i can't lie, the weather in southern california has been anything but winter like. it doesn't matter what the groundhog said, spring is pretty much here as far as i'm concerned. and my local produce store agrees. they had some BEAUTIFUL asparagus this week. a tell tale sign that spring is upon us. 

but despite the unseasonably warm weather, i am pretending it is still soup season. what i love most about asparagus soup is that it can be so creamy with out using any cream. this soup feels indulgent, and while it is an indulgence for the tastebuds, it is light on the waistline. 

creamy asparagus soup

serves: 4 appetizer servings or 2 for dinner

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 30 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 lb asparagus, ends removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces. 1 shallot, diced. 1 large garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs tarragon leaves, roughly chopped. 4 cups chicken stock. the zest of 1 lemon + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 12 baguette slices. .25 cup parmesan cheese. large, heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor. rimmed baking sheet.

start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees f. combine the asparagus, shallots, garlic and tarragon in the pot with 1 tbs of olive oil and half the salt and pepper. heat the veggies over medium heat until the asparagus is bright green and the shallots are translucent.

while your asparagus is cooking, make your toasts. spread your toasts out on the rimmed baking sheet. drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle it with the cheese and lemon zest.

bake the toast for 7-10 minutes until nice and toasty. reserve the toasts.

when the asparagus is ready, pour in the chicken stock and season with the remaining salt and pepper.

bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat so the liquid is just simmering. cook until the asparagus is tender. about 15 minutes. once the asparagus is tender, remove the soup from the eat.

squeeze in the lemon juice and blend with your blender of choice.

blend until smooth.

serve hot with parmesan toasts. 

xo, a

creamy asparagus soup

serves: 4 appetizer servings or 2 for dinner

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 30 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 lb asparagus, ends removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces. 1 shallot, diced. 1 large garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs tarragon leaves, roughly chopped. 4 cups chicken stock. the zest of 1 lemon + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 12 baguette slices. .25 cup parmesan cheese. large, heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor. rimmed baking sheet.

start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees f. combinethe asparagus, shallots, garlic and tarragon in the pot with 1 tbs of olive oil and half the salt and pepper. heat the veggies over medium heat until the asparagus is bright green and the shallots are translucent. while your asparagus is cooking, make your toasts. spread your toasts out on the rimmed baking sheet. drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle it with the cheese and lemon zest. bake the toast for 7-10 minutes until nice and toasty. reserve the toasts. when the asparagus is ready, pour in the chicken stock and season with the remaining salt and pepper. bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat so the liquid is just simmering. cook until the asparagus is tender. about 15 minutes. once the asparagus is tender, remove the soup from the eat. squeeze in the lemon juice and blend with your blender of choice. blend until smooth. serve hot with parmesan toasts. 

now, i'm the first to admit that i am not always the best at planning ahead. and if i do plan in advance, i usually plan too much and something falls by the wayside. 

but this week, i'm on it. the super bowl is sunday and whether you are watching the game, the halftime show, or the commercials, i have the perfect super bowl snack for you. 

i know queso is no secret to most, but growing up in california, queso dip is not something we ate. we have great mexican food, but "tex-mex" is not really something we do in socal. but when i went to college, most of my new found friends were from phoenix. and on my first visit to arizona, i ate a TON of queso dip. it is PERFECT for the super bowl. cheesy, a bit spicy and full of zest, it is sure to be gobbled up in no time. 

queso dip

serves: 4

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 1 tbs olive oil. 1 small sweet onion, diced. 1 tbs jalapeno, diced small (if you like it spicy, keep some of the seeds in the mix). .5 cup fresh diced tomatoes. 1 garlic clove, minced. 2 oz tequila. 1 cup whole milk. 1.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated. 1.5 cup pepper jack cheese, grated. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. 2 tbs fresh cilantro leaves for garnish. chips or crust bread for dipping. heavy skillet. ***note*** if you are serving it at a party, and it may be out for a while, you will want to serve it in a container that can be kept warm on the stove, or a mini electric crockpot or chafing dish. 

start by combining the onion, jalapeno and garlic with the oil over medium heat. season the onion mixture with half the salt, and half the pepper. cook until the onions are starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes.

add in all but 2 tbs of your diced tomatoes and half the remaining salt and pepper. stir to combine and allow the tomatoes to cook down for 2-3 minutes.

pour in the tequila and cook it down till almost all the liquid is gone.

pour in the milk, the remaining salt and pepper and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.

add in the cheese and stir until nice and melty.

top with the remaining tomato and the cilantro.

serve hot and melty. 

xo, a

queso dip

serves: 4

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 1 tbs olive oil. 1 small sweet onion, diced. 1 tbs jalapeno, diced small (if you like it spicy, keep some of the seeds in the mix). .5 cup fresh diced tomatoes. 1 garlic clove, minced. 2 oz tequila. 1 cup whole milk. 1.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated. 1.5 cup pepper jack cheese, grated. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. 2 tbs fresh cilantro leaves for garnish. chips or crust bread for dipping. heavy skillet. ***note*** if you are serving it at a party, and it may be out for a while, you will want to serve it in a container that can be kept warm on the stove, or a mini electric crockpot or chafing dish. 

start by combining the onion, jalapeno and garlic with the oil over medium heat. season the onion mixture with half the salt, and half the pepper. cook until the onions are starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes. add in all but 2 tbs of your diced tomatoes and half the remaining salt and pepper. stir to combine and allow the tomatoes to cook down for 2-3 minutes. pour in the tequila and cook it down till almost all the liquid is gone. pour in the milk, the remaining salt and pepper and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. add in the cheese and stir until nice and melty. top with the remaining tomato and the cilantro. serve hot and melty.