Thanksgiving is Coming, and Maybe You Want Carrot, Not Pumpkin, Soup

Yesterday I posted a quick easy pumpkin soup recipe that would be perfect to kickstart your Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you liked the idea, but not that particular soup. WELL, here I am to solve your dilemma. I give you.... Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup! A little more work, but still not that hard.

Check it out! http://yellowfishblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/coconut-carrot-curry-soup.html

Thanksgiving is Coming, and you need this Pumpkin Soup to Kick Things Off!

Cooking for Thanksgiving is stressful, and one of the big stressors is that oven space becomes a hot commodity, what with stuffing and sweet potatoes and turkeys all taking up space, that oven fills up fast. This soup goes together in a flash, just uses the stove, and could be a really good starter for your Thanksgiving feast!

Give it a shot! http://yellowfishblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/ten-minute-pumpkin-soup.html

Easy Tomato Soup + Mini Grilled Cheese = The Perfect Lunch

A few weeks ago I heard a lot about some very fancy grilled cheese (shoutout to YJP!). Let me tell you, you can only hear so much before you have to take action. Fortunately I had a day when I worked from home and was in dire need of a delicious lunch.

I wanted soup but didn't have any on hand so had to put it together on the fly with stuff from the pantry. I started out with a medium sized onion which I cut in slices and caramelized- this took about 20 minutes, so I just kept working and stirred occasionally. I also threw in 3-4 cloves of peeled garlic and let them caramelize as well. Once they were all nice and dark brown, I dumped in a large can of crushed tomatoes, and sprinkled in a little oregano and basil, salt and red pepper flakes. I covered it, and then waited until the tomatoes changed from bright to dark red. Once they seemed well cooked, I used the immersion blender and pureed it. 

Next come the sandwiches....

Usually I am a cheddar cheese on wheat bread grilled-cheese purist. However, this day I had a little baguette and muenster cheese, so that's what I used! I sliced the baguette into small pieces. I also sliced up an apple for crunch. After buttering the pieces with earth balance, I put on the muenster and apple, cooked and flipped.

I have to say, I loved the tiny sandwiches. First of all, they were good for portion control, second of all, they were just fun- they'd be especially good for kids. I also loved the quick and dirty soup- I think that even though there were only 3 ingredients (onion, garlic, tomato), caramelizing the onion helped give it a little extra depth, and since the tomatoes were tart it also helped mellow the soup out a little.

Overall, a perfect lunch on a cold day!

Coconut Carrot Curry Soup

This is a really nice soup that you can throw together pretty quickly, but that is really warm and delicous and tastes way more complicated than it really is.

1 can coconut milk (usually I use light, but this was regular and oh, it was so decadent tasting)
5-6c water
2 big leeks
10-12 carrots, chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 inch plug of fresh ginger, chopped
2-3 tsp red curry paste (or to taste)
pinch of salt

Chop everything up, you'll ultimately blend it so don't get too bent out of shape about how they look, but they should be approximately the same size so they cook at the same rate.

Heat the oil in a large pot, toss in the leeks and ginger, and let it brown just a little. Then throw in the carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then pour in the liquid. In general the amounts (like, of carrots/leeks/etc) don't matter so much, it isn't an exact recipe, but you want the liquid to cover the top of the veggies.

Add the salt and curry paste (I use the Thai Kitchen version, which they have in the ethnic section of my regular grocery store). If you like it spicier, add 3-4 tsp, less spicy, add 1. The only thing is, you don't want to overpower the taste of the carrots and end up with what basically just tastes like curry sauce, so I'd taste along the way.

Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until everything is very soft. Then, blend with an immersion blender or else put it in a big blender. Continue to simmer a bit once blended so the flavors can really combine, then enjoy!

Given that it's basically just veggies and coconut milk it is amazing how rich this tasted, and the color is just amazing and bright. The only work is really the chopping, and then you just let it go- the whole thing takes about half an hour, of which 20 minutes is simmering. Definitely feasible for a nice winter week night dinner!

