Featured Recipe: Sweet Basil's Onion Soup

I am really excited to be sharing this recipe with you today courtesy of Chef and owner Dave Becker from Sweet Basil located in Needham, MA. 

Featuring an ever-changing menu of Italian cuisine with hand-made pastas and ingredients sourced from local New England farms, Sweet Basil has a loyal following of repeat customers who come back time and time again for the quality food and comforting atmosphere.

Chef Dave recently launched his brand new cookbook, Stewed, featuring handmade takes on classic soups, stews, and braises. Using simple fresh ingredients, he builds on flavor and focuses on fundamental cooking techniques. 

This kicks off a trio of posts you will find here for the next few Thursday's that will be focused around Sweet Basil and Chef Dave's Stewed cookbook. With what seems like never ending cold winter weather what's a better way to warm up than with some hearty soup recipes?

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Photo credit: Nina Gallant

Sweet Basil's Onion Soup:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 Spanish onions, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ cups tawny port wine
• 1 quart Veggie, Beef or Chicken Stock
• 2 tablespoons plum tomatoes, ¼” dice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 4 slices stale bread, ½” dice
• 1 ½ cups grated Gruyère or Manchego cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Garnish: Sliced scallions, Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. As soon as it melts, add the onions, increase the heat to medium-low, and saute for 30 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary, saute for 1 or 2 minutes or until the garlic just begins to brown, and then stir in the balsamic vinegar. Add the port wine, and reduce until the pan is almost dry. Add the stock of your choosing, along with the plum tomatoes and the maple syrup. Bring the soup to a boil, remove from the heat, and season to your liking with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, arrange the bread chunks on a broiling pan, sprinkle with the grated Gruyère or Manchego cheese, drizzle with some olive oil, and toast until the cheese is bubbling and brown.

Evenly distribute the soup among serving bowls, top with the cheesy bread, garnish with
scallions and Parmesan, and serve.

Sweet Basil is located at 942 Great Plain Ave., Needham, MA 02492.

If you are interested in purchasing Chef Dave's newest cookbook, Stewed, or any of his cookbooks, you can find them here: www.sweetbasilneedham.com/cookbook

Chef Dave will also be hosting a cooking demonstration and book signing on Wednesday, February 27th from 6:00 - 9:00pm at Boston University. If you are interested in attending you can purchase tickets here: www.bu.edu/foodandwine

Fresh City Catered Salad Bar

A few weeks ago Fresh City was nice enough to contact me and offered to set up a salad bar in my office for 20 people.

How generous is that???

If you haven't experiences Fresh City yet you really need to check them out! With locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey they serve a variety of stir fry, burritos, salads, sandwiches, soups, and smoothies. Their motto is "Live Life to the Freshest!" and they do this by using naturally-raised meat, poultry and seafood, hand-picked produce, cut fresh daily, and organic ingredients. 

Below are some of the beautiful images of our salad bar courtesy of Fresh City. 

If you are looking for a creative catering order for your next office lunch I would highly recommend this salad bar!

Make sure to visit your nearest Fresh City for breakfast, lunch or dinner soon!

Guest Post: Olive Cheese Bread

Today I am excited to have a guest post from my good from Jaime from La Vie...J'aime. She came over this past Saturday and spoiled me by making this delicious meal!

Thanks Jaime <3

Last Saturday morning was a rainy one, and I flipped on the TV, catching two episodes of the Food Network’s The Pioneer Woman.  My mouth watered over her Olive Cheese Bread recipe. It looked like the perfect comfort food for that day.  I called Emily, knowing she would be interested in trying this recipe with me, and she has a much better kitchen for cooking!

This recipe was so easy & inexpensive... and it made a lot of food.  

Basically, mix all the ingredients together and spread over a split loaf of bread.  Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Cut and enjoy!

To round out the meal, and add something nutritious, I made a simple spinach & tomato salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Thanks, Emily, for having me!  

