Warm Food for "Cold" Winter Nights

The expected high in Charleston Christmas day is 68 degrees. While some Americans have found themselves running for canned goods and firewood, we on the coast have been scurrying for higher ground, fleeing from rain and high tide. Needless to say, it hasn't felt exactly like Chirstmas.

This past week was my turn to stay home alone, completing my staff relief week at the hospital, while Julie headed home for the holidays. So with warm weather and no roommate I set out to convince myself it was Christmas. I began with the Pilsbury slice and bake reindeer cookies from my childhood. Much to my dismay, you no longer have to slice them, or even break them apart! Simply transfer from box to pan and bake...or not. Next I moved on to Christmas music via a Pandora Norah Jones holiday playlist. Those who know me best may be shocked at this tidbit, but I really did enjoy my holiday tunes. Finally, I started cooking!

Over the weekend I made a large pot of homemade tomato soup courtesy of the blog I mentioned a few posts before (http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com). This was also the recipe Claire recommended, thanks Claire! The recipe:

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic:

1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried basil
2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin slivers




Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Strain tomatoes from juice, reserving juice for later. Spray cooking spray over a tinfoil lined baking sheet (for an easy clean up). Add tomatoes, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top along with the dried basil and the salt and pepper to taste. Slide the garlic slivers into the tomatoes, they will roast and soften inside as well as infuse the tomatoes with their flavor. Place in oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes. Don't over roast or they will be dry.


Soup:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced or minced
2 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth (I use homemade chicken broth)
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp white sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1/2 cup of non fat milk

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and stir for 30-45 seconds before adding chicken (or vegetable broth), reserved tomato juice (from canned tomatoes), bay leaf, sugar, balsamic vinegar and roasted tomatoes. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 hours.

In a separate bowl add milk. Slowly spoon a little bit of soup mixture into milk to warm (don't pour cold milk into the soup because it will curdle). Once the bowl of milk is warm add it to the soup along with the fresh basil. Remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Pour soup through a strainer to remove any chunks (optional). Serve and enjoy.














Tonight I made a chicken parmasean that might have made my Italian roommate proud! Unfortunately I'm not so good and measuring so I'll just give you the basics. Start by boiling whole wheat angel hair pasta. You can minimize the whole wheat texture by overcooking the noodles. Top with a slice of provolone cheese (or another chesse of choice). Place a grilled chicken breast (I marinated mine in Mrs. Dash lemon and herb marinade) sliced lengthwise on top of the cheese, and top with marinara sauce. I made my own sauce with a can of tomato puree, A LOT of minced garlic, fresh basil, salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and a splash of white balsamic vinegar. Served with a side of fresh asparagus grilled with olive oil cooking spray and garlic salt, it makes the perfect winter meal!