CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Posted in Soups by sallybr

This soup was quite a revelation for me, because it tasted amazing even though it called for very few, humble ingredients. No need to search for black truffles in a jar to make it, although I must say the flavor was so complex that I wondered if truffles had been hanging out around that broccoli at harvest time. Nah…. Just my overly vivid imagination. The inspiration came once more from Mike, the man behind The Iron You. I’ve been a reader of his blog for only a few months, but that is long enough to realize his taste in food matches ours quite well. On a side note, for those into special nutrition, this concoction is paleo-friendly and low-carb.

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP WITH TOASTED ALMONDS
(modified from The Iron You)

1 ½ lbs broccoli cut into florets
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 leek stalk, thinly sliced
3 small celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fine grain salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 (13.5 oz) can full fat coconut milk
dash of ground nutmeg
slivered almonds slightly browned in olive oil
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Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, celery, garlic, a little salt and pepper, and cook, stirring every now and then, until softened, about 7 minutes.

Add broccoli florets, broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the broccoli florets are tender, about 15 minutes. Add coconut milk, give a good stir and cook for further 5 minutes. Add the nutmeg and mix well.
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Transfer the soup to a blender and puree in batches, or use an immersion blender if you prefer. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, maybe a little more nutmeg. If the soup is too thick add a bit of water; if instead it’s too thin cook until it reaches the desired consistency.
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Serve warm with sautéed almonds on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: For some reason I don’t make soups that often, but whenever I do, I feel quite virtuous… I prepared this particular recipe early in the morning and had it for lunch after running. It was a bright sunny day, but quite cold, maybe 40 F with a little wind. The soup was like a warm hug, soothing and energizing at the same time. I highly recommend it after a workout. There’s something about the creaminess offered by the coconut milk that will make you feel on top of the world. Vivid imagination, you say? 😉

Mike, thanks for the constant culinary inspiration!

ONE YEAR AGO: Cheddar and Fennel Seed Crackers

TWO YEARS AGO: A Festive Pomegranate Dessert

THREE YEARS AGO: My First Award!

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Message from WordPress

FIVE YEARS AGO: Turkish Chicken Kebabs

1Jan2015

AND ANOTHER YEAR STARTS…

Posted in General by sallybr

To begin, begin…
(William Wordsworth)

Many food bloggers will list their most popular posts for the year that just ended. Many will talk about resolutions for the New Year that starts, or blog about healthy recipes. Nothing wrong with that. I actually look forward to reading these types of posts, even if I don’t always follow the trend.

So, what’s my take on a new year that starts? I am not too big on resolutions or setting a particular starting point to change behaviors and attitudes, but it is almost impossible not to get into a self-analyzing mode when a new year is about to say hello. I think if I had to offer a motto to go by, it would be: strive to become the best person you can be, in all aspects of your life. Leave a space in better shape than it was when you arrived. Maybe all it takes is a smile, a compliment to someone, or doing some extra task you are not required to do. Pursue a personal goal you’ve been neglecting for too long. Volunteer for a cause you believe to be important, such as gun control. There will be a ton of stuff to be sad, upset, frustrated about, and you won’t be able to do anything about 90% of it.

Truth is, we are all impotent to deal with the horrors, the incredible level of cruelty that human beings can do to each other in the name of things often defined as sacred. We also feel helpless to deal with tragedy or serious illnesses hitting people we care deeply about. Obviously as we get older, we witness more and more of it. A feeling of impotence and despair can hit pretty hard sometimes. But that little space surrounding your body and your mind, you can have an impact on. Make it a positive one.

Anyway, another year starts. Quoting Tony Horton:

“Do your best, and forget the rest.”

and of course, no more cookbooks for me in 2015!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(image from Wikimedia Commons)

(comments are shutdown for this post)

29Dec2014

MACARONS: MUCH BETTER WITH A FRIEND!

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Making macarons has been on my list of culinary projects for a very long time! They are quite intimidating, because small details in the preparation can ruin them. Even experienced bakers often share stories involving feet-less macarons (can you imagine the horror?), cracked macarons, and many other types of monstrosities. Even though I did not list cooking projects for 2014, I was set on not letting another year pass by without attempting them. Then, the perfect opportunity shaped up: our friend Cindy came up for a visit with her husband, and we decided to tackle this challenge together. We had so much fun, I highly recommend that you consider inviting a friend over and doing the same. I’d been collecting recipes, tips, advice, and after consulting with my expert patissier friend Gary, we focused our efforts in two sites: Gwen’s Kitchen Creations and Joanne’s Eats Well With Others. They both definitely know their ways around the tricky Parisian macarons.

