PLEASE SHINE DOWN ON ME!!

If I can't wear a skirt without tights or be comfortable without a jacket, then spring has yet to fully arrive. Today in CNY (the mohawk valley) it is overcast and drizzling. Spring is "here", but not really... I mean the snow is all gone, but the flowers have yet to show their lovely faces (the photo is of fake flowers outside of our garden to cheer up the bland scene hehe). On the days when the sun is shining and the wind is not blowing I am unable to do anything but smile, for warmth and bare limbs are on their way! But on these sunless days I just want to stay in my bed with a good book, warm blankets and patiently wait. The perfect addition to a good book in bed is a hot bowl of delicious ZUPA ("soup" in Polish). So for this SYNfull Thursday, here is a recipe I tried earlier in the week that was quick, easy, and pretty damn tasty... perfect for a dreary day when you don't want to exert too much energy.

*this is not vegan/vegetarian friendly... but im sure you could easily figure out how to make it so :)

CREAM OF LEEK AND VERMICELLI SOUP

4-6 leeks
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
4 cups of chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
4-6 oz. vermicelli, broken up

Wash leeks and cut off 2 inches below green leaves. Slice the remaining white stalks lengthwise to make them look like thin noodles. Then take the long noodle-like slices and cut them horizontally every inch or so. This way you end up with thin, 1-2 inch long leeks. Saute the leeks in the butter in a large pot for 15 minutes. You do not want to brown them, so use a low setting to do this.

Meanwhile, boil the chicken stock, salt and pepper in another pot. After the chicken stock has come to a boil, turn down the heat.

At this point, add the flour to the leek mixture. Stir it around for a couple of minutes until it is mixed well, then ladle 1 cup of the broth into the flour and leek mixture. Mix well. Then add the milk to the leek mixture and cook slowly while stirring often. Do this for 10 minutes.

During those 10 minutes you may bring the chicken stock to a boil again and cook the vermicelli in it until it is soft. Once it has been 10 minutes and the vermicelli is soft, add the remaining stock and vermicelli to the leeks. Mix well and serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves approximately 6 to 8 people (if you are doing a full meal with only cups of the soup). If you are serving this in bowls, you'll get about 3-4 hefty bowls. Enjoy it with your favorite slice of bread (or sandwich..see below).

LIL' BEAUMONT'S TOP AND BOTTOM (SHELF) TUNA MELT

D is right. Spring is on the way, but today sure ain't showin' any signs. Just like Upstate, down here in Brooklyn it is rainy and miserable. After I trudged home from work and class (double misery) today, I plopped down on the couch and thought about what I could eat to make me warm and happy and fight the rainy day blues.

Tuna melt! Warm, gooey, toasty deliciousness. But I didn't want just any old greasy diner tuna melt though. I wanted a fancy Beau' pants sandwich. I decided to do a little top and bottom shelf mixing and combine the traditional melt ingredients with some nice (and slightly healthier) enhancements.

You will need:
2 slices of your favorite bread. A rye, sourdough, or crusty=maximum yum
1 can tuna (in water)
2 tsp dill weed
2 tbsp hummus. I suggest using Sabra brand hummus or another type that has a little more tahini and is extra creamy
1 tbsp mayonaise
1 stalk celery
salt&pep to taste
a squirt of lemon juice
a few slices each of one "high" and "low" cheese. I suggest Rembrant Aged Gouda with Monterey Jack. Ideally a nice flavorful, harder, and salty cheese balanced with a creamy, more gentler
cheese.
A big leaf of something green. A piece of romaine, some spinach, or mesclun.
Some slices of avocado
itty bitty bit of butter

Lightly pre-toast the bread
Chop the celery stalk into 1/4 inch slices. In a bowl mix the tuna (drained), dill, s&p, hummus, mayo, celery, and lemon.
Lightly butter the outsides of your two pieces of bread.
Put a little bit of tuna mix on either side of non-buttered bread. Layer each side with avocado and slices of cheese, mixing the placement of the "high" and "low"
Toast the slices and toppings open-faced in either a toaster oven or at the broil setting on your oven.
After cheese has melted and bread is toasted, add your leafy green.
Put the two sides together and smash down with your hand.
Cut in half and enjoy with your favorite potato chips and pickle.