creamy basil and tomato soup

so...only a few year ago...i developed my love for tomatoes. growing up all tomatoes were passed my dad's way...any burger i had... promptly lost its bun so i could dispose of the tomato immediately! over the years my oldest sister, anna, followed my dad's lead and was lost to tomato lovers....soon after my other sister katie jumped on the tomato train and my mom and i were left behind. i made it all the way through college before...on accident i'm sure....i started loving tomatoes as well. almost as soon as i realized they weren't so bad....i realized i LOVED them...and they've been by my side since...mmm...mmm...mmmmmm

now....CREAMY tomato soup....not so good for you...BUT i need to find the perfect recipe just to have on hand....so MAYBE once a year i'll let myself get away with making it.

creamy basil ad tomato soup
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced

4 cups of tomato juice

14 leaves of fresh basil - yeah right....i almost doubled this....basil is sooo yummy

1 cup of heavy whipping cream - i substituted fat free half and half

1/4 cup butter

salt and pepper to taste

i also topped the soup with some asiago croutons i made

Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return the puree to the stock pot.

Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

maybe it was cause i substituted the heavy cream....but...ehh...this wasn't amazing. first...the soup didn't have enough tomato chunks...so less pureeing next time. also...for me...it was missing something....maybe roasted red pepper? and i wasn't a fan of the butter either...

so the search is still on....but i'll have to give it a while.... perfecting this recipe is not the best option for my regular diet...but i'll definitely give it another shot or two or three eventually...so any tips would be appreciated!!

loaded mashed potatoes and parmesan crusted chicken

my kitchen aid came in!!! and it's beautiful. i picked the yellow one. since mike was WAY too good to me for Christmas...the first kitchen aid recipe goes out to him...and his FAVORITE is mashed potatoes

loaded mashed potatoes:
6 cups prepared mashed potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

Mix first six ingredients in mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Spoon into a greased 9x13-inch pan or casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

parmesan crusted chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Whisk for Dipping Mixture:
2 egg whites
2 t. cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine for Crusting Mixture:
1 cup coarse bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper

Cut chicken breast in half lengthwise, then pound between plastic until 1/2" thick.

Whisk egg whites and lemon juice in a shallow dish for the dipping mixture; set aside.

Combine ingredients for crusting mixture in a wide, shallow dish. Crust prepared chicken by dipping both sides first in the dipping mixture, then in the crusting mixture. Transfer the crusted chicken to a rack set over a baking sheet. Air-dry chicken 20 - 30 minutes to help set the crumbs.

You can saute the chicken first using 3T of olive oil over medium heat and cook till golden and crisp on both sides (about 3 minutes on each side)....BUT my kitchen was getting a bit crazy and i already had enough dishes to worry about...so i skipped the step and moved mine straight to the oven. Preheat oven to 450 and cook for 8-10 minutes to until chicken is cooked through.