Buttercup Squash and Kale Soup

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Nov 162010
 

So I recently decided to start using Basis Foods for my produce, after having been introduced to them at a recent visit to the New Amsterdam Market. I’ve only tried them once, but so far I am quite impressed. They brought me a big bag of produce straight from the farms — both fruit and veggies — as well as eggs, cheese, and bread. My only complaint is that two of the eggs were broken when the delivery arrived but really, everything else has been so fabulous that I can’t complain too much. Their friendly service, reliability, and of course the yumminess of all the goodies they brought me really do make up for a couple of broken eggs.

Speaking of those goodies… one of the things in this week’s delivery was buttercup squash, which I had never heard of before. I consider to be quite a food connoisseur so I of course had to do some research. I do love squash, so I knew this was the perfect challenge! After viewing and subsequently drooling over a plethora of recipes online when I should have been writing my thesis, I decided that I was going to take bits and pieces from various recipes and make up my own recipe. The delivery also included Russian Red kale (another yum!) and so I knew I wanted to include that. Here is what I came up with.

Buttercup squash

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic — minced
  • 1 leek — quartered lengthwise, cleaned, and then chopped (most people use only the white part but I used it all!)
  • 1 jalapeno pepper — seeded and minced (reduce this if you don’t like kick, or substitute cayenne pepper if you don’t have access to jalapenos)
  • 1 bunch leafy Red Russian kale — cleaned, tough stems removed, and chopped roughly (you can use any other kind of kale you have, of course)
  • 3 medium carrots — peeled and chopped roughly
  • 1 buttercup squash — peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (the peeling is tricky; use the sharpest knife you have and be careful)
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (if you prefer a richer broth, use chicken; I used 3 cups of vegetable broth and ended up adding 1 cup of water also)
  • cracked or freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or add to taste
  • 4 tablespoons cream cheese (can substitute sour cream, or omit altogether if you want a vegan recipe)
  • cilantro — chopped for garnish

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper, and leeks; saute until leeks are translucent and fragrant. Add kale. Saute over medium heat until kale is wilted and soft; about 3-5 minutes. Add carrots; allow them to saute over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Add squash, broth, and black pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat low or medium low and allow to simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes.

After 20 minutes check to see consistency. By this point the squash and carrots should be soft enough that you can crush them with the back of a spoon. If they are not yet soft enough, return the cover and give it another 5-10 minutes. When squash and carrots are completely soft, remove from heat and puree in batches, or with an immersion (stick) blender. Add additional stock or water if consistency of soup is too thick, and adjust seasonings at this point (check — if you add more stock or water you may need to add salt at this point).

Return to heat and heat soup until it is warm again.

Serve each portion warm in a bowl with a dollop (1 tablespoon) of cream cheese or sour cream (optional) and a half-tablespoon of cilantro as garnish.

Serves 4-6

Buttercup Squash by greeny_meanie

Minty Chilled Cantaloupe and Lime Soup

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Jul 232010
 

Okay, another adaptation. The original recipes are here (Epicurious) and here (AllRecipes.com). My new recipe — kind of a blend of both, but not as sweet — is below.

Ingredients

  • 1 cantaloupe – peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups orange juice
  • 1 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup

Preparation:

With a vegetable peeler or paring knife remove zest from lime in strips. In a saucepan simmer water, zest, mint, and brown rice syrup, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let mixture stand 15 minutes. Remove lime zest strips. Cool syrup to room temperature.

Juice the lime and set aside.

Working in 2 batches, scoop flesh into a blender and purée with syrup and half of the orange juice until smooth, transferring to a large bowl as puréed. Stir in lime juice, remainder of orange juice and cinnamon; blend again or stir until mixed thoroghly. Chill soup, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours, and up to 1 day. Skim any foam from top. Serve soup garnished with mint and a handful of blueberries.

Serves 3-4.

