Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Here are four, simple-to-make dishes along with wine pairings that are sure to show your loved one(s) how much you care.

• Savory Cheese Tartlets with Blackberries paired with  La Marca Di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco ($12)
• Cream of Asparagus and Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese Soup  paired with  2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Pinot Noir ($65)
• Boeuf en Croûte (Beef Wellington)  paired with  2006 Stag’s Leap Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
• Simple Greek Yogurt and Berry Tart  paired with  2008 Heron Hill Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ($18)

BONUS – breakfast:  Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Cheers,

Veronique

This comforting soup is perfect on a cold day and it is super simple to make.

Ingredients:

• 3 one-pound bundles of fresh asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/2 inch dice
• 1/2 tsp. each dried thyme, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper
• 32 ounce container chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces sharp Vermont Cheddar cheese, grated, (like using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, coat the asparagus with olive oil.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until softened.  Set aside for use later.
3. Add the vegetable oil, the onion and the spices to a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
4. Add the roasted asparagus and the chicken stock to the onion mixture in the pot.  Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add the cream and warm for 2 minutes.
5. Working in two batches, add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.
6. Pour the pureed soup in a clean pot, add the cheese and gently warm over medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted.

Serves 8 as a starter or 6 as a main course.

Note: Dress the soup with a light drizzle of heavy cream for an elegant touch.

Today’s a rainy, gloomy day where I live and weather like this always causes me to crave a warm, hearty soup.  While at the grocery store, I found beautiful center cut beef shanks that screamed to be used to make beef mushroom barley soup.  Here’s the simple recipe for this comforting dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 pound beef shanks
• 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped into small dice
• 5 celery ribs, chopped into small dice
• 1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
• 2 32-ounce cartons of beef broth
• 1/4 cup dry Marsala wine or white wine (optional)
• 3/4 cup barley, rinsed in cold water
• 4-inch long piece of Parmesan rind

Directions:

1. Pour the oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat, and heat up for 30 seconds.  Add the beef shanks in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until browned.
2. Add the onion and celery to the beef in the pot, reduce heat to medium-high heat and cook the vegetables for 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook and additional 3 minutes.
3. Add the spices, the broth and the wine, if using.  Bring the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.
4. Add the barley and the Parmesan rind, if using, to the pot and simmer partially covered for another 30 minutes over low heat.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: If you can’t find beef shanks, simply replace with easy-to-find beef bones.

Don’t want to spend time making your own chicken stock?  This is a simple and fast way to make a hearty chicken soup using supermarket shortcuts.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped into small dice
• 4 celery ribs, chopped into small dice
• 3 carrots, chopped into small dice
• 8-ounce package of fresh, sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp each, salt, pepper, dry thyme
• 1 small plain deli chicken, meat pulled off the bones and chopped into bite-size pieces
• 48-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/4 pound dry spaghetti, broken into thirds (2-ounces of pastina works great also)

Direction:

1. Over medium-high heat, in a large, heavy saucepan, heat oil for 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to medium, and add the onion, celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently.
2. Add the mushrooms and the seasonings and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the chicken pieces to the vegetable mixture and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the broth, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add the pasta to the soup and cook for 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Notes:  In step 3, you could replace the deli chicken with boneless and skinless chicken breasts that you’d poach in the broth for 30 minutes.  You’d then simply remove the cooked chicken from the soup and chop into bite-size piece that you’d return to the pot.  A neat variation to this soup is to add a 28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes at Step 3.

Lentil Soup

The ones of you who know my typical cooking style might be surprised to see a vegetarian recipe on my blog, but this dish is hearty, rich and perfect on a cold winter day – or anytime you’re craving a delicious comforting soup.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced heart of celery
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 tsp each, dried thyme, salt and pepper
• 32 ounces vegetable broth (homemade or from a carton)
• 1 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed, drained
• 1 14 1/2–ounce can stewed tomatoes

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottom saucepan over medium–high heat.  Add the celery, the onions, the garlic and the carrots.  Season with thyme, salt and pepper.  Cook until the mixture has softened and has begun to turn golden-brown, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add the broth, the lentils, and the tomatoes to the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to medium–low then simmer the soup, covered, for about 45 minutes or until lentils have softened.

1. Reserve 1 cup of the soup mixture, then working in 2 batches, add the rest of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 30 seconds.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.  Return the pureed soup to the saucepan, add the reserved un-pureed soup and gently heat for 2 minutes.
2. To serve, ladle soup into bowls.

Serves 8 as a starter or 6 as a main course.

Note: If you prefer a completely smooth soup, puree all of the mixture without reserving any for texture.  Soup freezes well for up to a month.

Thai Soup

Soup is a favorite at my house and I try to make it most weekends.  Thought I’d share some of the soups I’ve made recently that have earned me some rave reviews.

