recipe revisited — quick black bean soup

the following recipe is perhaps one of the tastiest, not to mention quickest and easiest, soups you'll ever make. i posted the recipe for it here, along with two others, quite some time ago but never posted any pictures to go with it. i was prompted to revisit the recipe when i saw it published yet again recently in our daily newspaper. the best part about the recipe is that it uses canned ingredients in order to make it a 'no fuss' recipe — all you need are cans of diced tomatoes, black beans and corn.

with winter well on its way - soups are probably on the minds of many people. this one is full of flavour and healthy, not to mention having almost no bad things (fat!) in it. it is also vegetarian and vegan. of course, you could always throw in some ground turkey at the beginning of the recipe to give it some more protein.

as a note to the recipe, the chili powder used in this recipe is the kind which is sold here in the supermarkets. in other words, it is on the milder side and is a mixture of cumin, coriander, paprika, red chilis, salt & pepper. it is more of a mexican / southwestern type of mixture and NOT an indian one. i add some red pepper flakes to make it a bit hotter but much depends on how hot your mixture is and how picant you like your food.

served with some fresh corn tortillas and guacamole, it makes for a nice and easy lunch or dinner.


quick black bean soup

makes 8 to 10 servings

recipe by anne lindsay

ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp mild chilli powder, or to taste
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (or use whole tomatoes & pulse in food processor)
2 c vegetable [or chicken] stock or (2 tbsp stock powder + 2 c water)
1 19 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 c corn, canned, frozen or fresh
3 tbsp packed, coarsely chopped coriander

salt and sugar, to taste

method:

in a large pot, heat oil over med. heat and cook onions chilli powder and red pepper flakes for 5 to 8 minutes.

add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and lower heat to med-low and cook, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.

you can puree 2 cups and return it to soup if you want a thicker soup.

stir in the coriander. add salt and sugar to taste & serve.

enjoy!

partners in crime

the following "staple" dish was served at home, always usually on a sunday night, to go with bulgur pilav .... and for good reason: they go together excellently. of course, it can be partnered with rice or orzo pilav just as nicely, and alongside a salad, it makes for a nice light meal.

the recipe, written on a very old yellowed card by some relative, was like many (sephardic) recipes — totally unclear about the measurements. much of the time you'd see just the name of the ingredient(s) and it was kind of assumed you knew what to do unless, of course, there was something specific or special about what you were making. over the years, however, this one was deciphered and resulted in the following.

hope you like it — simple, uncomplicated and always good!

berenjena kon kyma (karne)
eggplant with ground beef

serves 3 - 4 people, easily doubled or tripled if wanted

ingredients:

1 medium eggplant
150 g (a little more than 1/4 lb) ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
6 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp (approx) salt
1/8 tsp black pepper (or more) - hot red pepper flakes, too, if you like spicy
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pomegranate syrup*
1 tsp red pepper paste, if wanted
3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 "kupa"/turkish tea cup = 1/2 c water

3 tbsp fried pinenuts & extra chopped parsley for garnish, if wanted

*if desperate or you can't get it, substitute 1/2 tsp molasses + 1/2 tsp lemon juice; it's not the same thing but close enough. try to use pomegranate syrup!

method:

prepare the eggplant —

wash and dry your eggplant. then take a sharp paring knife and, beginning from the bottom end to the stem end, remove a 1/2 inch strip of skin. don't cut too deeply. repeat this every inch or so until you have a striped pattern.

cut the eggplant in approximately 1 inch slices (rounds).

place the eggplants in a wide bowl and sprinkle a lot of salt on them, on each side. cover with cool water and let sit for about 45 minutes.

after 45 minutes, rinse under water and squeeze them dry. repeat and place on a plate with paper towel.


fry the eggplant —

heat a [cast iron] fry pan (if you have one, it's the best way) over medium heat for about 5 minutes. add 2 tbsp oil and fry the eggplant on one side until it is browned. don't burn it. turn them over and add another 2 tbsp oil (or brush the oil on top of the eggplant rounds) and fry until the other side is browned.

place these on a plate and set aside to cool.


make the meat layer —

in the same pan, over medium heat, add another 2 tbsp oil and fry the onion until it is almost browned. add the garlic and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.

add the meat and fry it for about 10 minutes or until it is cooked.

add the diced tomato and fry the mixture for 5 minutes.

add the spices and parsley and cook it for about 1 minute.

remove from the heat and let it cool a bit while you put the dish together.

assembling your layers —

in a pot with a lid that can accommodate ONE LAYER of the cooked eggplant, place the slices side by side.

