Cream of Tomato Soup with Indian Spices

​You know that it’s raining hard when it awakens you from a [rare] sound sleep. I’m not talking thunder and lightning here, I am talking driving, pounding, torrential rain. That’s what woke me up this morning. The weather has warmed up considerably, but I find that these 40° damp, rainy days often make me feel colder than 20° sunny days. There is something about the gloom, rain, and gusts of wind that just seeps into my bones. So today I’m craving grilled cheese and tomato soup, my go to comfort food.

I wanted soup that was warming and spicy, with more flavor than the norm, so I decided to kick up my regular recipe for tomato soup with Indian spices. I think this is going to be my new go to tomato soup when I have the craving. It was creamy and delicious, as homemade tomato soup tends to be, but the spices took it over the top! This is good enough for company, and I will keep it in mind the next time I have the girls over for soup and sandwich.

Cream of Tomato Soup with Indian Spices

​​3 Tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 T. freshly grated Melissa’s Organic Ginger

2 t. garam masala

1 t. chili powder

1 t. ground cumin

¼ cup tomato paste

1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite-diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

Melt butter in a large stockpot or over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes, and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender (or allow to cool slightly and use a counter top blender or food processor).

Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute.

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Meal Plan Monday #14 - Uses for Rotisserie Chicken

It occurred to me the other day, as I was bagging my groceries at the market, that I buy way too much food for someone who lives alone. Truth be told, I like to have a fully stocked pantry so that I can, at any time, make any type of dish that I want without having to run to the store for something. The downside is that my pantry and cabinets are bursting, and I can never find what I’m looking for anyway. 

This week, I challenged myself to buy only one thing, and that thing is a rotisserie chicken. From that one rotisserie chicken I plan on making the following dishes, in individual portions, or, if I must, portions for two (I’ll freeze one for later). So, if you’ve ever wondered what to do with a rotisserie chicken (other than just eating it), here are a number of taste-tempting ideas.

Monday - Mushroom Chicken Broth, Salad, Carrot Bran Muffin

Tuesday - Tea Ladies Chicken Salad, Green Salad, Carrot Bran Muffin

Wednesday - Crunchy Chicken Casserole, Roasted Carrots, Slaw

Thursday - Sushi Lunch Out with friends

Friday - Dinner Out with Friends (Aren’t I a popular girl?!)

Saturday - Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, breadstick

Sunday - Sliced Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, Grape Salad

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Brunch in the Barnyard Tablescape

This is the time of the year when I can’t wait to get out into the garden (read: my container deck garden), and start planting. When I received this lovely planter in memory of dad, I wanted to use it in as many ways as possible. It just spoke to me of renewal, and gave me a feeling of peace and eternal hope. I also thought that it would be the perfect centerpiece for a farmhouse-style table, and as you can see, it is! (As an aside, if anyone can tell me the names of the two plants on the right, I would really appreciate it so that I know how to care for them.)

Beneath the centerpiece is a wooden charcuterie board that is new this year (You can find one similar here.). I cannot tell you how many times I have used this to corral various elements on a centerpiece or display.

If this post shows you anything, it shows you the versatility of a simple tablecloth. I use this one again and again. It looks perfectly at home here in farmhouse style as it did at Halloween. I will never regret this purchase, and I am always on the lookout for something similarly versatile.

Another purchase I will never regret is this bohemian table runner from Anthropologie that I have used in many ways. It looks quite suitable in this setting.

The chargers I bought at a local shop called The White Rabbit. I love them! They give a delightfully rustic look. 

Another purchase from The White Rabbit is the trio of pitchers. They are so cute and versatile, and really inexpensive as far as pitchers go.

On top of the chargers are dinner plates with a black plaid edge. I was quick on the trigger when Pier One offered these, a good thing because they sold out in a flash. Again, these are amazingly versatile. There isn’t a color that doesn’t pair well with these plates.

I took my color scheme from the planter, and used pale green lotus plates beneath the bowls. You can’t see much of them, but they give that little hint of green. 

