Tag Archives: soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup (gluten-free, dairy-free)

Posted on October 14, 2012 by | 14 Comments

Inspiration: Puree of White Bean Soup from Brasserie le Coze

Avoid doing this.

This week I got a blender, a powerful one, something that incredulously was missing from my arsenal of cooking tools.  I could not wait to take it for a spin.  After making a couple of smoothies, I thought I had the hang of it.  Let’s just say there is a learning curve… more on that later!

Years ago there was a French restaurant in one of Atlanta’s Buckhead shopping malls.  It was in a strange location, but Brasserie le Coze had some fantastic dishes.  I’m sure it was the first place I encountered skate wings in browned butter, one of their classics.  Another favorite was a puree of white bean soup, served in a crock with a drizzle of white truffle oil.  That soup is the inspiration for this recipe, in which I’ve replaced the beans with roasted cauliflower, and taken out the dairy.  (To be honest, I meant to add cream to the soup but forgot during the fiasco with the blender.  However the soup absolutely does not need the cream.) The result is a soup lower in carbs, but with all the depth of flavor of the original.

You may be wondering how I managed to make such a soupy kitchen disaster.  Well, when the instructions with the blender say “do not overfill”, they aren’t kidding.  Of particular note, hot liquids tend to steam quite a bit when you enclose them in a jar under turbo-blending conditions, and even with the vents in the lid, that steam will lift the lid right off the jar and erupt like Mauna Loa.  Lesson learned, thankfully without injury.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, white and pale green parts, chopped and rinsed well
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • ~1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • ~1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 t fresh thyme)
  •  salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: white truffle oil, bacon bits, to garnish*

* Note: I used ~1/2 teaspoon of truffle salt in the final seasoning, since I did not have any white truffle oil.  Instead I garnished the soup with crumbled bacon bits.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place the cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan and toss with enough olive oil to coat the cauliflower and the pan.  Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned in spots and tender.  Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until it renders its fat (do not crisp).  Add a glurg of olive oil, and the onion, leek, carrot, celery and garlic; saute until tender.  Add the roasted cauliflower, chicken broth, rosemary, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 hour.

Puree (carefully!) with a blender, immersion blender, or food processor – in batches, as necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish each serving with a drizzle of truffle oil, or with crispy bacon bits.

Delicious soup needs a delicious soundtrack, yes? Who better than Catherine Irwin, leader of the great, but unknown Freakwater! Her first album in a decade, Little Heater is a sparse but moving set of songs, born by Irwin’s haunting vocals, akin to Hazel Dickens or Hank Sr.

What, you don’t know Freakwater? Perish the thought! They came around in the initial stages of the “alt-country” movement, and their debut album, Feels Like the Third Time is a classic. Take a listen to the first track- “My Old Drunk Friend”, and I guarantee you’ll be sold on their old country with a kick sound. Tremendous!

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Sunny Summer Squash Casserole

Posted on August 23, 2012 by | 3 Comments

Summer is finally starting to wind down, and thank goodness for that!  I have to apologize for neglecting the blog for so long.  For the most part, cooking this summer has been mostly repeats of favorites, coupled with a lack of enthusiasm for standing in a hot kitchen.  Even grilling has gone by the wayside, since stepping outside into the oppressive heat and humidity while fending off swarms of blood-sucking mosquitoes is not enjoyable.  However the last few days have started off, at least, as blessedly cool and less humid…just the touch of the coming autumn weather that I needed to get some energy back!

Gluten and Soy Free!

I’ve had this recipe for squash casserole since the early 80′s, when it was passed around from co-workers at UNC-Hospitals.  It’s another dish that falls in the “comfort food” zone, and typical of many casseroles, it contains a can of condensed cream of chicken soup.  I haven’t used this recipe in ages, because Campbell’s soups are not on our list of foods that are good for you.  There is the gluten issue, as well as preservatives, and artificial colors and flavorings.  I could, of course, make my own cream of chicken soup from scratch, but that just seems like too much work for one ingredient in a casserole. Then I spotted something different in the soup aisle – Pacific Natural Foods Organic Cream Of Chicken Condensed Soup.  It doesn’t mention it on the front of the box, but this soup is also gluten-free and soy-free, as well as being USDA Organic.  I picked up a couple to see how they would adapt in casseroles.