Thanksgiving: The Soup Course

Historically, I have been a little delinquent about getting things out in time for the actual holidays (you know, before the holidays actually occur and it's way too late for anything to be of any use). But, this year things are going to change... I'm going to post a series of recipes, old and new, that might be appropriate for inclusion in your Thanksgiving feast! These first two suggestions are two oldies but goodies.

Butternut Squash Soup

This is pretty delicious, not particularly difficult, and very seasonal.
http://yellowfishblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/comfort-food-squash-soup.html


10 Minute Pumpkin Soup

This is the fastest easiest soup ever. It's also light, so if you have a small cup of it, your stuffing eating potential will not be hampered in any way.
http://yellowfishblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/ten-minute-pumpkin-soup.html


As a side note, both of these soups are vegan, so if you have some vegetarian/vegan folks and are worried about having things that they'll be able to eat, these are definitely something that everyone can enjoy.

Roasted Cauliflower and Smoked Gouda Soup... Tastes like Autumn!

The other day, I was in the mood for something hearty and comforting, but still somewhat healthy... thankfully, I have recently become addicted to Pinterest, which you should really check out if you haven't already (let me know if you need an invite! I have more). Some smart person pinned this soup, and I knew I had to make it immediately.

Unfortunately, the original recipe involved a lot of things like egg yolks and heavy cream, so I knew I had some work to do. Here is my version.

-1 onion, chopped

-1 head cauliflower

-1c white wine

-1 clove garlic

-2 bay leaves

-1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (good, but optional)

-1/4tsp cayenne (just a little heat, it is not a spicy soup at all)

-4 oz smoked Gouda (could use cheddar, or other smoked cheese)

-1/2 squeezed lemon

-4c broth of your choice

-1c milk product of your choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)

-salt/pepper

-2 tbsp olive oil

-2 tbsp flour

First things first... the cauliflower. I wanted to roast it. But, it occurred to me that since I was going to blend it, how I cut it was pretty much irrelevant. So, I decided to cut it ~1 inch slices, to make it roast evenly.

The nice part about this is, it just looks so pretty! I misted it with some olive oil and roasted at 400 until it was very soft and looked like this:

It only got prettier! Now I want to find some way to use this technique that doesn't end with a blender.

Next, the soup itself. Brown the chopped onion in the olive oil, then toss in the garlic for a minute or so. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir around to make a paste (this will serve as a thickener. however, while this is already fairly low carb, if you want to make it lower, it will probably be fine to leave it out- just save one of the cups of broth out and add it slowly as you blend the soup at the end to control the texture to make sure it isn't too watery). 

Cook the mixture briefly, then pour in the cup of wine. Cook for a minute, then add the broth, bay leaf, Worcestershire, and cayenne. Roughly break up the cauliflower and add it to the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down and let simmer for about 10 minutes. (note: if you don't feel up to roasting, you can always just use raw cauliflower at this step, and cook it longer in the broth, until soft. I think roasted tastes better, though). 

Now, the fun part! Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and get out the immersion blender (you can also use a regular blender or food processor, if you'd like). Blend the soup mixture until it's as smooth as you can get it. Then add the grated cheese- don't boil after you add the cheese, but keep it warm so it melts. As the last step, add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

It's amazing how hearty this feels, given that it's almost entirely cauliflower and broth, and there is less than an ounce of cheese per serving. But, it was just delicious!

(Side note- the salad you see there is a really nice light fennel citrus salad we learned to make at a cooking class (our first cooking class ever). If you're looking for a good class and live in LA, San Diego, Portland, or Seattle or I want to give a shout out to Hipcooks- we had so much fun at our class last weekend!)

Peanut Soup.... Try It. Seriously.

