Creamy Asparagus Soup with Chicken Sausage

There are some things I really stink at.  Like, I am terrible at these things.

Keeping my closet organized would be one of them.

I mean, I do get it organized again every week or so.  But in the meantime?  Eh.  Out of sight, out of mind.

Keeping up with my nails.  Oh man. You do not want to see them on a regular basis.  Broken, chipped paint, hang nails.  Sigh.  It is not (usually) a pretty sight.

Turning in paperwork on time.  Getting out of bed when my alarm goes off.  Sending thank-you cards.

All things I suck at.

But there is something I am really good at --> making soup.

Chop, toss, and cook.

Really, what can go wrong?

Hallelujah for soup!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pack of chicken sausage, cut into 1/2 inch cubes    
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well   
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 small red-skinned potatoes (4 to 5 ounces total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 cups chicken broth or stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 bunches asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch
• One 6-ounce container plain yogurt
• 1/4 whole wheat country loaf, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; add the sausage and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the leek and garlic to the pot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Scoop out 1/2 cup asparagus pieces and set aside for garnish. Using a blender and working in VERY SMALL batches, puree the soup. Return the soup to the pot, whisk in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle the sausage and asparagus pieces on top and serve with the bread.

COST: $8.50  COST PER SERVING (4): $2.13

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Stinky Pee and Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pasta

Be forewarned, I am going to be talking about bodily functions.  Well, more specifically, one bodily function: pee.

I know, I know.  Ew, gross!  But honestly, it isn't really.  We all do it.  And some of us, after eating asparagus, do it with a little stench attached. 

Actually, that's not the truth.  I read this article recently that stated that everybody gets stinky pee after they eat asparagus, but only 20% of the population has a gene that allows them to smell it.  What a privilege, huh?

So these people who have this gene, these "Super Smellers" can pick up the scent of asparagus when they, you know, go.  Or when others around them go.  However, these people are often able to smell other smells that might be hidden to the rest of the population -- good smells.  Which is why I am proud to say I am a super smeller.  Asparagus pee, and all.

Pee aside, there is something else I should say about asparagus:  You want to roast it and mix it with goat cheese and pasta and then eat a lot of it.  You really, really do.  Trust me.

Trust somebody who writes about pee?!  Yes.  Because it means I am honest.  And I honestly think you will enjoy this dish.

How about you?  Are you a Super Smeller?  If you are, be proud.  We are small group, but united we can stand strong.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, May 2007

• Prep Time 20 minutes
• Total Time 25 minutes
• Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 lb. fusilli
• 5-8 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.
2. While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
3. In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.

COST: $10.22     COST PER SERVING (4): $2.56

Sundays with Joy -- Leek & Asparagus Quiche

For the longest time I have been wanting to join some sort of cooking group.  I did the cookie swap in November, which was a blast, and I wanted more.  Unfortunately all the groups I found didn't fit right for me.  Either they were doing stuff I wanted to do but didn't have the skill level required (remember -- I am teaching myself how to cook here, folks) OR I had the skill level required but not the time OR I had the time but didn't want to do the recipes.  But I have a found something that fits me perfectly.  Sundays with Joy.

Here is why it fits me:  I am not only learning to cook, but I am finally, finally, starting to want to bake.  I used to hate it.  All that measuring and what-not... it was too complicated.  But as of late I have found myself baking a lot.  Cookies, tarts, bread... it has gotten into me.  And I am really really enjoying it.  So going through Joy the Baker's cookbook one recipe per week sounded like a great plan for me.  Especially since the title had the word "simple" in it ;)

For the past two weeks I have seen a few of the bloggers I follow (specifically Bakeaholic Mama, the starter of this brilliant plan) put up recipes for scones and muffins, and I thought, "I want those!"   Well, if I want some, I know how to get them... get in the kitchen and make it happen, right? 

The funny thing is that this week the recipe was not a sweet-treat such as a scone or a muffin, but a quiche.  That probably doesn't sound so funny to you -- until you hear that my poor husband has eaten egg-something everynight this week.  Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, egg and avocado pizzas... I think the last thing he really wanted to eat this weekend was some more eggs.

