"Spring" Escarole, White Bean & Tomato Soup (Plus a Giveaway!)

I know it's spring. But this "spring" we're having is more like 34 degrees/snow/rain/sweater/boots days that require soup/bread/stew/pasta nights. So I think it's perfectly acceptable to still be making soup. Especially when it is filled with greens and comforting white beans but still has a light enough tomato broth that you can get warmed up without really feeling like it's the dead of winter. It's a good "spring" soup, if there is such a thing.

The tomato/escarole/white bean combination is nothing new - I've been eating it since I was a kid, when my mom and grandmother started teaching my sister and I to have a great love for those curly greens, but I like this version since it's a bit lighter than your typical pasta fagiole. It's also quite quick and you can throw it together last minute if you use canned beans rather than dried beans.

It's also good for when you have a head of escarole sitting in your fridge that you ordered in your produce box with no plan for it and then forgot about it until it was near wilting to death, but you couldn't bear to throw it away so figured SOUP(!) was the way to go. It's good for those times too.

I served these particular bowls with crispy little baguette toasts since I happened to have some leftover bread in the freezer. But it would also go really well with fresh homemade whole wheat bread fresh out of the oven, or homemade biscuits, or these pesto scones (whiiiiich I am totally making this weekend).

The Giveaway!

But for this giveaway. So as I've mentioned before, I often use Tuttorosso tomatoes when I'm cooking Italian food because that's how my mama (and her mama) taught me. I buy almost 100% organic ingredients for our regular eating (if I can find it organic, I buy it organic), but canned tomatoes is one place where I will make an exception. If I'm not canning my own, I'm usually using Tuttorosso. And one lucky reader will win a gift pack of tomatoes and other goodies to make this recipe in your own kitchen!

All you need to do is leave a comment below, and you'll automatically be entered to win. I will randomly select a winner on April 16. You can get extra entries by liking Some Sugar Added on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - links are at the top of the blog (just leave an extra comment telling me you did so). The gift pack will include:

- Springtime tomato recipes
- 28 oz. Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
- 28 oz. Tuttorosso NSA Peeled Plum Tomatos
- 28 oz. Tuttorosso Diced Tomatoes
- Inspiralized cookbook
- Tuttorosso coupons

Tuttorosso is actually also teaming up with Inspiralized (hello super easy zucchini noodles!) for another spring giveaway, which you can enter on Facebook here. That giveaway will include weekly prizes and a grand prize of Spiralizers, Inspiralized cookbooks, aprons, a picnic basket and kitchen gadgets. The contest will run through April 15. A free Spiralizer sounds awesome. Try your luck!

And now let's all pray to actually get some spring weather to go with our spring soups and veggie noodles.

Escarole, White Bean & Tomato Soup

Ingredients
1 head escarole, washed and torn
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
28 oz. can of plum tomatoes, broken up with your fingers (I use Tuttorosso, Muir Glen Organic or homemade)
2 cups white beans (if using dried beans, soak first; if using canned, rinse first)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. coconut sugar (can sub cane sugar if you don't have coconut sugar)
1 cup vegetable broth

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, then add escarole, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes, until escarole is wilted and garlic is fragrant but not browned.

Add tomatoes, white beans, crushed red pepper, sugar and vegetable broth. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Fast Fish

If I could describe this week in one word, it would be "hectic." Matt was taking a biology course every day over an hour away and then had soccer functions every night, and I was in the city multiple days and trying to juggle work and Riker solo. Suffice it to say I'm glad it's the weekend! Also suffice it to say that cooking was the last thing on my mind when I rolled home from work at 8:30 pm after a 13 hour day. Matt's family took really good care of me this week, keeping Riker for long hours and inviting me over for late evening dinners.

I ate once at Matt's mom's house and twice at his sister's new place with the whole family. Their new home is really coming along and looking so cute.

She's a huge Caesar Salad lover and, after eating it at her house twice this week, she's starting to make me an addict as well. Yum.

