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!

kitchen essentials — roasting an eggplant; the direct heat method

many months ago, i posted an entry on how to roast eggplants on the stovetop. that method, in my opinion, is (still) the best way to do it. unfortunately, not everyone has a grill type pan which elevates the food one is cooking off the direct heat. this, however, isn't really a problem; you'll see from this new post that you CAN roast directly on a heat source albeit with a minor modification. the reason i prefer the grill pan, and recommend buying one, is the heat the cast iron generates and smoked/grilled flavour it imparts on the foods one cooks on it. there definitely is a difference.

the following way to roast eggplants involves nothing but eggplants, tin (aluminum) foil and 60 minutes of your time. it also does the same job as using a grill pan but saves on the clean up as you will just throw out the tin foil once the eggplants are cooked. i will admit, there is a less of a pronounced smoked flavour with this method, as compared with the other one, but it is still decent and something which the average home cook can do with no problem. the bonus to this method is that you can actually roast up to 4 eggplants at a time, provided you have 4 burners.

what about the oven method, you say? the answer for me on that one is: NO! i've tried it on more than one occasion and it does not yield the same results. the flavour you are left with is quite insipid. the oven method also uses much more energy than when done on stovetop and heats up your kitchen tremendously.


the "direct heat" method for roasting eggplants

ingredients/items needed:

eggplant(s) - make sure they are not bent or curved
tin foil - try to use the heavy duty kind (like for bbq'ing)

electric (or gas) stove top element
tongs to turn the eggplant or use two soup spoons

method:

wash your eggplant(s) and pierce them in several spots all around with the tip of a knife. set aside.

take a piece of tin foil that will be long enough to wrap over the eggplant and completely cover it. this is important as you don't want any messes with liquid dripping out.

turn on the heat of the cooking element to medium high while you wrap the eggplant. make sure there is nothing around the element that may catch fire or anyone whose fingers may touch it!

place the eggplant on the foil as shown below.

fold one side over.

fold the next side over.

use the rest of the foil to cover the eggplant so it is enveloped.

if using regular tin foil, REPEAT again. if using the heavy duty kind, once should be enough but just make sure it is completely wrapped with no holes or openings.

set the eggplant on the heat and let it cook for 12 minutes (i advise setting a time to remind you or mark down the time on a piece of paper). no, it won't burn! just make sure you don't have the heat up too high.

after 12 minutes, turn the eggplant a quarter turn and let it cook for another 12 minutes. REPEAT this until you have roasted all 4 sides.

once all 4 sides have roasted, take the eggplant and sit it upright and let it roast now for 10 minutes only.

carefully place the unwrapped eggplant on a baking sheet and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

open up the the tin foil to reveal your roasted eggplant.


and, if you don't know already.......

how to prepare your roasted eggplant

make an "I" shaped incision along its length. make the cross cuts (top and bottom of the "I" at the blossom and stem ends.

open up the eggplant from each side.

using a spoon, remove the seed pods. these are considered to make the flavour of the eggplant bitter. they also affect the texture and make your final dish "gritty" if they are kept in.

once all the seeds have been removed, take the spoon and remove the flesh from the eggplant and place it in a dish. don't forget to scrape close to the skin as a lot of the (smoked) flavour is located there.

use as directed by your recipe.

enjoy!

full of beans

often seen at picnics, get-togethers, potluck dinners and bbq's, bean salads are popular because they keep well and are very simple to make. they are also very inexpensive, can be made the night before (they should be to improve flavours!), and do not deteriorate quickly as do many other salads.


there really aren't any hard & steadfast rules for making a bean salad — it is essentially just a mix of your favourite beans, vegetables and salad dressing. the only real rule is to let the salad marinate for a few hours so the vegetables and beans can absorb the flavours of the marinade you are using. i tend not to go too heavy on the vegetables and prefer a balanced dressing, and not one which is highly acidic.

served in small portions, the following will stay good for at least a full week. the salad tastes best served at room temperature. if the flavours have faded a bit over the following days, you can perk things up by adding a bit more of "this and that" before serving.


