Gazpacho

Serves 4

2 lbs ripe tomatoes (about 10 plum tomatoes)
1/2 lb cucumber (about 1 cuke)
3 oz green pepper (about 1/2 pepper)
1 clove garlic
2 TBS sherry vinegar
1/2 c water
3/4 c Spanish olive oil
2 tsp salt

Place into blender:
Quartered  tomatoes (discard the core and top of tomatoes)
Peeled and cut cucumber & green pepper chunks
Add the garlic, vinegar, water and blend to a thick liquid.

Add the olive oil and salt and reblend.
Pour the soup through a strainer into a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

While it's cooling, prepare the crouton and other garnishes.
In 1 TBS of olive oil, fry a piece of crusty bread on both sides until crisp. Cut into small bits.
Finely dice peeled cucumber and green pepper as well as bits of tomato from the tops.

Place some of each garnish into a bowl and pour the chilled gazpacho over. drizzle with more olive oil.

This recipe comes from my favorite restaurant in DC, Jaleo's.  It belongs to the Andalucian wife of Chef Jose Andres.

Cantaloupe Gazpacho

1 medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons red onion, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
White or black pepper to taste
Sriracha sauce or mint leaves

Place cantaloupe, cucumber, red onion and vinegar in blender and blend on high speed until almost pulverized. While the blender is running, add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with a swirl of Sriracha sauce to taste, or use mint for a less spicy version.

Yield: 6 servings

Adapted from July 2013 issue of Bon Apetite

Smoky Pork and White Bean Stew

Ingredients

·         1 (12- to 16-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

·         Salt and pepper

·         3 tablespoons vegetable oil

·         1 onion, chopped

·         4 garlic cloves, minced

·         1 tablespoon smoked paprika

·         1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

·         3 cups chicken broth

·         2 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed (great northern or navy)

·         1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1.   1. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pork and cook until browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate.

2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add tomatoes, broth, and pork and any accumulated juices and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until pork is just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Chilled Avocado and Melon Soup

 

For the soup:

3 c peeled and diced ripe honeydew melon (about 1/2 melon)

3 c cold water (or more as needed)

2 ripe avocados (about 2 cups pulp)

1/2 c heavy cream

1 tsp ground cumin

3 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 TBS chopped fresh mint

Combine the melon, water, avocados, heavy cream, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth; thin the mixture with more water as needed. Stir in the scallions and mint, and set in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day; taste for salt, pepper and lemon juice after refrigerating (and before serving).

 

For the salad:
 

6 ounces lump crabmeat, shredded (about 1 cup)

3/4 c fresh sweet corn kernels (from 1 ear)

1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded and finely diced

2 TBS fresh lime juice (about 1 lime), or more as needed

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c cilantro leaves, washed and patted dry

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the crab, corn, Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl; let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, giving it a gentle toss or two during that time. Stir in the cilantro and oil; taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Divide the soup among individual bowls. Spoon equal portions of the crab-corn mixture onto the center of each bowl. Serve right away

Mike’s Spicy Italian Tortellini Soup

1 lb spicy Italian sausage, de-cased
1 bag of chopped fresh spinach
one can of diced tomatoes
a couple of cloves of garlic minced
1 Vadalia onion, chopped
1 package of your favorite cheese tortellini
2 boxes of chicken broth.
Grated parmesan cheese
Crushed black pepper

In a large pot, cook the spicy sausage (out of casing), onions, and garlic, in a drizzle of olive oil until the sausage has been ground up and browned. (I have used chorizo for this.)
Add the can of diced tomato to the sausage mixture and let that cook for a bit.
Pour in about a box and a half of the chicken stock into the pot and bring to a boil.
Pour in your tortellini (I also sometimes add a couple handfuls of broad soup noodles to help absorb some of the broth).
Once the tortellini and noodles seem cooked, you may need to add a little bit more broth if it needs it (depending on how soupy you want it). Dump the fresh spinach on top of the soup and cover.
Leave until the spinach is wilted, and then mix it in!
Let cool for a couple minutes and ladle into your favorite soup bowl.
Top with some parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Serves 6.

Vegetable Bean Soup

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 glove garlic, finely diced
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
2 15-oz cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Grated Parmigiano cheese

Place bacon in large saucepan over medium heat.
Cook 5 minutes or until almost crisp.
Add onion, celery, and carrots - cook 5 minutes.
Add zucchini and garlic - cook 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, beans, broth, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in spinach.
Laddle into soup bowls and top with grated cheese and home-made croutons.
Serves 6.

Lemon Pepper Pasta Soup

1 package of low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 package of Trader Joe's lemon-pepper pasta
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 shallot, chopped
1 TBS olive oil
10-12 fozen uncooked (but peeled) shrimp
Handful of fresh spinach
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Add oilve oil to a medium size pot and saute the shallot.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta broken up into smaller pieces.
Boil for about 7 minutes.
(At about 5 minutes, add the fozen shrimp
At about 6 minutes, add the fozen peas.)
Reduce heat so the soup simmers.
Add a handful of fresh spinach leaves and cover the pot for about 3 minutes.
Just before serving stir in the lemon juice.