I did have to force myself to cook a few days, though, since on Sunday we took a trip to our favorite fish market, Ahearn's, and came home with a bunch of fresh, wild caught seafood that I really didn't want to freeze (it's so much better fresh). Poor planning, huh?

The seafood is so delicious that it doesn't need much to pull together into a dinner, and all these meals were quickies - but I have to say, they came out looking pretty stylish. A pound of shrimp got tossed with my favorite smokey paprika and fresh garlic, then baked in the oven while I blanched two heads of broccoli rabe.

I saute my blanched broccoli rabe with olive oil, fresh garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and s&p. It comes out perfect every time. Matt and I sat with this big platter between us and ate "family style," picking at shrimp and grabbing forkfuls of the rabe.

Seafood meal #2 was Asian style Ahi tuna. To make the tuna, I coated it with black sesame seeds and seared it in my cast iron skillet for a few minutes on each side; when it came off, I doused it in a mixture of low sodium soy sauce, wasabi powder and ginger powder.

The sides were even easier. I had picked up some seaweed salad at Ahearn's, which required no prep at all. We actually got the edamame free from the owner of Silverton Organic Farm - I swear, every time we go he gives us something free. Love it. I blanched the edamame for about 8 minutes, then tossed it with sea salt. The whole dinner was on the table in about 20 minutes, can't beat that.

And seafood meal #3 was herb encrusted halibut. I really love halibut and was excited when I saw it at Ahearn's. The crust is a play on a Weight Watcher's recipe I've made a bunch of times, but I adjusted it slightly based on what I had in the cabinet and garden.

In the crust:

- Hazelnut flour
- Fresh basil, thyme and parsley
- Lemon zest (a ton of it)
- S&P
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Red wine vinegar

I baked off the fish in the oven, and in the meantime julienned a couple of garden zucchinis and carrots. I like julienning veggies because they look pretty and cook super fast - about 3 minutes in a steamer basket. I tossed the steamed veggies in a little butter, topped them with the fish and then dinner was on the table.

Lunch too. There were leftovers, so I packed them into a glass Tupperware container and filled in the gaps with garden cherry tomatoes, and lunch was ready for work the next day. Cherry tomatoes cook in the microwave in about 2 minutes, so I love throwing them in raw to any lunch for an extra boost of veggies.

Riker just went down for a nap so I'm going to get myself a shower and then I think we're heading out to the beach for the day. Enjoy your Saturday!

Parental Visit

Happy Friday! I know I've been slacking on the blog lately and have so much more to share from Cali, but the last few nights have been pretty busy since we had some special guests staying with us for the week. My parents were originally supposed to come to California with us but had to cancel at the last minute when my stepdad caught pneumonia and couldn't fly. Crazy right? They really missed spending that time with Riker, so came down here from Vermont on Monday when we got home from vacation and have been taking him to the zoo, beach and all other fun things grandparents do.

Since they were in town, every evening after work has been filled with BBQ's with family, fires in the backyard, and boardwalk ventures. It's been really fun having them here.

Riker liked the bright lights of the Seaside Heights fireworks,  but the noise, not so much.

The first night my parents arrived we had a low key dinner at home. Matt was coaching a soccer game that night so it was just the four of us, plus Riker. I made a simple patio dinner of almond flour crusted fish with fresh lemons and herbs from the garden.

The last time I made this I used cod, but when I was stocking up on groceries on Monday, I spotted some wild caught lemon sole that looked really nice. I'm trying to only buy wild caught fish these days due to some nasty things I'm reading about fish farms, so the sole seemed like a great option. It was delicious! It had a nice firm yet flaky texture and it held up well to my cast iron skillet. Speaking of, the last time I made this I also cooked it differently (in a foil packet on the grill) and while it tasted great it didn't look very pretty. This time I used a little walnut oil to saute it on the stove for about 4 minutes on each side, and it came out crispy and a little more appealing to the eyes.