marinated bean salad

makes enough for 6 - 8 people

ingredients:

19 oz can mixed beans (or your fave)

1/4 - 1/2 large green pepper
2 - 3 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/8 - 1/4 red onion
4 - 6 tbsp corn

2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
2 -3 tbsp vinegar (reg white or apple cider)
1 -2 tbsp honey*
1/4 tsp each garlic & onion powder (or 1 clove chopped garlic)
1/4 tsp salt - or more
1/8 tsp black pepper

chopped parsley or coriander (optional)

*can use brown rice syrup (vegan) or regular sugar also.

method:

drain and rinse the beans and set aside in a strainer so all the water runs off.

meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: thinly slice the green pepper and red onions, chop the sun dried tomatoes and measure out the corn. place the vegetables in a bowl.

add or change the vegetables as you like. some people typically add cooked green (haricot) beans as a standard.

add the drained beans to the vegetables and then add the dressing ingredients. mix everything together and add the parsley or coriander if using.

let the salad marinate for a few hours on the counter. the cold of the fridge tends to slow the absorption process so let it marinate first.

simple, quick and easy

enjoy!

summer soups — no. 1

the past several days, where i live, have been miserable. with the humidity factored in, we reached 40 C — conditions completely unbearable and leaving one feel as though s/he was about to melt. being on an island, surrounded by water, only makes things worse during our summer heat waves. for all you people who think canada doesn't get hot, think again! the only antidote for horrendous weather like this is cold food. iced coffee, popsicles and ice cream, now there's a good diet!

on the more healthy end of things, the following is a light soup, perfect for the warmer weather of the now-upon-us summer days. this pleasingly green hued purée of zucchini and leek can be served either hot or cold. excuse the air bubbles created by the blender while puréeing in the picture below, the weather was too hot to wait for them to dissipate!


cream of zucchini and leek soup

serves ~ 6 to 8 people

ingredients:

4 small zucchini (~ 5 to 6 inches)
1 leek (or medium onion)
1 small potato - floury kind, not waxy
1/2 apple, peeled and cubed *optional
2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp coriander powder, heaped
1/4 tsp dill seeds
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
salt to taste (depends on your stock)
1/2 tsp sugar

2 to 3 tbsp regular olive oil

4 c stock (chicken or vegetable) or 4 c water + 2 tbsp stock powder

optionals:

1 c milk, cream or soymilk -- or more stock
chopped herbs of your choice: italian parsley, coriander or dill

method:

vegetable prep:

cut ends off zucchini, keeping the peel on. cut the zucchini lengthwise and then again in half to equal for pieces. cut these pieces into small (1/2 inch) chunks.

clean the leek well and then slice it in 1/8 inch pieces. use the white and light green portion only and discard the dark green part. if using onion, cut it into thin slices.

peel the potato and cut to the same size as the zucchini pieces. if using, cut the peeled apple to the same size. mince the garlic

cooking part:

heat a soup pot on medium heat and add 2 - 3 tbsp of the olive oil. add the zucchini potatoes & apple and sauté for 10 minutes. keep stirring to prevent sticking.

after 10 minutes of cooking, add the leek and garlic. add the pepper, coriander powder, and dill seeds.

sauté for another 8 minutes or so.

add the stock, or water and stock powder. bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium low. cook uncovered for 20 minutes. stir as necessary.

taste the mixture and add salt and sugar as necessary. i can't really say how much as it depends on what your stock is like.

let cool for about 15 minutes and then place in batches in a blender and purée until smooth (i've tried this before with an electric hand (wand style) blender and the consistency is not fine enough).

taste again and further adjust, if needed. at this point, you can add the 1 cup of milk or cream or soymilk if you like a finer texture. you can thin it with a bit more stock also.

garnish with chopped herbs. dill is a good choice.

enjoy!

