Put the Wine Down and Make This.

Cream of Asparagus. Yes, I know. This probably doesn't seem like the first thing that comes to mind when you have just put in a full day at the office and all you really wanna do is grab the first bottle of wine you see. Temptation, temptation.

But, alas. I have come to the conclusion that I need something healthy, filling and takes less than an hour to make. This recipe has it all. Here's to health, wealth and happiness.

Cream of Asparagus


You will need....
- Bunch of asparagus (I used half the amount that the grocery store bundled - produces 2 servings)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- Salt and pepper to taste

Chop one small onion.. or in this case I had half of a large. Whatever's your fancy.

Add a little love of butter, salt and pepper and saute on medium heat

Chop up 1-2 cloves of garlic, I used one large one and a bunch of asparagus. A rough chop will do, it all goes into a blender later!

Throw in the chopped asparagus and garlic and cook for about 6-8 minutes or until the asparagus are a bit soft.

Take a can of chicken broth and about a cup of water...

And add to the pot... let it simmer and come together for about 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

After about 10 minutes of simmering goodness, throw the mix into the blender and let 'er rip! (The blender - not your pants, that would be unfortunate) Leave it a little chunky to add some texture and pour back into the pot on low heat.

What's soup without the creaminess of dairy products? It's amazing what a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream and a splash of milk can do! I used about 3 spoonfuls of sour cream and 1/4 - 1/2 cup of milk. I'm not approximate with these kinds of things, c'mon it's creamy decadence that we're talking about!

Add the milk and sour cream to the soup and stir until it's smooth and silky... the anticipation thickens!

Add a few chopped green onions for garnish et voila! 

I got this recipe from Good Housekeeping's Soups and Stews cookbook but added the milk and sour cream instead of heavy cream like they had listed - it's just what I had at the moment. I also added the garlic for more flavor. You can use this simple base for any vegetable soup - cream of mushroom, cream of tomato, whatever you are in the mood for. It's really inexpensive and took less than 30 minutes to whip up. Enjoy!

I'm Alive

In case you were wondering. I have been making the commute downtown and back, in heels, going atleast 70mph while carefully sipping coffee in a travel mug to get myself going. Let's be honest, I'm not a morning person, ahem.

I have gratefully accepted a full-time position with an advertising agency on September 2nd. Did she just say advertising? Agency? Yes, I realize heavy drinking is involved. I am now accepting donations to Justine's Extra Strength Tylenol Fund.

In any such case, I am thrilled at this opportunity to become a better marketeer and make my way to the international scene. I am a goal-setter and this little lady has plenty of goals to complete. One of which is to visit all 50 states. But that's another story.

What is it about Target commercials? (Pardon me, I'm changing subjects rather quickly - so keep up!) They are engaging, relative and have captured it's target market quite well. And it's got a lot of targets. No pun intended. This back-to-school commercial makes me want to purchase the latest and greatest school supplies Target has to offer. Well done, Target! You've successfully created a college grad's desire to acquire school supplies. And she doesn't even go to school anymore!

Side Dish for Dummies

This one is fool proof. And delicious. It involves bacon. 


I knew you would like it the second I typed it out.


Bacon.


One fancy side to jazz up your main squeeze. Main squeeze being of the chicken, fish, or beef variety but it could also include Hunky-Dunky-Baby-Boy. Or if you're a boy, this would include your Cutie Patootie. Blah, okay enough with cute names.. on to the main event (not main course)!


Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Bacon
You will need....


-Fresh baby spinach (a lot of it, this will cook down to half!)
-Garlic
-Bacon
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt & pepper to taste

First, fry up some bacon... mmm, can you smell it already? Cook through, set aside, and chop into bacon bits.

You will need a whole bunch of this.

Grab a little garlic. So flavorful. Also keeps vampires away. Sorry Edward.

Now, you're gonna need a lot of spinach. A LOT. It will cook down, trust me! Add a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - the good stuff!

Give the spinach a good toss with your tongs. Tongs, not thongs. Get your mind out of the gutter. Now that we have that settled, you may throw the bacon in. And there ya have it, delicious sauteed spinach with loads of flavor. Eat your heart out, Popeye.

Lunch for the Lazy

Ever had one of those days where you just didn't feel like putting in the effort to create something good/delicious/semi-healthy? I get that feeling every once in awhile and it's so easy for college students and grads alike to reach for the packet of Ramen and call it good.

My mom suggested an upgraded version of these inexpensive noodles and my, is it tasty!

Fancy Ramen [enter alternate witty recipe name here]

1. Combine julienne carrots, spinach leaves, green onions, and mushrooms (as much as you like!) into a large soup bowl
2. Take any flavor of Ramen you might have on hand and lay noodles on top of veggies. I used oriental flavor but any flavor is fine.
3. Add boiling water to the bowl and cover for about 3-4 minutes or until noodles are soft. I put a dinner plate over the top of the bowl and that seems to do the trick.
4. Add the Ramen flavor that came with the noodles. Add 1-2 tbs. of soy sauce and if you like it spicy, add 1/2-1 tsp. of red chile sauce.

