Recipe for Gazpacho Soup :: Chunky Style

Back when I lived in Charleston, SC and worked at Fast and French (aka The Pig and The Chicken, G&M), we made gazpacho soup every day. I started as the dish washer and made my way up to server who had to put time in prepping for soups and such, and my favorite soup to prep was gazpacho. Why? Because there was so much methodical chopping and you could do it so quickly! And the tomatoes were just fun to just squish.

The thing about this soup was that it was kind of magical. After lunch, I would eat a very large piece of carrot cake, and as you know, carrot cake is deadly, especially if it has thick cream cheesy frosting like this one did. So, normally, my brain would be flat on the floor in a sugar induced coma, but a bowl of vegetables in the form of gazpacho soup would bring me back every time.

So, here is a good recipe that is close to that of Fast and French. I started with this link for authentic gazpacho soup Spain style, and changed it a bit. That recipe, and others, are calling for bread. I don't know what to do with the bread except dip it. You could, I suppose, put it into the mixture when you blend to soak up some of the juices, but I don't see a point to that.

Ingredients for Gazpacho Soup
serves for 2-4 or for your lunches

• 1 large tomato
• 1 large red pepper
• 1 large green pepper
• 1/2 of a large red onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 bunch of clilantro
• 4 basil leaves
• several dashes of Cumin
• as much salt as you like
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white whine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon water
  
• 1 blender
  

On a chopping board, cut the vegetables and dump into the blender in this order: peppers, onion, carrot, tomato, cilantro, basil, cumin, and salt. Spoon the olive oil over the top, letting it spread the seasonings and cilantro and basil. Spoon the vinegar, then the water. Sprinkle the Cumin and salt again. Blend on the Chop setting, if you have it. You want this to be a little chunky, so don't liquefy. Blend until the mixture turns red and soupy. Pour into a large bowl and let sit at room temperature for an hour to let the freshly cut vegetables mingle, then chill, then eat. You are done!

Note: Don't put the onions in first. If you blend, and the mixture doesn't start to blend very nicely, meaning you have to stir it, then chances are you will over blend the onion, and the onion will get too watery. Your soup could actually be not as red, and more white or gray. Weird, I know.

Breakfast for Girly Champions :: Croissant Scrambled Egg Sandwich

Back when I worked in an office that was next to Pax Wholesome Foods, I would order a yummy scrambled egg sandwich on a croissant for a late breakfast. So to continue that luxury, here is the recipe for making this breakfast at home:








Ingredients for scrambled eggs on a croissant:
1 croissant (I get mine from Silver Moon Bakery)
2 eggs, preferably organic
a bunch of spinach on the stem
cheddar cheese
salt
1 slice butter
1 rubber spatula

Cut the croissant in half, so that you have a top and a bottom. Scramble your eggs in a bowl by mixing them very quickly with a fork, sprinkling salt to taste into the egg mixture. A few dashes. Maybe 5 (I have normal blood pressure). If you have a gas stove, turn onto low heat (if electric, turn on as the first thing you do). Cut a thin slice of butter and spread on the warm/hot pan. Should not bubble or turn brown, but should spread. If turns brown, your pan is too hot. Shave the cheddar into the egg mixture to taste. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, turning the heat up just a bit.

Stir, or scramble, the eggs with the rubber spatula, making sure to clear all sides from the top and bottom of the pan. Repeat this motion until done. You want to scramble the egg mixture gradually so that the cheese has time to melt. Place the bunch of spinach into the pan, and continue stirring, or scrambling. Continue scrambling (and remember, this is not a frantic motion - it's a nice turning of the mixture in the pan - be nice to the eggs) until the eggs are to your satisfaction. The sooner you remove them from the heat, the runnier they will be. Leave then in the pan long, and you will have dryer eggs.

Gingerly scoop the eggs onto the awaiting croissant bottom, and cover with its top. Put on a plate, grab a glass of milk, and voila!

Chocolate Fondue for the Soul

When you've had a long day, or a long number of days in a row with a quick Saturday and Sunday in between which most of the time consists of putting away miles of piles of clothes and hitting the pet store before it closes, you just need to make yourself some chocolate fondue.

It's surprisingly easy. I just did it while washing the dishes. And I'm eating it while I compose this. All without an official chocolate fondue pot. And if you wait to do it when you have friends over, then you might as well never do it, because we all know that plans change and someone forgets to get the main ingredient - heavy cream.

How To Make Chocolate Fondue - Mista Style
Ingredients (for 1 person)
2 wrapped blocks of unsweetened chocolate (it's really 4 if you break them apart...Baker's is a good brand)
1 mound of white, granulated sugar
1 pint heavy cream
5-7 dashes salt
1 little sliver of butter (not margarine, it will interfere with the melting of the chocloate)
strawberries, banana, fruit of your choice
loaf of Angel Food cake
1 regular old cooking pot
1 wooden spoon
1 fondue fork (optional and recommended to get that fondue feeling)
note: after researching the differences between types of sugar (granulated, raw, brown), I have determined that all sugar is bad. So, for this recipe, it is not recommended to use honey to replace the sugar, or to replace the sugar at all. It is this cook's feeling that the chocolate concoction stirs best with the granulated sugar.