I am always on the lookout for delicious soups. I also have a longtime obsession with Thai Peanut Sauce, which I could probably eat way to often if you let me. Actually, if you expand it to just peanut butter, I could probably eat it daily for an indefinite amount of time. That stuff is delicious (for the record, I am firmly in the camp of old fashioned, peanuts only, crunchy peanut butter. none of that processed junk that doesn't even need go to in the fridge, which is just scary).

ANYWAYS... with my peanut-love, I was very delighted to see this Thai Peanut Soup recipe, which I made pretty much just as described.

The Stuff:
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon margarine/butter/oil of your choice
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon very finely chopped lemongrass (white part only) or 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel*
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth (about 1 3/4 cups) or veggie broth
1 (13 1/2-oz) can unsweetened light coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup peanut butter (obviously I used crunchy)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

optional garnish:

1/4 cup chopped peanut

diced fresh cilantro 

thinly sliced red pepper

sesame oil 

What to do with it:

In a medium saucepan cook onion, celery, and finely chopped red sweet pepper in oil until tender. Stir in flour, lemongrass, and ground red pepper. Add chicken broth and coconut milk together. Cook, stirring, until mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly. Then just cook a few minutes more so it's really thick. When that's done, add the peanut butter and soy sauce at the very end. Then, garnish as you wish.


This was really really good... it was hearty and warm and flavorful and absolutely delicious. The original post says you can add chicken, which I'm sure you can  (obviously de-vegetarianizing it along the way), but honestly I don't think it needs it. It is very filling as it is. Try it, you'll like it!



* a quick note about lemon grass... it's one of those ingredients that always foils me- I never have it at the right time, and if I do buy some, I never use it all up. NO MORE! I posted previously about my giant excitement with the frozen herbs, well, someone got in touch with the good people over at Gourmet Garden, who make lemongrass in a tube! They had it in the produce section of my grocery store... this is genius, I tell you, genius!

Kale Chorizo Soup

This recipe was made by special request of Feesh (my co-gardener across the city), who got extremely excited when kale appeared in my CSA box and immediately requested kale-chorizo soup. And, who am I to deny something that sounds so delicious?

The stuff:
1 onion, chopped
~3 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 lbs white potatoes, thinly sliced
8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth (I used half and half)
.5 lb Spanish chorizo (spicy cured pork sausage), cut into 1 cm cubes*
a big bunch of kale, washed, with spines cut out, leaves roughly chopped

What to do with it:
In a large soup pot, start the onions, and add the chorizo. Once the chorizo is pretty much cooked, add the potatoes. Then add the liquid, and cook until the potatoes are tender- break some of them up to release the starch and thicken the soup. When everything seems ready, add the kale and just let it get soft. Then, serve!



*Ok, so here is the dilly with the chorizo. Basically, chorizo is not just chorizo- there is Spanish chorizo (which this recipe actually called for) and Mexican chorizo (which we used, because we are in LA, and you can't swing a stick in the sausage section of the grocery store without hitting some Mexican chorizo) and soy chorizo, which you could sub here, but I believe it is closer to the Mexican variety. What is the difference, you ask? Well, I'm not going to claim to be a chorizo expert and I'm certainly not interested in thinking too deeply about exactly what is in it, but I have learned this... Spanish, or Portuguese chorizo is firmer, and can be more easily chopped while Mexican chorizo is ground, has a softer texture and is spicier. Theoretically, you can't normally cross- substitute them (although, I did learn that in a pinch, you can actually chop up ham and season it with smoked paprika to approximate Spanish chorizo). However, in this recipe I'm here to tell you that the Mexican version worked just fine (which I assume means the soy version would also work just fine), so... do what you will!

Ten Minute Pumpkin Soup

Now, I know that there are a variety of cooking levels out there, and sometimes more complex recipes can seem a little intimidating. I also know some nights you're in your jammies, and just want dinner already. But I'm telling you- anyone can do this! (I almost called this "You Can Do This Pumpkin Soup". but then I also almost named it "Easier Than Pie Pumpkin Soup" (get it? pie?). then I decided to calm down and be a little more literal). 

