Roasted Carrot and Fresh Ginger Soup

Here's a comforting* soup you can pull together when 
there is practically nothing in the refrigerator or pantry...
and you are busy. With other things.

Besides being healthful and budget friendly,
the additional bonus is that it goes together quite quickly.

All that is required are a few carrots, an onion, clove of garlic, 
bay leaf, chicken or vegetable broth or stock, oil/butter, 
salt and pepper ~

and fresh ginger (which I always have on hand for

cooking and use in smoothies.)

*I've been needing extra comforting recently,

and I'll explain why at the close of this post  . . .

The method goes like this:

Peel and cut the carrots into large chunks, toss with oil and 

roast in hot oven until tender.

Sweat chopped onion in a large pot, when translucent add minced garlic and

minced ginger for just seconds. Add broth/stock to pot, then bay leaf

and roasted carrots carrots. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil,

then reduce to a simmer, cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Using either a blender (or an immersion blender) puree the

contents of the pot until silky smooth.

At this point you can stir in some heavy cream to make it creamy,

or a tiny amount of Harissa sauce (to make it spicier),

a little finely grated orange zest

Garnish as desired;  here are some suggestions:

For each individual serving:

Shelled, roasted pumpkin seeds ~ (Pepitos)

a little lump of butter

finely chopped chives

finely grated orange zest

a small dollop of sour cream

toasted chopped nuts of your choice

buttery, crisp croutons

a tiny sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe you

can get it here.

~*~*~*~*~*~

You may be familiar with the seasoning Harissa, 

the North African spicy red paste (or sauce),

if not here is the kind I use. (If you cannot find it locally, it's available

from amazon.com.)  It is really convenient to keep

a tube in the refrigerator to add a good, deep spicy 

flavor to all kinds of dishes.  You can also make your own,

but I don't use it that frequently so the tube version is the

way to go for me.

Word of warning ~ 
Do taste whatever brand you choose before
adding it to your recipe ~ it is potent!!


~*~*~*~*~

I've been a little distracted lately, 

my old faithful friend ~ my Black Labrador dog whom I've had

since he was just a little over 2 months old 

has been having some health issues, surgery, etc.  

It was non cancerous, he healed very nicely. 

He has been doing well for over a year.

and behaves much younger than his 13 years. 

Friendly, full of life and character, but so gentle and easy-going.

Sadly we recently learned he has bone cancer in his

foreleg... it is inoperable and the Dr. estimates the blasted

cancer will take over within 4 to 6 weeks. He is doing fine

at this time, on pain meds, and we will not allow him to suffer.

Lots of extra TLC being showered upon him now, while he's with us. 

Too soon 'THE' decision must be made, 

thus, the gray cloud hangs overhead. :(

Being "dog people", the news has affected us deeply ~ 

spending much more time with my pal, and not

so much the internet, or other things.

If I've neglected visiting your blog, or responding

to your lovely comments, emails, etc. I hope

you'll understand.  I'll try to do better.

Thanks for listening (reading!)

Thank you for stopping by today friends,
enjoy each minute of the day.

xo  ~Mari

30 Minute Flavorful & Healthful Split Pea Soup

Home Made, from scratch Split Pea Soup in 30 minutes?

Yes. You can have one of the best you've ever tasted on the table in about 30 minutes or less  - - - If you use a pressure cooker.

Made with ingredients you probably have on hand in the fridge and pantry.  (Bay leaves are missing in the pic.)

You can make this with bacon, kielbasa, ham, or leave the meat out entirely ~ use vegetable stock or water and have a vegetarian version.


Click here if you would like the recipe.
I like to garnish each bowl/dish with toasty croutons and a bit of crumbled bacon (or finely diced ham or sausage.)
One of my favorites! It is so good ~ a warming and filling meal on a chilly, blustery day.

Without the pressure cooker the recipe usually takes a couple of hours.  But the pressure cooker allows me to whip up dishes that I wouldn't normally even consider on short notice ~ it opens up all kinds of possibilities.  Which, in turn, helps me to be more flexible with meal planning.

