SILKY GINGERED ZUCCHINI SOUP

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

For the last couple of months I became interested in the Paleo nutritional system, as most people who follow it appear to be very fit. It got me curious. It also did not hurt that Dr. Loren Cordain, the man behind the Paleo approach is now part of our extended family: Phil’s sister recently married his uncle-in-law. Small world! Anyway, fully aware of my self-inflicted moratorium on cookbooks in 2015, I did what a sensible food blogger would do and bought some Paleo-oriented publications last November. As you can see, I have an amazing ability to outsmart myself. If you have any interest in the subject, I highly recommend Well Fed2, The Frugal Paleo Cookbook, and Nom Nom Paleo Food for Humans. Don’t worry, the Bewitching won’t turn into a Low-carb, Paleo, Vegan, or “insert any diet system here” blog. There will be bread, pasta, rice, couscous, a lot of meat, and sweets. Omnivore, and loving it! – has always been my motto, and that isn’t changing. But the truth is that one can cook a ton of tasty stuff under the Paleo approach. Plus, it’s all reasonably low in carbohydrates and high in protein, a kind of eating I’ve favored for the past 4 or 5 years. This soup is a perfect example of deliciousness that is low in fat, low in carbs, and keeps me satisfied from lunch until dinner. As you may notice, I included a cheese crisp that would not be blessed by Paleo folks. It would make this version Primal, I suppose. Still hanging around caves, but with a little more pizzazz, sipping the occasional wine from a coconut shell.

SILKY GINGERED ZUCCHINI SOUP OVERVIEW

The secret for this smooth and delicious soup is the use of ginger and coriander as background spices. The soup starts with a simple saute of onion and garlic, then ginger and coriander in powdered form are added, releasing their flavors in the hot oil. Next, zucchini pieces join the party, and the whole thing will be simmered for about one hour in your favorite type of broth (chicken, veggie, or beef). When the zucchini is super tender, the soup is blended and ready to be enjoyed.

You can find the recipe in Melissa’s site with a click here.
It is also in her cookbook Well Fed2.

I’ve made this soup almost as many times as I made Mike’s Creamy Broccoli Soup. Sometimes I used chicken broth, sometimes a mixture of chicken broth and water. A squirt of lemon juice right before serving is a nice touch too. Cheese crisps pair very well with the zucchini. To make them I followed the method that Mike described in his original post for the broccoli soup. On the first photo of this post, I used a Cheddar type cheese, and in the photo below I went with Parmigiano-Reggiano. I like Parmigiano better, because it releases less oil as it bakes, and has that unique sharpness that contrasts very well with the silky soup.

unnamed-5

I confess I was afraid of making the crisps from scratch, due to traumatic experiences of a distant past. At that time I tried making them on a non-stick skillet on the stove top, and ended up with a complete mess, pretty much inedible.

But preparing them in the oven was a totally different experience. First, place parchment paper over a baking sheet (or use Silpat). Then add small amounts of shredded cheese of your choice separated by about 1-inch. They won’t spread too much, but better safe than sorry.

Watch them carefully, because they will go from perfect to burned in a matter of seconds….

Carefully transfer them to a rack, so that they get crisp. You can use them right away, or store for later.

You will find all sorts of uses for these crisps… This beautiful Mexican-Caprese was made by my beloved husband… and embellished by the crisps…

Dressing was avocado oil infused with basil (he used the handy cubes from Dorot), a little lemon juice for good measure.

But back to the zucchini soup: a real winner of a recipe. I normally make a batch in the weekend, and it becomes my lunch for three days in the following week. If I don’t have cheese crisps I top it with toasted almonds, or a diced hard-boiled egg. Simple, and quite nutritious.