Anyways, YOU CAN do this. This is bound to become a go-to, quick-and-easy, stuff-from-your-cupboard type staple around here, its just that easy.

The stuff:
1 can pumpkin (not pie mix. pumpkin)
2 cubes bouillon of your choice (chicken or veg)
1c water
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
sprinkle of salt/pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2c milk product of your choice (I used almond milk because I had it on hand. The recipe called for half and half. Just don't use non-fat milk, it won't be creamy enough).

Now, a note about "the stuff". Pumpkin cans, brown sugar and bouillon cubes are excellent staples to keep on hand- they are versatile, and last a very long time. Your bouillon and milk selections can make this vegetarian or even vegan, or not.

What to do with it:
Put pumpkin, bouillon, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, salt, and pepper into a pan and boil it. Pour in milk, and bring back up to heat. Garnish with a "whisper" of cinnamon (not shown).

A few notes about the process. I found this just a tad salty- next time I'll either use 1.5 cubes, or not add any additional salt.

Overall, this was really good for something done in almost no time! It wasn't thick, like pureed soups are, but I think that was fine. I really enjoyed it- it was very hearty, but is actually (with almond milk subbing for half and half) pretty low calorie. I served it with a side of roasted green beans- just take some beans, toss with a little oil, salt, and pepper, and put on a cookie sheet under the broiler until browned and sizzling. Go ahead, give it a try!

Chicken/Rice/Butternut/Spinach... ROUND TWO!

Ok, so I last posted about a yummy tower of brown rice, butternut squash puree, a chicken/pepper/onion mixture, and spinach. I had leftovers, and wanted to eat them, but... making the whole tower all over again and heating up all the parts just seemed like too much work. Plus, it was cold out. Plus, I wanted soup.

So, enter round two... soup!

Basically, I took some chicken broth, tossed in the puree, the chicken mixture, a few spoonfuls of rice, and some more of the spinach (along with some red pepper flakes and smoked paprika to kick things up a notch) and let it simmer. It was sooo goood!

The lesson here is, think outside the box a bit with this whole leftovers thing. Getting to have all the flavors in a whole new format can really revive them!

Cupboard Soup

Today, I worked from home, which was luxurious. Partly, because it was rainy and grey and I didn't want to go anywhere anyways. But also because I could take a break in the middle of the day and make awesome soup for lunch (and, of course, for leftovers).

Here's the soup, it was basically made out of things that existed in my fridge and cupboard:

-1 onion, sliced, and slowly browned
-about 8oz sausage (left over)
-a whole mess of chopped celery and carrots (maybe a cup or so total? originally intended for dipping in hummus)
-2c beef broth (made of beef bouillon cubes because they're smaller than cans)
-a can of crushed tomatoes (originally intended for chana masala
-lentils (because I love lentils)
-some water
-a glug of leftover red wine
-garlic
-all the rest of my delicious rosemary
-red pepper flakes
-salt/pepper


Basically, brown the onion, toss in the celery and carrots and garlic, and then the sausage and red pepper flakes. Brown it all up together.

Dump in the tomatoes, broth, wine and about half a cup of lentils (or, whatever you have). Simmer for a while, to cook the lentils, adding water if you think it needs some. At the end, add some salt and pepper to taste (won't need much salt, with the sausage and broth).

Mmmmmmmmmm.... perfect rainy day food! (picture 5!)

Summer in a Bowl! (White Soup)

As a precursor to the "summer in a crust" peach blueberry crostata, we had a very delicious meal that included one of my long time childhood favorites: "white soup" (aka Cucumber soup or white gazpacho). My Mom used to make this when it was really hot out, and we'd sit out and eat it for dinner at the patio table and it all seemed like a giant treat. While I was on vacation, she made it again, and I remembered all over again how awesome it is. So, here is her recipe...