So yes, I'm a pressure cooker fan!

Of all the brands and types I've tried (dating back to my Vegetarian days back in the 70's) my favorites are the stove top models, particularly Swiss made  Kuhn Rikon Duralon® brand.
As soon as I began cooking with these, I donated my self contained, countertop electric model to charity, (and also said good-by to the old fashioned,  hissing stove top versions -- you know the ones, with their obnoxious 'rocker' mechanisms.)
The New York Times named the Kuhn Rikon the Mercedes-Benz of pressure cooker, with good reason. It's stylish, classic, good looking, and  performs seamlessly!

Click here for :  My  favorite Pressure Cookers

Of course, you can get by with just one (most experts suggest going  with about a 5 to 6 quart version) for your first, as most traditional p/c recipes are written for that size. 

 I have several for convenience, and it would be difficult to give any one of them up, I use them ALL. 
The larger ones for making big batches, for company ~ or to make plenty for freezer meals; good for making homemade stock, canning food, too.
The mid-size (5 to 6 quart are a good choice for all around everyday cooking.)
I like the 3.7 quart for cooking smaller portions (for 1 to 4 people), and I use it all the time for cooking vegetables, soups, and rice, and other side dishes. (My electric rice cooker is designated for charity as well.)

Here are some of the main reasons I love cooking with pressure cookers,  Kuhn Rikon brand in particular:
You can prepare in minutes meals/dishes that take hours by traditional methods. Stainless steel (not teflon lined, or aluminum based) Extra safety designs built in Ease of operation/use Nearly silent operation (amazing!) Vitamin retention Flavor retention Besides time, they save energy. Swiss design, and built to last.
Excellent for campers and boaters, too!

And more from the Kuhn Rikon product description:

• 18/10 stainless steel that won't interact with food.
• Solid thermal aluminum sandwich in bottom for even browning and rapid heat absorption.
• Five over-pressure safety systems, UL listed; automatic locking system; spring-loaded precision valve.
• Saves time and 70 percent of energy normally consumed while cooking; 10-year warranty

~*~*~*~*~



Some of the foods I favor making in the pressure cooker:
Braised dishes; Short Ribs, Stews, etc. (They always come out with full flavor, tender and juicy.) Pork, Lamb Chicken Your own wholesome homemade stock in minutes Chili Pasta Sauces Soups Fresh vegetables Vegetarian recipes White Rice Brown Rice Risotto (delicious, and perfectly cooked) in 7 minutes! Polenta Grains Beans/legumes (pre-soaked) Pasta Casseroles Potatoes Yummy Desserts


Here's a closeup of a handy guide that's included on the lid of the 3.7 quart Anniversary edition, to give you an idea of the time savings:
 

Love that! :)

~*~*~*~*~
By using different techniques, almost anything you cook can be adapted to preparation in a pressure cooker. It's easy, just requires common sense ~ and here is one of my favorite websites to help you get started:
Hip Pressure Cooking


Check out Hip Pressure Cooking's video to see how you can make risotto in 7 minutes:


Am I a fan of modern pressure cooking? An emphatic ~ Yes!
I'll be sharing a few of my favorite recipes in the near future . . . you just might want to get your pressure cooker out of storage and give them a go! ;)



Happy Cooking, friends!
~mari :)
P.S. The opinions expressed here are my own, the Kuhn Rikon people have no idea of who I am.  But I am very pleased with their pressure cookers, and am happy to share the good news with you.

Spooky Eye-Popping Soup for Halloween

I saw this presentation on Home is Where the Boat is,  a wonderfully creative blog by my friend Mary.   If you're not familiar with Mary's blog I urge you to go visit, you're in for a treat!

For the Spooky Eye-Popping Soup I made a recipe similar to this one;  I used half lean ground beef and half Italian sausage,  fusilli instead of tortellini, omitted basil leaves ~  I used a couple of pinches of dried oregano instead,  and chopped the vegetables into small dice just so the 'eyes'  would get most of the attention.  




