Quick and Super Easy Creamy Tomato- Basil soup

To celebrate the 'dancing' success of our little "Columbus Rockstars" (They rocked the stage... on tunes of "Auntyji Auntyji Get up and Dance" from Ekk mai aur Ekkk tu).....

We took "D' their dance instructor on a lunch treat.'Johnny Carinos' was the place by choice. Mostly everyone opted for the soup/salad and entree option. I ordered the Tomato Florentine soup and Spicy Chicken Flatbread.Yummm Yuummm Yummooo. The creamy tomato soup in the chilly fall weather...just PUUURRRFECCT!!!
Last night, for dinner at "A''s ....made a Super Easy version of Creamy Tomato Basil soup..and SLURPPP...everyone loved it to the last drop:)

Ingredients:
2 cans "Condensed tomato soup"
1.5 cups milk
3tbsp Cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1clove garlic minced
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4tsp red chili powder
1tsp butter
1tsp sugar
Fresh Basil leaves for garnish
salt
Croutons

Method:
1) Saute the onion and garlic in 1tsp butter till translucent.
2) Add the canned tomato soup and milk.
3) Add the black pepper, chili powder, salt, sugar, basil leaves and simmer the soup on low for 3-4 mins.
4) Stir in cream cheese. Mix with a wisk for 5-8 mins, until all the cheese is nicely blended.Or you can use a hand blender
5) Garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot with crunchy croutons!!

"Aroma from a Guest Kitchen"- (Guest Name:Narendra Vaidya)-Sweet corn and Roasted Poblano soup in a Bread Bowl with chopped Scallions and Chipotle lime sour cream

Today's Guest: Narendra Vaidya
Naren and I studied in the same college in Pune,India.But the weird part is, even being in the same college, we did not know each other then.Then after about 10 years, we get in touch with each other due to....GUESS WHAT??
YES.....LOVE OF FOOD!!!!
It has been great reconnecting with Naren and sharing and learning new recipes from him!
Recipe Naren Shared:
Sweet corn and Roasted Poblano soup in a Bread Bowl with chopped Scallions and Chipotle lime sour cream

Here is the recipe in his own words:

I was always a huge fan of the sweet corn soup we get in India. A few days back I came home from work and felt like eating a soup. Just made up this recipe by myself,(my fiancee was away in Boston) so I was not worried even if it turned out bad, I was the only one eating it anyway. So here it goes...

Ingredients:
2 poblano peppers , roasted, deseeded and diced
1-1/2 bag of corn kernel, store brand works just fine.
3 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/2 th cup half and half
about 1-1/2 cups of milk
2 tablespoon oil
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 medium onion diced
chopped scallions
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 table spoon lemon juice
About a 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or buy dried chipotle (smoked jalapenos) and run them through a blender
Bread boule/bowl ( find them in the bakery section of the store) - if you are lucky you might find flavored ones, like rosemary-garlic or Parmesan
Salt and black pepper according to taste

Method:
1) Heat oil in a pot and add ginger and garlic to it

2) Let it cook for a while then throw in the onions

3) In the meantime, roast the poblano peppers in a pan with little bit of oil

4) After the onions are translucent add the corn, water and the vegetable broth

5) Let it cook for a few minutes, in the mean time deseed the peppers and dice them

6) Add the poblano peppers,half and half and milk

7) Bring the soup to a boil, after 2-3 minutes turn off the heat, boil for a bit longer if a thicker consistency is desired

8) Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree this mixture

9) Move it back to the pot, turn on the heat to a low setting to keep it warm

10) Add salt and black pepper, keep in mind that the broth has salt in it so taste before you add anymore salt

11) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

12) Carve out bread bowls out of the bread boules using a bread knife (sounds funny when you say it out loud....)

13) Stick these bread bowls in the oven with the carved out pieces of bread for about 8 minutes, depends on the kind of oven though, if you have a fairly new oven it might need less time.

14) The bowls should be warm and a bit crispy/crunchy on the outside

15) In the meantime, while the bread is warming, instead of flipping aimlessly through TV channels, chops some scallions for garnish

16) Also, mix the sour cream, chipotle powder, lemon juice and lemon zest into a smooth paste (a fork works well for this)

17) To serve, ladle the soup in the bread bowls, garnish with chopped scallions and a few dollops of the chipotle-lemon sour cream

Enjoy!!

"Everyday Cooking"- Tomato-Parmesan Soup

Of the many things you cannot 'do' after having a baby ...some are.....watching a movie in a theater, eating out 'peacefully'....going out whenever 'you' want to!
'M' and I haven't been to a theater, to watch a movie together, since 'E' was born ( And 'E' is now 2and 1/2 yrs old!).We 'try' to eat out...but it is no where 'peacefull'.We have to take turns eating and entertaining 'E'...it's a Big venture!!!
So.....since 'E' started pre-school from September this year..I started dreaming on- how I would utilize the time I have 'off' and what all we could do! Those 3 hrs (9am to 12pm) were going to be 'ours'.
I made plans..once 'M' and I can go for a movie...or may be just for a 'brunch' to some Cafe. My first plan ..of going to a movie failed....as there are no shows from 9am to 12 pm in Regal Cinema,Ithaca.What a bummer! But we did work on our next plan....
Lat week 'M' took a morning off from work....we went to this place called 'Hope's Way Catering and Cafe' nearby.They have many 'brunchy' items on menu-soups, pastas, salads,scones, muffins,pound cakes,coffee cakes etc etc.Also, they are famous for their incredibly yummy desserts.
We tried this 'Tomato-Parmesan' soup on that snowy- wintry morning.The soup was nice and creamy, had a pinkish hue.It was amazing to sip on warm soup, in the cozy Cafe.....especially 'M' by my side....
I tried to make 'similar' soup at home this week...and it came out pretty good!
Ingredients:

2 Ripe tomatoes chopped
2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used Parmesan-Romano cheese)
1tbsp crushed tomatoes/ 1tsp ketchup
2 tsp All pupose flour
1tsp butter
1tbsp onion finely chopped
1tsp Italian seasoning
salt
sugar
Black pepper
Red chili powder

Oyster Crackers/Croutons/  Bread to serve along

Method:
1) Heat 1tsp butter in a sauce pan. Add the chopped onions.Fry till translucent.
Add the all purpose flour .Fry for few seconds.
2) Add the milk and mix well. Let the flour cook and the 'sauce'/ soup thicken up.
3) Add the tomatoes, seasoning, black pepper, sugar , chili powder, crushed tomatoes and let it simmer.The soup gets a 'pinkish' color.
4) Add the grated cheese. Mix well. Check for salt. Cheese is pretty salty, so add salt after tasting.Adjust consistency with milk/water.
4) Serve warm with Oyster crackers/ Croutons/ Bread.

Sip on the warm,creamy soup with tomatoes with the warmth of black pepper and chili powder!