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Roasted Asparagus Soup

2 lbs aparagus, trimmed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 lg or 2 sm carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2-3 tbsp chicken or vegetable base
8-10 cups water
olive oil
creamy feta, crumbled (garnish)
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss asparagus with a liberal amount of olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place seasoned asparagus on a sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, until the asparagus are tender and starting to caramelize on the bottom. Allow the asparagus to cool until you are able to handle it. Set a few asparagus spears aside to use as ganishes in the soup, then roughly chop the rest of the asparagus.

While the asparagus is cooling, preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil to the pot. Once the pot and oil are hot, add onions, celery, and carrots. Sweat the mirapoix over medium heat until the veggies are tender and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper flaked, stir. Allow the red pepper flakes to cook in the oil for a few seconds then add the water, chicken base, and roughly chopped asparagus. Bring the soup up to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 20-30 minutes, stirring ocassionally.

After about 30 minutes puree the soup. I recommend using an immersion blender so you don't need to transfer the soup into another container, but a standard blender or food processor will work as well. Just work in batches. Thoroughly puree the soup until there are no chunks of veggies and just one homogeneous mixture. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. For a smoother consistancy, strain the soup through a chinois or fine mesh sieve. Serve warm with a roasted asparagus spear and a small crumble of creamy feta. Enjoy!

Recipe by Amanda Simpson
http://www.whatwereeating.com/

From post: Many Mini Comfort Foods
http://www.whatwereeating.com/recipes/many-mini-comfort-foods/

A Southwestern Take on Macaroni and Cheese

2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 cup whole milk
8 oz good quality sharp cheddar, shredded
4 oz havarti, grated
1 tsp cumin
1 lb chorizo, browned and crumbled
1/2 packed cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 cup of roasted red pepper, diced
2 large jalapenos, 1 diced and 1 thinly sliced(for garnish)
3/4 cup panko
2 cups elbow macaroni
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large pot of water over high heat . Bring the water to a boil while making the bechamel for the cheese sauce. Once the water comes to a boil, add a very liberal amount of salt.

Make the bechamel. Add two tbsp of unsalted butter to a medium-sized saucepan. Place the sauce pan over medium-low heat. Once the butter has finished melting, add 2 tbsp of flour to the pan to make the roux. Whisk the flour and butter constantly for about 1 minute so that the "raw flour" flavor has a chance to cook away but not long enough for the flour to brown. Slowly add the milk in a stream while whisking constantly to ensure a smooth, lump-free sauce. Once all the milk has been incorporated, allow the sauce to come to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer the bechemel for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and add the havarti and sharp cheddar. Stir the sauce until all the cheese has completely melted. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add the chorizo, cilantro, diced jalapeno, and roasted red pepper to the sauce, stir to combine.

Add the elbow macaroni to the salted boiling water. Cook for two minutes less than the recommended cook time on the package. Drain the pasta then add it back to the pot. Pour the cheese sauce into the pot with the pasta. Toss to coat. Scrape the macaroni and cheese into a baking dish, making sure to get every last drop of sauce. Sprinkle panko over the top of the pasta. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes unti the panko has started to turn golden. Serve hot and garnish with fresh jalapeno slice. This mac and cheese makes a great finger food when served in mini-parmesan cups (recipe below)! Enjoy!

Recipe by Amanda Simpson
http://www.whatwereeating.com/

From post: Many Mini Comfort Foods
http://www.whatwereeating.com/recipes/many-mini-comfort-foods/

Mini Parmesan Cups

freshly grated parmigiana reggiano
large muffin tin (for baking)
mini-muffin tin (for molding)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven has preheated, sprinkle a solid, yet thin layer of grated parmigiano reggiano in 3 round bottoms of a large muffin tin. Although it's time consuming, it's best to work with only three crisps at a time because they will cool quickly and become immalleable. Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven for about three minutes, until the cheese has melted and has just started to turn golden. Remove from the oven and immediately gently extract the pliable rounds from the tin using a butter knife. Using the mini muffin tin as a mold, form cups out of the cheese rounds. Repeat this step as many times as necessary to produce the number of mini parmesan cups you need. The cups work fantastically as a base for all sorts of finger foods and hors d'oeuvres. Enjoy!

Recipe by Amanda Simpson
http://www.whatwereeating.com/

From post: Many Mini Comfort Foods
http://www.whatwereeating.com/recipes/many-mini-comfort-foods/