A SOUP FOR WHAT AILS YOU

Posted in Soups by sallybr

A Brazilian take on a Portuguese classic, “canja de galinha” may be translated as chicken soup, but not just any chicken soup. Canja is always made with rice, no noodles allowed in it. It is a soothing soup that warms body and soul – the gastronomic counterpart of your Mom’s embrace when you have a sore throat, or a tummy ache. However, even when you are perfectly fine, it’s hard to beat a bowl of canja on a chilly evening with a slice of crusty bread next to it. End the night by cuddling with your loved one on the sofa watching a movie, preferably one that won’t be compromised by a few snoozing time-outs… 😉

CANJA DE GALINHA
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 slices of ginger (1/4 inch thick), slightly crushed
1 Tbs canola or corn oil

1 shallot, mined
3 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock (or water)
8 new waxy potatoes (red or yellow), quartered
10 oz cooked white rice
squirt of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Poach the chicken breasts: in a sauce pan, bring to a gentle boil the soy sauce, ginger pieces, and enough water to just cover the meat. Once the water starts to boil, immediately turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Lift the chicken breasts from the liquid, and once they are cool enough to handle, shred the meat using two forks or your fingers. Reserve.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan, saute the shallots until barely soft, don’t let them get golden. Add the carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper, cook for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring every now and then. Add the chicken stock (or water), the potatoes, cover the pan and simmer until the potatoes are beginning to get tender. Add the cooked rice and the chicken, cover the pan again and simmer everything together for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Squirt a little lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you search for “canja” recipes in the net, many will instruct you to cook the chicken and the rice in the soup instead of separately. I strongly oppose either of these shortcuts, because they will make your soup cloudy, with a slightly heavier mouth feel. Cooking the waxy, new potatoes in the soup doesn’t pose a problem. For a lighter version – my Mom’s favorite – you can omit the potatoes, but I like the extra substance they provide. Sometimes I add fresh parsley or fresh mint in the final minutes of cooking, both very common additions in traditional “canja.”

Poaching the chicken very gently in the mixture of soy and ginger makes the meat tender, juicy, with just a hint of ginger flavor. If you like a more assertive ginger taste, grate some and add to the carrots/celery mix. And, speaking of carrots and celery, they will be very evident in the soup, so take the time to beautifully dice them. It is a simple soup, but small details make it special. I like to add freshly ground black pepper and a little more lemon juice in my own bowl right before indulging in it.

Leftovers are delicious for a few days, in fact I always make a large batch because after the first meal, I find myself craving for more on the following days. One may think that the rice would absorb too much liquid sitting in the fridge, but it’s never been a problem for us. I use jasmine rice, perhaps other types behave differently. January is a month that screams for soup, and I’m more than happy to oblige… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Eggs in Snow (one of our favorite desserts!)

Carrot and Leek Soup (bewitchingkitchen.com)
Chicken soup (independent.co.uk)
Recipe: Cream of Broccoli Soup (courtneyoutloud.wordpress.com)

6Nov2010

CARROT AND LEEK SOUP

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Here in California the warm weather hangs around, making me almost forget that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. But when the latest issue of Fine Cooking was delivered in the mail, the gorgeous cover showing a croquembuche in all its glory was a clear reminder: the holidays will soon be here, it’s time for comfort food. Lots of things I want to cook right away from the magazine, but I started with a carrot and leek soup that turned out light and satisfying at the same time.

CARROT AND LEEK SOUP
(adapted from Fine Cooking)

1 T olive oil
1/2 T butter
1 medium-size leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
1 shallot, diced
1/2 pound carrots, sliced (about 6, medium)
2 cups water (or chicken stock)
salt and pepper
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup low fat yogurt
2-3 T fresh orange juice

Melt the olive oil and butter in a medium-sized pan, cook the shallots and leeks until soft but not brown, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sliced carrots, water (or stock), thyme leaves, bring to a boil, cover the pan and reduce the heat. Cook until the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to the consistency you enjoy (we prefer it with a little body, not fully smooth). Alternatively, you can use a blender or food processor (be careful when blending hot liquids). Bring the pureed soup back to the stove, add the yogurt and orange juice, heat very gently. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with croutons and minced chives.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I changed the recipe quite a bit, so if you want to make their original version (that includes fancy homemade herb croutons and a few more bells and whistles), buy the magazine. You won’t be disappointed: the cookies section alone and the step-by-step recipe for Beef Wellington are well worth the small investment… 😉

Yogurt is a perfect addition for certain soups, when a hint of richness is welcome, but you don’t want to go overboard. This recipe is similar to the creamy broccoli soup I recently blogged about, and the same basic method might be used for other veggies: butternut squash, cauliflower, even asparagus, although I haven’t quite optimized a method to get a nice, smooth texture when pureeing asparagus. Just another little item to add to my list of culinary challenges… 😉

Note to self: Make soup more often.

ONE YEAR AGO: Chicken Parmiggiana 101

24Sep2009

FIRST SOUP OF THE YEAR

Posted in Soups by sallybr

The times, they are a changing… Gotta love Bob! Now I’ll have this song with me for the whole day… 😉

Fall is here, the beginning of my favorite cooking season: soups, stews, braises, comfort foods of all sorts are back on the menu. To kick things off with an ‘Mmmmm” here’s a recipe for vegetable soup, recently featured in Fine Cooking magazine (#101). This soup has a yin-yang aura about it: hearty and light at the same time. It’s perfect for the slightly cooler evenings…

AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP
(by Ellie Krieger, published in Fine Cooking)

(receita em portugues na segunda pagina)

2 T olive oil
3 carrots, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of butternut squash pieces (1/2 inch cubes)
1/4 t ground allspice
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt
1 quart chicken broth (I used homemade, you can use water for a vegetarian version)
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cups coarsely chopped kale (I used chard from our garden)
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed well

Heat the oil in a large pot, add the carrots and onion and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, cook for one more minute, add the squash, cayenne, allspice, salt, and mix well.

Add the broth, tomatoes with their juice, and thyme. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chard and chickpeas, then uncover and cook for 10 minutes more.

Remove the thyme sprigs and adjust the seasoning before serving.

To print the recipe, click here

click for comments, additional photos and receita em portugues