found a bag of Chaat Masala. Its an Indian spice that is pretty common in most grocery stores with a good Ethnic Food isle or you can get it at an Indian market. Im sure if you omit this ingredient it will not ruin your soup, but if you have or can get it, give it a try. For me it really put this soup over the top.
I decided the good ol' slow cooker would be the best tool for the job, but Im sure it would still be amazing simmered over the stove for an hour or two if you do not have one. First, I chopped and added the garlic, onion, and basil first. Then add the can of tomato sauce, broth, can of diced tomatoes, Marsala, and heavy cream. I let that cook in the slow cooker for about 1.5 hours on high, stirring occasionally.
After the first soak in the slow cooker, my taste tester (the Hubby) said it was "okay", to which I replied "its just the base, don't worry." I then messily scooped out everything in the crock pot and emptied it into my food processor. I have a big one, if you do not please do it in batches or you will have an even bigger mess. Im sure a blender would work fine as well. I blended everything together then added it back to the slow cooker. This is where I added my spices, butter, and cheese. I wanted it a little thicker so I stirred in a spoonful of flour as well (optional). I cooked it on low for another hour, and added some fresh parsley and more parmesan for garnish.
Like, I said I need carbs for my soups, so while all that slow cooker stuff was happening, I grilled me and the fam up some sharp cheddar and spinach paninis for dunking. The soup was freaking delicious. I had some left over I will definitely eat for lunch, but next time I will double the batch and freeze half of it. There it is. I hope you enjoy:)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
20 oz of tomato sauce (my big can was 29 oz so I eyeballed it)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of chicken broth
3 tablespoons of Marsala cooking wine
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 of an onion chopped
handful of fresh basil chopped
2 tbs of butter
1 1/2 tbs of Chaat Masala (optional)
1 tbs of flour (optional)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
parsley for garnish
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Black Bean Veggie Enchiladas
Have you ever had Chilis Southwest Egg rolls? Well, I found a copy-cat recipe for them years ago and incorporate them into my menu every once in a while. I even make the avocado ranch to accompany them…yum. So one night I wanted to make enchilladas and I wanted to save my chicken for another meal, so I started looking to Pintrest for other ideas and I discovered the veggie enchilada, BUT…I decided maybe I should use most of the Southwest Egg Roll ingredients for the enchiladas and Wham…Greatness. So here is my version of Veggie (Southwest Egg Roll) Enchiladas.
There are two parts to this enchilada business, but don't get discouraged. They are really quite easy. I actually usually make them on the nights when my hubby goes to jiujitsu and I have to simultaneously cook while watching an infant. Usually I actually cut up all the veggies during nap times so I can just dump them in the pan later.
So first, you need to dump the garlic and bell peppers into a couple of tbsp of olive oil and cook for a few minutes until they smell delicious. Then I add the frozen spinach, which I heat up in the microwave for a few minutes then drain so its not all wet. Mix it all up until the spinach gets spread around (like 1 minute). Then add the other green stuff…jalepenos, cilantro, and green onions. Next come the beans and corn. I run both through a strainer before adding them so Im not overwhelmed by the juices. Lastly, mix in the spices and cheese, and give it a few stirs and take it off of the heat. This is what it looks like. Yum…see the steam.
Put all of the stuffing into preheated tortillas (I heat them in the microwave a little with a wet towel covering them so they are more pliable). Pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the enchiladas in the dish (duh). Pour the rest of the sauce on top, and I like to sprinkle a little cheddar over them too. Then pop those babies into a preheated oven at 375 and bake for about 25 minutes. I like mine a little crispy on the edges, so that time works perfect for me. This isn't in the picture but they are even more delicious with some sliced avocados on top! Enjoy. I sure did.
Ingredients:
1 can of rinsed and drained black beans
1/2 can of drained sweet corn kernels
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 jalepeno (minced)
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 cup of cooked drained spinach (I did frozen)
7-10 tortillas
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar
1/4 cup of cheddar to sprinkle on top
1 can of Enchilada Sauce
1 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
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I love to cook so when I knock it out of the park, I will share. Sometimes I come up with my own stuff, and sometimes I modify from a recipe, which I will give a shout out too. This was inspired by Pappadeaux Lobster salad. If you don't have a Pappadeaux close, I am very sorry for your loss. I have been to NOLA several times, and I still haven't eaten anything that tops it.
So, Pappadeaux salad used to be better, because they used apparagus and a couple of other things, but now, no more. Instead they replaced it with mango, so I decided to combine both. The best part about this is the dressing (again modified because I think their recipes are pretty hush hush). If you have never made your own dressing do not freak out, it's very easy. At least this one was. So here it goes:
First things first, steam your lobster tails. I bought three 4-5 oz tails from the supermarket on sale for $5 each (thats when I experiment with the lobster people. Do not pay full price unless its a very special occasion and you are buying the whole lobster.) I wish I would have bought four, in the ingredients, Im saying 3-4 for two people. Some people prefer to grill them, but then I would have to get my husband involved and that would take away my free time from the baby ;) Also, I think grilling them dries them out.
While they are steaming, throw some avocados in the fridge if they are not already cold, then make your dressing. I had my baby bullet already out, so I just blended everything in that so I didn't have to wash out my big ol' food processor. For the oil base, I used Almond Oil, but really you could use and mild oil like Avacado, Grapeseed, maybe even a good olive oil. Oh one more thing…I also used the Del Monte jarred mango slices that come refrigerated because they are always sweet and cold and easy, but feel free to use fresh mango or frozen. After the lobsters were some, I used the same boiling water for my asparagus. Not sure if thats "proper" though...
Next…duh, assemble your salad. I liked the mixture of red kale and baby spinach, just because it makes me feel healthier, but use whatever greens you like. I wait until the very end to add my cubed avocado so that way its nice and cold. And here is the finished product…see below for instructions and ingredients. Let me know how it turns out.
Serving size: 2 Large Salads
Ingredients:
3-4 5oz lobster tails
2-3 cups of spinach or kale or mixed
1cup of cubed mango
1 cup of trimmed asparagus spears cooked lightly and preferably cold
1 large avocado chilled and cubed
3 tablespoons of crumbled bacon
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
Dressing:
Juice from two limes
4 tbs of orange juice
4 tbs of Almond oil or other light oil
3 tsp of honey
1/2 cup of diced mango
2 diced green onions
salt & pepper
Steam lobster tails approx. 12 minutes until they curl up
Meanwhile add all ingredients for the dressing in a food processor or blender. Taste and season as desired.
boil asparagus for two minutes, drain then chill
Assemble salad ingredients in separate bowls. Lastly add avocado and cut up the lobster with scissors.
Easy Peasy
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