Before I leave you, I want to share the best text I’ve seen in a long time concerning healthy-eating. It is a well-written satire on the state of nutritional advice these days. Hilarious, but unfortunately quite close to our reality these days. Enjoy it with a click here. A little quote as a teaser:

“The ONLY way to eat is seasonally, locally and sustainably. If you live in a place where snow falls and kills crops and animals starve you should eat snow and only snow. To do anything else will cause immediate and untimely death”.
(from Sarah Yates, A Little House in the Hills).

🙂

ONE YEAR AGO: Sweet Fifteen!

TWO YEARS AGO: Sesame and Flaxseed Sourdough

THREE YEARS AGO: Green Beans with Miso and Almonds

FOUR YEARS AGO: Saturday Morning Scones

FIVE YEARS AGO: White Bread

20May2014

FENNEL SOUP WITH ALMONDS AND MINT

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

I am sure that each blogger has a favorite approach to getting their posts prepared. The Bewitching Kitchen has been around for almost 5 years, and I more or less settled on a pace of two posts per week, which suits me well. It is not too stressful, and allows me to work on new articles exclusively during the weekend. For the most part, I have a backup of 8 or more posts lined up, so the recipes you see on my blog were probably at our table several weeks earlier… but sometimes I make something so tasty that I feel like blogging about it right after finishing the meal. It was the case for this soup, simple ingredients, quick to prepare, but it feels like something worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Creamy, luscious, without a single drop of heavy cream in it. I had noticed the recipe on Cooking Light, and even jotted down the ingredients on my shopping list. But the weather turned a little warmer, and soup left my mind. What changed all that? Steve’s post at Oui, Chef… His description of this fennel entity left me craving for a bowl, no matter the temperature outside. End of story.

FENNEL SOUP WITH ALMONDS AND MINT
(slightly modified from Oui, Chef)

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups sliced fennel bulb (I used two large bulbs)
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar (I added 1 tsp)
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons small fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 ounce grated Parmigiano cheese

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add fennel, onion, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 6 minutes or until crisp-tender (do not brown), stirring occasionally.

Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 cups water, vinegar, and beans. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Place half of mixture in a blender. remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in the lid. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with the balance of the mixture.

Combine almonds, mint, zest and cheese. Divide soup among 4 bowls; top with almond mixture and if desired drizzle a little olive oil before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You know one of my greatest pet peeves? Soups that are finished off with a load of heavy cream. A couple of years ago, while watching a show by Pioneer’s Woman, I literally screamed at the TV when she shared a recipe for the “best ever” cauliflower soup. I swear that her version was 5% cauliflower, 15% butter, 20% cheese, 20% milk, 40% heavy cream. Heck, you can omit the cauliflower, add powdered rocks instead and people will be licking their spoons! And now that I elegantly stepped out of my soap box, I can tell you that this soup takes the exact opposite approach. Using white beans to improve the texture is a trick I shall not forget. The fresh mint they had at the store was not looking very good, so I used some dried mint instead (added it together with the beans) and topped the soup with minced fennel fronds. Fresh dill would be great there too.

At Oui, Chef you can see a gorgeous photo for the soup, with mint leaves floating on top, quite artistic. Pay Steve a visit and say hello… He is an impressive guy: father of five (!!!!), with a cool one-line bio…

“I’m a blogger on a mission to encourage parents to teach their kids how to cook and eat well”.

But don’t take that statement lightly, he spent two years in France, got “Le Grande Diplome” at Cordon Bleu, and also studied at The Ritz Escoffier, Lenotre, and Bordeaux L’Ecole du Vin. Beyond impressive. If that was not enough, he is also a fan of Tony Horton’s P90X. See? P90Xers are slowly taking over, one food blog and one pull-up at a time… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Green Curry Pork Tenderloin

TWO YEARS AGO: Farfalle with Zucchini and Ricotta

THREE YEARS AGO: Slow-baked Salmon with Lemon and Thyme

FOUR YEARS AGO: Hoisin Explosion Chicken

23Oct2013

MISO SOUP, A JAPANESE CLASSIC

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Post dedicated to the memory of my Dad, who today would be 93 years young…

