Soup and Sandwiches

Soup and Sandwiches

Soup is a versatile and easy way to begin or round out a meal. Making soup does not take long, and once you start making homemade soup you’ll have a hard time eating it out of a can. Served with a salad or sandwhich, soup becomes the base of a great meal. One of my favourite combinations is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Here is an updated version.

Vegetable Soup

~onion (any kind, today I used half a red onion I had on hand)

~carrots

~celery

~red pepper

~potatoes

~stock (I use veggie, chicken would be great too)

~salt and pepper

~bay leaf

Chop onion, carrots, celery and red pepper. Peel and cube potatoes. In soup or large pot sauté vegetables (minus the potatoes) in a little bit of oil, until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and some salt and pepper. Add 5 cups of stock and 1 cup water. (Amount of liquid is more important than ratio of stock to water, less stock just means you need to season the soup a bit more).

Add a bay leaf.

Bring to boil, then cover & simmer on low for 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft. In batches or with an immersion blender, blend soup until desired consistency is reached.

Asparagus & Brie Panini

~asparagus spears
~brie or camembert cheese
~ciabatta buns

Blanche asparagus spears in boiling water for 2 – 4 minutes. Transfer to cold water bath to stop the cooking. Slice brie to fit on buns. Place asparagus, cut in half, on bottom half of the bun. Place brie on top. Grill in Panini Press (or waffle iron) until cheese is melted.

Don’t be afraid of puff pastry

Frozen puff pastry can be a host’s best friend. It is quick, easy, always good to have on hand and most of the appetizers or desserts can be made, frozen and cooked straight from the freezer. Frozen puff pastry was something that I used to be afraid of. This is partially because the first time I used it, I didn’t really understand the instructions from the recipe I was using and tried to unfold the pastry. Well let me tell you, it’s not supposed to unfold, you actually roll it out. That made it a lot easier. So, here’s a great recipe to introduce you to puff pastry.


Chicken & Brie Turnovers

These little bites are a fantastic appetizer to have on hand for entertaining. They are relatively easy to make and freeze really well for up to a month. Believe me, they won’t last that long!

The basic recipe can easily be modified to suit your likes.

What You Need:
1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
11/4 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
¾ cup diced Brie or Camembert
1 or 2 green onions, finely diced
2 spoonfuls of mayo
Minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries or other fruit

Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. In bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients and stir gently.Now for the pastry. Each package of puff pastry has two squares. Separate and roll each out to a 10-inch square. Cut each portion into 16 squares.

Brush some of the beaten egg onto the edges of the squares. Spoon a healthy teaspoon of filling into the center of each square. Fold as you’d like, crimp edges, place on baking sheet and brush with egg.

Freeze on pans and transfer to waxed lined container and freeze between waxed paper for up to one month. Bake from frozen for approximately 25 minutes in 350F oven on top and bottom thirds of oven, switching halfway through, until golden and puffed.


Try to let them cool for a minute or two before you dig in!

Extra: What is that thing that I’m rolling my pastry out on? It’s a pastry mat, and one of the best $10 I spent. It has built in rulers, and circular patterns to help with crusts etc. Also, it makes cleaning up way easier after baking. Worth investing in!!!