On the side we had garden cucumbers (um, I have about a million of these right now - pickling time!) and my family's beloved pasta with tomatoes, basil and brie made with garden veggies as well. I made one version with spaghetti and one version with zucchini noodles since Matt and I are trying to go low carb again now that we're back from vacation.

Summery!

My parents left yesterday morning and I was sad to see them go, but they'll be back for Labor Day so I'm looking forward to that. Last night I had longstanding plans to meet up for dinner & drinks with my good friend Dana, whom I haven't seen in months, so the timing worked out well. I have to say, packing the work week with fun evenings makes the week go by fast and really feel like summertime. And now all the sudden it's Friday again, woo! Time to power through my last workday and then meet up with Matt and his family for a little boat action later this afternoon.

Enjoy your day!

Paleo Eggplant & Tomato Napoleons

We have garden veggies, my friends!

Usually our tomatoes don't ripen until later in the summer, so I was stoked to see some red fruits on the vine this week. As usual, they're super juicy and flavorful. The basil is also coming up like crazy. I used them both in breakfast this morning.

Can you tell Matt is the omelet maker around here? He's away for most of the day mountain biking in Delaware with his friend Chris, so the Saturday omelet-making fell to me. My omelets are so messy and almost always fall apart. :/ Oh well, it was tasty! I filled it with broccoli, Cabot sundried tomato & basil cheddar cheese, and garden tomatoes and basil.

I also used the tomatoes and basil in dinner last night.

My omelets may not be pretty, but I have to say, I think I have a knack for making Napoleons. I had originally planned to make eggplant parmesan, but those gorgeous garden tomatoes just begged to be used so I switched plans to make Eggplant Tomato Napoleons instead. I used to cook the eggplant slices with panko breadcrumbs, but since Matt and I are trying our best to stay really low carb, I used almond flour instead.

The almond flour worked perfectly and made the eggplant slices really crispy. It also gave some great added flavor.

I built the Napoleons with the cooked eggplant, sliced tomato, sautéed onions and mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Then I baked them until the cheese melted, and Friday night dinner was served.

Just before eating them I drizzled some aged balsamic vinegar on top for a tangy sweet punch. Deliciousss.

I was too busy throwing things together to write down measurements on this, but the method is pretty simple so I posted it below.

Now I gotta get my booty in the shower and get ready for a BBQ housewarming party at Lindsay's house this afternoon. Riker wasn't feeling well today so I spent most of my morning running to the doctor and pharmacy and doing lots of baby snuggling. He just went down for a nap so I've got about 2 hours to make an appetizer and get ready for the party. Enjoy your Saturday!

Paleo Eggplant, Tomato Napoleons

Ingredients
Eggplant
Almond flour
2 Eggs, scrambled
Fresh tomatoes, sliced
Onions, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Grapeseed oil
Fresh basil
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice the eggplant into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Dip into the egg wash, then into almond flour. Cook in a skillet over medium heat with grapeseed or canola oil until brown and crispy.

Meanwhile, saute onions and mushrooms with salt and pepper until tender and golden brown.

Layer the cooked eggplant with sliced tomatoes, sauteed onions and mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar just before serving.

Zucchini Noodles with Sunflower Seed Pesto

We've been on a bit of a recipe drought lately. It's time for a new one! Lately my good meals have been eaten out and my home meals have been pretty typical or - as in the case of city days this week, a Balance bar and a spoonful of peanut butter - nonexistent. Except last night.

This pile of "noodles" would've looked much more appealing if I'd put it in a bowl and tried to take a pretty picture, but I was starving and Matt was already halfway through his serving by the time I took my first bite, so this is what we've got.

A while back I came across a recipe for sunflower seed pesto and tucked it away in my brain for a later day. To my surprise and delight last night, I came downstairs after work and found Matt tossing things into the food processor to make his own version, and it turned out delicious. The pesto has the usual stuff - basil (fresh from the not-yet-planted-garden), garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, s&p, but instead of pine nuts or walnuts, it has sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds gave it such a unique flavor - smooth, not quite nutty, but really interesting. And really tasty.