Over very low heat (gas is best) ie low flame, spread the butter on the bottom of the pot. Unwrap the chocolate and place in pan. Swirl around to get it going and to coat the bottom of the pot with chocolate. Cover with lid, but allow room for air to get in. Do dishes or some other activity close by so that you can stir the chocolate as it melts with a wooden spoon until creamy.

When chocolate has melted, pour in half a mound of sugar - just enough to sweeten the unsweetened chocolate. On top of the sugar, sprinkle in 4 dashes of salt. Stir. The mixture may lose its creamy consistency and get gloppy. I think that's the sugar caramelizing. Next, pour in the heavy cream, a little at a time, until creamy again. You will add more cream than you think. Taste. Pour in a little more sugar in, plus two more dashes of salt. Stir.

You should be done. With your fondue fork (or regular fork), dip in a sliced piece of strawberry or banana, and say goodbye to daily thoughts. There is only time now for chocolate.

If you drop a piece into the pot, you must kiss the person on your left. If that person is not on your left but in bed because you are making this at midnight, then go find them and treat them to a kiss of warm chocolate.

If you really want an official recipie, I grabbed the ingredients for chocolate fondue here. But there are lots more through Google. Or try this search if you spell recipe without the ie at the end. Oh gosh. Which is right.

Working Girl Salad Recipe w Tuna

Pretty much, a typical lunch for me, even when I worked in an office, is a tuna melt with cheddar cheese that I wolf down and then feel protein-ed after. But I need to broaden my range. I can't keep eating these thoughtless tuna melts, or my brain might just turn into mayonnaise, tuna and cheddar.

So I've started a pursuit of a few good salads to make at home. I started by going to a cafe down the street, spent $7.95 for a little salad inspiration, and here's what I've got:

The Working Girl Salad Recipe with Tuna

Note: helpful to fix salad while listening to The Little Willies.
This salad will be mainly fresh tasting vegetables and a scoop and a half of tuna salad.

Prep time: 7 minutes (if you've prepared the tuna salad already)

1 cucumber
1 small squash
1 small root of ginger
1 New Jersey vine tomato
1 avocado
1 lemon
1 bunch of cilantro
generous amount of Kraft parmesan
2 cans Bumblebee Tuna (or if you do organic or brand of choice)
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 spoonfuls mayonnaise
lettuce that is purple on top
lettuce that is very green and leafy
15 spinach leaves (for folic acid)
Balentino sea salt (don't fear the salt)
Ziploc bags


Prepare the tuna salad in advance (see tuna salad recipe below). You can keep scooping from it.

In a small pan on medium heat (high heat if you have an electric stove), spread melted butter over the surface. Slice about 9 slices of the squash, and spread evenly in the pan. While it is cooking, put the amount of lettuce onto your plate that you want, and rip into bite-sized pieces. Slice about 5 thin slices of cucumber and put onto the salad. Cut the tomato in half and put one half in a Ziploc bag. Slice the other half into thin slices and place next to pile of cucumbers. Halve the avocado by cutting into it lengthwise and cutting around the pit. Twist the avocado apart and put the half that has the pit in it into a ziploc bag and into the fridge. Salt the other half of the avocado and lightly cut into 8ths. Run the knife under the avocado (but above the skin) close to the skin to scoop out the slices you just created, and lightly squeeze them onto the lettuce.

Oops, don't forget about those squashes. Turn the squashes with a fork and knife, and let the other side absorb the butter. Let sit for about 2 minutes, and then sprinkle with Kraft parmesan to taste. The parmesan should absorb the butter and start to look golden. That is when you know they are done.

Scoop the tuna salad into the center of the lettuce. Scoop the amount of tuna salad that you feel like eating. The squash should be done, so turn off the stove, take the pan and spread the parmasan squash over the salad. This puts the salad over the top!

You need dressing. Squeeze a thick slice of lemon over the entire salad. Voila! Make sure to get a bite of tuna with every bite!

Tuna Salad Recipe with Ginger

Makes about 3 meals with a lettuce salad.

Dump the two cans of tuna into a bowel, and quickly chop with a fork to make it into little pieces. Scoop two spoonfuls of mayo into the bowel. Take the ginger root and with a sharp knife (be careful!) lightly peel the outside part off of the piece of ginger you wish to use. Also with the knife, shred small pieces of ginger into the bowel of tuna. Do this to taste, or use about 15-20 little shreds. Rip a small handful of cilantro from the bunch and chop. Pour it into the bowel of tuna. Sprinkle salt to taste. Mix the contents, and store under cling wrap in the fridge.

I'm not going to lie. My love handles are thanking me! Even when I finish the yumminess of the parmesan cooked squash, my love handles are still giddy! You could even make this the night before and bring to your office.

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