On a cold, snowy (Yes, snowy. This is the fourth snow we've had in West Texas this season.) Sunday evening, what better way to stay cozy than a hot bowl of soup? I had been wanting to try this recipe for Sumptuous Sour Soup for a while, so it seemed like the perfect reason. I have to say from the beginning it smelled delicious simmering on the stove, with new scents added with each step. Notice the variations and add the carrot for color (I did not.) and the red pepper for heat (I did.). Yummy!
Recipe: Southwest Corn Chowder
Recipe: Southwest Corn ChowderA perfect hearty and warming chowder for those cold days that are still ahead...
2-3 tbsp olive oil
6-8 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
3-4 medium-sized carrots, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder (or regular, but the chipotle [or Mexican style] gives it a nice smokey flavor.)
1 tsp. oregano
2 cloves of garlic, pressed, mashed or finely chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
2 12-ounce packages of frozen corn
4 cups broth (I used vegetarian chicken broth. Yes, they make such a thing.)
2 cups milk (This can be easily veganized, as I did, by using an unsweetened almond milk)
In a medium to large sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat then add the white part of the scallion, carrots, chili powder and oregano. Stir occasionally and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the scallions begin to soften and the garlic and spices are fragrant. Add the potato, corn broth and milk. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Add the remaining green portion of the scallions and serve.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Possible additions at the table:
Pico de gallo or a chunky salsa, if you want to spice it up
Diced avocado
Strips of tortillas, fried until crispy
A squeeze of lime
Diced tomato
Toasted pumpkin seeds
And what could be better with this than a warm, crisp and melty quesadilla?
Mangez!
Lovely Dinner
I rarely repeat table decor, but this is one of my favorite place settings:a Metlox Shoreline dinner plate;
a blue salad plate with a white glaze underneath that shows on the rim from Target;
and a small white bowl from Crate and Barrel that I think look like Baroque pearls.
We had the opportunity to entertain friends in Terre Haute the weekend after Thanksgiving, in addition to some out-of-town guests they brought along. It was a very fun evening and I did a Spanish-inspired dinner with my favorite potato soup--it has forty cloves of garlic in the broth. Roasted, of course!
There were some restrictions though: one guest was gluten-sensitive and another was allergic to olive oil. Luckily, my menu was fairly gluten free. I just substituted a gluten-friendly flour blend in the Manchego pie (it only has a small amount as a thickener) and that was that.
But, as I'm always up for a challenge, I also made some gluten free flat breads that I served between a duo of salads. Since the garbanzo salad had mint, lemon and other strong flavors in it, I used a neutral salad oil for it. But, the green salad was just a simple Spanish salad of greens and cucumbers, so I used walnut oil in my vinaigrette which gave it a delicious, nutty taste and aroma. The Manchego pie was served as a starter and is simple, delicious and adaptable to almost any menu you would like. A fun evening of food and friends!
Recipe: Manchego PieI adapted this recipe from one in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Suppers. Her's used feta and dill, for a Greek flavor, but I substituted Manchego, the classic Spanish cheese to go along with my menu. Not quite a crust-less quiche, the ricotta is a smooth, neutral flavor that carries the bold, rich nature of the Manchego and thyme. This is great cut into thin slices and served as a first course. Likewise, you could bake it in a square pan and cut into small cubes to serve as an hors d'oeuvre. It's also perfect with a salad for a simple luncheon!
Experiment with different cheeses and herbs depending on what suits your mood. Whatever you choose, just make sure you use the best quality you can find as the cheese will be the primary flavor. Since I was creating a gluten-free dinner, I substituted a gluten-free flour mix in this recipe, which worked just fine. Madison baked her pie in a cast-iron skillet, but you can just as easily use a pie plate or a springform pan. I used my silicone springform, which worked just perfectly.
Experiment with different cheeses and herbs depending on what suits your mood. Whatever you choose, just make sure you use the best quality you can find as the cheese will be the primary flavor. Since I was creating a gluten-free dinner, I substituted a gluten-free flour mix in this recipe, which worked just fine. Madison baked her pie in a cast-iron skillet, but you can just as easily use a pie plate or a springform pan. I used my silicone springform, which worked just perfectly.