When the weather chills down, we always have a bowl of miso soup to start our sushi dinners. I’ve never had a bad miso soup, but some are definitely better than others. Considering the very few ingredients that go into this soup, it’s clear that technique matters. Last Friday we were so tired that the idea of going out to eat seemed like too much effort, so we resorted to take-out sushi from one of our grocery stores, which is actually pretty nice. Since they don’t offer miso soup, I decided to make my own. Read a bunch of articles, and felt ready for the challenge. It turned out delicious: soothing, with a mild flavor and smooth consistency. That is actually the most important aspect of a miso soup: it should not be grainy.

MISO SOUP
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

4 cups water
1 tsp instant dashi (see comments)
4 Tbsp white miso
firm tofu, cut in cubes
green onions, light and green parts, thinly sliced

Boil the water in a large saucepan, add the instant dashi and mix until dissolved. Turn the heat off, keep the pan with the lid on to retain heat.

Place the miso in a small bowl, add a small amount of the very hot water/dashi, whisk to completely dissolve the miso, so that no lumps stay.

Add the miso to the original saucepan with the rest of the dashi, mix. Add the diced tofu, let the pan covered for a couple of minutes as you place green onions inside the serving bowls.

Laddle the miso soup with pieces of tofu in each bowl, and serve immediately.
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ENJOY!
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to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Obviously one cannot make miso soup without miso, but apart from that, lots of variations are out there. Some recipes use water, some vegetable stock, others call for chicken stock. However, for the real, authentic Japanese flavor, dashi is the way to go. I admit to using a shortcut in my version, though. I used instant dashi instead of making a broth with its two traditional components: seaweed and bonito flakes. I had both ingredients at home, but when I made this soup they were somewhere in that twilight zone of boxes kept in the garage, as our kitchen is waiting for the green light from the crew working on its hellnovation. Sanding floors and cabinets generate an amount of fine dust that you simply do not want to have over every little item in your pantry. So, I took the easy way out and bought a little bottle of instant dashi. It is actually a very nice ingredient to have laying around, a handy source of the funky-elusive fifth flavor, umami.
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Once you have dashi (or make it from scratch), all you’ll need is some miso and firm tofu. Green onions are a great addition, but not mandatory. You can use either type of miso, white or red, they differ in the fermentation time, and resulting flavor. White miso will be milder. Follow the instructions to a T, because the main thing to avoid is boiling the miso once it’s added to the dashi: that leads to an unpleasant grainy texture. I also like to cut my tofu in small pieces and add to the pan for a couple of minutes before serving the soup. That allows the tofu to absorb the flavors of the miso more efficiently. With those two tips in mind, you will be on your way to a great bowl of soup to warm you up on the chilly evenings ahead.
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Dad dancing with my niece Fernanda…

(No, he would not touch miso soup even if his life depended on it… ) 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: On my desk

TWO YEARS AGO: A must-make veggie puree

THREE YEARS AGO: Vegetarian Lasagna

FOUR YEARS AGO: Brazilian Pão de Queijo

24Sep2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: CORN CHOWDA

Posted in Secret Recipe Club, Soups, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Last Monday of the month = Reveal Day for The Secret Recipe Club! I could not be happier with my matching blog for this month: Beautiful Disasters, hosted by Casey, the coolest girl in the whole blogosphere. I first got to “meet” her when she made a flourless chocolate cake from my blog, and that was the most popular recipe of our SRC that month! How awesome is that? Casey is a hard working high school student, athletic, witty, and keeps a blog that is always fun to visit. I was thrilled to cook from her site. Being a young runner with a high metabolism and all, she’s got a ton of sweets to share, but I wanted to go for something savory. The weather is cooling down (Sally grabs the box of Kleenex), so I searched for a comforting soup. My first click on the index was for corn chowder. She starts her post with “Do you wish you had an accent?” Casey, you got me right there! I simply HAD to make your chowda.. 😉