I picked up that same green in the plaid napkins (from Pottery Barn). I think they look very cheery and inviting folded in this simple way, and pushed down into an equally simple Circleware water glass.

The whimsical bovine bowls are from Carly Dodsley. Aren’t they fabulous?! They are perfect for any meat dish, from soups, to stews, to a bowl of Swedish meatballs. They also prove to be a great vessel for clearing off a shish kebab skewer. The piggy bowl holding croissants, you will recognize from this post.

 The antique replica flatware is another favorite. Dad gave me this set for Christmas six years ago. 

A brunch always includes an assortment of cereals for the youngsters in the crowd, and this basket holds a quartet of them. 

This darling little breakfast set is years old and from Pottery Barn.

The cups are simple, white cappuccino cups that I bought from Amazon more than a decade ago, and they are still available. You cannot imagine how many times I have used these. I find it’s always nice to have a plain set of coffee cups.

Rounding out the farmhouse theme is this lovely rooster pitcher full of spoons, and this cute cow creamer. I failed to put out my cow butter dish, and I am definitely going to be needing as pair of these, but I’ll have to save that for another time. :-)

This post is linked to:

Tablescape Thursday

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New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

I am often amused at the things that inspire me. I am currently involved in the sad task of clearing out the house that my mother and dad shared for over 30 years. As you can imagine, it is quite a challenge. It’s not just 30 years of memories, but a lifetime of memories, as many of them had been moved from their previous home. On the plus side, I have uncovered some real treasures. My mother, though not the dish-collecting enthusiast that I am, did manage to hold her own. I will end up with some beautiful sets of dishes.

While cleaning out the hutch in the breakfast nook I came upon a darling little wavy-edged, yellow, square Italian baking dish. I thought it was as cute as a button, and the first thing I that I wanted to make in it was bread pudding. Don’t ask me why, it’s small, and only makes servings for four, but it was so darned cute, that I couldn’t resist.

The result was excellent! I was put onto this recipe by fellow blogger Alycia Nichols from Tablescapes at Table 21. I’m sure a lot of you know her. She had made rice pudding (that still sounds good to me) and sent me her recipe for rice pudding, and the whiskey sauce that she used to top it. The whiskey sauce was a part of this bigger recipe. I tinkered with it a little bit to make it more flavorful, and it really is delicious. Add more whiskey if you like, it’s cold and flu season, you’re probably doing yourself a favor in the long run.

New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

 Adapted from One Dish Kitchen

5 cups cubed challah bread

1 tablespoon butter

2 large eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 cup whiskey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

WHISKEY SAUCE

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup whiskey

½ teaspoon whiskey flavoring

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease an 8 x 6 - inch baking dish with the tablespoon of butter; set aside.

Place the cubes of bread in a large bowl; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, whiskey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over the bread and gently stir to combine. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Transfer the bread mixture to the baking dish and bake until the center of the bread pudding is set, 45 to 50 minutes.

While the bread pudding is baking, make the whiskey sauce.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, and sugar. Place the cornstarch, whiskey, and whiskey flavoring into a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

Pour the whiskey mixture into the cream mixture and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt, and stir in the butter.

After the bread pudding has finished baking, remove from the oven and pour Whiskey Sauce over the top; serve warm.

Makes 2 massive appetite servings or 4 regular ones.

PRINT RECIPE

If you like your bread pudding with a bit of chocolate added, then you will love Sunset 44 Bistro's Bread Pudding.

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Dad’s Brunswick Stew

After dad’s services, the family came back to the house and enjoyed a meal catered by the wonderful Big Woody’s Barbecue. Dad loved that food, so everything was carefully chosen according to his likes – smoked brisket, green beans, corn on the cob (What Woody does to corn on the cob is nothing short of ambrosial.), cole slaw, and potato salad; local food from a family business, with Jilly’s (also local) Cupcakes for dessert. I had brisket left over, and, after enjoying it for an additional day, decided to turn it into Brunswick Stew (something also offered by Big Woody’s, but only seasonally).