1/2 pound Manchego cheese, coarsely shredded
1 pound low-fat ricotta cheese
4 eggs, cracked and lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix three-quarters of the Manchego with the ricotta in a medium bowl, without worrying about getting it perfectly smooth – you’ll want some chunks. Beat the eggs into the cheese, then add the flour and milk. Season with salt, pepper and dill.
Grease a 9 inch pie plate. Pour in the batter and crumble the remaining cheese over top. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes. Cut in to wedges and serve.
Grease a 9 inch pie plate. Pour in the batter and crumble the remaining cheese over top. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes. Cut in to wedges and serve.
Recipe: Curried Cauliflower Soup
It has been a rainy and dreary day today, and even though I had soup for lunch (lovely potato and mushroom at the Restaurant That Shall Not Be Named, more on that later), I thought soup sounded like the perfect dinner. So, I made a pot of tea and go to work on one of my favorite, curried cauliflower!
Recipe: Curried Cauliflower Soup
1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into florets (about 6 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 crushed red pepper (optional)
4 cups water
1 16-oz can of Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt. Roast for about 25 minutes in the oven until they begin to brown, tossing once or twice.
Meanwhile, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions. Cook the onion until they begins to soften, about five minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder and crushed red pepper and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes, until the spices are fragrant. Add the cauliflower and four cups of water, simmer for 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove about half of the cauliflower from the pot. Add 1/3 cup of the beans and then puree in the pot using an immersion blender. (Alternatively, you can remove about half of the cauliflower and add to a blender with one cup of the broth and 1/3 cup of beans and blend until smooth.) Return the remaining cauliflower to the pot, add the remaining beans and two cups of broth. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Makes about four serving.
Mangez!
Recipe: Curried Cauliflower Soup
1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into florets (about 6 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 crushed red pepper (optional)
4 cups water
1 16-oz can of Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt. Roast for about 25 minutes in the oven until they begin to brown, tossing once or twice.
Meanwhile, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions. Cook the onion until they begins to soften, about five minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder and crushed red pepper and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes, until the spices are fragrant. Add the cauliflower and four cups of water, simmer for 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove about half of the cauliflower from the pot. Add 1/3 cup of the beans and then puree in the pot using an immersion blender. (Alternatively, you can remove about half of the cauliflower and add to a blender with one cup of the broth and 1/3 cup of beans and blend until smooth.) Return the remaining cauliflower to the pot, add the remaining beans and two cups of broth. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Makes about four serving.
Mangez!
Sweet Potato Pumpkin Peanut Soup
Katie came over Wednesday and made a delicious soup (perfect for the finally chilly Austin weather) for us before Project Runway. Get the recipe here, on Katies new tumbler space called Paper Tiger. Grrrrr!
Soup in Every Pot
Austin is very much is food city and I read a while back that it is also one of the most entrepreneurial cities in the country as well. No surprise then, that it is home to the Soup Peddler, a brilliant idea whose time has certainly come. Perhaps you read about the SP in Food and Wine a couple of months ago? (If not, catch the link as there are recipes as well.) Or maybe you received his new autobiography-cum-cookbook The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups as a holiday gift? (If not, you can get for about $10 at ecookbooks [I get no kickback] or they probably have it at the library and you can copy the recipes for free.) I had heard about the SP from friends and someone I know knows someone who delivers, but apparently not on a bike anymore. But I get ahead of myself. The SP is a person who started to deliver soup via his bicycle to people in his neighborhood called Soupies. You simple place your order the week before and fresh, delicious soup is brought right to your door. Kind of like pizza, but better for you. Anyway, I'm very lucky because not only do I live close to three wonderful grocery stores, but the SP delivers to my zip and last week I made my first order. What can I say? Everyone was right: it is some of the best soup ever. I had the Armenian Apricot, which is creamy and slightly sweet, but with a background of rich onions and garlic. The Minestrone is still in the fridge and will be dinner tonight. Looks like a spot-on version of the classic Italian soup. Don't live in the delivery area? Try the recipes at home, you won't be disappointed.
Mangez!
Mangez!