Creamy Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

I haven't posted many recipes in awhile and over the holidays I actually cooked something, mostly myself so thought I'd share the delicious recipe!!

It's a modified version I found for Hearty Hot or Cold Roasted Tomato Soup on the Allrecipes.com website.




Creamy Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

2 pounds Roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic
1 quart vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup heavy cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on a baking tray with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 1 hour. Watch them though they may need more or less time depending on your oven. The tomatoes should be soft and blistering and the garlic should turn a light brown but make sure they don't burn.

Carefully peel as much of the tomato skin as you can off. Then snip the ends off the garlic cloves, and squeeze the insides into the bowl of a food processor along with the entire contents of the baking tray including the juices. Add stock, basil, and vinegar; blend until smooth then add the heavy cream. Now let it simmer for about half an hour to let the flavours develop and let the cream thicken. If you find you'd like it thicker in a bowl combine 1 tbs cornstarch and 1-2 tbs of cold water to create a slurry then add that to the soup and let it simmer and thicken.

Season and serve! It taste good with fresh Parmesan on top!

Out with 2010 and in with 2011!!

Well it's time for a year in perspective... was 2010 a good year? Was it everything I expected? After 2009, 2010 could only be better... and while it was still a year of recovery some pretty great and even amazing things did happen so I will say yes 2010, you were good to me.

It was the year I got engaged, in Las Vegas, so you can't get much better then that. I also got a new car, with power steering too!! James got on track and finished his second level of school and signed up for his third and final year. We jetted off to Hawaii to celebrate my 28th birthday and 3 wonderful years together. I reconnected with some old friends and disconnected with others, but in the end everything worked out as it was meant to.

I started kicking my butt into shape and working out on a regular basis as well as eating better. I started to feel a lot better and lost 15lbs. I took a bit of a break in December but I plan to get back on track and have done a few work outs already. The first one reminded me how long it had been and my plan for 2011 is to stay on the same path.

What will 2011 bring? Usually I'm thinking about my next trip, and even though I said this last year too, this year will hopefully be one of saving. I've built up a few debts in 2010 and I am planning towards a big adventure in 2012, so this year will be about working towards those big goals.

Flying high

Ok I will start by mentioning I am a bad blogger... once again, and now we will move on!

Work is slow, painfully slow. The kind of slow that you are startled when someone actually comes in or the phone rings. What are you doing here? Or right we are a business and I am working... I forgot. I could be productive, but with the holidays a week away who is doing that anyways?
I am eyeing someone outside our shop right now that is reading posters in the window and just praying they keep moving along. I'm sorry, I am too un-motivated to help you today. Try me again in the morning, but by the afternoon it's hopless!

I have most of my Christmas shopping done, not that I have too much to do. Just family that don't really need anything or want anything but you feel obligated to get them something. I bought one gift the other day, a cook book, just to flip through it and realize that they have already cooked things in the book. Hmmm so now do I return it or keep it for myself? Maybe I'll just wrap it and put it under the tree for me. I can pretend to be all surprised and thank myself. Ok maybe not.

I hate the last weekend before Christmas crunch though... every year it gets me! I know I wasn't prepared this year so I was at least prepared for not being prepared? But how do you shop for someone who just buys everything they want as soon as it comes out cuz they can't wait (cough, cough, James!) Or parents that don't really need anymore useless stuff? I try to be thoughtful and come up with creative ideas... but then I remember I'm not actually creative I just wish I was.

We got back from Maui the other week and had a fabulous time seeing all the sights and soaking in the sun on our way to them. I started thinking about my evolution of travel. I used to get so excited for trips, not able to sleep the night before, waking up with butterflies. Now I'm tense worrying about getting to the airport on time, will there be a line up, what's happening with the weather? I am a person that likes to be on time or late... I don't like waiting for other people so I'd rather be late then wait for you. But then I always feel guilty about being late as if this isn't normally like me. So getting to the airport early pains me, but it helps relieve my stress at the same time. Though once I am checked in and waiting at the gate all I can think is I didn't need to be here this early!

I'm hit or miss on enjoying the actual flight experience. Usually I just sit there doing nothing and zone out or sleep hoping for it to be over. I used to read or try and watch things but something about flying makes me so sleepy as soon as I pick up my book I'm nodding off. Sometimes I'll just pretend I'm sleeping so people don't think I'm weird for just sitting there and staring at the air.
But then the beverage cart comes down the aisle and I try to play it cool as I wasn't anxiously awaiting my turn to order my drink. I always go with tomato juice. I don't know why but it's my flying drink of choice. I saw someone order it years ago and I was like are you serious we can actually order tomato juice this is great! I couldn't believe the selection they have! I mean really you could get away with 3 choices and I'm sure people would still be happy... oh wait who am I kidding people are never happy, especially with too few choices.