5 Simple Soups to Try this Winter:

1. Butternut Squash & White Asparagus Bisque
2. Cremini Mushroom Velouté Soup
3. Chunky Tomato-Basil Bisque
4. Tom Ka Gai (Thai lemongrass and coconut soup)
5. Cream of Leek and Celery Soup

Let me know which soup you end up trying!  Stay warm,

Veronique

Brined Kurobota Pork

Chimichurri Skirt Steak in Handmade Tortilla

Some of you have already seen the photos I posted on my Facebook page of the 10-course tasting meal I served last week, but I wanted to take an opportunity to recap the evening.

During Thanksgiving week, I was fortunate enough to have dear friends in from out of town for a few days.  We made sure we had a few good foodie adventures, including a 10-course meal that my girlfriends and me prepared for most of the afternoon and ate for most of the evening.  What a great way to get caught up on each other’s lives than over a 4-hour meal!?  Here are the courses we enjoyed:

Course 1: Butternut Squash & White Asparagus Bisque (recipe).

Course 2: Panko-Crusted Goat Cheese & Beet Salad (photo).

Scallops in Sage Infused Irish Brown Butter

Course 3: Scallop in Sage-Infused Irish Brown Butter.

Course 4: Prawn Ravioli over Yellow Tomato Coulis (photo).

Course 5: Butter & Finger Lakes Riesling-Poached Sea Bass with Baby Bok Choy and White Asparagus.

Course 6: Indian-Spiced Chicken Tenderloin Bite Over Peanut Sauce (photo).

Course 7: Brined Kurobota Pork with Apricot Glaze & Potato Orbs.

Course 8: Chimichurri Skirt Steak in Handmade Corn Tortilla with Salsa Verde.

Course 9: Maple Bourbon Pecan Tartelette with Maple Profiterole.

Course 10: Cheese Course (Dunbarton Blue, Irish Cheddar, French Brie) with Dark Chocolate-Drizzled Candied Bacon and Honey Pearls.

Cheese Course with Dark Chocolate Candied Bacon

The key to the success of an ambitious meal is to be prepared and organized.  I have 4 tips to hosting a dinner party while not killing yourself.

Have I missed any tips that have served you well when hosting a dinner party?  Please share!

Butternut Squash & White Asparagus Bisque

This bisque is the perfect dish to serve on a cold Fall or Winter day and it’s meat-free!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil (no need for expensive extra virgin)
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 butternut squash, peeled then chopped into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 pound of fresh white asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp each dried thyme, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 32 ounce container vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, coat the onion, butternut squash and asparagus with olive oil.  Add the spices then roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
3. Transfer the vegetables from the baking sheet to a large, heavy saucepan and add the vegetable broth then simmer partially covered for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add the cream and warm for 2 minutes.
4. Working in 2 batches, add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.  Return the pureed soup to a clean saucepan and gently heat for 2 minutes.
5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls.

Serves 8 as a starter or 6 as a main course.

Note: Dress the soup with a light drizzle of heavy cream for an elegant touch.  Topping the soup with toasted pumpkin seeds or homemade crispy croutons adds nice texture to the dish.

Simple to prepare and tastes like a million bucks – this soup has it all.  Perfect first course on a cold winter night or when hosting guests who are vegetarians.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp dry vermouth (optional)
• 32 ounce container vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, sauté the onion, celery and leek in the oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add oregano, salt and pepper and cook for 2 additional minutes – vegetables should be soft a lightly browned.
3. Add the vermouth and the vegetable broth and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes over medium-low heat.
4. Add the cream and warm for 2 minutes.
5. Working in 2 batches, add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.  Return the pureed soup to a clean saucepan and gently heat for 2 minutes.
6. To serve, ladle soup into bowls.

Serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main course.

Note: Dress the soup with a light drizzle of heavy cream for an elegant touch.

Cremini Mushroom Veloute Soup

This soup is super simple to make and looks like it took all day to prepare.  Dress the soup with a light drizzle of heavy cream for an elegant touch.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp dry sherry or Marsala
• 16 ounce can of beef broth
• 32 ounce can vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream + 6 tsp of heavy cream for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, sauté the onion and celery in the oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add the mushrooms to the vegetables and stir mixture.  Add thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until all the vegetables are softened.
3. Add the sherry or Marsala, the beef and vegetable broth and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Add the 1/2 cup cream and heat up for 2 minutes.
5. Working in 2 batches, add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.   Return the pureed soup to a clean saucepan and gently heat for 2 minutes.
6. To serve, warm 6 tsp cream in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Ladle soup into bowls then drizzle 1 tsp warmed cream onto the soup in each bowl (optional).

Serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main course.

Note: Can’t find cremini?  Replace with chopped portabella or white mushrooms.  For extra richness, add 3-4 veal neck bones to the onion and celery when sauteeing.