SNICKERDOODLE MACARONS
(adapted from Gwen & Joanne)

for the shells:
3 large egg whites, (95-100g), aged overnight

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar (50g)

pinch of salt

2 cups powdered sugar (200g)

1 cup almond flour (120g)
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for the filling:
(makes a lot, you can reduce the amount, if you prefer)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
salt, to taste
1 tbsp cinnamon, plus more for dusting

Sift the salt, powdered sugar, and almond flour into a large container. Discard any clumps in the sieve. Using a whisk attachment, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add sugar in 3 batches. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add gel food coloring, if desired, whisk again.
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Add 1/3 of the almond mixture into the egg whites. Fold until incorporated – about 15-20 turns. Then add another 1/3. Fold again. Repeat one last time. It will take about 65 folds for the right consistency.
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Draw circles with a pencil on a sheet of parchment paper, then place the sheet with the drawing side down on a baking sheet, so that you can see the lines through. Pipe small circles using a pastry bag, making sure your hand is vertical, at 90 degrees over the center of the circle.
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Let rest until a skin forms. It should no longer be sticky. 30-60 minutes.
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Bake at 275F for 17 minutes. Let the shells cool completely before attempting to peel them off.

Make the filling: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and powdered sugar, mixing on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add in the cream and vanilla and beat on medium-high for 3 minutes. Mix in the cinnamon until completely combined, as well as salt to taste.

Pipe the buttercream onto the flat side of half of the macarons and then top them with a second, similarly sized macaron. Refrigerate in an airtight container overnight. Dust with cinnamon before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Very few culinary projects will confuse you as much as macarons. If you read cookbooks or advice online, you will find conflicting info almost for every step. Do not over-beat the egg whites… It’s impossible to over-beat the egg whites, beat a couple of minutes longer after you think they are done… don’t over-dry the shells…. it’s impossible to over-dry the shells…. sift the flour at room temperature…. roast the flour to dry it completely… don’t even think of making macarons with regular meringue… Mind blowing, my friends, mind-blowing. At some point you will have to settle on a recipe for your first time, take a deep breath, and see how it goes. I think for a first time we did pretty good, actually. Aren’t they cute?

From what I gathered around the many sources, it is VERY important to age the egg whites, so make sure to do that. Crack the eggs the day before, separating the whites and let them sit over the countertop overnight.

Since this was such an involved process, I’d like to share a few photos of our adventure…

Sifting… it was by far the most painful and boring step of the whole recipe. We took turns, but sifting the almond flour took a loooong time. Cindy did a much better job than me, she is patient and thorough. Moi? Not so much… (sigh)

We made a nice template for the shells, using the top of shot glasses….

Egg whites were beaten until shiny, smooth-looking peaks formed…

Here are the results of our labor of love, shells piped and drying….

Here are our baby-shells after baking, most with nice little feet…..

All in all, we had a great time, and learned a lot that day… We assembled the best looking ones, and some of the ugly ducklings were consumed right away by our partners in the name of aesthetics.

The advice to wait to savor them next day is also spot-on: there is a definite improvement in texture, so these are perfect to make in advance and show-off your baking abilities at a get together.

Next time I will try Dorie Greenspan’s recipe, that uses an Italian-type meringue, in which the sugar-egg white mixture is stabilized by heat. I thought it was too involved for our first time, but from what I’ve been reading, it might be a better approach.

Cindy, thanks for joining me in this challenge,
I definitely could not have done it without you!

ONE YEAR AGO: Our Mexican Holiday Dinner

TWO YEARS AGO: The Ultimate Cranberry Sauce

THREE YEARS AGO: Edamame Dip

FOUR YEARS AGO: Gougeres

FIVE YEARS AGO: Beef Wellington on a Special Night

27Dec2014

A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

Posted in General by sallybr

It is not easy to be born on December 27th, even if it means sharing your birth date with Louis Pasteur… Most people are away celebrating the holidays with family, and getting ready for another big event coming up, the New Year’s Eve. Organizing a birthday party at this time of the year is tricky to say the least. We manage to pull a great one when Phil turned 50, but invitations were sent out months in advance. This year, it is just the two of us, and I must say I don’t mind it at all…

Happy Birthday to my favorite human being, best friend, awesome co-worker, partner in long runs, short runs, great golf, lousy golf, I cannot imagine my life without you!