Soup and Sorbet on a Saturday

 After being on tour in Roosevelt, Utah for a week, it was nice to have a very lazy Saturday. I basically ran to the bank, the grocery store, and to Great Harvest Bread Company. I decided to make some roasted garlic soup since my husband was still sick. I would have maybe made some bread if I had had more energy but Great Harvest does the trick when you want delicious bread to complement your meals. Plus, going in to their stores are fun because you are always offered a free slice of bread!

 For dessert, a Riesling Sorbet with Blackberries (or any fresh berries you want).  When we were given a bottle of Riesling as a gift recently, I remembered that I had this recipe and was excited to be able to finally try it out. The fresh lime juice helps to offset the sweetness of the Riesling. If you don't have an ice cream maker yet I would suggest Cuisinarts Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, and Sorbet Maker. I bought mine for my ice cream loving husband as a gift almost  six years ago. It's easy and fast to use and is a breeze to clean up. If you get it at Sur La Table you can pick out one for about $49.95. Plus they come in four fun colors like Cuisinarts immersion blenders. Paired with Orange-Pecan Cookies this light and fresh dessert makes you feel like you are in wine country!

Roasted Garlic Soup 
with Potatoes and Fennel
*from the Healthy Heart Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 fennel bulb
1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
10 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth, or more as needed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1.2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Trim the ends and any brown spots off the fennel bulb. Chop a handful of the feathery tops and set aside for garnish. Discard the rest. Cut the fennel bulb through the core into 1/2 inch slices. Combine the fennel, potatoes, and garlic in shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables and continue roasting until lightly golden and nearly tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes longer.

In a large saucepan, combine the broth and thyme and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the roasted vegetable. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Using an immersion blender process until smooth. Additional broth can be added if the soup is too thick. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the chopped fennel tops, and serve.

Great Harvest Bread

Late-Harvest Riesling Sorbet with Berries

*from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup sorbet and about 1/3 cup berries)

Ingredients

• Sorbet:
• 1 2/3  cups  late-harvest Riesling
• 1/2  cup  water
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 1/4  cup  fresh lime juice
• Berries:
• 1  cup  blackberries
• 1  cup  blueberries
• 1/2  cup  raspberries
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 3  tablespoons  late-harvest Riesling
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated lime rind

Preparation

To prepare sorbet, combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds. Pour mixture into a bowl; cool. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 2 hours or until firm.

To prepare berries, combine blackberries and remaining ingredients; toss gently. Cover and chill. Serve sorbet topped with berries.

Orange-Pecan Cookies

*from Self Magazine

Makes 16 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Canola-oil cooking spray
• Powdered sugar (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Pulse pecans and sugar in a food processor into a sand like texture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in zest and extract. Slowly stir in egg white until a thin dough forms. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 350°. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Measure 16 heaping teaspoonfuls of dough and roll each into a ball. Place balls on sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

THE SKINNY

130 calories per 2 cookies, 9.7 g fat (0.8 g saturated), 9.9 g carbs, 1.3 g fiber, 1.7 g protein