Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Right, so I got up early and got really inspired this AM.

I had leftover roasted Kombucha squash lurking in my fridge. I picked up the winter squash at the farmers market and let it live on my kitchen table for a few weeks. I finally sliced it up, doused it with extra virgin olive oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. I roasted it at 425 degrees in the oven for about 20 minutes until it was tender and served it with dinner.

One squash = a lot.

So I had plenty of leftovers.

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

That means soup time!

I learned how to make awesome pureed soups from Charlie Trotter's amazing cookbooks and continue to use a few of his tricks. The other key is my Vitamix, though a normal blender would work. I put this in my Vitamix—the meat from the roasted squash, one can of organic white beans (strained and rinsed), a finger of fresh ginger, two garlic cloves, dash of red pepper flakes, chicken broth and EVOO (this makes it creamy). I pureed it smooth then simmered over the stovetop.

I popped in a few cubes of frozen basil (optional).

The result ... insanely good soup.

Like how can this have no dairy?

And be so creamy?

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Don't ever let your leftover squash languish again in the fridge purgatory.

Like all of my recipes, the specific ingredients can be subbed based on what you have on hand. Pumpkin would work instead of squash. Sweet potato would be amazing. Use your imagination.

Domestic Divas Blog Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup

Roasted Kombucha Squash & White Bean Soup
Serves 6 to 8 people
Cooking time: 10 minutes (for real)
Gluten free; dairy free

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups roasted Kombucha squash meat
1 can Cannellini beans, strained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 garlic cloves (peeled)
1 inch piece fresh ginger
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh or frozen basil (optional)

Directions
1. Place the squash, beans, broth, garlic, ginger, olive oil, and chili flakes into Vitamix or other blender. Puree until very smooth using highest setting.

2. Transfer the soup to the stovetop and simmer over low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil if desired. Serve with drizzle of good olive oil. Enjoy!

Fusilli Pasta with White Beans, Cherry Tomatoes & Wild Arugula (Gluten Free)

So... I made this for dinner last night.

And it turned out so fabulous!

It was one of those great moments where I was working with the dregs of my last grocery store run, combing through the cupboard. What can I make with this stuff? I always keep a quality gluten free pasta on hand for just such cooking emergencies. This is a new one I tried out last night and really loved—Bionaturae Organic Fusilli. It had the texture of "normal" pasta and held up well.

So that was a start. Then I sorted through the last of my veggies:

Organic heirloom cherry tomates
Organic yellow bell pepper
Organic wild arugula

That had the makings of a tasty pasta. I grabbed a can of organic white beans. I love throwing them into pasta because of their great, creamy texture. Plus, they add some protein to veggie meals. Other cupboard staples include garlic, chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil, white wine and parmesan reggiano.

The final ingredient?

Some fresh basil clipped from the plant on my porch, which miraculously hasn't died yet. There you have it. Now here's how I threw it all together to make this tasty little dish.

Fusilli Pasta with White Beans, Cherry Tomatoes & Wild Arugula (Gluten Free)
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Vegan (if served without cheese); gluten free

Ingredients
1 bag of fusilli pasta (12 oz.), cooked per package instructions
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
pinch of chili flakes
1 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups wild or baby arugula, tightly packed
1 can white beans (15 oz.), drained and rinsed with cool water
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional)
grated parmesan reggiano for garnishing (optional)

Directions
1. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes, and stir for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper and continue to cook, until beginning to soften (about five minutes). Then add the arugula and cook for another minute or so, until beginning to wilt. Add the white beans, stirring to combine, and cook for another minute.

2. Add the white wine to the pan and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Toss the pasta with the vegetable and bean mixture, adding a little reserved pasta cooking water if needed to create a little sauce.

4. To serve, spoon the pasta into bowls and top with grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Tuscan-Style White Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup

Happy December!

So... I first made this recipe in Iowa with ingredients from my mother-in-law's cupboard. I was craving something warm and toasty to combat the snow piling up outside. It worked.

Now that I'm back in LA, I decided to make it again, this time with my slow-cooker. That worked beautifully. This soup is rich enough and hearty enough to be the centerpiece to a meal. It's also great leftover. Homemade chicken stock is an added bonus if you've got it. I always keep some in my freezer. Here's my easy stock recipe using a slow-cooker.

I used a combo of cannellini and garbanzo beans. I like to make it thick, almost like a stew. But you can add more or less beans depending on your preference. Usually, this sort of soup would have a glutenous pasta component, but I made it with quinoa—gluten free! And still delicious.

I also pop a parmesan rind into the broth for added richness. It's not required, but it sure is amazing tasting. I'll write this recipe up with chicken broth, but it's super easy to make vegan. Just use vegetable stock instead.

This is the perfect mid-winter recipe. Enjoy!

To make in a slow-cooker, just add all the ingredients and simmer on high for 4-6 hours. 

Tuscan-Style White Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup
Serves 6-8 people
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free

Ingredients
4 cups low sodium chicken stock (preferably homemade)
28 ounce can cannillini beans
14 ounce can garbanzo beans
14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
pinch of chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups kale, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 parmesan rind (optional)
parmesan reggiano, for grating (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and chili flakes and saute for one more minute.

2. Add the tomatoes, stock, beants, quinoa, thyme, bay leaf, parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about twenty minutes. 

3. Add the kale, cover, and cook for ten more minutes, or until the kale is tender. Then pick out the bay leaf and parmesan rind. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, ladle a generous portion of soup into a big bowl. Top with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly ground pepper, and a healthy drizzle of good olive oil. Enjoy!

Tuscan White Bean Spinach Soup

My mother sent me a picture of snowy Floyd county yesterday, reminding me that it's still winter in much of the country (it's easy to forget when you live in Los Angeles).