Basically, this is what you need:
1 cucumber- peeled, seeded, chopped
1c sour cream (or, non fat plain yogurt. or, some combo of the two)
1c chicken broth (I would guess veggie broth would work)
1T white vinegar
1/3 clove garlic
salt to taste

Just take it all, throw it in the blender, blend it up, and chill for at least 6 hours (or over night).

Then when you serve it, the fun starts- toppings can be slivered almonds, diced tomatoes, green onions, bacon bits, bell pepper pieces... the sky is the limit! The soup itself has a very cool cucumbery flavor that would probably be amenable to a lot of different type of toppings.

And, here is the glamor shot:

(and, for those budget cookers out there, this would be a good example of how you can make something that looks and tastes really fancy, that you could serve to anyone, out of just a few very budget-friendly ingredients)

Tomato Thai Curry Soup

I know, I know, this can barely be construed as cooking. But, when faced with a busy day, an empty fridge, and a need for comfort food, I settled on a can of tomato soup. But, that seemed a little boring, so I spiced it up. I can't even bring myself to write this as a recipe, but I'm sure you can figure out what to do! (if you can't, add a few spoonfuls of curry sauce to the soup, and... you're done!)

Spicy Spinach, Sweet Potato, Adzuki Bean Soup...

This summer, I met a girl from the UK who told me about the show "You Are What You Eat" which THANK GOODNESS is aired approximately 4 times a day on BBC America. If you have not seen this before, do it now. Basically what it is, is Gillian McKeith, this teeeeeeeeeny weeny blonde British lady finds people who are less-teeny and have ridiculously bad eating habits.

The pinnacle of the show is when she lays out everything they eat for a week on one table (usually piles of fried beige stuff) and then on the other table what they SHOULD eat (usually awesome piles of colorful veggies and fruits and beans and things). Almost without fail, they think the awesome veggie table looks boring and gross. Another high point is when she does things like (I kid you not) make a body out of the amount of chocolate they eat in one year, complete with headstone. But, then she teaches them to eat good stuff and by the end they like it.

What is the point? The point is, based on this show, I have become obsessed with Adzuki beans, which she feeds these people all the time. These are a very old bean common in Asia, which is the same bean that is in all those Japanese desserts stuffed with red bean paste (mmmmmm... mochi with bean paste...). I have never had them outside of something like a dessert. So, finding myself in the bulk grain aisle (which I love), I bought some. But then I had to find something to do with them... enter "Spicy Adzuki Bean Stew with Spinach" which I found on BigOven.. I love pretty much every ingredient so let me tell you, I was pretty pumped.


Ingredients:
1/2 c Dry adzuki beans (I used 2/3-3/4 cup)
4 c Water
1 tb Canola oil
1 md Yellow onion; chopped
5 Garlic cloves; minced
1 lb Sweet potato; cut into bite-sized pieces
1 c Carrot (I skipped this. I hate cooked carrots)
4 Inches ginger; finely chopped
2 tb soy sauce (I used more)
Cayenne pepper to taste (I used lots)
2 c fresh Spinach leaves (I used an entire bunch)
1/4 c Coconut milk light (I used maybe 1/2 cup)

Instructions:
Sort and rinse the beans and place them in a large pot with the water, partially cover with a lid, and simmer. Heat the oil in a large wok or saute pan. Add the onion, garlic and cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the sweet potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring. Add all of it to the pot of beans. Stir in the ginger, cover with the lid and continue to simmer for a total of 40 minutes, until the beans, carrots and potatoes are soft. Midway, after about 20 minutes you can add soy and cayenne pepper; taste to see if there is enough ginger. It should be very spicy- seriously, make it spicier than you think you want it, the other ingredients are pretty sweet. Add more ginger if you need to. Just before serving, add spinach leaves and simmer; when wilted but still bright green, turn off the burner and add the coconut milk. Stir to heat through.

