Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients

·     9 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered

·     ½ large sweet onion

·     3-4 stalks of celery

·     12-15 baby carrots

·     1 ½ tsp. minced garlic (or 3 fresh cloves)

·     1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

·     2 Tablespoons olive oil

·     salt and pepper to taste 

·     3/4 cup vegetable (or chicken) stock

·     1 Tablespoon lemon juice

·     10-12 fresh basil leaves

·     ½ t. salt

·     1/8 c. brown sugar

Instructions

ROAST THE TOMATOES (45 MINUTES):

1.   Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.   Spread tomatoes, garlic, and dried thyme on a large sheet pan.

3.   Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands or a large spatula to toss everything together on the sheet pan – you want to make sure the tomatoes evenly coated with oil and seasonings.

4.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

5.   Roast tomatoes at 425 degrees F for 40 minutes until tomatoes have shriveled. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes.

SAUTEE REMAINING VEGETABLES (15 MINUTES):

1. Chop onion, celery and carrots, and sautee in a little olive oil until onions are translucent.

BLEND THE SOUP (5 MINUTES):

1.   Transfer all vegetables to a blender.

2.   Add vegetable stock, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ½ tsp. of salt to the blender (because we’re working with so few ingredients, seasoning is key here – be sure to taste and add salt as you go!)

3.   Blend soup until smooth. We recommend blending for at least a full minute for best results!

4.   Add basil leaves to the blender and pulse.

5.   Pour soup into bowls and serve immediately. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a toasted baguette slice if you like. 

The Best Classic Chili Recipe

The Best Classic Chili Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium sweet onion - diced

1 pound 90% lean ground beef

1 pound ground turkey

2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock

1 (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

Instructions

Add the olive oil to a large soup pot and place it over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the ground beef and turkey to the pot. Break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally.

Add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.

Add the broth/stock, diced tomatoes (with their juice), drained beans, and tomato sauce. Stir well.

Bring the liquid to a low boil. Then, reduce the heat (low to medium-low) to gently simmer the chili, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pot from the heat. Let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¹⁄₂ cups flour

½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Sparkling Sugar

Directions

1. Cream butter, peanut butter and both sugars together.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.

3. Add baking soda, powder and vanilla.

4. Stir in flour.

5. Roll into balls, roll in sparkling sugar. Flatten cookies, using a fork, in a criss-cross pattern.

6. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes or adjust to suit your oven and size of cookies!