asparagus soup

Easiest. Soup. Ever.

2 lbs. asparagus                 

1 small yellow onion

4 cloves garlic

1 can chicken broth

2 cans vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups water (or more if needed)

1 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil 

salt

Finely chop onion. Add to medium pot with oil over medium heat.  Cook until onions are getting tender. Add garlic and broth. Simmer. Meanwhile, chop asparagus tips off (about 1-2 inches long) and set aside. Snap bottoms (tough ends) off of asparagus and discard. Chop remaining asparagus into pieces about the size of a pencil eraser. Add to broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium high heat for about 40 minutes until everything is soft. 

Take the asparagus tips you've set aside (Emily calls them tender enders), and add them to a small skillet with sizzling butter. Satuee the ends, tossing them in the butter often, adding salt to taste, until they are tender enough, but still bright green.  Set aside.

Add water to the broth mixture after everything is tender. Let cool for a bit. Puree the soup in small batches, minding the hot soup. If you do this in an airtight container, please leave extra space in the container and open carefully! Contents under pressure, and all. 

After mixture is pureed, add back to pot and heat through over medium low - stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. 

Pour into bowls, garnish with tender enders, and serve immediately. 

Enjoy! 

Philly

So I've never been a real "fan" of Philly Cheeses Steak Sandwiches. Why? Well....I really don't know. Maybe it was me envisioning blobs of Velveeta cheese violating innocent ingredients of roast beef, onions, and peppers. THAT is what I call sad sauce. Literally.

All you need:

Olive Oil

Roast Beef (thin sliced from the deli)

Red Bell Pepper (sliced into strips)

Green Bell Pepper (sliced into strips)

Yellow Onion (sliced into strips)

Minced Garlic (optional)

Provolone Cheese

Pepper Jack Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Buns or bread of your choice

Add onion and olive oil to pan (for some reason cast iron is best) and sautee over medium low heat until tender and start to turn clear. Add pepper slices and sautee until soft but still bright in color. Put veggies aside. In the same pan with all of the yummy veggie remnants, heat pan up nice and warm and heat deli thin roast beef through. Let it soak up any juices from the peppers and onions. When it is heated through, turn heat up to high so the beef starts to sear a little. Sear to your desire, then turn heat down to medium again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring peppers and onions back to the party.

Mound sandwich innards into the shape of your bread (I used a French Baguette). Take your sliced cheese you choose (I used provolone and pepper jack) and place slices over your mound. Find a lid to the pan (or one that will cover the food). Take about 3 tablespoons of water and pour into the bottom of the pan. Place lid over the food immediately. The steam will melt the cheese nicely.

As soon as the cheese is melted, take a large spatula and scoop the meat, etc. onto your bread of choice. Personally, I don't think you need anything to dress your bread, but if you want, I would go with something mild - mayo or butter. Toasted bread is good, too.

Enjoy!