If you would like an even simpler soup you may like this one,  directions for making the eyeballs can be found here as well.  I simply used bite size mozzarella (bocconcini) and placed  thin slices of stuffed green olives on them to resemble  pupils and irises. 

It's a fun and flavorful soup to help get everyone in the mood for Halloween.


Thank you for stopping by today friends ~ Have a BOO-tiful week!  :)
~mari xo

Summer Squash Soup ~ Creamy, Comforting and Healthy

Here I go again with another super easy 'no need for a recipe' recipe. This is how I cook 80% of the time these days. I don't do a lot of more complicated recipes much anymore ~ I think I got that well out of my system while in my  20's and 30's.  And that was, ahem, a 'while' ago . . .  :o)

Photo: Hirt Seeds
Frost and freezing temperatures will soon be upon us, so this week we harvested the last few summer squash ~ mostly yellow crookneck. We are promised a few warm days before October weather really kicks in, but today is a chilly one so I decided to make some soup (again.)
You may have made this or something similar before, it's embarrassingly simple to make but I love it for that reason and it tastes so good.

And to go with:  (not low fat...)  But we're being so good with the soup, we can afford it, right?!

Cheese Toasts
I always like to serve a little "something" alongside soup, this time cheese toasts made from a few slices of baguette, I mixed some grated swiss and parmesan cheeses with a tiny bit of  mayonnaise to moisten, then stirred in some fresh thyme leaves. Just bake or broil until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Garnish with a few more fresh thyme leaves if desired.

To make the soup: Wash and trim the stem and blossom ends from the squash,  chop into chunks, put in a large pot with your favorite stock or broth (I used organic chicken stock from the carton), use vegetable stock if you want to make it vegetarian friendly. Bring to a boil, partially cover the pot and allow to simmer until the squash is very tender, you can add more stock if necessary. (You're going to need more later when it's  time to blend.) This time I also added a peeled, thinly sliced carrot just for a little extra nutrition.
While the squash is simmering saute a chopped onion (or a half an onion if you prefer) in a pan with little butter or oil of your choice.  Just cook them enough to make them tender and translucent ~ to save calories I usually add a little chicken stock or water to the pan rather than additional butter or oil if they seem to be drying out during cooking.
Once the squash is very tender add the sauteed onion and more stock to a blender container (I use the Vitamix™ just on the regular blend mode) whiz until the mixture is velvety smooth. You may need to do this is a couple of batches, and do be careful if the ingredients are hot.
A food processor would probably be my second choice if you do not have access to a blender.  You could probably use an immersion blender,  but it will take a lot longer,   and the mixture will not be as creamy.
If you're feeling decadent you can add some milk, half & half, or heavy cream while blending.  I think it's just delicious without.
Add salt and pepper to taste. May be made ahead, simply reheat when you're ready to serve.


This time I toasted a few hazelnuts/filberts, rubbed them in a fresh kitchen towel to remove the pesky brown skins,  then chopped coarsely and added a sprinkling of chives as a garnish.
If you have a chance to try it, I hope you like it as much as I do.
Thank you for stopping by, and for leaving any comments you would care to share ~ they always make my day!
~mari

Rustic and Hearty Tuscan-style Soup

When damp, chilly weather arrives we crave warming soup at my house, and this one is right up there among the top favorites. I've shared this one before and I understand it's similar to, (or a copycat version of) Toscana soup as served at the Olive Garden restaurant. I can't vouch for that as I've never had it there.
Even though I enjoy soup at any time of year,  I only make this particular recipe when the temperatures are cool ~ it's very hearty and filling, almost like a stew.




As you can see, the ingredient list is simple; no exotic items and surprisingly, for such a flavorful outcome, you don't need to add extra seasoning except for some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
I always increase the amount of veggies in the recipe as I prefer this soup chunky, and we all know they are good for us. :)

 

You can have this on your table within about 30 minutes. It's wonderful eaten straight after cooking it, and as with most soups it is fabulous reheated the next day. When reheating I usually add more of the greens just to liven up the color a bit.