I never want to have pop while flying it makes me too gassy and that is the last thing you want when squished in between two strangers.

I do normally enjoy Clamato or Cesaers so maybe that's why I like to order tomato juice, it's a slightly different option of something I enjoy. Sometimes I'll switch it up with an orange juice or water if I forgot to bring my own. Why order water when there's so many other great options?

Ice or no ice? That's also a dilema I go back and forth on.

On our flight to Maui we got free Mai Tai's which was pretty exciting as well as this stuff called POG. I think it was Pineapple, Orange and Guava? It's was delicious! James didn't know what a Mai Tai was so I think he was disapointed when he first tried it until I let him know there was alcohol in it... then he enjoyed it enough to buy two 1.75litres at Costco! Yum!

I don't like to drink too much on the flight though because unless I'm in the aisle seat I try and avoid going to the washroom. Especially if there are strangers beside you and you need to wait until they are done their drink/meal/nap for them to move.
Once I was on an international flight with an elderly nun sitting in the aisle. She was wheeled onto the flight in wheel chair... let me tell you that was an uncomfortable flight! I think I made her get up once but near the end of the flight I decided to just hold it since we were so close. But I forgot that she was in a wheelchair until the stewardress came up and told her just to wait until everyone is off the plane and then they will come and get her. What? I couldn't wait that long! I think I ended up jumping over her and apologizing...

Another time I was stuck on a different international flight in the middle seat in a row of three... who booked that? I was inbetween two larger people that were missionaries travelling together. Luckily they left me alone. I remember watching Million Dollar Baby struggling to stay awake. I fell asleep before the part where she hits her head... and I'm pretty sure I drooled on the person beside me. How are you supposed to sleep sitting up? Well I guess I managed it.

I also get excited about the meals. I know everyone hates airline food, and I'm not saying it's that great either. But you're stuck on a plane for 7 or more hours, besides arriving at your destination there's not much else to look forward to. It's always eager anticipation, what will they serve? I alway get my meal first as a vegetarian which is fun... yet awkward when everyone else is starting at you anxious for their meal and wondering why you're so special.
Sometimes the meals are pretty decent, and you get a salad, dessert, fruit... sometimes I think vegetarians get the shaft. They just throw something together, and then we get fruit instead of the declicious looking brownie everyone else has. Hey I like chocolate too! Fruits nice, but honestly come on who wouldn't pick the brownie if you have a choice? I'm not a vegan!

When I went to Tokyo I was lucky enough to fly business class on the way there. I ordered champagne right away to feel fancy. Then I realized it was an international flight and alcohol was free so anyone could order champagne. But I also got free slippers! I remember something about a chocolate cart but that part is foggy. The seats were big and roomy which was a downside because I was so comfortable I fell asleep and missed all the exciting things that are included in business class. But I guess getting a good sleep is the point, but I wanted to soak it all in! On the return we were stuck in the bulkhead seat at the front with a wall infront of us and babies beside. That was when I wish I could have fallen alseep and missed it! We called this a mullet ticket, business on the way there, economy on the way back... ah yeah I still giggle at that one.

So that's my airline rant... I could go on and on, but luckily most stories get lost in my head and only poke out at random times.

I wish I had an iphone 4 because I'm convinced I would be taking pictures all the time and blogging them. I feel like I've also mentioned this before. We know what I'm wishing for this year! And I'm guessing I am being over ambitious on my wishing as well!

Ok well there's something for anyone that still even bothers so check this anymore! I'm sorry and I can't promise I'll be any better in the future! But this won't be the last from me!

sNOw thank you!

Dear Snow,

I do not enjoy you, you are not my friend. We used to be friends when I was younger. I would get excited at the sight of you slowly falling from the sky, covering the ground and creating a winter wonderland. I would dig out my crazy carpet and spend hours going down the hill in front of our house. Building snowmen and snow angels. My friends would come over and we'd build igloos to hide in and have snow ball fights with the other kids on the street. We'd through snowballs for the dogs to chase. School would be cancelled and we'd have all day to enjoy you and then go inside and warm up by the fire with hot chocolate

Those were the good times snow....

Now that I am grown up it just means having to go out in the freezing cold with clothes that usually aren't winter appropriate and scrapping my car with the crappy little scrapper I have because I refuse to believe I will need more then that. Then I sit and wait in the freezing cold for my car to finally warm up. Then the real fun starts as I ease my way slowly out onto the roads terrified of slippery ice patches. Other cars are driving dangerously fast and close and now I'm more afraid that they will crash into me. In double the time it takes me normally I arrive at my destination and now have to walk through a soggy dirty mess. I don't own appropriate snow shoes or jackets anymore so I'm wearing whatever I could dig up and probably look pretty ridiculous. Once I am inside I try to thaw out and dry off but there's no hot fire or cocoa waiting for me. I'm at work and there's just people demanding my time when I'd rather be home curled up on the coach.

