Empty Bowls

Last night we attended a charity event hosted by Urban Ministries of Durham called Empty Bowls. They raise money and offer food, shelter, and clothing for those in need. The weather was cold and rainy, perfect for a bowl of soup! They had 14 local restaurants in the area serving soups that they had made. We were not sure what to expect but it turned out to be delicious! Each and every soup was creative and inspirational. By the end of the event we were all stuffed and they had raised over $60,000! In addition to this event they are also raising money through an insightful way (donate at NamesForChange.org).

Carrot and Ginger Bisque With Chick Pea and Cilantro

Red Beet and Goat Cheese with Preserved Lemon, Fennel and Pistachio

Mattie B from one of our favorite restaurants - Six Plates!

Homemade granola

Over the holidays, my sister and her family made breakfast for us. Parfaits were on the menu. It consisted of greek yogurt, sprinkled with homemade granola, and topped with berries. It was a huge hit!

I was in the process of making a care package for my brother-in-law who is in grad. school and has very little time to do anything, let alone eat healthy. So it made sense to add this along! I've never made homemade granola before, but if my nieces, ages six and nine, could help make it, how hard could it be right!? It was fun, easy, and made the whole house smell like I had been baking all day!

So here's how I made it happen!

Yields roughly 4 cups

The Players:

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup dried orange infused cranberries*
• 1/4 cup of honey overflowing*
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract*

The Game Plan: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Spray or lightly spread olive oil around it and set aside. Then start with a mixing bowl big enough to hold all the ingredients. Add oats and sliced almonds.

Use a food processor to chop pecans into smaller pieces. Add that into the bowl along with the cranberries, cinnamon, and sea salt. Give it a quick toss with a spatula.

Now for the binders! Add the honey and olive oil. Give it a good mix. And then lastly add the vanilla extract and give it a final mix. Taste to make sure all seasonings are to your liking.

Evenly spread the granola on the baking pan. Then place in oven for 20-25 minutes. Half way in between give it a toss. Once it is done you will know because your kitchen will smell AMAZING! Use the foil to help you lift the granola mixture out and onto a cooling pan. Let cool for about 20-30 minutes. The granola will be nice and crunchy!

Store in an airtight container and it will keep for months!

* Any type of cranberries are perfect, so don't worry about finding a specific type :). I highly recommend using high quality vanilla extract because it will make a tasty difference. I also used local honey from the farmer's market and it was delish!

Warm me up asparagus soup

We have had "a lot" of snow this winter for North Carolina. Being a Floridian (living in NC a little over a year), it was exciting to watch the snow pile up. It looked so pretty, but it made for some super cold days.  My husband and I both had a snow day and it felt appropriate to make something warm and comforting. Aside from a bunch of asparagus, I only had the basics lying around in the fridge. I felt like a hot bowl of asparagus soup was calling my name. I had never made it before, but I had everything I needed to whip it together.

Here's how I did it:

Serves 4-6 fans

The Players:

• 1 bunch of asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbs of olive oil
• 1 small white potato peeled and diced
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 2 tps of better than bouillion or bouillion
• 1 tsp of parsley chopped finely
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A splash of milk or cream

The Game Plan:

In a dutch oven heat 2 tbs of olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and let cook until slightly browned, about 8 minutes while occasionally stirring to keep from burning. Add potato and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Let that hang out and cook for a minute.  Then pour in 4 cups of vegetable broth. Let it come to a boil and bring it down to a simmer. Cover for about 15 minutes or so and the potatoes should be cooked. Uncover and add the asparagus. Let cook for about 5 minutes. Asparagus should be tender.

This next step involves turning off the heat and depending on how you do it you may have to slowly scoop the soup out. Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend up the soup to a smooth consistency.  Then add the soup back into the pot and season with the bouillion, salt, pepper, and parsley. Once it is to your liking, take it off the heat and add a splash of milk or cream and mix it up until blended. Stay warm and enjoy!

I know in my picture below the asparagus soup is not green but it will depend on the broth you use. Here, I used an organic vegetable broth that was super orange in color and therefore my soup was not exactly the color you would imagine. If you want the green color make sure your broth is light and clear in color. However if your kids dislike green foods, this may be a great way to trick them into eating some!

A little about Choo!

My name is Nili but most of my friends call me Nilichoo (Choo for short). I am absolutely in love with anything food related!  A lot of my passion for food comes from my family. Growing up, my mom literally spent all day in the kitchen cooking and my dad used most of his leisurely time gardening. My sisters and their husbands are amazing cooks and are really the ones that have helped take my love for food to a whole new level.

Since college I've started to develop recipes of my own. Inspired by the chefs on food network, I've learned that a slight tweak here, a new ingredient added in there and bam, I've whipped up something delicious. Afterwards, I would frequently post pictures and this would often lead to my friends and family asking me how I made something. Unfortunately, I did not precisely track the exact measurements for someone else to replicate. So I finally decided it would be fun to create a playbook of all my recipes. I will not only blog about what I make but I will also include my food adventures, helpful tips, and anything else that is food related! I hope everyone enjoys learning more about me and my passion for different flavors!