For the "pasta," I made a batch of zucchini noodles the same way as last time. Shredded up and a quick blanch in boiling water. I also steamed some fresh broccoli for an extra serving of the green stuff.

Italian food without the carbs. Mmm.

***

Off to curl up with a movie on this rainy evening. My parents are coming in late tonight for a quick visit on their way to PA, and tomorrow Matt, Riker and I are headed for a mini family getaway to the Poconos. Yay for the weekend!

Zucchini Noodles with Sunflower Seed Pesto

Serves 2

Ingredients
3 medium zucchinis
3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 handfuls fresh basil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil (plus more as needed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Using a mandoline or julienne tool, shred the zucchini into long, spaghetti-like strips. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; drop the zucchini strands in for 1-2 minutes, until hot but still firm. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, add sunflower seeds, chopped garlic cloves, basil and parmesan cheese. Pulse until everything is combined and minced well; drizzle in olive oil while the blade is running, until the pesto comes together in a smooth paste (start with 1/4 cup and add up to a 1/2 cup as needed).

Toss the cooked zucchini noodles with the pesto and serve immediately.

Strawberry Lover

Another week of travel has come to an end, this time from the bright lights of Las Vegas. I got home just in time for a special occasion...Matt's birthday! Once Riker was ready for bed, we had a babysitter come over for the evening so we could enjoy a birthday date night just the two of us. It was quite a change from the big bash we had last year, but we both needed a quiet evening. Matt was actually in the Bahamas last weekend for a bachelor party (I didn't mention it while he was away for safety reasons), and I left for Vegas before he got home, so a date night was just what we needed. We went to Fuji for some wine and sushi.

And this time we got to sit in one of the traditional kneeling tables since I remembered to call ahead for a reservation. I know it's silly, but there's something about sitting at that little table with my shoes off and my legs curled up on a cushion while I eat my sushi. Makes me feel a lil bit more special.

We ordered three specialty rolls to split, which were good as usual, but I actually liked our apps best. Seaweed salad is always a must, and Fuji's version has so much sesame flavor, I love it.

Matt spotted "tuna dumplings" on the apps menu, and we were intrigued and had to try them. Seriously, my new favorite thing ever. We each had one pouch of fresh Ahi tuna wrapped around a big mound of creamy avocado, and served with wasabi and miso sauces.

They look a little funky, but oh my word, SO good.

After dinner we went to see The Great Gatsby, which I couldn't wait for. I've always loved Gatsby - both the book and the original Robert Redford movie - and I'm a sucker for Leonardo DiCaprio. My good friend Julie works in the movie industry and was a promoter for Gatsby, so a few weeks ago she sent me some swag and free tix, woop! Such a great evening and perfect way to end a tiring week.

***

This morning I let Matt sleep in late while I got up early with Riker. Yogurt bowls were on the morning menu, along with a cup of steaming hot coffee. It was coooold this am.

I put the usual half a banana, drizzle of honey and chopped pecans on top of my Chobani this morning, but for a twist I tossed on a few of Riker's dehydrated banana chips and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. The banana chips were a great addition, they gave the bowl a nice crunch.

A much-needed lazy morning at home was preceded by our annual trip to the garden center. It's that time of year again!

We came away with two pallets filled with veggies, herbs, flowers and strawberry plants for our garden. I can't wait to get all these babies planted and growing. It's safe to say the strawberry plants will be Riker's favorite. He stole the only two red ones and gobbled them up before we even left, and kept saying "more, more" the rest of the time we were shopping.

That track suit is out of control. I can't stand how cute that kid is.

Dinner came together pretty quickly thanks to some prep work Matt took care of earlier in the day. He roasted off a bunch of beets that'd been sitting in our fridge for a while, so I took advantage of the freshly cooked veg to make a warm, earthy salad.