Upon opening the box (which does not even require scissors due to a handy tab), the first sight of the soup is not that good.  Its consistency is kind of jelly-like, but to be fair, Campbell’s condensed soups aren’t much to look at either.  Getting beyond that, when it is mixed in with the other ingredients and baked, the results were perfect!  I didn’t try it on its own as a soup, but I can certainly recommend it for anyone that wants a healthier option for condensed soup.  Here are the ingredients listed on the box:

organic chicken broth
organic creme fraiche
organic rice starch
organic cooked chicken
organic rice flour
sea salts
organic chicken fat
organic garlic powder
organic onion powder

Back to the squash – I adapted the original recipe to reduce the amount of bread crumbs (it originally used packaged “stuffing”), to take out the gluten, and to add some seasonings for taste.  I especially like the raw shredded carrots in this recipe, since they add so much color and texture to the finished casserole.  I usually made this with yellow, crookneck squash, but used zucchini this time. This dish is great with roasted meats, and also would be good on a holiday table.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups squash, cut into large dice
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter (preferably grass-fed)
  • 2 cups shredded carrots (~2 large or 3 medium-sized carrots)
  • 1 12-ounce box condensed soup (cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (make your own gluten- and grain-free bread or muffins, if possible)
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ratatouille Seasoning (or seasoning blend of choice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • a few dashes of fish sauce (optional)
  • 1 cup gluten-free/grain-free bread crumbs (for topping – see above)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly butter a 2.5 quart casserole dish.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the squash in boiling water for 5-10 minutes (long enough for it to be tender, but not falling apart).  Drain squash into a colander; set aside.

Using the same (dry) pan, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of butter until soft.

In a large bowl, mix together the well-drained squash, onion, carrots, condensed soup, sour cream , Parmesan cheese, egg, thyme, Ratatouille seasoning, fish sauce, salt, and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.  Pour into the buttered casserole dish.

Using the same pan, again, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and mix with the remaining cup of bread crumbs.  Scatter evenly over the squash mixture in the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until bubbly and hot throughout, and browned on top.  Serve hot.

So good to be back! Got a great selection today, a compilation of some of the nastiest, gritty funky stuff you’ll ever hear. It’s a new release from Light In The Attic called Country Funk 1969-75, and boy, it doesn’t lie in the title! From Link Wray doing “Fire And Brimstone” to the great Bobby Charles and “Street People”, this is a great look at folks that don’t get a lot of attention. Tony Joe White, Dale Hawkins, even Mac Davis with “Lucas Was a Redneck”, it don’t get much better than this. Get funky!

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Beef and Vegetable Soup

Posted on February 22, 2012 by | 1 Comment

It has been cool and a bit blustery in New Mexico this week – and what better to warm up with than a big pot of soup.

This soup has an Italian twist to it, so I wanted to add just a bit of pasta.  Here’s my big confession (followed of course by my justification) – I did not use gluten-free pasta!  I fully intended to use gluten-free pasta, because I had no desire to intentionally add wheat to our diet.  However, as I was browsing the shelves of Whole Foods for a suitable gluten-free rice-pasta to add to the soup, I suddenly found myself looking at boxes of Jovial einkorn pasta.  I squealed and literally jumped up and down with excitement, as James backed away, looking askance at me.  I have read about Jovial pasta, but have never seen it in person.  It was like finding the holy grail!

Einkorn is the purest, most ancient species of wheat known, grown more than 12,000 years ago before wheat was hybridized by man to increase the gluten content and yield.  You can read more about einkorn wheat and the history of wheat here.  Since this einkorn pasta is much lower in gluten, I was interested in how my body would react to eating it.  I am happy to report that there were no adverse affects.  However, I do not have celiac disease, and the makers of this pasta warn that more clinical studies are needed to determine if it is safe for celiac patients to consume einkorn wheat.  Jovial also produces gluten-free pastas which are reported to be among the best available in taste and texture, and I am also going to try those pastas.

All that said, the addition of pasta (of any kind) to this soup is optional.  The beef and vegetables are quite substantial on their own.  Also, since this is soup, the actual quantities of the ingredients are not all that important.  Feel free to add a little more or less of anything.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef (grass-fed)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup green beans, snapped into ~1-inch pieces
  • ~28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry pasta (optional)
  • kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper
  • grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

In a large skillet, heat ~ 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute the onions until softened, then add the ground beef.  Brown the beef, and season lightly with salt and pepper.  (If beef is excessively fatty, pour off and discard some of the fat.)