  • 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cantaloupe (about 2 1/2 pounds)

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    Detox adaptation – Mediterranean-style tofu with tomatoes and onion

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    Jul 222010
     

    Okay, so I'm detoxing again. And adapting recipes again to ensure they are gluten, sugar, and animal-product-free. Here's my latest, adapted from this wonderful recipe at Epicurious. I was really quite surprised by the richness of this recipe. Normally we see tofu in Asian-style dishes, not Mediterranean ones. This one was delightful — very rich flavors. I did not deep fry the tofu, but shallow fried it instead. I used safflower oil because it's what I had in the cupboard. I also didn't have any mirin, so used some white wine with a tablespoon of brown rice syrup dissolved in it (yes, I realize detox means no alcohol, either, but the alcohol gets cooked off in this recipe, so I'm not too worried).

    • 4-8 tablespoons safflower oil, for frying (variable)
    • 1 1/4 pound firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/2 yellow or white onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 3 Roma or 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch wedges
    • 4 tablespoons white wine
    • 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
    • 1/4 cup green onions, cut into 1-inch-long pieces
    • lemon wedge

    Preparation

    Heat oil in a deep saucepan, wok, or frying pan with tall edges. Working in batches, shallow-fry the cubes of tofu until golden brown, making sure they don't stick to each other. Drain tofu on paper towels.

    Dissolve brown rice syrup in white wine.

    Heat olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Do not let the garlic brown, but allow it to turn golden. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring carefully, just until tomatoes are soft and begin start to break down. Deglaze with white wine and cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the wine to burn off alcohol (you will smell it). Add the tofu and green onions, stir, and season with salt to taste. Squeeze lemon wedge over top just before serving.

    Serves 2.

    Easy Green Bean Stir-Fry

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    Jan 192010
     

    Okay, so I am becoming quite adept at adapting recipes. Here is my latest, adapted from this recipe which apparently was reprinted from The Compassionate Cook Cookbook. (On a semi-related note, has anyone ever seen anything on the About.com website posted since 2007? seriously, why is everything so out-of-date over there?)  The original recipe called for rice wine or sherry — I substituted lemon juice and I love it! Very refreshing and tangy. However, I overcooked the beans a bit so if you do try this, I hope your beans turn out more crisp than mine!

    • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 1 tbsp safflower oil
    • 1/4 cup vegetable broth (I used homemade, as I had some in the fridge, but you could easily substitute with a bouillon cube following package directions, or use my new favorite, Better Than Bouillon)
    • 2 tbsp tamari
    • juice of half a lemon
    • 1 1/2 tbsp of brown rice syrup* (you could also use 1 tbsp of regular sugar)
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced

    Preparation:

    Heat the water in a wok or a large saucepan. Carefully add the beans and steam until tender but crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

    In a small bowl, combine the broth, tamari, lemon juice, and the brown rice syrup, stirring to dissolve the syrup.

    Wipe the excess water from the wok or saucepan, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the beans and sauce, and cook for two minutes, stirring often.

    Serve over rice or quinoa.

    Serves 3-4

    *in case you are wondering why I'm using brown rice syrup instead of sugar — it is an unrefined sugar, and healthier because it means your body does not metabolize it as quickly. This means your blood sugar level does not "spike" but rather it is more gradual. Other healthy, natural, and unrefined sugars are agave nectar, jaggery, molasses (widely regarded to be "the best"), and maple syrup. You will probably want to choose which sugar you use based on the flavors of the recipe you're using it in. And adjust the amount, too — some are sweeter than others. Honey can also be in this list, although it does have the same "spiking" effect as refined sugars. I'm very sorry that I don't have references for all this information — I have read so many websites and 3 different books that I cannot remember exactly how / where I found this information, only that it was repeated so many times that I obviously remember it well enough to write it here from memory!

    Beet this!

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    Jan 162010
     

    So, I’m still on my detox diet. And struggling. But that is another story.