The picture made me remember how lovely fresh snow is, and also how nice it is to get a day off to hole up inside and eat warm and toasty things by the fireside. That is another thing about LA—we don't get snow days. It's always go, go, go!

And I've been on the go lately. Over the weekend, I caught a fabulous Ryan Adams concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, my favorite venue in the city (the night was made even more stellar by a great meal beforehand at Lazy Ox Canteen, one of my favorite restaurants).

But I had a quite night at home last night. Got back to cooking by whipping up a great pasta dish with fresh pappardelle pasta, jumbo asparagus, red peppers, and spicy chicken sausage. I also made a side salad of mixed greens with dried cherries, sunflower seeds, and feta (I love making winter salads with dried fruit and nuts and tangy cheeses). It was nice to have a night off from the world.

Today, I'm off to the farmers market to stock up for the week. While a part of my just wants to stay home and work on my book (halfway through!!), I know that I'll regret it if I don't go. Where else can you get produce of that quality at that price point? And the freshest fish ever? I'm going...

This week's recipe is a warm and comforting soup that's perfect for snowy winter days. I'm sure there will be a few more ahead before winter has said its piece. This Tuscan White Bean Spinach Soup also contains whole wheat orzo, though regular will work, too. It's made with a tomato-broth. There's something about the white bean-spinach-tomato combo that just works.

I like to finish it with freshly shaved parmigiano reggiano and cracked pepper. One other note on the recipe—if you have a parmesan rind lying about, you can toss it into the soup for an extra rich broth.

Now I'm hungry...

Tuscan White Bean Spinach Soup
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Vegetarian

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole wheat orzo (regular works, too)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• pinch of chili flakes
• 1 can (28 oz.) of diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (14 oz.) of white beans (any sort will work)
• 4 cups of fresh spinach
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• parmigiano reggiano for grating

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and chili flakes and saute for one more minute.
2. Add the tomatoes, stock, and white beans. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about twenty minutes. 
3. Add the orzo and simmer in the soup for about ten more minutes, or until the orzo is becoming tender. Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes until tender. (Note: the consistency may be adjusted by adding more or less stock).
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, ladle a generous portion of soup into a bowl. Top with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Mushroom Cassoulet

Mushroom Cassoulet

Is your to do list as long as mine?

Lately, I feel like I wake up every morning and have to climb a mountain. It's not as high as Mount Everest (though some days it feels that way). But it's not a hobbit hill either. Between the house, cooking, cleaning, blogging, freelance writing, looking for an agent for my book, polishing my script, researching my next book, the dog, twittering, updating Facebook, the gym (somehow this always falls off my list), there's barely time to breathe, let alone get to the end of my list. And the next morning it starts all over again... sleep... repeat... sleep... repeat...

It's all I can do some days to remember to breathe.

I think God invented to do lists to torture us.

Here are a few things that I've learned over the years:

* Remembering to breathe is the most important thing on your to do list.

*A deep breath is better than Prozac most days. So is a glass of wine.

* It's not about getting to the end of your list. It's about the journey.

* If you're not enjoying the journey, then it's time to delete items off your list.

*Your Twitter followers will forgive you for not posting every second of the day, but your dog may not if you forget to feed him.

* You may not scale the mountain, but at least you tried. And you didn't get your arm trapped under a giant boulder and had to hack it off with a blunt instrument.

*There's always tomorrow.

But if I don't post this Mushroom Cassoulet recipe today, it will be Meatless Tuesday. And that doesn't have as nice of a ring to it, does it?

Also, if can take a break from your to do list, check out Meatless Monday's website this week. They're featuring two of my recipes for Slow Cooker Corn Chili and Avocado Radish Salad. Try them out, Twitter them, share them on Facebook, rate them, comment on them, whatever floats your boat. 

Mushroom Cassoulet
Serves 4-6 people
Cooking time: 2-3 hours
Vegan; dairy-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup shitake mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup cannellini beans, soaked overnight or for six hours (to soak, cover with two inches of water in a bowl)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 5 cups water (preferably filtered)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1 bouquet garni of bay leaf, thyme, and parsley tied together with kitchen twine
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a braising pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots, stirring occasionally until lightly caramelized (about 10 minutes). 
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until becoming tender, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the cannellini beans, water, tomato paste, paprika, bouquet garni, and a pinch or two of salt and some pepper. Stir to combine. 
5. Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until the beans are becoming tender.
6. Meanwhile, toss the breadcrumbs with the olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
7. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and check seasoning (salt and pepper). Top with the breadcrumb mixture and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Serve family style. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• portobello and shitake mushrooms, parlsey, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and celery from the West Hollywood Farmers Market
• organic breadcrumbs and organic tomato paste from Trader Joe's 
• Bob's Red Mill cannellini beans and smoked paprika from Whole Foods

Braised White Bean & Andouille Sausage Cassoulet

Braised White Bean & Andouille Sausage Cassoulet

Braised White Bean & Andouille Sausage Cassoulet is hands down one of my favorite recipes to cook in the whole wide world.

For this riff on the classic French dish cassoulet, I slowly braise white beans with spicy andouille sausage in the oven for 2 to 3 hours, finishing it off with a topping of breadcrumbs. I used Saag's Ragin' Cajun Sausage from their Naturals line, which are wonderfully spicy and flavorful. For you non-red meat eaters out there, the sausages are made from smoked chicken and turkey. They worked perfectly.

This dish is the ultimate comfort food--rich and meaty. I also love serving it family style for a dinner party, placing the braising dish right in the middle of the table and letting my guests go at it. I promise there will very little left. While the cooking time is on the longer side (2-3 hours), the "active" part is relatively short.

Serve with Butter Lettuce Salad with Feta & Pomegranates and crusty French bread for scooping up cassoulet