Partially cook the pasta in salted, boiling water.  I  like to boil it for just a little over half the time recommended on the package.  The pasta will finish cooking after you add it to the soup, and will adsorb more of the soup’s flavor.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat; add ~ 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Saute the zucchini, carrots, and green beans for 6-8 minutes in the oil until they are starting to get tender.  Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, with oregano, thyme, crushed pepper flakes, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then add the cooked beef and onions, and the cooked pasta.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaf and discard. Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Two today from the great Aimee Mann. Years ago I worked for a band that opened for Til Tuesday (“Voices Carry”), and was impressed by Mann’s stage presence and artful lyrics. Since those days she’s gone on to be one of our great songwriters. First up is her debut, Whatever. It featured one of her best songs, “I Should Have Known”, as well as fan favorite “Jacob Marley’s Chain”.

Mann did the soundtrack for “Magnolia”, featuring some of her finest songs, such as “Deathly” and “How Am I Different”. More from that era is collected on her 2000 release, Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo. If you haven’t given her a spin, why not?

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Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Posted on January 6, 2012 by | 6 Comments

Modified from Bon Appétit / Epicurious

Since our wedding anniversary is also New Year’s Eve, we decided to have a pre-anniversary get together with friends to usher in the New Year a day early.  We snacked from a table of nuts, cheese, and bacon-wrapped stuffed dates to help soak up all the alcohol from the champagne we were downing, while we caught up on our families’ goings-on and listened to James’ new vinyl acquisitions.  It was a laid-back kind of evening, with a little guitar-picking and a little zoning out to Brian Eno’s 77 Million Paintings, and a little rocking to a Rolling Stones performance that took place back when we were teenagers.

You know what goes well with that?  Soup!  There’s no rushing about getting it ready to serve, no reason to leave your party or your glass of champagne unattended.  Soup waits until you are ready.

This shrimp chowder is just brimming with corn, so it might not be a good choice if your New Year’s resolution is to limit your carbohydrate intake.  However for an occasional meal, it is warming and filling, with a little heat from the peppers and sweetness from the corn.  If you have bacon drippings, I recommend using them to saute the vegetables to add a hint of smoky flavor.  In the summer, if you have fresh corn, by all means cut it off the cob and use it instead of frozen!

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium, sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter and/or rendered bacon fat
  • 2 large poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 2 16-ounce packages of frozen sweet corn, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons (or more) arrowroot flour (or other gluten-free flour)
  • ~28 ounces chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
  • small bunch fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges, for serving

Prepare creamed corn from one package of frozen corn (or fresh corn, if available).  Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium-sized sauce pan.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of arrowroot flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, for about a minute until the arrowroot is blended in smoothly.  Add one package of corn and a good dollop of heavy cream to almost cover the corn, continuing to stir over medium heat until it thickens up.  Add a little chicken broth, if it is too thick.  Use an immersible blender (or food processor) to puree the corn, leaving small bits of corn kernels intact.  Season with kosher salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

In a stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons bacon fat or butter.  Add onion, celery, and poblano peppers; saute until soft (around 6 minutes).  Add creamed corn, the second package of thawed corn, chicken broth, the remaining cream, and cayenne pepper.  Add honey, if needed (some corn is sweeter than other corn and may not need sweetening).  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least 15 minutes.

NOTE:  When adding cayenne pepper to a simmering pot of liquid, DO NOT stick your face over the pot when you tap out the pepper.  The pepper may catch on the warm current of air and go right into your eyes.  It hurts and you will not even be able to see to switch off the burner as you blindly make your way to a sink to flush your eyes with cold water.  Nor will flushing your eyes stop the pain.  Immersing your face in a bowl of water with your eyes open eventually helps.  Plan on at least ten minutes out of your day….ouch!

If you would like the chowder to be thicker, remove about 1/4 cup of liquid from the pot and mix with 1-2 tablespoons of arrowroot flour to make a smooth paste.  Whisk back into the simmering soup and continue to cook until desired consistency is reached.

Add shrimp and cilantro; simmer gently until shrimp are cooked through (about 5 minutes).  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve hot, with a good squeeze of lime juice.

Zoning out indeed! 77 Million Paintings by Brian Eno is a feast for the eyes and the ears! Random images mix to form at least 77 million pictures, and the soundtrack is the same way- Eno’s ambient musings that are perfect for the visuals. He’s mounted this exhibit all around the world, and now you can have in your home. If I had an extra TV set up, I’d run non-stop!

