Category: Recipes (Page 32 of 55)

This soup is a lovely combination of flavors and texture. It has a mild curry taste, enhanced with the addition of orange and a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup. The toasted walnuts add taste and an appealing bit of crunch, while the optional yogurt provides a creamy finish. Although this is a great cold weather soup, it’s light enough to be enjoyed any time of the year — perhaps even for dinner with the addition of salad and some whole-grain bread.

Ingredients:

Makes 6 servings (Vegan Friendly)

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp minced gingerroot
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
• 2 cups sweet potato purée (see Tips, below)
• 6 cups homemade vegetable stock or reduced-sodium chicken stock
• 3⁄4 cup millet, toasted (see Tips, below)
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1⁄4 cup pure maple syrup
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
• Plain yogurt, optional

1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until carrots have softened, about 7 minutes.
2. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and orange zest and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add sweet potato and stock and stir well. Bring to a boil. Stir in millet. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until millet is tender and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes.
3. Add orange juice and maple syrup and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted walnuts and a drizzle of yogurt, if using.

Tips

To get this quantity of puréed sweet potato, bake, peel and mash 2 medium sweet potatoes, each about 6 oz. You can also use a can (14 oz) of sweet potato purée. While it’s not necessary to toast millet, toasting does bring out its pleasantly nutty flavor. To toast millet, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it crackles and releases its aroma, about 5 minutes.

Credit for recipe:
Excerpted from The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook by Judith Finlayson
© 2008 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Purchase the complete cookbook here.

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Chef Joe Walker attended Scottsdale Culinary Institute in 2004 and has worked for Executive Chef Beau MacMillan at Elements at Sanctuary and is now putting it all together for La Grande Orange and his first book “Du Jour.” A collection of 11 gorgeous yet simple soups. Well, soup, doesn’t that just work?

Ingredients:

Yield: 4-6 servings

• 3 tbsp Canola Oil
• 1 cup Onion, diced
• 1/2- cup Green Peppers, diced
• 1/2- 1 lb Mushrooms, finely chopped (use food processor)
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 tbsp Cumin
• 1-1/2 tbsp Chili Powder (New Mexico mild chili powder)
• 2 cups Vegetarian Broth
• 1-1/2 cups Water
• 4 cup Canned Tomatoes, diced
• 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Pinto Beans
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Yellow Mustard
• 1/2 cup Cilantro

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and green peppers, cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Then add mushrooms and garlic. Cook for an additional 10 minutes stirring frequently. Add the bay leaf, cumin and chili powder, and blend well with vegetable mixture. Next add broth and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer (gentle bubbles). Add tomatoes and paste and let cook for 40-45 minutes. Next add pinto beans, salt, and mustard. Blend well. Finally add cilantro and let cook for about 10 minutes–taste for seasoning.

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Hoppin’ John is a traditional Southern New Year’s dish that consists of black-eyed peas, rice, collard greens, and ham hocks, along with aromatics and various spices depending on the tastes of the cook. We decided to get a little creative this week by turning this dish into an easy, satisfying soup and we’re glad we did because the results were delicious!

Ingredients:

Garlic, minced                    2 cloves

Jalapeno, minced                1

Onion, chopped                  1

Carrot, chopped                  1

Celery, chopped                  1

Bay Leaf                            1

Cayenne Pepper                  1 tsp

Ham, diced                         1 1/2 Cups

Long Grain Rice                   2/3 C

Chicken Stock                      8 Cups

Black Eyed Peas                  2 Cups (Frozen)

Collard Greens (Shredded)    1/2 Bunch  

Lemon                                1

Scallions and Diced Tomato for garnish

Preparation

1. Film the bottom of a large pot with olive oil

2. Fry the ham over med-high heat until it is brown and crispy. Reduce the heat to medium.

3. Saute onion, celery, and carrot for about 3 minutes on medium heat until translucent and coated in oil.

3. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and bay leaf, and continue to saute for about another minute. Reduce the heat if the garlic sizzles too loudly. Do NOT burn the garlic.

4. Add the collard greens and rice and throughly mix into the sauteed vegetables and ham. The greens should be well coated in oil and beginning to wilt. This should take about 2 minutes.

5. Squeeze the lemon evenly over all ingredients, and add cayenne and salt to taste. REMEMBER: You can always add more salt, so be conservative.

6. Stir in the Black Eyed Peas and saute for about a minute.

7. Now add the stock, bring the soup to a boil, and immediately reduce the soup to a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

8. Spoon the soup into bowls and top with scallions and tomatoes

May 2011 be a prosperous and wonderful year for all:-)

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There are those times you just have to step back and give credit where credit is due, and this week, we’re giving it to Bon Appetit Magazine. It’s a great monthly magazine that encourages cooks of all levels to get in the kitchen and…well…COOK! Plus, we think the pictures are neat too. Here’s a great, hearty winter soup that’s a little out of the ordinary!

Ingredients:

• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
• 6  whole cloves, finely crushed
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
• cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 (4 -4 1/4 lb) roasting chickens, cut into serving pieces
• chicken giblets, coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, with leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2  carrots, diced
• 1  leek, thinly sliced (white part only)
• 11 cups chicken stock, defatted (preferably homemade, 2 quarts plus 3 cups)
• salt & pepper, freshly ground
• 2/3 cup long grain rice
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced (tart)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
• 2/3 cup whipping cream, warmed
• chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
• lightly toasted sliced almonds, to garnish

Directions

1. Combine garlic and spices.
2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until lightly browned on all sides.
3. Add giblets and saute until cooked through.
4. Transfer chicken and giblets to stockpot. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add celery, onion, carrot, leek and spice mixture and blend well.
5. Add a small ladle of stock and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender.
6. Add to chicken.
7. Stir in remaining stock and season with salt and pepper.
8. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
9. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and set aside. Add rice to soup and continue cooking 15 minutes.
10. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut meat into bite-size pieces, discarding skin and bones.
11. Return chicken to soup and blend in apples and yogurt. Simmer 10 minutes.
12. Degrease soup if necessary.
13. Stir in lemon juice, then blend in cream.
14. Taste and adjust seasoning.
15. Pour into heated tureen and sprinkle with parsley and almonds.

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Abbie’s jumping in…to the Soup, that is!  Her Butternut Squash Soup sounds absolutely amazing, just like she is.  Part accountant, part chaffeur, part chef and full time friend.  We Love Abbie!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion (or two if they are small)
• 1 or 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 1 or 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 1 apple, chopped (optional)
• 1 Tbsp ginger juice
• 1 Tbsp thyme
• 2 Tbsp light miso
• Salt and pepper, if you feel the need (The miso is my salt)
• Enough stalk to cover by an inch, ~5 cups
• ¼ cup ground cashews

1. Sauté your onions in the oil of your choice. If you have pumpkin oil this is a good place to use it!  Be careful not to brown them too much, i.e. brown soup vs. orange soup (it doesn’t hurt the flavor at all just the color). Add remaining vegetables and an apple for sweetness (optional).  Add your herbs and spices.
2. While the vegetable are cooking, grind your cashews in a blender until they resemble flour; add your stalk or water to the nut flour and blend.  Add the miso to the blender and mix well. 
3. Pour liquid over vegetables making sure you cover them by about an inch.  Cover and simmer
   until the vegetables are soft. I pressure cook it for about 10 minutes–if you have a pressure cooker, use it!
4. For a nice pureed soup, blend the soup before serving.  I like to serve this with croûtons on top.

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