add the meat layer on top of the eggplant layer and deglaze your pan.

take 1/2 c of water and place it in the fry pan you cooked the meat in. heat it up and stir it to release the flavours of what you just fried. important: if you burned anything, then just add the water straight to the finished layered dish; don't deglaze your pan or the final dish will not taste good.

add the deglazed liquid to the eggplant and meat layers.


cover the pot with its lid and cook the mixture for 30 minutes over medium low heat or until all the liquid has been absorbed. if you have a little liquid, that is okay.

once cooked, the top of it won't look so nice but once you serve it out, it will look fine :)


serve the finished dish with bulgur pilav or rice or orzo pilav. garnish with fried pine nuts and finely chopped parsley, if wanted.

enjoy!

winter comfort

barley, or hordeum vulgare, is something we canadians know a lot about ...... considering we produce some 12 million tonnes of it in our prairie provinces, we should! this important little grain has its original beginnings as a wild variety in the levantine areas of middle east and became one of the first domesticated grain crops for both human and animal consumption. as an ancient grain, its use was extremely important in the production of beer and other fermented drinks, and the staff of life — bread (citations back to ancient egypt).


the role of barley [שערה] in judaism is also important. it is one of the seven species [שבעת המינים] which play an integral part in our religion's harvest festival celebrations and are symbolic of the state of israel. barley has figured greatly in ashkenazi soups such as bean and barley, beef and barley, mushroom barley and many other interpretations. these soups are more or less a kind of winter-ish fare and considered a kind of comfort food since barley can be on the heavy side. much of that, however, depends on who is cooking it and the recipe used. but then again, i doubt there are many yiddishe mammas (jewish mothers) who rely/relied on a recipe for these soups! i imagine whatever was available got thrown in.

barley isn't just a jewish or middle eastern thing. it is found in many other cuisines and cultures. it is ground into flour and used in many recipes which have roots in the UK (scottish barley cakes, for example) or northern europe and extends its use all the way into parts of the mediterranean and asia.

barley can be used in a variety of ways — from whole grain preparations to baked items using the finely milled flour. look here for an array of ways to use this grain from the alberta barley commission.

as a final note, there are two types of barley: pearl and pot. pearl barley has the tough outer coating removed and cooks faster than the unpolished pot barley. both can be used for the following recipe however i prefer using the polished (pearl) type grain.



double mushroom barley soup

barley soups are nourishing and hearty. this one, a meatless version, is on the lighter side of those thick pottage type ones. it uses 2 types of mushrooms and some modern flavourings like dark soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. it results in a dark and luscious soup broth, packed full of savoury goodness from the earthy nuances of the mushrooms and dried herbs. the soup freezes well and is good for any time of the year, not just winter!

makes ~ 8 to 10 servings — can be halved.

ingredients:

10 -12 large dried shiitake mushrooms
4 medium sized carrots
1 lb (500 g) white mushrooms or a mixture you like
3 tbsp light olive oil
2 good sized onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage (don't omit)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 to 2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp dark soy sauce (not japanese type)
1 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 c pearl barley (not pot barley)
6 c stock (vegetable or beef or chicken)*
3 c water
4 c baby spinach or similar

*you can use stock powder or cubes instead.

method:

place dried shiitakes in a bowl and add 1 cup of boiling water. let sit for 30 minutes.

while mushrooms are soaking, assemble your mise-en-place for the soup.

cut up the onion and the garlic and set aside. peel and slice the carrots on the diagonal in 1/4" slices. set aside for later.

clean the mushrooms and slice them in 1/4 inch pieces. they should be fairly thick. set aside.

measure out the spice and the condiments.

squeeze the mushrooms over the soaking water and place on a chopping board. DO NOT DISCARD the water.

remove the hard stems and slice thinly. strain the liquid and keep aside for later.

in a large soup pot, add the oil and heat on medium until hot. add the onions and garlic and sauté until softened; this will take approximately 5 minutes.

add the carrots and both types of mushrooms and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes. stir every 5 minutes.

once the mushrooms are softened and there is barely any liquid left, add the dried herbs, tomato paste, soy sauce, mushroom water and vinegar. stir well.

add the barley and the stock and water. if using broth cubes, you can add them now. if the cubes are very hard, crumble them first.

for this sized soup, i use 4 cubes as seen below in the pictures. how much you add all depends on the directions of the product you're using.

mix well and cover. cook over low heat for about 1 hour. stir every 10 minutes or so.

after one hour, add the rinsed spinach. you can chop it beforehand but make sure there are no tough stems. they must be removed.

