Potato Leek Soup and Double Turkey Ranch Panini

Long weekends make me happy! And long weekends that include a visit from one of my closest girlfriends makes it that much better. My dear friend, Jen, came down from good ol' New York for the holiday weekend. We spent our time shopping, drinking cocktails, talking the night away, singing along to our favorite broadway tunes and watching chick flicks. Nothing could have been more perfect for the blustery winter days we had. 

I promised her I would cook for her, since she frequents this here blog and sees my creations from afar. So Saturday we had some time after a morning of shopping and I wanted to throw together a warming lunch that would hold us over until our dinner out later that evening. Looking back on my childhood, I remember eating grilled cheese sandwiches and new england clam chowder for our weekend lunches. It was the perfect mid day meal to fuel us for the cold weather. In keeping with the soup and sandwich tradition, I decided to cook Jen my grandma's potato leek soup and my version of a double turkey ranch panini. The soup is a recipe handed down to me and is a staple in the Goldsmith kitchen. It is so quick and easy I'm not sure why it is not made more often. The double turkey panini pairs the spicy kick of monterey jack cheese with sweet maple turkey bacon, oven roasted turkey breast, spinach, tomato and a cooling light ranch to bring it all together. 

Potato Leek Soup (Serves 4 small portions or 2 large)

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into like sized pieces 

2 medium leeks, trimmed, rinsed, and chopped 

4 cups water

2 small chicken bouillon cubes

1/4-1/2 cup half and half

2 Tbsp. butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

chives (optional garnish) 

In a large pot, add potatoes, leeks, and water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until potatoes are tender and a fork can easily break apart the pieces (about 10-15 minutes). Once the potatoes are tender, ladle the majority of the water out of the pot and set aside in a separate bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend the potatoes and leek. Add back the reserved water one ladle at a time as needed to create the consistency you like. I usually put 2 ladle fulls back in. Once completely blended, add bouillon cubes, butter, and the half and half giving it a few more pulses with the blender. The soup should have a velvety smooth texture. 

Double Turkey Panini's (Makes 2 panini's)

4 slices light whole wheat bread

4 slices maple turkey bacon, pre-cooked on skillet

4 slices oven roasted deli turkey breast 

2 slices monterey jack cheese 

3/4 cup raw spinach

1 roma tomato, sliced

2 Tbsp. light ranch dressing

2 Tbsp. softened butter

To assemble sandwiches, butter bread on one side. Place bread butter side down on a panini press or grill pan over medium high heat. Layer with cheese, 2 slices of turkey, tomatoes, 2 slices turkey bacon, spinach, top with ranch and second slice of bread. Cook on one side for about 4 minutes then flip cooking for an additional 2 minutes. Flip two or three more times or as needed until outside is crispy and cheese is melted (this will help flatten the sandwich for the thin panini style). 

The lunch fueled us through to dinner out at Fuego in Clarendon and a night of playing pool at Whitlow's. I cooked Jen up a few more creations, including these French Toast Bites, and a spicy pineapple and shrimp fried rice, just to make sure she didn't go home disappointed. It was great to share my cooking creations with one of my favorite people! So who's next to visit? :)