kitchen essentials — basic vegetable broth

one of the essential items in any good kitchen is stock [broth], be it from an animal source — like chicken, beef or fish — or from vegetables. a vegeterian stock is easier and faster to make than one like chicken and can almost always be used in any recipe you are making, especially if you follow kashrut.

the following recipe will take about one hour to cook and leave you with a very good tasting vegetarian stock which can be used right away or divided up and frozen in either half cup or one cup portions (some people like to freeze their stock in ice cube trays). freezing your broth is a good idea as you always have some on hand.

an advantage to making your own vegetable broth is that you can decide what flavours you like and control the level of salt and seasonings. in addition, this particular one which i found years ago in some book someone lent me (name of it now long forgotten!), and uses up common vegetables we often have, many of which are laying around in the vegetable bins of our refrigerators.

you can use whichever vegetables you want but be wary of those which are said to leave bitter aftertastes or distinct strong flavours. this also goes for various herbs like parsley (leaves vs stems controversy). people have differing opinions about this topic. go with what you think tastes good and those which you like. different countries have different parameters for which flavours are "good" — in the end, it's a matter of personal tastes. an interesting thing about this recipe is the use of caraway seeds. believe it or not, it makes for a great enhancement and does not leave any distinct caraway (i.e. strong) taste.

an important thing about making this stock provide maximum flavour is the way you prepare your vegetables. this was not part of the original recipe but something i incorporate into most stocks i make which are vegetable based. since most of the flavours are sealed within the vegetables themselves, just throwing them in the soup pot whole or even large chunks does little to extract their essences. cutting root vegetables (the main ingredients in this recipe) lengthwise to expose the most of their inner surface allows for maximum amount of extraction; cross cutting onions and garlic almost to the root ends does the same thing and allows them to be fished out later in their whole state. as a final note, this recipe adds the cleaned skins of the onions to give the stock its golden colour. remove the outer loose skins and wash them well and them wash the skins which cling to the onions before cutting them as mentioned above (keep them attached!).


all purpose easy vegetable stock

makes ~ 8 cups (2 L)

ingredients:

vegetables:

2 large carrots
3 stalks celery
1 good and ripe tomato (leave whole)
2 large parsnips (essential!)
2 medium/largish onions
1/2 head garlic cloves (keep attached)

seasonings/herbs:

2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp sugar
20 black peppercorns
1/2 - 1 tsp caraway seeds
2 bay leaves

parsley (italian flatleaf type)
small amount of dill, if wanted

method:

wash all your vegetables well and prepare them.

from the carrots, celery and parsnips, remove the root tops. you can peel the carrots and parsnips if they need it or you prefer them that way (if you want to keep them for another purpose later, them peel them).

cut the celery into large chunks and set aside.

cut the parsnips and carrots lengthwise. make sure to do this! then cut them into large chunks and set aside.

take the loose skins (if any) off the onions and wash them and set aside. then take the onion with remaining skin still attached and cut it with a cross cut ALMOST to the ROOT end to keep it whole. set aside.

keeping it whole (attached), clean off the garlic. with a small paring knife make slits in all the garlic buds through the skins, and set aside.

if you are using other vegetables, decide what's best on how to prepare them.

measure out your seasonings and herbs and set aside.

in a large pot, place the vegetables and the seasonings EXCEPT the fresh herbs.

add 8 cups of water only and bring to a boil.

cook the stock on medium low covered for the first 30 minutes.

add the fresh herbs and cook for another 30 minutes.

remove the stock from the stovetop and let it cool down until it's warm.

strain the stock through a FINE sieve and either reserve or discard the carrots, celery or parsnips. the onion and garlic will be for the garbage.

at this point, taste the stock and adjust the seasonings (i.e. more salt/sugar).

use as necessary or freeze the rest.

enjoy!

five ingredients, five minutes

sometimes only a few ingredients thrown together make the best food. such is the case with the following salad which is regularly seen on some sabbath and holiday tables.

