Thursday, January 7, 2010

Happy Friday!


Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! We have a lot of cooking on tap again this weekend. We're staying on the healthy train :)

Oh and speaking of cooking, here's the Tuscan Tomato Soup Recipe that I promised you.

Tuscan Tomato Soup
Serves 6-8
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 lb (1.5 kg) ripe tomatoes, peeled & seeded, then diced
4 c (32 fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock or prepared broth
3 T tomato paste
1/8 t red-pepper flakes
3 T heavy cream
1/2 c finely chopped basil leaves, plus 6-8 whole leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • In a large soup pot over medium meat, warm the oil.
  • Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until softened, 5-7 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and red pepper flakes.
  • Raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the tomatoes are softened, about 30 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • In a blender or food preocessor, puree the soup in batches, leaving a little bit of texture if desired, and return the soup to the pot.
  • Alternatively, process with a handheld blender in the pot until the desired consistency is reached.
  • Return the soup to the saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, chopped basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
  • To serve, place in a warmed bowl and sprinkle with Parmesean cheese.
  • Garnish with a basil leaf and serve immediately.

Peeling & Seeding Tomatoes
For this soup, select fully sun-ripened tomatoes that are slightly soft to the touch.

  • To peel and seed them, fill a saucepan three-fourths full of water and bring to a boil. Using a sharp knife, score an X in the blossom end of each tomato.
  • In batches, without crowding, immerse the tomatoes in the boiling water and leave for 15-30 seconds, or until the skins just begin to wrinkle.
  • Remove from the pan with a slitted spoon, let cool slightly, then peel away the skins.
  • Cut in half cross-wise and squeeze gently to dislodge the seeds.
Happy cooking and have a great one!
    Image: found here

    5 comments:

    A Los Angeles Love said...

    Oh geez. I want to make that soup and I want to find that sexy-time ensemble. Happy Friday!

    anna and the ring said...

    Mmm and I do hope you are cooking wearing heels! It makes the kitchen so much more exciting!

    Helena - A Diary of Lovely said...

    Sounds delicious (and healthy!)! will certainly give it a go!
    Have a great weekend xx

    Connie @ SogniESorrisi said...

    Sounds great. Have a great weekend!

    debra@dustjacket said...

    Mmm sounds so great.
    xxxx