Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwiches / Pea Soup

So my amazingly brave and newly accomplished athlete and chef, Kelly Sharples, had me over for lunch to show off her bad cooking skills. I stole her post from her blog with the recipes of what she made me. It was DELISH!! See below....

In case you missed this episode of Barefoot Contessa, I tried out these recipes of hers and feel like I have hit a gold mine. Not very kid friendly, but if you are a grown up and like interesting flavors, you will LOVE this soup and sandwich combo.

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND GOAT CHEESE SANDWICHES
Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients

4 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
1 (11-ounce) garlic-and-herb or plain goat cheese at room temperature
8 to 10 large basil leaves
3 thin slices red onion

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil and vinegar mixture over the peppers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.
To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bottom half of the loaf with the goat cheese. Add a layer of peppers and then a layer of basil leaves. Separate the onions into rings and spread out on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the top half of the ciabatta and cut into individual servings.



FRESH PEA SOUP
Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped leeks (wash well), white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche (heavy whipping cream with a little bit of buttermilk – shaken and left at room temp to thicken)
1/2 cup freshly chopped chives
Garlic croutons, for serving

Directions

Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
*Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.