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Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Soup

Posted on December 7, 2011 by | 22 Comments

This is a nice, simple soup for a cool evening!  This recipe is part of our feature on U.S. Wellness Meats, “Music and Meals to Warm You Up“.  Visit their website for free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, and other great products!

Although I haven’t tried it, coconut milk can probably be substituted for the heavy cream for anyone who is sensitive to dairy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 free-range chicken breasts from U.S. Wellness Meats (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
  • 4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
  • 3 tablespoons Kerrygold unsalted butter (grass-fed)
  • 2 leeks, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced, washed thoroughly and dried
  • 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
  • 10 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used a mixture of cremini and shiitaki)
  • 1 tart apple, peeled and cubed
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pour the chicken broth into a large, heavy pot.  Rinse the chicken breast halves with cold water, and place in the pot with the chicken broth.  Bring the broth to a simmer, and cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes at low heat.  As the chicken is cooking, periodically skim the foam from the broth and discard.  Move the chicken to a dish to cool.  Pour the chicken broth into a bowl through a fine-mesh strainer, and set aside.  Wipe out the pot with paper towels.

Using the same pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Saute leeks and celery until soft, but not browned, for around 10 minutes.  Add mushrooms and saute for 2 or 3 minutes,, then add the apple cubes and cook for another few minutes until the mushrooms and apples are soft.  Return the strained chicken broth to the pot with the vegetables; stir in apple cider vinegar, dried thyme, and cream.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes, partially covered.

In the meantime, cut the chicken into smaller pieces, then shred each piece by hand.  Cover the shredded chicken so it doesn’t dry out, and set aside.

After the broth and vegetables have simmered for 20-30 minutes, use an immersible hand-blender to puree the vegetables to a finer consistency.  (I like to leave it a little chunky.) Add the shredded chicken to the the soup.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Heat on low for at least 10 minutes.  Serve hot, and enjoy!

Well, this soup ain’t funky at all, but the music selection sure is! Do The Funky Chicken by Rufus Thomas is guaranteed to get your feet dancing. Thomas hit the charts with “Walkin’ the Dog” in 1963, and it was one dance floor hit after another for the Stax Records artist. Do the Funky Chicken!

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Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Posted on September 17, 2011 by | 18 Comments

Roasted Broccoli Soup

This soup is really “Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheddar and Jack Cheese”, but that title isn’t very catchy.  Whatever you call it, it is hearty and delicious, and will warm up your belly on a chilly day.

There’s no flour thickener in this soup!  Hand-blending the roasted vegetables in the pan thickened the soup, then cream and cheese were stirred in to finish it up.  This makes a great lunch!  I like the extra flavor from roasting the vegetables, and the extra kick of heat from crushed red pepper flakes.  I used a combination of about 70% broccoli and 30% cauliflower, because that was what I had on hand, but I’m pretty sure any combination would work.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of broccoli and cauliflower florets (combined weight)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ~1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 10-12 ounces shredded cheddar and/or jack cheese (raw, grass-fed if you can get it)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place the broccoli and cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan and toss with just enough olive oil to coat the vegetables and the pan.  Cover with foil and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and roast uncovered for 10-15 minutes longer, shaking the pan a couple of times so the vegetables are more evenly browned.  Remove from oven and set aside.

In a heavy sauce pan (large enough for 2 quarts of liquid), heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; cook for about a minute.  Stir in the roasted cauliflower and broccoli.  Add the broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Using a hand-held blender, blend the soup until smooth and all the vegetables have been puréed.  (If you don’t have a hand-held blender, you could also transfer the soup to a food processor to blend.  Then transfer the soup back to the pot. Add “buy a hand-blender” to your To Do list.)

Stir in the cream and continue to cook over low heat until the soup is hot, but not boiling.  Stir in the shredded cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve it hot!

Anyone say uke? No? Well, bet I can convince you. Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder put out a solo record this year, entitled Ukulele Songs, and as the title says, it’s completely done on a ukulele- but don’t think of it as any less passionate than his more high decibel output. It fact, Vedder seems to be channeling his inter Pete Townshend, for several songs are reminiscent of The Who. Check it out!

Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole has been called the Bob Marley of Hawaii, and he certainly was beloved. His most famous album, Facing Future features the most lovely “Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World” you ever heard, and the rest of the record is buoyed by IZ charm and style. So go uke!


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Posted in Appetizers, Brunch, Entrees, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

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