Traditionally Brunswick Stew has a variety of meats including chicken and pork along with the beef, with okra and lima beans as part of the combination of vegetables. Here, I used what I had leftover (and you can too) to make this delicious stew. It can be made in a Dutch oven, but the flavors tend to mingle so nicely when prepared in a slow cooker. 

Dad’s Brunswick Stew

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 14.5-oz. cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 14.75-oz. can cream-style corn

1 cup frozen corn

1 can cannellini beans

1 16-oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup hickory barbeque sauce

½ cup Jack Daniels whiskey

¼ cup cider vinegar

1 tsp. Creole seasoning

1½ - 2 pounds leftover brisket, broken into bite-size pieces

Salt and pepper, to taste

Hot sauce, to taste

Place all ingredients, in the order listed, into a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Season to taste, and serve with corn bread.

PRINT RECIPE

An equally easy and wonderfully delicious stew is this Dead Guy Stew, flavored with Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale. So good!

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Meal Plan Monday #13 - N'awlins Week

It’s N’awlins Week, where I’m trying some new-to-me Cajun and Creole Recipes. I’m in the mood for spicy, one-pot dishes, so we’ll see how things go. I’ll report my successes (if any) next week.

Monday – Grilled Cheese (you read that right), Cream of Tomato Soup with Indian Spices, New Orleans Bread Pudding

Tuesday – Gumbo

Wednesday – Mammogram today, I'm taking myself out

Thursday – Dinner out with the girls.

Friday – Jambalaya

Saturday – Muffaletta Sandwich

Sunday –Pecan Pie French Toast, bacon

Here’s a sneak peek at an upcoming table.

A Year of the Pig Table to Enjoy All Year Long

After I did last week’s post on my hutch, and saw how many piggy things I actually had, I thought I owed it to myself to put together a “Year of the Pig” table. Yes, I know Chinese New Year is over, but it will be Year of the Pig all year long, and this whimsical table can work year-round as well, particularly if you’re serving Chinese food.

The base of this table is simply yardage of fabric. I love this fabric, and cannot tell you how many times that I have used it, including at my mom and dad’s anniversary party years ago. I bought enough so that I would not only be able to cover the table, but make napkins as well, and you see them here in a pig napkin holder.

The white pig bowls are a new addition this year, and can be used in a variety of ways. They are oven safe, so can hold a delicious casserole (See Meal Plan Monday #10 for casserole ideas.), can be piled full of various forms of citrus fruit, or used as I have done here, lined with a napkin and holding a loaf of freshly baked Outback Steakhouse Bread (You can find that recipe here.).

I love the centerpiece, because like so many others, I have fallen onto the pitcher bandwagon. All three pitchers were a local purchase, from a favorite shop called The White Rabbit. They are reasonably priced, so you may want to check out their website here (I am in no way affiliated, I just love their shop.).

  Be whimsical, be fun, but most of all be yourself when you set a table. Allow your personality to shine through. Everyone will love it!
The alstroemerias (Peruvian lilies) add a soft touch to the center.

Each place setting is layered with first, a gold placemat, then a rhinestone-studded red charger, topped with lovely white plates, and then a chalkboard pig name holder.

Bamboo flatware is from Crate and Barrel, as well as the small white soup bowls, and Asian soup spoons. The tiny fish plates will hold pats of butter.

The Asian glassware I made myself and you can read about that here.

The two wooden pig bowls, stacked one on top of the other, I bought at a shop in Austin, Texas when Mr. O-P and I were working at the Harry Ransom Library at the University of Texas. The shop was going out of business so I got a great price. You can find them here.

Chopsticks are always fun, and you can get those inexpensively here on Amazon. I used to be able to pick up a single grain of rice with chopsticks, but these old hands don’t work as well as they used to, still, I can manage to devour a noodle bowl, the Spicy Peanut Noodles that I made last week in particular.

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