My thoughts:
This is awesome. Awwwweeeesome. But, make it spicy, I think it would be too sweet with the beans and the coconut milk otherwise. Also, they say you can serve it with rice, but I didn't see the point because I wanted soup, so I didn't do that. And, now that I have cooked with these beans, I can feel all proud and Gillian McKeith-ed. Also, its pretty much vegan, if you care about that kind of thing.

African Peanut Stew

I made this a week or so ago, and didn't take any pictures, but I've been eating remnants of it all week and it was really good. I found a post somewhere referencing an African Peanut Stew, and having a deep and long lasting love of all things peanuty, had to make it. The version I made is hacked together out of the recipes I found, and I'm pretty sure that you could do almost anything to it and it would be fine, but here is my version... mmmm... peanutbutter...

(warning: this will feed a large and hungry army- I ate it for days, and still froze a ton of it, it would be easily cut in half and still feed an army, albeit a medium sized and moderately hungry one.)


Chop and brown, in some canola oil (cooking spray in a non-stick pan would also work):
1 red bell pepper
1 medium or large onion
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cored- make this really teeny
2 cloves garlic
throw in some cumin (I used both powder and seeds) and salt

Add 2 cubed sweet potatoes (yams? sweet potatoes? I don't know which I bought but I bet it doesn't matter), stir it around for a minute.

Add a can, with juice, of crushed or chopped tomatoes
Add a can, with broth, of beans (I used pinto beans, black would also work)
Add some chicken or vegetable broth- I used about 3 cups broth and 1 cup water, adding more water later as well when it got too sludgy

Optional ingredients-
--2c cooked brown rice can be stirred in, this bulks it up some and increases its army feeding capabilities, but I couldn't really taste it and might leave it out. It might be better to make it less watery and serve it over rice (although, I did like it as a soup)
--cooked chicken, shredded or diced- I put this in, but it really didn't need it unless you're really married to having meat. Otherwise the beans are probably enough protein.
--red pepper flakes- this was not spicy enough for me, so I added a bunch of red pepper flakes. I might have had a bland jalapeno though.

Let all of this cook for a while, I let mine go for an hour or so. At some point in this hour, you add my favorite ingredient- a bunch of crunch peanut butter (use the natural kind, I don't know how that other Skippy-type stuff would hold up to being melted like this). I did it by spoonfuls, but I bet it was at least half a cup. Stir it in and let it melt and cook.

Then, eat it! It tastes even better the next day when all the flavors blend. It would be really good served with toasted chopped peanut and scallions on top.


(yes, this peanut picture is generic and totally gratuitous)

Yuuuuummmm... Coconut Curry Soup

Oh man. So, I got stuck on this idea of making coconut curry soup with lentils after seeing it on this blog. I didn't really do exactly the same thing, but, after hacking something together with the things at hand and using the advice of the internet, I'm super excited about it... this is what I had....

a bit of oil
half an onion- sliced
garlic- 3 cloves or so
fresh ginger- a lot, diced
lentils- about 2/3 of a bag
anaheim pepper- sliced thin
carrots- sliced thin
fresh basil
lemon juice
Pataks hot curry paste (a lot)
chicken broth- enough to cover lentils
2 cans light coconut milk

Basically, I browned the onion, ginger, and garlic and added the anheim pepper. Then stirred in the curry paste, and put in lentils and chicken broth. I let the lentils cook most of the way and then added the coconut milk. Towards the end I squeezed in a bunch of lemon juice (lime might have been better, but my one lime isn't ready yet and put in some diced fresh basil.

I wasn't really sure how this would turn out, I've never used coconut milk before. But let me tell you, this is AWWEEEEESSOOMMME. Its one of those things where you taste it, and kind of don't believe you actually made it yourself. I am definitely making this again (although not for a while, the pot of soup this made is massive!!)