    The story I’m here to tell you today is about my new favorite vegetable: beets!

    Today, I made beets, beet greens, and quinoa. Yum!! I bought organic beets with the tops (greens) still on. I chopped off the greens, scrubbed the beets, and roasted them as per this recipe (see the very bottom of the page: ROASTED ROSEMARY BEETS). But what to do with those greens? I knew they were good for something. Sure enough, I found this recipe, but it was not vegan, and it also had refined sugar in it. (FWIW: SimplyRecipes.com is quickly becoming one of my favorite recipe sites.) I adapted this tangy and tasty vegetable side dish, and and here it is:

    Beet Greens

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 pound beet greens and stems
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons chopped onion
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced (less if you don’t like garlic – I love it!)
    • 3-4 tablespoons of water
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup (you can use honey or regular sugar too, just reduce the amount slightly if using sugar)
    • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • juice of 1/2 a lemon

    Method

    1. Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Chop stems into 1-inch pieces and separate from greens.
    2. In a large skillet heat oil on medium heat. Add onions. Cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes, then add stems only. Cook onions and stems over medium heat another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
    3. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan and to mix thoroughly with onions, garlic, and stems. Stir in brown rice syrup and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil.
    4. Add the beet greens and gently toss them in the onion mixture so the they are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the greens are tender.
    5. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice.

    Serves 2.

     

    Spicy Indian Green Lentils

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    Jan 112010
     

    I have tried to cook versions of Indian dahl on more than one occasion and they usually turn out bland and blah — clearly, I have not gotten the spice combination correct. Until now! It is, hands down, the best recipe for dahl I have had! I even think it's better than some I have eaten in restaurants, if I may say so myself.

    Most of this recipe was adapted from Lisa's Kitchen, but I made some adjustments after reading a recipe on a message board, and in a cookbook, Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine. I share it here not as my own, but as something compiled and recreated. The adjusted lentil recipe is vegan and gluten-free. It also uses brown rice syrup in place of refined (simple) sugar, which is healthier and better for your metabolism because it is a complex sugar.

    This recipe yields a rather spicy version. As it was cooking I was a bit worried that it would be too spicy even for me (and I am very tolerant) but once the sauce mixed into the lentils it turned out to be perfect. However, if you're not big on heat, cut back the cayenne and fresh chili pepper considerably — or serve with lots of raita or yogurt. One thing – the asafetida will really stink up your kitchen. It is strong and pungent, so turn on the fans and open the window.

    Spicy Indian Green Lentils

    1 cup green lentils, soaked 4 hours or overnight
    2 tablespoons safflower oil

    ½ medium onion finely chopped
    1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
    1 teaspoon of mustard seeds (yellow or black)
    2 teaspoons of cumin powder
    1 ½ teaspoons of sea salt
    ¾ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
    ½ teaspoon of asafetida*
    1 teaspoon of turmeric
    1 – 2 hot red or green chilies, depending on your tolerance (I used 1 rather large jalapeno)
    2 medium tomatoes, chopped
    1/4 cup of brown rice syrup (you could use brown sugar or jaggery)
    1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
    1/2-1 teaspoon of yellow curry powder (curry leaves could also be used)

    Put soaked lentils in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very soft and tender — roughly 20-30 minutes.

    In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to sputter and pop. Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, asafetida and turmeric, stir and immediately add the tomatoes, chili pepper, sugar, cilantro, and curry. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has a sauce-like consistency — roughly 10 minutes.

    When the lentils and peas are done, mash a portion of the legumes with the back of a spoon. Add the sauce in the frying pan to the lentils, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so.

    Serve with white or brown basmati rice, and some raita or yogurt on the side.

    Yields 4 servings.

    *Asafetida (sometimes written asefoetida) is a very pungent powdered gum resin with an oniony- garlic flavor. You can find it in Indian or health food stores, or in the spice section of your supermarket. To substitute, you may use garlic or onion powder.

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