to be honest, i actually used to detest fennel (anise as we call it) because i cannot stand the taste of black licorice. give me red licorice any day and i'll be happy ;) over the years, as my tastes have changed, i have come to like fennel more and more provided it's mild. the ingredients which make up this fresh salad seem to keep it tame enough for my liking.

the whole thing can be made in less than 5 minutes and is well worth trying. it keeps well for many days in the fridge also.


fennel salad

ingredients:

1 fennel bulb

3 - 4 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper

(good pinch of sugar — optional but i think necessary)

method:

slice the fennel bulb on its side into very thin slices. if the fronds are nice, you can add some of those also (chopped up like you would for dill).

place the fennel in a large bowl and add the oil, salt, pepper and sugar and mix with your hands.

add the lemon juice to taste.

let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours and serve cold or at room temperature. taste and adjust beforehand.

enjoy!

the real deal

like many people, i have my (strong) opinions on how things should be — especially when it comes to food. one of these foods is guacamole, something i eat often and really like. having tried countless versions, i have to say that i always come back to this particular one. it should be remembered that sometimes simple and rudimentary is just the way things are meant to be.

velvety soft, beautifully coloured and perfectly seasoned and textured, this version of guacamole is the real deal. made from basic core ingredients, it is quickly chopped and mixed and served minutes after making though it can be held over for serving later.

how is this one different from others?

well, first of all, there are no tomatoes! tomatoes, in my opinion, do not belong in guacamole. keep those for your salsa cruda recipe. second, there is a clove of garlic which gives it a very nice extra zing in addition to the chopped onion. third, it is not mashed up at all but left in a coarse texture. making a thick paste is good for fillings for sandwiches or wraps, however.

this version also uses culantro which can be found in latin grocery stores or asian ones quite easily. it is a relative to regular cilantro but culantro comes in long leaves and has a sturdier texture than that of the former. if you can't find it, then just use regular cilantro. to see a comparison of the two (plus an additional one!), look here.

if you like, you can add a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of dry roasted cumin (whole) seeds but that is really very optional. i wouldn't go beyond those amounts as too much of it overpowers the guacamole, especially in the ground up form.

while you can use lemon juice in the absence of lime, try to stick with lime. it makes for a much better product and more authentic one.

now for the fun part: impress your guests or dinner mates with this little fact (from wikipedia):

The name guacamole comes from Mexican Spanish via Nahuatl ahuacamolli, from ahuacatl (="avocado", or literally "testicle" because of its shape) + molli (="sauce").

testicles, huh? ha, ha, ha......



chunky style guacamole

this guacamole always leaves you thinking you should have made more and is one of those recipes you'll add to your repertoire. ready within minutes of making, nothing could be easier for a quick snack or taking to work for part of a lunch.

ingredients:

2 - 3 medium avocados (Haas)
3 tbsp minced onion (or 5 to 6 tbsp coarsely chopped)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper*, minced (seeds removed first)
1/4 c chopped culantro or cilantro
1/2 tsp kosher salt
juice from 1 small lime, to taste (start with 2 tbsp)

*use a little less if using a smaller amount of avocado

method:

slice the avocado in half lengthwise. remove the flesh from it and coarsely chop it (about 1 inch pieces). place in a medium sized bowl. reserve the nut for later .... see below.

if you've never seen/used culantro before, just detach the leaves and wash them well and dry them with a tea towel or paper towel.

chop them as you would for any herb. they taste exactly the same as regular cilantro only the texture is somewhat different as it is not in the form of small leaves but rather more sturdy than it's dainty cousin (regular common cilantro).

place all other ingredients in the same bowl except the lime juice. mix gently once or twice or do it as i do below all in one shot.

add the juice of the lime and stir well but gently to mix all together. do not mash it up!

let sit for about 10 minutes, covered, before serving. best eaten right away.

if you are serving this later, place the nut of the avocado in the middle of the mixture; this helps the guacamole from oxidizing. also, use plastic wrap to cover but place it directly on the surface of the guacamole and smooth it over so there is no gap. this prevents the air from oxidizing the surface and turning it brown.

enjoy!