In the bowl:
- Mesclun greens
- Belgian endive (on its last legs and I barely saved it)
- Steamed green beans
- Roasted beets
- Cucumbers
- Goat cheese crumbles
- Toasted pecans

I dressed the salad simply with blueberry balsamic vinegar, then topped the bowls with blueberry pan-seared salmon. To cook the salmon, I heated coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and placed the filets in skin side down. While they were cooking, I basted the tops with a simple mixture of homemade blueberry jam and red wine vinegar; then I flipped them and cooked them on the other side for about 8 more minutes. I sprinkled them with citrus fleur de sel just before serving.

The salads were fantastic. We ate them with a glass of red wine at the bar after Riker went to bed.

I just finished cleaning up and Matt's out back building a fire, so I'm signing off to go spend this chilly evening wrapped up with a blanket outdoors. Hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend so far!

Green Tomato Salsa

Believe it or not, tomatoes are still growing on the vines in our backyard. They're starting to taper off at this point, but I think we still have another two weeks to enjoy the golden beauties. I don't want to waste a single one of the fruits, and since you can only eat so many tomato sandwiches and green tomato napoleons, I figured a new green tomato recipe was in order.

This salsa mimics the flavor of a salsa verde in that it's slightly tart and has a similar consistency. It tastes nothing like tomatoes, and is great when slathered on enchiladas or tacos. It's also the perfect complement to grilled seafood - or I imagine, grilled steak or chicken.

To make the salsa, all you do is pulse...

Puree...

Simmer...

And enjoy! I made two jars - one for now, and one that I preserved for later this winter when I'm looking for a little something reminiscent of summertime.

Green Tomato Salsa

Makes 2 pints

Ingredients
6 green tomatoes, chopped in large pieces
1 green pepper, chopped in large pieces
1 small onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup parsley
1 long hot pepper
2 lime zest and juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. red wine vinegar

In a food processor, combine tomatoes, green pepper, onion and garlic. Pulse until well chopped and combined. Add remaining ingredients, and puree until smooth.

Transfer salsa to a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Salsa may be cooled and eaten immediately, or transferred hot into sterilized canning jars (with 1/4 inch headroom) and processed in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Jars will keep in a cool place for at least 6 months.

Cookbook Giveaway

Dinner tonight was nothing fancy, so let's breeze through quickly and get to the good stuff!

I planted beets in our garden this year, and while they don't produce like crazy - nothing like the tomatoes and cukes - they are so worth the wait. They have a delicate, mild flavor and are only slightly earthy, and go really well in salads.

I wasn't starving this evening and didn't feel like a big meal, and since Matt was out coaching soccer and I was on my own for dinner, I was all aboard for a simple beet salad. 

I roasted a few beets in the oven for about a half hour while I finished up work, then chopped them into large chunks while they were still warm.

I finished them off with a drizzle of olive oil, a handful of garden pea pods, and some herbed goat cheese.

And now for the giveaway! I recently started writing for Jersey Bites, an online resource for NJ restaurants, foodie events and recipes. You can check out the team page here (including the bio of yours truly) and soon you'll be seeing some new recipes of mine over there. 

This week, Jersey Bites is giving away two copies of Melissa d'Arabian's brand new Ten Dollar Dinners cookbook, and you all have a chance to win! Melissa d'Arabian was a winner of The Next Food Network Star, which you all know I'm obsessed with, so it's pretty neat to see her taking off in the food world. 

Her new cookbook is filled with healthful, budget-friendly dinners, and would be a great addition to any kitchen. To enter for a chance to win, just check out Melissa's Black Bean Nacho Burgers recipe on Jersey Bites here, and leave a comment with your email address. You can earn extra entries by posting about the contest on Twitter and Facebook. You have until August 17th to enter. Good luck!

***

Unless you're living under a rock you probably know that it's Shark Week, and being married to a biology teacher means we are learning about Great Whites all week long. Off to dig into my coveted pint of Ben & Jerry's banana Greek yogurt and plop myself in front of the Discovery channel. G'night!