Groovy Recipe: Cream of Asparagus Soup

Truth be told, June in the desert is not what one would call "soup weather."  But, I discovered a bunch of asparagus in the crisper drawer that was in desperate need of being cooked.  Immediately.  It had started to wilt slightly, so salad was out.  I looked on Pinterest and other websites for a good cream of asparagus soup recipe.  I looked at about 10, none of which struck my fancy.  So here's what I came up with (I served it with a slice of zucchini quiche):

Cream of Asparagus Soup

* 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 lb fresh asparagus

1 medium onion, diced

4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup cream

Salt

Pepper

Method

Trim the rough ends off the asparagus, then cut the remaining stalks into 2-inch pieces.

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and olive oil over high heat.  Add the onion and garlic, season with plenty of salt and pepper, then saute over high heat for 15 minutes, or until it begins to caramelize.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes.  Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, using a spoon to scrape up any browned bits.  Simmer the wine for a few minutes, then stir in the stock.  Bring to a simmer and add asparagus.  Simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes.  Pour in the cream and bring back to a simmer.  Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup (if you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender - make sure to vent the lid.  Return the soup back to the pan after it's pureed).  Bring back to a simmer until the soup is heated through.  Season with salt and pepper, if needed.  Grub.

The toddler ate it!

Groovy Recipe: Strawberry-Banana Muffins

These are full-on hippie muffins: two fruits, full of fiber and protein, and CHIA!  Despite all that, they're delicious.  I promise.

So pretty, so delicious

Strawberry-Banana Muffins

* 18 regular-sized muffins

Ingredients

3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cups diced fresh strawberries

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp coconut oil

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2/3 cup almond or coconut milk

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached flour

1 tbsp chia seed

2 tbsp uncooked quinoa

2 tbsp ground flax seed

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Spray a muffin tin with coconut oil or olive oil.

Stir the chia and quinoa into the mashed banana and let sit for 10 minutes.  Sift together the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl.  Beat together sugar and coconut oil; stir in the eggs until well blended.  Add in the almond milk, vinegar, and vanilla, then stir in the strawberries.  Mix in the bananas until well combined.  Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened.

Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the muffin tin(s).  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (begin checking them after 20 minutes).  Cool in pan for five minutes, then remove the muffins.  Grub right away (no butter needed) or store in an airtight container up to three days.  

Tip: after you've sprayed your muffin tin (or loaf pan, casserole dish, cookie sheet, etc.) use a paper towel to wipe off the excess spray, before baking.  It keeps your pans from getting that gross, sticky, gunky residue that never, ever comes off (no matter what Jillee claims).