Thank YOU Jaime for coming over and making us this great meal! It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Guest Post: Cheddar and Gruyere Mac and Cheese

Head over the my friend Jaime's blog at http://www.laviejaime.com/. I am guest posting today while she's on a 10 day vacation in Italy (jealous!).

I made a Cheddar and Gruyere Mac and Cheese!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Growing up, after carving pumpkins we always toasted the pumpkin seeds. So after making all of that pumpkin puree I had tons of seeds left over. They were the perfect snack!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Seeds from one pumpkin
• Parchment paper
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 250 F.

Scoop out the seeds from your pumpkin into a strainer.

Separate the seeds from the pumpkin fibers and rinse well.

Lay out on cookie tray lined with parchment paper. Allow to dry overnight.

Once dry drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then eat - with the shell on or off!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

This is the EASIEST thing to do!

You will have more pumpkin than you know what to do with. It is also so much less expensive than buying it canned at the store.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 medium pumpkin
• That's it!

Pre-heat your oven to 400 F.

Put the whole pumpkin on a baking sheet.

Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your pumpkin. You will know it's done when it is brown on the outside and fork tender.

Let cool then slice in half. Scoop out all the fibers and seeds (rinse and dry if you are going to bake after).

Scoop the pumpkin into a food processor and puree until smooth. Add a tiny bit of water if needed to help along.

Store in freezer safe bags - I portioned mine out into about 2 cups so it will be easy to thaw and use.

**I was skeptical about putting the whole pumpkin in the oven but it worked perfectly! It makes it so much easier to cut in half after it's cooked rather than before.**

Guest Post: Polish Beet Soup

Today I am so excited to share a guest post from my good friend Joanna. Joanna's family comes from Poland and this is her twist on Polish Beet Soup - a recipe passed down in Joanna's family through the generations. The beets even come from her very own backyard garden!

Oh yes, and Happy Halloween!

I really wanted to share Joanna's post today because with much excitement (and sadness)  today is Joanna's last day working in our office.

Joanna and I have been friends and co-workers for the past 5 1/2 years. Although I know we will stay friends and see each other often, I want to give Joanna and special thanks for all her help and everything she has taught me over these past 5 1/2 years. I couldn't have done it without her and will miss her so much!

Joanna - I am so excited for you to start this new career path. You will be great at it and they are lucky to have you!! Don't worry, we'll always keep you informed of when we are going to Foley's :)

Joanna and her husband Will are the talent behind The Adventures of WillieMann - Check out their AMAZING photos!!

Here is the recipe directly from Joanna...Enjoy!


I started with 8 cups of water.  If you're going for more, adjust ingredients as needed.

In 8 cups of water bring two beef bullion cubes, 1/2 tspn of black peppercorns, 1/2 tspn of allspice and 2 bay leaves to boil.


Add whole carrots and celery to broth for flavor.


Clean, peel and slice or shred raw beets... probably about 4 cups (once sliced), the more you add, the richer the flavor.

Add beets to broth and continue to boil until beets are tender.  Do not over boil (the soup will turn brown).
Bring to simmer.

Add 2 tblsp of white vinegar (I hear you can also use lemon juice) - this is to keep the soup a vibrant red and give it a little "tanginess".

Add 2 tspn of marjoram.

Add salt & more pepper to taste.

Simmer on low for about 10 minutes

All done!



Notes from Joanna:
In Poland, this is traditionally served over mushroom dumplings, but I just strained it into a cup for an afternoon snack.
The carrots and celery can be tossed (I saved the carrots for the dogs)
The beets can be chilled and used in salads the next day - how's that for efficiency!

Balsamic and Honey Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I have made Caramelized Brussel Sprouts before but thought it was time to try out roasting.

Loved it.

So easy to prepare.

Try it :)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 lb brussel sprouts
• 1/2 of a small onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons lemon olive oil  **if you don't have just use regular olive oil and the juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Rinse the brussel sprouts and remove any damaged outer leaves

Trim the bottom of the sprouts off and slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

Dice your onion very small.

Put sliced brussel sprouts and onion in a large plastic bag. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of honey, and salt and pepper to taste.

