5-Minute Creamy Tomato Soup from Scratch

In keeping with the topic of the onset of fall, the cooler weather has put Matt and I in a soup-ish mood lately.  So, tonight's dinner is homemade creamy tomato soup, and its ratio of easy (easy!!!) to make and deliciousness is so extreme, that I had to share.  I even considered using some kind of "soup-erb" pun in the title of this post, but exercised better judgment.

If you love coconut and/or avoid lactose, then you will be glad to know that the creamy aspect of this soup actually comes from coconut milk, rather than dairy.  I'm kinnnnd of a creative genius... no biggie.  The ration of garlic is generous, but won't make you pay by requiring a steady flow of gum for the next 36 hours, and the timeless combination of basil and oregano with tomato is, of course, perfection.  No distinct coconut flavor actually surfaces here, which I'm all about since I think the focus should be on that basil-oregano-tomato thing I mentioned, but I love the consistency and slight, smooth sweetness that it adds.

This almost takes less time than any of the boxed or canned stuff, and is so much better for you - no insane sodium count, and it is made entirely of whole ingredients of whatever quality you choose!

"Creamy Tomato Soup"

Makes 4 bowls so, 

realistically, serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 13-ounce can Coconut Milk, or 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 2 Tb minced Garlic
• 20 shredded fresh Basil leaves, or 2-3 Tb of squeezable Basil*
• Leaves from 2-3 sprigs Oregano, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Pepper, to taste
• Optional - 1 13-ounce can of drained Petite Diced Tomatoes**

*Dried basil just doesn't do itself justice, especially in this case, where the basil is such a feature.

**I love having some actual pieces of tomato in my tomato soup, but Matt is more picky than I, so we have to trade off.

How To

• Add all ingredients (except diced tomatoes, if adding those!) to a blender or, if using an immersion blender, to the medium-sized pot you will cook it in.  
• Blend until smooth.  
• Pour contents of blender (and optional diced tomatoes) in a medium-sized pot set to medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer, and serve whenever you want.

I recommend serving this in the tried and true style, with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a side of Grilled Cheese.

Lemon Bread, or Satisfying Early-Onset Autumnal Urge to Bake

The catalyst in this project occurred when Sawyer and I walked to the health food store a couple of days ago, and I picked up a bag of Chickpea flour to experiment with on a whim.  On the rare occasion that I bake - or want to be sweet and make Matt a batch of waffles to freeze and pop in the toaster for quick, early-morning breakfasts - I have been using Brown Rice flour, which usually works out well, but for certain projects can result in a slightly grainy texture.  More-so than that, as we try to eat grain-free from day to day, I've been wanting to find a more long-term option that fits the bill.

The bag of Chickpea flour sat untouched in the back of the fridge for several hot, muggy days of the kind that lead one to experience zero desire to be anywhere near a hot oven.  Yesterday, however, we woke up to a nip in the air and the faintest hint of dew on the grass.  Instantly, a wave of Cozy washed over me, and the cooler temperatures and lack of humidity stuck around all day.  By mid-afternoon, I was assured that the heat and humidity weren't lurking somewhere to surprise me before nightfall, and allowed myself to succumb to a full-fledged anticipation of Autumn.  Time to bake something.

I love pumpkin-infused anything in the fall as much as the next person, but I can also acknowledge how overplayed pumpkin starts to feel come the end of December.  Being merely September, and technically still summertime, I was determined not to break the pumpkin seal quite yet, and voila: Lemon Bread - the perfect equilibrium between bright and summery citrus flavor and the autumnal urge to bake.  I searched some favorite sources for recipes, and ended up determining that the best route to the honeyhole of decadent flavor and reasonably satisfying nutrition facts was to merge a little of my own know-how with qualities from several bread variations.

This Lemon Bread turned out wonderfully soft and spongy but holds together well, and is sweet without crossing the line from reasonable breakfast treat to full-on dessert territory, though it would satisfy a sweet tooth if that's what you're after!  I added ginger, because I love the way that it enhances citrus flavors, so this has a very lemony punch.  The pour-over glaze baked in for the last few minutes is also vital.  I recommend serving it with a light spread of some sort of marmalade or tart jam; I've loved it with raspberry-rhubarb jam and citrus-apricot marmalade.

"Lemon Bread"

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

    Bread - 

• 1 1/3 cups Chickpea Flour, or flour of choice (halve for Coconut flour*)
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt 
• 1/4 tsp Ginger
• 4 Eggs
• zest and juice from 2 Lemons *set aside 2 Tb for glaze
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 3/4 cup Milk (can be Dairy, Almond milk, canned Coconut Milk... your choice)
• 1/2 cup Honey, or 1 cup Stevia, Sugar, etc.
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil, or 1/2 stick melted Butter

*I have never been impressed with Coconut flour when it comes to this sort of baking, so take that venture at your own risk

    Pour-Over Glaze - 

• 2 Tb Coconut Oil, or 2 Tb melted Butter
• 2 Tb Honey
• 2 Tb Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• sprinkle of Ginger

How To

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine and mix flour, baking soda, and salt. 
• In small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs with lemon zest and juice, and vanilla.  Stir in melted butter or oil, honey or sugar, and milk. 
• Pour into lightly greased bread pan, and bake for 28 mins.  During this time, combine all glaze ingredients and heat on the stove top or in the microwave about 20 seconds, so that honey is melted and the glaze is very liquid. 
• Remove bread from oven, evenly drizzle glaze across the top.  It will steam and soak into the bread, and smell amazing.
• Return bread to the oven for another 7 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
• Let cool significantly before inverting the pan to remove the bread. Serve warm or chilled! Keep it wrapped and in the fridge to retain texture and moistness. 

Las Vegas in Style!

Over the Labor Day weekend, we took a trip to Las Vegas to escape the general Missouri blah-ness, and as a sort of "last hurrah" with the superb group of people that we have met while enduring this place.  It was a great weekend, and with some of the connections in the group, we were able to experience Vegas like Matt and I have never done before: guest lists and cutting to the front of some serious lines, private tables, daybeds, over-priced restaurants with questionable portions - the real VIP treatment.  Some of us, including me, caught the Ka Cirque du Soleil show while my husband and others somewhat ironically, but mostly wholeheartedly, attended a Britney Spears concert.  We dabbled at the Blackjack tables, saw Skrillex at XS nightclub and Martin Garrix at Wet Republic dayclub, and did our fair share of roaming the maze of delightfully over-the-top hotels that is The Strip.

Matt and I also went on a special excursion to an In'n'Out Burger to satisfy his eternal craving.  Personally I don't see, or rather, taste what is so darn spectacular, but whatever makes him happy - and at one point between bites, he earnestly declared, "I am rarely this happy."  Uhh?  If in our life together, he is "rarely" made as happy as he is by two spongey orbs of cooked beef, then that is truly sad, my friends.  Fortunately for him, I let that one slide... for now... muahaha...

Anyways.

We really lucked out with the group of people that Matt ended up sharing a small group with for the duration of the Career Course, and we've had such a blast with them these past months.  Slowly - and fortunately for them - people are trickling out of the area towards their next duty stations, and we will follow suit in December, so this trip was a great way to kick off the next phases in life for us and the great new people that we now get to call friends!

So now, without further ado, some pictures:

En route

 Sushi and Skrillex at XS

 Pure hamburger joy over here at the In'n'Out

Silliness, a daybed, and Martin Garrix at Wet Republic

The Britney Spears Entourage