roasted tomato soup--only 4 ingredients!

hey folks!

we've been super busy lately... you know getting married and all. back to business in the kitchen and with lots of new toys i may add. my favorite? a CIA Professional Series Vitamix! it is truly an amazing machine. i'm certain that i have plenty more to learn about what it is truly capable of. any suggestions are appreciated for those of you who already own this or another Vitamix.

i was in the mood for a hot soup with the changing weather, and definitely wanted to try it in the new Vitamix. a very simple recipe, using a few fresh ingredients with a delicious result.

-couple pounds of fresh tomatoes (we used a combination of different varieties that were ripe from our garden)

-olive oil

-salt & pepper

-quarter of a yellow onion

-knob of butter for finishing (optional)

half or quarter those tomatoes so that they are similar in size. same goes for that onion. throw them onto a sheet pan or roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. roast for 35-40 minutes at 375* or until they have released their juices and have started to shrink in size a bit.

before roasting

i don't have a picture of the tomatoes after roasting because i'm a dweeb. next, pull your tomatoes and plop everything into your Vitamix. if you are using a regular blender, i'm not sure that i would leave the skins on. the Vitamix absolutely LIQUEFIES everything it comes in contact with, so i'm not one bit worried about the skin and seeds here. turn that baby on variable 1 and quickly raise to 10. drop in a knob of butter if you'd like for a nice glossy finish. let her run for 3-4 minutes.

this was so yummy... perfect way to get into the fall mood. i can definitely see more soups in the future! 

do you own a Vitamix? what's your favorite kitchen appliance? what's your favorite fall food?

EASY hollandaise sauce

hollandaise sauce can be one of those intimidating recipes. this version is easy and requires nothing more than a blender. that's right, no double boiler or constant whisking like maniac! i saw Ina Garten use this technique and knew i had to try it.


6 tablespoons of butter
3 large egg yolks
1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl or in a small saucepan. put the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne into a blender and blend of 15-20 seconds.

next, with the blender running, slowly pour the hot butter into the blender and blend for an additional 30 seconds, until the sauce is thick.

it's perfectly salty, buttery and has a nice zip from the lemon juice. drizzle over asparagus, poached eggs or whatever your heart desires. i roasted some drumsticks and drizzled the hollandaise over some roasted asparagus. YUM.

rutabaga fries

i've never worked with this vegetable before. i had a hard time figuring out the difference between a turnip and rutabaga. in the market, it was marked turnip, when i went to self check out it rang up rutabaga. i'm 85% sure what i bought was a rutabaga. either way it was delicious. i'm confident that you could use either turnip or rutabaga for this recipe and the results would both be good.

1 rutabaga

fat of your choice (coconut oil, olive oil, etc.)

salt & pepper

the hardest part of this recipe is breaking down the root. it can be a little awkard getting it it cut, since it's such a hard root. be careful! i found the easiest way is to first cut it in half. then using a vegetable peeler, peel off the waxy skin. cut off the top and bottom of each half.

next, cut each half into 1/2 inch slices.

cut those slices into "fry shaped" spears. thicker or thinner depending on your preference. some of my fries were super long, so i cut those in half...

place them on a tin foil (or silpat) lined sheet pan. drizzle with fat (i used olive oil) and season with salt and pepper. make sure they are in a single layer and not too crowded. i had to use 2 sheet pans.



before baking



bake the fries for 35-40 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven, flipping them a couple times during the process.



just flipped... halfway done





ready!!



lots of  leftovers packed for lunch



we served them along side lettuce wrapped burgers.


i will be honest, george was not a fan of these. i think he was ready for a very potato-like fry and that's not what these are. the texture is a little different and they are WAY less starchy. i, on the other hand, LOVED THEM! i think they are a great alternative to traditional fries. i hope you like them just as much...

the meals in between


exciting news! thefunctionalfoodie.com is now a reality. feel free to update your readers to the new site, but the old address will forward you to the new one anyways. i'm feeling super official :)

on that note, here is another edition of 'the meals in between'...

scrambled duck eggs & asparagas w/ bacon



health bent's broccoli salad... highly recommended!



espresso post italian feast

george's valentines day meal: swordfish over shrimp risotto and wilted greens

grilled flank steak, asparagus and roasted potatoes.

meat grilled.

huge duck egg from my parents!

whole foods salad bar

my version of taco salad... and an absurd amount of guac.

the meals in between



fuji apple w/ coconut butter



salad with double chicken and balsamic vinaigrette from Ruby Tuesday's



Danielle (old friend and new Crossfitter) got the same salad w/ salmon instead at Ruby Tuesday's.



shrimp rolls w/ cucumber, mint and cabbage from Whole Foods



prepping protein on the grill for a few meals 



salad w/ grilled chicken



quick grape tomato salad drizzled with a balsamic reduction



duck breast from one of my parents Silver Appleyards before it was pan seared and finished in the oven



chicken breasts and homemade chicken sausages on the grill



grass fed slider topped with caramelized Spanish onions and crumbled bacon (ALL COOKED IN BACON FAT)



sweet potato haystacks

i was in the mood to use my new piece of kitchen equipment, so I decided to try a different way to prepare sweet potatoes. if you don't have a food processor with a grating attachment, you can do it by hand with a box grater.

2 large sweet potatoes, grated
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of sea salt
3-4 eggs (depending on the size of your potatoes AND eggs)
butter (or your choice of fat)

i cut each potato into quarters lengthwise. i put them through the food processor and then into a large mixing bowl. i had to do this in 2 batches.

add the eggs, cinnamon and sea salt and mix well. preheat a pan (with a lid) to medium heat coated in butter (or your choice of fat). make 4 sections of the mixture and do your best to make 4 patties. it won't stick together like a burger or meatball, but do you best to slide it into the pan. once all 4 are in there, cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes per side. you may need to add another pat of butter when you flip them.

1 haystack is a half of a potato, so it would be great post workout. they were served for dinner PWO with 2 spiced apple chicken sausages, and then the next morning with eggs. don't even judge me, i've been on a starch kick lately....

 

lemon garlic broccolini

this is a quick and easy side dish that goes great with everything. broccolini is not actually broccoli but could be marked as "baby broccoli".

1 bunch of broccolini or "baby broccoli" (it's actually not broccoli but will probably be marked as it)
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper

in a saute pan over medium-highish heat, add the olive oil, lemon juice, broccolini, garlic, salt and pepper. cook, tossing occasionally, until broccolini has turned bright green and tender. about 7-9 minutes.