Rainy Day Grub

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Spicy Tomato Soup w/ Cheesy Pesto Flat bread

Hey hey! So, all my 609 friends, who is ready for some nicer weather?! My umbrella and I have gotten much too close lately. If its not raining or drizzling it seems like its just about to at any moment. The humidity is doing wonders on my ever so frizzy hair but other I can't complain about getting to wear boots again! Not that you all care about my hair and wardrobe so I won't bore you with anymore of that.

Instead I'll entice you with some recipes to make for these rainy days that make you just crave good old comfort food.

This soup is a perfect way to lift your spirits and warm your soul! Ok, ok maybe I'm being extreme but it will hit that comfort food craving and heat ya up because it has a great spicy kick to it. I based this recipe off of one from Giada De Larentis.

I love her. I wish she was my neighbor. I'd always be out of sugar  so I could walk on over and be like "Oh hey neighbor, I'm out of sugar can I borrow some?" And she would say "Of course come in Ashley. I've actually been making this glorious dinner and have no one to share it with."

AHHHH I can dream right?

Annnnyyywwaaayyys. This soup tastes great, can be adjusted to your liking and is super simple. To make this she actually mixes chicken broth with a jar of really good marinara sauce. Who would have thought?!

The flat bread is basically pizza dough which I rolled out super thin and baked in the oven on a pizza stone. You can use premade pizza dough, make your own, or even just use some good Italian bread sliced into thin pieces.

Hope you try this one!

I will leave you with some California Sun, I bet it's not raining there!

if you look close enough, you can see me in the spoon!

Spicy Tomato Soup

Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots peeled and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (26-ounce) jar favorite marinara sauce

2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth 

1/2- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup any small pasta

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.
5. In separate pot bring pasta to a boil for time indicated on box.
6. Keep separate from pasta and add to each bowl rather than the pot of soup. This helps keep the soup at a great consistency with out the pasta soaking up most of the liquid, especially if letting the soup sit or not eating it right away.

Cheesy Pesto Flat bread

Prepared pizza dough

Garlic powder

Salt

1/2 cup Premade or homemade Pesto

1 cup shredded cheese, preferably provolone, mozzarella, or gruyere.

1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
2. If you have a pizza stone keep this in the oven while it preheats.
3. Check out how I make homemade Pizza dough  <OR> use premade dough at room temp, and rolled as thin as you can get.
4. Sprinkle dough with garlic powder and Salt.
5. Place on preheated pizza stone, or cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 5-7 minutes and remove from oven.
7. Spread pesto across dough and top with grated cheese.
8. Bake for another 6-7 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool slightly before slicing into pieces.
10. Best when dunked into soup!

MMMM! Stay dry!