The poor woman's (man's/girl's/it's) version of quality Ramen. Enjoy!

A Taste of the Orient

I am a huge fan of spicy Asian inspired dishes. I saw Sandra Lee make this dish on Semi-Homemade and couldn't resist to test this out! The first time I made this, I used the sauce recipe Sandra has but when my best friend Lauren and I made it the second time around, we used a jar sauce and added more ingredients.


Pad Thai

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Serves: 4 servings


You will need...

• 8 ounces rice noodles (Find in Asian section of grocery store, only use half of the box, there's a lot! One package of rice noodles is about 16 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (Find this in Asian section of grocery store)
• 1 tablespoon chile sauce (this is the Asian red hot sauce with a picture of a rooster on front of the bottle)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped, for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Directions


Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles (8 ounces) and let them soften, about 3-4 minutes. Drain.

In a large skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. When it is hot, add the eggs and cook until they are firm. Remove them from the pan and let them cool a bit. Roughly chop them and set aside.


Lauren and I used about 6 ounces of store bought Pad Thai sauce and added 1-2 tablespoons of chile sauce, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce mixed together. We added more chile sauce to taste - we like it spicy!


Or you can try Sandra's homemade sauce which is also really good: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, chile sauce, lime juice, garlic, and broth. Set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil (or more) to the pan along with the carrots, scallions, and bean sprouts. Note: we also added water chestnuts for added texture. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and sauce, stirring to coat everything completely. Add noodles and cook for another minute. Serve garnished with crushed peanuts and cilantro.

Mixing and adding the sauce...

I love how she has no idea the Pad Thai is slowly sliding off the plate...

Voila!

"It's not too spicy, all you need is a little water!" So says my best friend's mother. 

And to enhance the taste of Thailand, I will leave you with this print ad:

Did you know people in Thailand can create full-blown buildings on the tops of their heads? This ad was created for the Architect Fair in Bangkok. I am ready for a Thai trip, who's with me?

Love in a Bowl

Creamy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Parmesan Crostinis
For those of you who love to cuddle up on the couch with a good movie and a bowl of lovin', this recipe is for you. I am a little (okay, very) obsessed with the Food Network. This is my channel of choice to connect with, laugh with and feel oh so comforted. 
Pat and Gina Neely create a twist on the classic tomato basil by throwing in some roasted red peppers for a gorgeous enhanced flavor. You can find this recipe here.


To start, you will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons sugar, optional
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

I forgot about the half-and-half so I just used whole milk. My sister and I also had organic sweet tea during the making of this - optional but highly recommended.

To make this bad boy:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until just fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add tomato paste and cook until toasted, just 1 more minute.

Add tomatoes, red peppers, and chicken broth and let simmer for 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded together. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and the sugar, if needed. Add half-and-half and basil, and puree using a hand held immersion blender until smooth. 

(Note: I don't have a fancy immersion blender so we used a standard blender and spooned the mixture in until nicely pureed. Do NOT fill the blender all the way full because it will spill! Not that I know from experience or anything. Fill half way in blender and pour into a serving bowl. Repeat 2-3 more times.)

The end product:

The parmesan crostinis were an added bonus. To start:

I used a crusty French bread and a tub of shredded parmesan. Cut the bread into 3/4" inch pieces and lay flat on a baking sheet. Brush the top sides of the bread with olive oil. Top generously with the shredded parmesan. Put underneath the broiler (on high) for about 3 minutes or until cheese has melted and the bread has browned.

Enjoy this comforting meal with your favorite movie :) 

The New Chapter

So, it's been awhile - since I've blogged.

But here I am. Older, wiser (maybe), and graduated.

It's about time that I share with the world, or the sparingly viewers who actually stumbled across this, about my connection with candor. Dictionary.com gives the best definition of this sincere word:   

can·dor

   [kan-der]

–noun

1. the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness.

In my pursuit of simplicity, I've come to the realization that I need this candidness in my life. To start, I want to address this candor and focus on three things:

-Career
-Cooking
-Creativity

I am driven to find creativity in my career and in cooking. Being in the 20-something crowd, I find that most young people my age are pretty simple-minded when it comes to the kitchen. Oh yes, that glorious room in our homes that include shiny buttons, knobs that can light a fire, and that box that reveals what winter was once like. It can be an intimidating room but if you were like me as a kid, this is a room where families gather and delicious edible things are created.

I am determined to let my creativity in the kitchen and in the office shine through this blog. Here you will find recipes that I have tried and are appropriate for those who are of the single, young, and free variety (or those who have a healthy appetite!) and here you will find my views on branding and the communication skills that the world reveals through technology and other outlets that are thought-provoking.

Thank you for reading and eating (and drinking!) through my new creative outlet in Connecting to Candor.