Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

This was really tasty. I modified a recipe from the complementary Lunds & Byerly's Real Food magazine. This recipe is perfect for meatless Mondays! The acidity reminded me a lot of my favorite Tomato-Basil soup.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups roasted red peppers (from jars)
1 cup vegetable broth
1 T honey
1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraiche (plus more for garnish)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
dash of salt
1/2 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped or julienned)


Saute the onion with heated oil in a Dutch oven for five minutes. Toss in the peppers (drained) and vegetable broth. Cook for 10 minutes in a covered Dutch oven on medium low heat.

Next, blend in a food processor or blender. Once pureed, put the mixture back in the Dutch oven on low heat. Add in the honey and sour cream (or crème fraiche). Mix well with a spoon or whisk.

Serve warm with the fresh basil and a dollop of sour cream (or crème fraiche) in each bowl. The basil was really delicious in this soup.

Pork Medallions with Peppers

This one is going into my regular rotation.  I can't believe how fast, healthy and tasty this pork recipe was.  Pork has been my go-to meat lately and with recipes like this, I don't see that ending anytime soon!  It comes from a 20 minute cooking recipe, so this recipe is a multi-tasker. 

Pork Medallions with Peppers (Cooking Light, January/February 2011)

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into medallions (or two pork chops)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 1/2 ts chopped fresh rosemary, divided
• 4 canned anchovies OR 3 tbsp minced calamata olives (I used calamata olives in my recipe)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

 

 

This one is easy - get chopping.  Once you're all chopped, it's go time.

 

Heat EVOO in a pan, let it heat up and add in your pork chops (or medallions) and let them get a sear on them - about 5 minutes.

 

Flip and add in remaining ingredients (except for balsamic).  Let saute for about 7 minutes or until peppers are soft and pork is cooking all the way through.

 

 

And done.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a bit of rosemary.  I was so hungry I didn't take anytime to really plate this in any sort of appealing looking way.  I let the porkchops sit to ensure the juices stayed in the meat (5 to 10 is appropriate), and below is the result.  

Awesome!