carrot soup

as the temperatures rise and it feels more and more like summer outside, the last thing on our minds was a warm bowl of soup! but with several bunches of carrots leftover from a recent shoot, i couldn't think of anything i'd rather make. it's actually quite perfect to eat near the blasting air conditioner with a cold crisp salad for lunch or dinner. quick to prepare and with minimal time spent by a warm stove, this soup could even be served chilled.

might have to try this salad over the weekend from smitten kitchen via the wednesday chef.

it's now the perfect time of year to start drinking rose and this bottle was always one of our favorites! wonder if we can find it in nyc?

great recipes for icy treats here from design sponge. remember when we made boozy pops here? also, if you happen to be around brooklyn flea or chelsea market, definitely check out people's pops - they're great.

have a wonderful weekend!

Spiced Carrot Soup

serves 4

2 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

1 lb carrots, peeled & roughly chopped

2 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock stock

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

cilantro sprigs, optional garnish

in a large saucepan, heat oil and saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more. add carrots and broth and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. carefully puree soup in batches in a blender or in the saucepan using an immersion blender until smooth. stir in cumin, coriander and lemon. divide between four bowls and garnish with yogurt and cilantro.

hippie salad

today we are taking a healthy turn with a little hippie salad. quinoa has been gaining popularity and is a very beneficial grain but can sometimes be a little boring. in this easy salad we've added tons of flavor and fresh summer vegetables to liven things up. we rarely call for store bought products in our recipes but this salad utilizes trader joe's roasted garlic hummus to create a quick "dressing" - feel free to make your own hummus if you're feeling adventurous! and throw in whatever summer veggies and herbs you happen to have on hand. enjoy!

Quinoa & Carrot Salad

3/4 cup cooked quinoa

2 carrots, peeled and made into ribbons

2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 ripe avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

3 tbs roasted garlic hummus

3 tbs fresh basil, chopped

1 tbs olive oil

1 lime, juiced

salt & pepper to taste

in a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well to coat evenly.

cupcakes

we were inspired to make cupcakes when we saw these adorable paper liners from martha stewart crafts at michael's recently. almost too precious to use! we love most flavors of cupcakes - chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, coconut - but one of our favorites is definitely carrot cake. we even had them at our wedding! this carrot cake cupcake has a traditional cream cheese frosting (my favorite part) but a few nontraditional additions like banana and chopped candied ginger. hope you like it as much as we do!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

makes 1 dozen

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups shredded carrot, about 4 carrots

1 ripe banana, mashed

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. in another bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla . add carrot and banana and stir until smooth. mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened and combined. fill lined muffin cups about 3/4 full, using all the batter. bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool completely before frosting.

cream cheese frosting

8 0z. cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tbs unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

with an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and butter together until combined. add vanilla. add sugar 1/2 cup at a time, scrapping down the sides of the bowl. use frosting immediately.