     **My honey came from my friend Dayna's wedding. Her family has backyard beehive and these cute jars of honey were given to us when we sat down for dinner. Now that I've had this I will never be able to buy the plastic honey bear kind again...

Shake to coat all of the brussel sprouts and pour out onto a cookie sheet covered with tin foil and lightly sprayed with canola oil spray.

Top with pine nuts and roast in the oven for 20 minutes  Toss once halfway through the roasting process to ensure even cooking.

Pomodoro Sauce

I have tried a MILLION times to make a simple yet flavorful red sauce and every attempt failed.

Until now.

This sauce is packed full of fresh tomato flavor and hand picked herbs (aka my cute little basil plant on my window sill). Built slowly and given plenty of time to develop this is one of my favorite recipes EVER. Like, ever.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes  **I used San Marzano**
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 basil sprigs
• 1 tablespoon of torn basil leaves
• 1 lb spaghetti, cooked al dented according to package directions
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley  **I didn't have on hand so I used dried**
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Set a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl. Pour in the tomatoes letting the juice separate out into the bowl below.

With your hands crush the tomatoes to extract more juice. 

**Beware I got covered in tomato. Next time I will slice them in half with a knife first. Whoops.

Set the tomatoes aside. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent (approx. 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add 1/2 of the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the strained tomatoes, sugar and salt.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. The tomatoes will soften and the sauce will be slightly thicker.

Add the reserved tomato juice and bring the sauce to a boil. 

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove the sauce from the heat, add 4 sprigs of basil and set aside.

While the sauce is simmering...

Boil a large pot of water, salt, and cook spaghetti until al dente.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water when you go to drain.

Place the pasta pot back on the stove over a medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the other half of garlic and a pinch of red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Remove the basil from the tomato sauce. Add the sauce to the skillet. Simmer until warmed through. 

Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Thin the sauce with the pasta cooking water, if needed.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, torn basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Garnish with additional cheese and basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Basil Pesto

I have made arugula pesto before but have wanted to make traditional basil pesto for a while now.

This recipe was super easy and you can store in your freezer if you don't want to use it right away!

Enjoy!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Makes approx. 1 cup



Toast the pine nuts over low to medium heat until they are slightly browned - you will be able to smell them once they start toasting!


Transfer the pine nuts to a food processer. Add the basil. Pulse until combined.  
*I use a mini food processor for pesto if I am not making a large batch - the larger food processor is too big to pulse everything enough**

Add the garlic and juice from 1/2 a lemon and pulse again.



With the food processor running and add the olive oil in a continuous stream, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.



Add the grated cheese and pulse until combined.  


Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Roasted Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

When I saw this on Pinterest I knew I had to make it. ASAP.

I love goat cheese and I just happened to have a lot in the house right now. Perfect timing!

The idea to roast strawberries had been on my mind for the past few weeks now. If you read How Sweet It Is (one of my favorite blogs that I read daily!) I'm sure you know Jessica is on a roasted strawberry kick...Roasted Strawberry, Brie and Chocolate Grilled Cheese. Like REALLY?? She is amazing.

You know what was also amazing?

The roasted strawberries.

They definitely soften in the oven but the taste of them is like a super enhanced sweet strawberry. So yum.

I will be eating this salad every day for the next month...year...who knows :)

Recipe adapted from Nest and Sparkle and inspired by How Sweet It Is

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

**I  only made a single serving of this which is why nothing is measured out**

• Fresh baby spinach leaves
• Toasted sliced almonds
• Crumbled goat cheese
• Roasted fresh, sliced strawberries
• Canola oil
• Salt
• Poppy seed dressing - homemade or store bought

Pre heat your oven to 375 F.

Wash and slice your strawberries. Coat with canola oil and season with salt.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

While the strawberries are roasting toast your almonds over low heat.

In a bowl add the spinach leaves, crumbled goat cheese and almonds. Top with roasted strawberries and poppy seed dressing.

HOW GOOD WAS THAT??