Oh snow... it just isn't the same... though I must admit seeing you all bright and beautiful after the first snow fall does melt my heart a little bit.

....but please don't stay for long...

Mini Pizzas

This blog post is dedicated to my amazing shrinking friend Kristin!! I am so proud of you and your success... and so delighted you actually made and enjoyed one of my recipes so here's a new post just for you!

This recipe is very simple and not anything new or creative but it's one of my favourtes I always go back to when I have a pizza craving. It's easy to make and doesn't need many ingredients. I found it when I was on Weight Watchers and it's one of my favourites! Feel free to experiment and make your own versions!!

Tomato Mini Pizzas

Ingredients:

2 large wheat pita(s), pocketless
2 large tomato(es), plum, thinly sliced (I often use cherry tomatoes)
1/4 tsp table salt
2 Tbsp basil, fresh, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/3 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded


Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a large nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pitas on the baking sheet.

In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes and salt; stir in the basil, oil and garlic. Top the pitas with tomato mixture, drizzling any liquid in the bowl over the toppings. Bake until the tomatoes are hot and softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese; bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes longer. Cut the pitas in half before serving.

And enjoy!!

Here comes the sun... do do do doooo

Today is one of those perfect fall days. The sun is out and it's warm but there's a crispness to the air that let's you know it ain't summer no more! I love watching the leaves change, I love the crisp air... the smell that reminds me that Halloween is coming soon. Yes autumn I love you!

I am proud to say I have been staying on track, going to aquafit 3-4 weeknights and even signing up for a Saturday class! I have been watching my calories and eating a lot healthier. I forgot how good fruit can be!! I just got so lazy with pre packaged food I couldn't be bothered to take the time to cut up some fruit. Now I'm having a salad for lunch and apples, oranges and bananas for snacks. I feel like it's recess in school when I bring out my container of cut up fruits.
Not to say I'm not still indulging in the foods I love, I'm just being more aware and watching portion sizes and I have to say in general I am feeling a lot better as well.

Besides straining my shoulder which has been very painful. I guess working at a computer for 6 years has finally caught up with me. Luckily I have my awesome friend Noelle who is a massage therapist to help it out! I just want it to feel better so I don't have to worry I'll strain it anymore then it already is.

Oh and I also have some new roommates!!



My cousin Natasha moved to the the Happiest Place on Earth to entertain the masses with her amazing accordion skills and singing. These gnomes are a family treasure, my aunt painted them and they were displayed in my grandma Mutti's house until Natasha took them under her wing. Now it is my turn to watch over them while she is off having adventures in Florida!

Fish Tacos!

I've been obsessed with fish tacos lately! Maybe because they are an exciting new alternative to my usual bean version. I've had them at a few places and decided to combine my favourite components into Candice's Ultimate Fish Tacos. Ok maybe that's an exaggeration... this recipe turned out really well but it may need some tweeking. I feel like recipes are just there to guide you, it's up to you to modify them into your own taste.
This recipe is pieced together so read through it first before trying because I don't know if I put it in an order that makes sense!!

I used Halibut for my fish tacos, about 12oz made enough for 6 tacos.

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Creme and Salsa Fresca by Emeril

Salsa Fresca:
• 4 large tomatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 cup chopped white onions
• 5 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 Serrano peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced (I bought 1 jalapeno so modify recipe to work)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Let salsa sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.


Emeril's Southwest Seasoning : - this is meant to be mixed with flour and deep fried but instead used it as a rub for the halibut

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

This makes a lot of seasoning so if you only want enough for this recipe then I would modify it when you make it.
I also would add some lime juice to this maybe 1 tablespoon and olive oil.

Combine all the spices and marinate them with diced Halibut for about half an hour. Saute in a frying man with a little olive oil on medium heat until the fish is cooked through.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven until soft and pliant, about 12 minutes. Remove and keep wrapped until ready to use.
If you have a grill you could heat them up on there as well for a crispier shell.


The Ultimate Fish Tacos by Tyler Florence

Pink Chile Mayonnaise:

• 1 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 chipotles in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (lime if we don't have lemon)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Cabbage Slaw - from Black Bean Tacos on Audrey Needs More Wooden Spoons:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 cups finely shredded cabbage
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a bowl, add cabbage coleslaw, green onions, cilantro and toss to coat. Using a fork, stir in two teaspoons olive oil and lime, and season with salt and pepper to taste.


Once everything is complete I layer the tortilla with the chipotle mayo first, then the halibut, slaw and salsa fresco. You may need to use toothpicks to keep them together. And enjoy!!