Blue Cayenne

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 T. butter
• 1 T. oil
• 2 onions (diced)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh brown mushrooms (sliced and/or chopped)
• 4 t. fresh thyme (chopped)
• 1/2 C. Marsala wine
• 6 T. all-purpose flour
• 4 to 5 C. vegetable broth
• Salt to taste
• 1 t. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1-2 C. heavy cream (or half and half)
• Chopped fresh parsley and thyme to serve
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Put butter and oil in a soup pot and heat until butter melts. Sauté the onion for several minutes until it has softened. Add the minced garlic to the onion and sauté until the garlic is fragrant. This will take about 1 minute.
2. Add the sliced and/or chopped mushrooms (I used cremini mushrooms) and 2 t. of chopped fresh thyme to the soup pot and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala wine and continue to cook until the wine is cooked down. This will take about 3 minutes.
3. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms you have sautéed in the soup pot, stir well and cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the vegetable broth to the mushroom mixture and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium. Season your soup with salt and pepper. Cover the soup pot and simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes until it begins to thicken. Stir the soup occassionally as it thickens.
4. Reduce heat to low and add the cream. (I was feeling extravagant and nostalgic and added 2 cups of cream.) Allow soup to simmer for a few minutes but don't let it boil. Season with salt and pepper as necessary.
5. Garnish soup with chopped fresh parsley and thyme to your taste. Garnish with a bit of cayenne pepper if you wish. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories

4539 cal

Fat

101 g

Carbs

784 g

Protein

131 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

White Beans Au Vin

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 T. unsalted butter
• 3 medium carrots (diced into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 5 medium shallots (chopped--about 1 C.)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms (trimmed and quartered)
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/2 C. dry red wine
• 2 t. tomato paste
• 2 fifteen-ounce cans cannellini beans (or equivalent dried and cooked beans) (rinsed and drained)
• 2 C. vegetable broth
• 1 T. Cognac or brandy (or more to taste)
• 2 T. chopped fresh parsley (more for serving)
• 1 t. balsamic vinegar
• Grated Parmesan and buttered bread crumbs for topping

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté carrots and shallots (seasoned with a little salt and pepper) for about 5 minutes.
2. Add quartered mushrooms to the Dutch oven with the carrots and shallots and cook (stirring) until all of the vegetables are tender. This will take about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add thyme sprigs and garlic to the mixture in the Dutch oven. Quickly cook until fragrant. This will take about 30 seconds. Add wine and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the wine is nearly evaporated.
4. Add beans, broth, Cognac, 1 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper to the Dutch oven mixture and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer (covered) until the sauce is reduced and thickened. I enjoyed this dish cooked down until the sauce was very thick. You can also serve this dish with a thinner, less-reduced sauce. Your call. This will take about 25 or 30 minutes.
5. Remove the beans from the heat. Remove the thyme sprigs from the bean mixture and discard. Stir in parsley and balsamic vinegar. Season beans with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve topped with more parsley, grated Parmesan, and buttered bread crumbs. I used sourdough crumbs sautéed in lots of good butter. Don't omit the crumbs. The crunchy texture of the bread crumbs gives this bean dish a wonderful mouthfeel and flavor.

Nutrition

Calories

1196 cal

Fat

38 g

Carbs

191 g

Protein

38 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Figs

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 small sweet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 5 T. olive oil
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 T. superfine sugar
• 12 green onions (halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2 inch segments)
• 1 red chile (thinly sliced)
• 6 ripe figs (quartered)
• 5 ounces soft goat's milk cheese (optional)
• Large-flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (Maldon salt would be perfect!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Halve sweet potatoes length-wise and then cut each half into three long wedges. Toss cut sweet potatoes in 3 T. olive oil, 2 t. salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes (skin side down) on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes. You want the baked sweet potatoes to be soft but not mushy. Remove from your oven and let the sweet potatoes cool.
2. Prepare the balsamic reduction by combining the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. It is good to use superfine sugar (I gave granulated a blitz in my blender.), but regular granulated sugar will work here. Heat the balsamic mixture until it boils and the sugar is dissolved and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the balsamic for 2 to 4 minutes. You want it to thicken but still be about the consistency of honey. Keep in mind that the balsamic reduction will thicken as it cools; you want it to be pourable. If your reduction becomes too thick as it cools, you can add a bit of water to thin it.
3. Arrange the sweet potato slices on a platter. Use a large serving platter for this dish. I used a large white platter to make the colors in this dish pop.
4. Heat the remaining 2 T. olive oil in a pan and fry the green onions and chile in the hot oil for 4 or 5 minutes. Stir this mixture while you are frying to be sure the onions and the chile do not burn. Spoon the oil and the fried onions and chile over the sweet potatoes. Arrange the halved fresh figs on top of the sweet potatoes. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the sweet potatoes and figs. Crumbled goat cheese is an optional topping for this dish. I omitted the cheese but think it would be a great addition.
5. Serve this dish at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories

2300 cal

Fat

99 g

Carbs

342 g

Protein

46 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info