Caliente!

Born on a cold winter day when I was trying to warm from the inside, and also use up some of the cans in my pantry, this soup is spicy and comforting at the same time. With the possible exception of the jalapeno pepper, you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already.

Spicy Tomato Soup

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 tsp. ground ginger (or 2 tsp. fresh, if you have it)
½ tsp. ground cumin
4 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 14-oz. can chicken broth (or 2 c. homemade broth)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt

In a 5-qt Dutch oven or stock pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper and saute for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the ginger. Continue to stir frequently for another 4 minutes, then add the cumin, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, the broth, the sugar and the salt and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender, pureeing in batches), finely puree the soup. Serve at once.

Brunchtastic, Part 2

Another brunch favorite were these moist muffins, which showcase an unusual combination of tastes. Using the ice cream scoop to measure the batter is an easy way to create uniformly sized muffins. For added texture, you could add a handful of chopped walnuts.

Pear Cranberry Muffins

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 large ripe Bartlett pear, cored and cut into ¼ inch cubes
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Position an oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 400°. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Add the sugar in a steady stream while whisking. Whisk for a couple of minutes until the yolks pale in color. Whisk in the oil and the vanilla.

Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet with a wooden spoon. Stir until there is only a little flour visible. Carefully stir in the pear and cranberries, taking care not to crush the pears, until there is no flour visible.

Using a 2 inch ice cream scoop, fill each of the muffin tins to the top, dividing the batter evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the muffins from the tins and place on the rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Brunchtastic!

Last weekend I hosted some friends for brunch. The crowd was smaller than expected due to a weekend long snowstorm, in keeping with tradition for my winter parties. I'm better than the farmer's almanac - if I'm throwing a party and it's the wintertime, it will snow.

Guests who braved the snow were treated to a bonanza of eggy and bacony delights. One of the highlights was homemade granola, which went amazingly well with the Stonyfield Vanilla Yogurt.

Granola

1 c. hazelnuts
1 c. almonds
1 c. walnuts
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. With a rolling pin, crush the nuts until coarse.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. Add the oats and stir to coat. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and toast for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the nuts.

To serve, stir into yogurt.

Keeps for a couple of weeks when stored in an airtight container.