But he was good about it and supported me.  Which I needed, because I kind of felt like a fool asking the grocery-store-dude if he could help me find leeks when they were right there.  I guess that is what happens when I have only ever bought frozen, chopped leeks before...  (BTW - found out that nutmeg is considered a "seasonal item" at Trader Joe's.  Why?  I get that we use it in pumpkin pie, but wouldn't they think we might possibly want to use it at other times of the year for other things as well?)

I was happy he was a good sport, and so was he.  He loved this.  And when I told him some of the other bakers were putting bacon in it he said, "Oh!  You HAVE to do that next time!" 

It is official: there will be a next time.  Probably with bacon.

I have done it.  My very first recipe from my new cooking group.  I feel pretty darn good about myself right now!  Ninety-nine more to go...

Recipe from Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes.

Basically, it is a puff-pastry fitted to the dish (I used a thawed-once-frozen one and I don't feel guilty at all!) filled with cooked asparagus and leeks on the bottom and egg/milk/cream/and a dash of nutmeg, along with a big handful of Gruyeye cheese.  Bake at 350* for 55 minutes and viola!-- breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner is served :)

(For the full recipe, get the cookbook!)

Cost: $14.25                   Cost Per Serving (8): $1.78

PLUS bread, salad... around $2.50 per plate
(The cost could be lower if you find cheap asparagus -- I could not.)

A Week of New Recipes -- Day 2: Creamy Asparagus-and-Sausage Soup

Look at these ingredients!  I knew I would like this meal just from looking at what was going to into it.  It seems so little, really, but it all works together and adds up to something...

...green & healthy

...home cooked
(If only I could take pictures of the amazing smells that occurred during this process!)

...MESSY!

The directions said, "Working in batches, put soup in the blender and set aside."  What it should have said is, "Working in very small batches..." and then they should have reiterated that point.  Several times.  My batches clearly were not small enough, and even though I would be able to puree a smoothie with that much in the blender, I think the heat made this a very different process.  The moment I hit the "Puree" button hot, green, goopy liquid went flying all over my kitchen... and me.  My husband, being the one to protect me at all costs, came to the rescue -- or so he thought.  "Babe, you need to really push the cover down, like this..."  And then he pressed the button and the whole thing happened on repeat.  Green slime, everywhere.  HOT green slime. 

We just looked at each for a few seconds, and then we laughed.

Really, what else could we do?  (And to think, I had just scrubbed the entire kitchen earlier that day...)

But in the end, we also had something...

...delicious

Notice the soup on the side of the bowl?  We were finding it EVERYWHERE.  However, I was more concerned with the soup in between my toes than the soup that got on the dishes.

We LOVED this soup!  Even the hater-of-soup loved it.  He gave it a ten.  I, of course, gave it a ten as well.  But with my super love of soup that should come as no surprise to you.  It was hearty, creamy, a little tangy (thanks to the yogurt), and just down-right scrumptious.  I will make it again, I will just be a tad bit more careful ;)

Once again, this recipe came originally from Rachael Ray as Creamy Asparagus-and-Ham Soup, but I made one small adjustment:  chicken sausage instead of ham.  CLICK HERE to see the original recipe.  Also, I do not have a Dutch oven (actually, I had to look it up to see what it is... remember, I am learning to cook still!), so I just used a normal pot.  It worked out just fine.

INGREDIENTS:  (My changes are italicized.)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pack of chicken sausage, cut into 1/2 inch cubes    
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well   (I had frozen leeks, so I defrosted some and used those) 
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 small red-skinned potatoes (4 to 5 ounces total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 bunches asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch
• One 6-ounce container plain yogurt
• 1/4 whole wheat country loaf, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; add the sausage and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the leek and garlic to the pot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Scoop out 1/2 cup asparagus pieces and set aside for garnish. Using a blender and working in VERY SMALL batches, puree the soup. Return the soup to the pot, whisk in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle the sausage and asparagus pieces on top and serve with the bread.

COST = $10.30        PER SERVING (4) = $2.58

(Adapted from rachaelray.com)