It won't win any prizes for beauty, but for what it lacks in visual appeal it more than compensates in satisfying flavor.  I hope you'll give this one a try, it has to be among my top favorite 5 soups --- maybe in the top 3.
You can get the printable copy of the recipe over on my recipe site.

I'm so happy you came by to visit, have a lovely day!
~ mari  

Minestrone ~ A Lighter Version

I saw this recipe on my friend Monique's beautiful blog La Table de Nana recently ~ it looked so good and full of fresh veggies that it made me want to make it right away.  
But we've had the hottest summer on modern record here, so I had to put it off for a few days.  Now that the overnight temperatures have begun to 'fall' (pun intended), the time was right.
I was so surprised when I opened the link to the recipe, because this is nearly identical to the vegetable soup I make ~ except I never use an exact recipe. So I was really happy to see the it with actual measurements to share with people who don't use my cooking method.




As Monique did,  I substituted chicken broth/stock for the vegetable stock ~ so if you want a vegetarian version, use the veggie stock.
This one always pleases, and it's got lots of gorgeous color so it's healthful and pleasing to the eye as well.
Since it's zucchini harvest time, I also swapped out the spinach (or other greens) for this version. If you want more protein, add some leftover cooked chicken, Italian Sausage, beef (ground or cubed) during the last few minutes to heat through, before serving.




These "Pesto Crisps"?
Meh, they were just okay.  The recipe sounded good as I ran my virtual tongue over it... all the ingredients you would find in pesto; fresh basil,  Parmesano Reggiano, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil ~  plus a little flour and aged white cheddar.  
Thumbs down at my house. Instead of eating them along side as you would crackers,  I ended up breaking them up and floating them in the bowls of soup ~ (not pictured...)
If you want something similar, I would recommend this version ~ similar, but a bit different and infinitely better. Tried, true recipe ~ everybody gobbles them up!

But the soup gets 5 stars!


Thank you for finding the recipe and sharing it Monique! And thanks to everyone for stopping by today.
Your comments make my day.  :-)

Bon Appétit!


 

Author Jana Kolpen "The Secrets of Pistoulet" ~ A Fantasy Visit . . .

Welcome!
This week I'm joining the Novel Bakers as we share our impressions of three of Jana Kolpen's charming books,  beginning with "The Secrets of Pistoulet".

>>But first a notice<< 
This one is more picture intensive than my usual posts,  so depending upon the speed of my photo storage place, your server and your computer ~ there may be a delay while the pictures load. 
My apologies for any inconvenience, friends.



Click image to learn more about the book.

A little background information ~

From the publisher:

"Everyone who passes through Pistoulet has a story which unfolds. All who spend time there leave with their hearts and minds transformed. Some never leave.

There is magic and mystery in the farmhouse known as Pistoulet, nestled in the remote, untraveled southwestern French countryside. ... The Secrets of Pistoulet tells the gentle tale of the healing power of magical soups and foods, while celebrating the redemptive and sustaining nature of shared meals among friends and family. With fold-out letters, removable recipe cards and pockets, and special vellum pages..." 

and a brief synopsis from the publisher's site:

"Far away in the remote, untraveled southwestern French countryside, there is a small village which contains two homes, an eleventh-century church, and a very special farm known as Pistoulet." Thus begins The Secrets of Pistoulet, a charming and beautiful little book filled with food, magic, and love. Part fiction, part cookbook, this richly illustrated book is reminiscent of the popular Griffin & Sabine:  An Extraordinary Correspondence

, with its collection of letters to be removed from envelopes, and recipes tucked into their own little pockets. Drawings, photographs, snippets of diaries, and mysterious maps decorate this tale of Mademoiselle J., who arrives at Pistoulet with a broken heart. There she is welcomed by the farm's tenants: Madame Claude; Monsieur Andre; the black dog, Marcel; and a chicken that lays golden eggs. Soon, such soul-strengthening dishes as Potage of Babble (guaranteed to cease excessive chatter), Potage of Passion (Cooks beware: this soup has been known to result in marriage proposals!), and Tart of Sunshine (sure to heat both body and soul) have Mademoiselle J. on the road to recovery."

