warming the soul, sista

There is nothing quite like a warm veggie soup on a cold rainy day. I have already made this veggie stew twice this fall and intend in recreating it several times with different veggies/meat in the wintery cold future. When I first made this, it was a result of an ice box sweep, clearing out all nearing death veggies. So you can use anything you like in the soup, making it ideal for my book.

Also to note, I rarely use a measuring cup when I cook, I eyeball it based upon how many people I am feeding and how much left overs I want. So that is exactly what this recipe will reflect when you make it... 

Best Veggie Soup EVER!

couple of teaspoons of olive oil

diced onions (a half to a whole)
 chopped and diced garlic
 2-3 medium sliced carrots
2-3 stalks of sliced celery
1-2 russet potatoes 
1-2 sliced zucchini
1 medium sized diced tomato (if you have one that's on the verge of going bad, its perfect to use!)
Couple of stalks of rainbow chard (I like rainbow over regular, its not as grainy, if you dont like chard, dont use it!)
about a half a cup of any type of tomato sauce/pasta sauce/pizza sauce

about a cup or so of water

I will take a big stew pot and start with warming up extra virgin olive oil on medium heat- be a little generous, so everything can get coated in oil. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and potatoes to the pot and saute til just soft. Adding salt and pepper to taste. Add about a teaspoon of oil. Then add zucchini, tomatoes and chard. saute til just soft and coated with oil. then add your pasta sauce/tomato sauce* and coat all veggies. Then add water until it is just covering all the ingredients. Stir and cover for about 10-15 or until potatoes and everything is soft. VOILA and ENJOY!

*I end up using whatever is left over in the fridge that I had used for spaghetti at some point. But you could also use tomato paste, I just like the added flair taste of spaghetti sauce.

After my half marathon, well I should say before that wretchedness that was the Nike Half Marathon (more on that later). I created an apple pie, created from all organic shiz no less. (go me!) I was resting on Saturday night before the race, and thought it would be nice to have a pie for the Niners V Raiders game. Some friends, Molly and Mike were hosting a Korean-food-a-bration for said game, so I brought this dude with. It was perfect fare to have after the race. :)

For this dude, I use a combo of two different recipes I found on Foodnetwork.com and Epicurious.com. Crusts are complex beings and I find its pretty easy once you realize the less you work the dough, the better off shit will be in the end. TRUST.

For the Crust

(I hate to say it but Barefoot Contessa has the most bomb and easy crusts)

 

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

 

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball. 

When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

For the Filling and Creation:

(from EpiCurious)

Preheat oven to 450° F. 

In a large bowl, mix the apple slices in the lemon juice. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste, then add the mace and nutmeg. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pastry shell. Mound toward the center and dot with butter. Roll out the remaining pastry and carefully lay it over the apples. Seal the edges, cut vent holes, and decorate with extra pieces of dough cut into decorative shapes. Brush the egg wash over the surface of the pastry. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet (to catch any spill over) and cook in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350° F. and continue to cook for about another hour, until the top crust is a beautiful golden brown. If the edges start to darken too much, cover with a ribbon of aluminum foil.

ENJOY! Now take these creations to the next place where you want to warm up some souls! :)