cook for 5 minutes. taste and adjust salt and pepper.

this soup freezes well.

friday night special

a while back, i posted something about making farfalle pasta and using them in that most staple ashkenazi friday night side dish, kasha & bowties. that recipe used whole grain kasha or buckwheat groats. it just happened at that time that i had made bowties for something (else) and had kasha on hand i wanted to use up. of course, the two naturally went together.

while not everyone is a fan of the whole grain type {me included!} or is "mental" enough to make their own pasta {include me here}, this is easy-er way to make this earthy flavoured shtetl concoction which is so venerated. i should add that it's also the way 99.9% people make it!

a few things before starting — wolff's kasha. MEDIUM grind. essential.

if you can't get it, any other medium grind buckwheat groat will do.

on the subject of bowtie pasta, or farfalle (farfalline), try to get hold of the smaller type. i dunno, i just kinda like it better than those large ones. of course, it'll taste the same — just as good — with the regular sized ones. just use more than the 2 c i call for here, to compensate.

stock or water to cook the kasha? STOCK, naturally. if you do end up using water, you'll need a bit more salt and pepper at some point or can add onion and/or garlic powder. it really is best made with leftover (chicken) soup stock but regular stock powder can be used, too.



kasha & bowties

earthy-flavoured & studded with browned onions and mushrooms, this savoury side dish is also known as kasha varnishkes. it is typically served alongside a plate of brisket or roast chicken and is their perfect accompaniments. kasha and bowties also goes well with vegetarian dishes like baked tofu or seitan and plenty of vegetables.

makes 8 to 10 servings

ingredients:

1 c medium grind kasha (i use wolff's brand)
1 egg or egg white

2 c broth (vegetarian or chicken)
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp or more pepper
2 tbsp margarine or chicken shmaltz

2 large onions
2 - 8 oz pkgs (button) mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, opt.
2 tbsp oil or margarine or shmaltz

2 c mini farfalle (or equivalent large size)

salt & pepper to taste


method:

cook in the following order (for best results and quickest way):

place water in a large pot to boil the pasta. while waiting for the pasta water to boil and to cook pasta, continue with the following —

make the onion mushroom mixture:

cut the onions in either thin rings or half moon shapes or in a dice. slice the mushrooms and garlic also, if using.

in 2 tbsp oil, cook the onions until they are golden (this will take a while over medium heat), and then add the garlic. stir fry it for about two minutes or so. add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until they become limp and exude their juices.

it should take about 5 minutes or so for them to fully cook. you will see there will be no juices left, if there were any to begin with, once all is cooked.

place in a bowl and set aside.

make the pasta:

cook the mini farfalle according to package directions (mine is about 8 minutes); make sure not to overcook them while cooking the above mixture.

place in colander and drain well and let cool. set aside covered.

make the kasha:

before cooking the kasha, have the broth mixture ready: heat the broth until very hot either on the stove top or in the microwave. you can also boil water in the kettle and just add powdered stock.

melt the margarine in the stock and add the salt and pepper. don't worry about getting it perfect now as you'll adjust it later.

measure out the kasha grains.

in a small bowl, beat the egg well. add the kasha to the egg, or vice versa, and stir so that all is coated.

this is essential so that the grains become separate and do not cook to a mush. the egg provides a sort of protective barrier. the mixture should be thick and not watery or runny (there shouldn't be any egg left showing).

in a nonstick pan on medium high heat, add the kasha mixture and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up any clumps. DO NOT add any oil to the pan. it is always dry roasted. it will become fragrant and toasted. if the kasha colours, turn down the heat.

add the hot stock to the kasha and stir well.

cover the pot with a lid to contain the steam and cook for about 10 minutes over low heat.

check around 8 minutes to be on the safe side.

once 10 minutes are up, lift the lid to see if there is any liquid left. there should be none. it should not be wet at all. if it is, recover the pot and continue cooking until all the broth is absorbed.

mix the kasha well to fluff it up. at this point, i turn the heat to medium and cook it without the lid for about 5 minutes to dry out the kasha a bit.

assemble everything:

in a large bowl, mix the kasha and the bow ties together.

stir well but gently. taste for salt and pepper and adjust. some people will serve the dish as is, at this point.

add the onion mushroom mixture and stir well again. retaste it and adjust the flavours if necessary. i also add about a 1/2 tsp sugar (don't knock it til you try it!); some people add onion or garlic powder. i've seen it made with chopped parsley, too (<-- weird, LOL).

serve as you would any side dish. goes well with brisket or roast chicken.

enjoy!