~*~*~*~*~


Okay, it's me again ... Mari ~

As you probably know I do not live in France. 
I live in a wet and wild area of the Pacific Northwest in the USA.



That being said ~ 


Help!  Please dig deep and engage your most 
concentrated and vivid imagination as I attempt to turn 
my home/property into a special, ancient 
place located in the South of France. 

Ya, sure.
*grin*


I invite you to pour a cup (or glass) of your favorite

beverage and come along as I share my (ridiculously loose) 
interpretation of some parts of this imaginative
little book into pictures  . . .

~*~*~*~*~

Ready? 

Here we go:

Please come to the back of the house, it's much cooler here
under the canopy of tall trees ~

A little nibble and chat before our meal ~

Some cheese and crackers, and perhaps a glass of chilled 
wine from our Terrior?

It's true, most of the roses have passed until the Fall flush, 
but here's a modest, casual bouquet of other flowers for our small table.







The blue cheese is local and the other is a creamy Boursin-style . . .

...  I made the Boursin-style cheese from thick yogurt and herbs from the garden,
it's creamy and tangy at the same time (and it's good for you!) Easy to make as well.








A closer look at the bouquet ...

And the local Blue Cheese ~

These are real, picked fresh from the garden, but . . .

These below are not. 

My hydrangeas are a couple of weeks
away from blooming. But this is a fantasy post, remember?!  *grin* :)

Well, the sun is beginning to shine on the table and
it's getting a little warm out here ~


Would you like to go inside to finish our repast?
It will be just a simple meal of Soup and Bread...

With freshly made butter, just for you.

And a bowl of a Potage of Passion ~ 

Vegetable Soup, with which I took a few liberties. For instance 

substituting white kidney beans for the potatoes in the recipe, and changing
up the herbs and vegetables a bit.

And we each get a herbed "Celestial Crouton"  (recipe from the book.)

My star and crescent cookie cutters are too large for these croutons, so I
made the crescents by cutting the bread into rounds with the rim of a glass,
then -off set-  cut a section (a bite) out  of the bread-round to form
 the crescent using the same glass.

Since the title of the book reminds me of the French condiment

Pistou (which I usually float as a garnish on soup), I offer a

little bowl of it to spread on our bread if you like, or you can put

it in your soup instead.

Just a humble vegetable soup, but soothing, healthful and very satisfying.

~*~*~*~

And for dessert (again, I veered away from the recipes in the book)...

But in the story we learn our main character Mademoiselle J. was invited by

"the very beautiful and gracious Nathalie to stay in her Paris 
home overlooking Notre Dame, moments from the 
best glaces in the world."


And we also learn that "Modemoiselle J. loves glaces."

So I made Fresh Peach Sorbet with a hint of sweet almonds,

I think it's close enough to a glacé. *wink*

Peach Sorbet
Just a very few ingredients, and if you have some sort of
ice cream maker this recipe is soo easy!

This recipe is identical to the one I make, which has been around for years. 

For a change I added a few drops of pure almond extract 

along with the good vanilla extract in the recipe. Almond pairs
so beautifully with the flavor of peaches.

You can make this with either fresh or frozen peaches.

Sorbets are dairy-free if you have lactose issues, 

and if you have dietary concerns about sugar 

you can sweeten it with a Stevia product.



Thank you, my friends, for coming to visit and play today!
(The next time you come by perhaps the real hydrangeas will be blooming.)

Good bye faux flowers, until I need to pull you

out of storage again.  :)

Ending with a quote from the sheath of  this sweet book:

"The earth gives us food to nourish our bodies and we prepare 
the food with love to feed our souls and we serve it 
with compassion to make us whole."

~ Le Tresor of Pistoulet"

~ gros bisous, mes amis ~

Au Revior until Wednesday when we'll be visiting
Italy.

~*~*~*~*~

And a big thank you goes out to the Novel Bakers for 

inviting me to play along with such talented ladies.

Here are links so you can visit their blogs about Jana Kolpen's books:

Home is Where the Boat is 

Rattlebridge Farm

A Quiet Life