CORN CHOWDER
(adapted from Beautiful Disasters)

2 cups corn kernels
2 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 + 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons thyme
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
a few fresh basil leaves
scant 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups water
8 baby Yukon gold potatoes, cut in pieces
¾ cup half-and-half
1/2 Tablespoon white sugar

Heat the butter in a large pan. Let it melt, then add the shallots, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallot is soft and starting to get some golden color. Add the flour and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the water, keep stirring. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the corn kernels and potatoes. Bring the chowder to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Transfer a little less than 2 cups of the chowder and the basil leaves to a blender and puree until smooth. Stir the puree back into the pan. Add the half-and-half then return the chowder to a simmer. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and mix in the sugar.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Delicious chowder, creamy, luscious, even if I took a few shortcuts with the recipe. Full disclosure: Casey did not use frozen corn. I am sure it would be even better with fresh corn and getting all that juicy corn milk, but I had to simplify the preparation to accommodate my schedule.

Now, back to the fascinating topic of accents. As any immigrant, I am often reminded that I have an accent. I don’t mind it that much, but I certainly wish I didn’t get in other types of trouble.

Allow me to share a quick story. Day one of lab move: I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off, asking our secretary, one of the moving guys, and a student “I need the doily. Have you seen the doily around?” All of a sudden, Phil gently grabs grabs my arm, takes me to the side and whispers “Sally, darling, you are looking for the dolly, not the doily“. That’s when I understood their small delay in answering my question with a sheepish “I don’t know where it is”. (sigh)

Casey, I hope you had a blast with your assignment too!
And for all my readers, don’t forget to click on the blue frog below to see the full list of posts by the members of Group D, the group that closes each month with a golden key! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Oven-broiled Salmon over Saucy Spinach

TWO YEARS AGO: Butterscotch Brownies

THREE YEARS AGO: First Soup of the Year

27Apr2012

A SUPER HEALTHY SOUP

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

It seems that every year, right when I get all excited that the cold weather is gone for good, a few chilly nights pop up to say hello. Chilly as 50F! For a Brazilian, it’s the dreadful boundary between life and death. So, faced with such adverse circumstances, I made soup. Complete improvisation from a few ingredients I had laying around in the fridge and the pantry. I felt incredibly energized after dinner, and even won a wrestling match with Oscar! It must have been the spinach. 😉

ZUCCHINI SPINACH SOUP
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 stalk of leek, finely sliced (white part only)
3 zucchinis, medium size, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 to 1/3 cup of canned white beans
4 cups vegetable stock or water (plus more if needed)
1 to 2 cups baby spinach leaves
salt and pepper
freshly squeezed lemon juice
low fat yogurt to taste for serving

Heat the olive oil and saute the sliced leeks, allow them to get golden. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the zucchini, cook the slices for a few minutes, stirring every once in a while, until they get a bit of color in some spots. Add the white beans, cook for a couple of minutes, add the vegetable stock (or water), bring the whole thing to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, until the zucchini is tender (20 minutes).

Add the spinach, cook until the leaves are just wilted. Puree the soup in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender until the consistency you like. If too thick, add more water or vegetable broth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, sprinkle lemon juice, and keep warm until serving.

Pour some into a bowl, and add a dollop of yogurt seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

All amounts for this soup are quite flexible. The spinach, added at the very end, gives it a nice bright green color, and a strong herbal flavor, so add as little or as much as your palate appreciates. I used an immersion blender because I like my soup to be a bit chunky and find that with other methods it’s harder to control the texture. But, if you prefer a smoother soup, use a blender. The beans made it creamy without the addition of any fat, and also turned it into a more substantial soup. A thick slice of rustic bread was all we needed.

A final note: if you are in a daring mood, add a splash of Sriracha to the yogurt. Takes the soup to a whole other level… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Cinco de Mayo Dinner Celebration

TWO YEARS AGO: Thom Leonard’s Country French Bread