No Croutons Required - Vegetable Soups

The winner for December's festive photo challenge is Wendy of A Wee Bit of Cooking who submitted this gorgeous image of frost laden berries. Congratulations Wendy!

I will be hosting this month's edition of No Croutons Required. Even the most moderate among us tend to overindulge at Christmas time. Sweets are abundant, as are decadent savory delights. Accordingly, January is a time of cleansing, so this month we are asking for nourishing veggie soups. Any vegetarian soup creation is welcome, but the focus should be on vegetable concoctions. For a recap of the submission guidelines, please go here.

Wild Rice and Portobello Mushroom Soup

Harsh winters call for some serious comfort food. As the wind rages outside, I take shelter inside with a warming bowl of thick and earthy mushroom soup and a big glass of red wine. Dried porcinis and plump portobellos are here combined with some wild rice to add some extra chewiness and substance. A mushroom lovers delight, serve with Whole Wheat Olive Oil Biscuits for a most satisfying cold weather meal.

Wild Rice and Portobello Mushroom Soup

3/4 cups of wild rice
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of butter
397 grams of portobello mushrooms, chopped
20 grams of dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried rosemary)
1 large potato, diced
1 teaspoon of sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
generous cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of red wine

Rinse the wild rice and place in a medium saucepan with a cup of the stock and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed - roughly 30 - 40 minutes.

Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop the soaked mushrooms.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the portobello mushrooms until they begin to release their liquid - roughly 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same pot. Saute the onion for 10 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic, rosemary and potato and stir and fry for another few minutes.

Add the remaining stock, reserved mushroom soaking liquid and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a blender or food processor. Add the cream, salt, black pepper and red wine. Stir to combine over low heat.

Add the mushrooms and wild rice and cook gently for another few minutes. More stock can be added if you want a thinner broth. Serve hot and garnish with rosemary sprigs if desired.

Yields roughly 4 large servings.

Other mushroom soup recipes you are sure to enjoy:

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Wild Mushroom Soup
Coconut Soup with Mushrooms

Black-Eyed Peas with Fresh Dill

I was browsing a few of my favorite blogs a short while back and came across this delightful black-eyed bean stir fry at Red Chillies. I happen to have a friend who adores black-eyed peas, and always alert to easy but flavourful bean dishes to serve for dinner when I am pressed for time, I immediately resolved to make it, with a few minor modifications. Serve with a grain or Indian flatbread for a tasty and satisfying mid-week meal.

Black-Eyed Peas with Fresh Dill

1 cup of dried black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon of oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
a small handful of dried curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
dash of cayenne
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, mince
3-4 green chilies or jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon of sea salt
juice from one lemon

Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover. Drain, transfer to a medium-large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are soft - roughly 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the curry leaves, ground coriander and cayenne to the pan. Stir and then toss in the onion, garlic, and green chilies. Saute until the onion is soft.

Now add the tomato and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the cooked black-eyed peas to the pan, along with the dill, salt and lemon juice. Cook for another few minutes to blend the flavours.

Serve with rice or a grain of your choice for a balanced meal.

Yields 4 servings.

Eggs on Sunday's Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with White Beans and Wilted Spinach with Basil

As I've noticed with many other foodies in the northern hemisphere, I've been re-discovering the extraordinary taste and versatility of winter squashes lately, along with their abundant nutritional benefits. While each of the typical varieties enjoyed in southwestern Ontario — butternut, acorn and pumpkin — have their own delights, I've yet to find anything to compare for flavour or ease of use than the long and slender pale yellow gourd striped with green known as the sweet potato or delicata squash. Easy to peel and seed, and with very little loose or stringy flesh to scoop out, the tender inside has a sweet potato bouquet that immediately welcomes the senses and an equally inviting mild and delicate sweet potato flavour.

This lovely recipe, adapted from Eggs on Sunday's always attractive and informative food site, will convince your guests that they're dining in gourmet style with surprisingly little effort on your own part.

Eggs on Sunday's roasted delicata squash stuffed with white beans and wilted spinach with basil

Squash:

2 delicata squashes, halved and seeded
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
olive oil for drizzling

Stuffing:

2/3 cup dried cannellini or other white beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 dried hot red chili
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
generous pinch dried thyme
1 small bunch fresh spinach or other greens, washed and dried
small handful fresh basil leaves, torn
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 thick slices fresh bread, broken into chunks
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse the dried beans under running water and soak overnight covered in several inches of water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. After soaking, drain the beans and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with several inches of fresh water and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the squash halves cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Bake in the oven until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 1 hour. Remove the squash halves from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the stuffing by heating a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl around to coat the pan. Toss in the dried chili, shallot and garlic, and sauté for half a minute until fragrant. Add the thyme and stir for a few seconds before adding the spinach or greens. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes to let the greens wilt. Toss in the torn basil leaves and stir to mix. Now add the beans and continue cooking the mixture for another couple of minutes until the beans are heated through. Discard the chili, and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 425°. Process the bread in a food processor for a few pulses until a coarse breadcrumb mixture has been formed. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the Parmesan cheese. When the bean and green mixture has cooled slightly, stir in half of the breadcrumb mixture. Divide the stuffing between the cooked squash halves, mounding it in each.

Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the top of the filled squash halves and drizzle some more olive oil over top. Bake the squash halves until the topping is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.

Serves 4.

Another idea for delicata squash you might enjoy:

Sweet potato squash soup with pinto beans and chard

Cinnamon scented challah

I was watching music videos on TV other day when I saw the ugliest creature ever. Really – at the moment he took off his shirt and opened his mouth I felt like running, running like there was no tomorrow.
A quick visit to a certain profile on imdb was essential to avoid being scarred for life. :D

Making something pretty also helps. I decide for this challah, inspired by the gorgeous one Jaden

Orange snickerdoodles

I have been called a Cookie Monster by some of my blogging friends, but I believe I am not the only one – the lovely and dear Susan seems to love cookies as much as I do, because she’s hosting the second season of Eat Christmas Cookies!I took part in the first edition of the event last year and so did many of talented people. There were several delicious entries and I am sure this year will be

Spicy Potato Pancakes

The Christmas season is once again upon us. I don't fuss too much this time of year, but right now I have lots to occupy me, meaning I'm focusing on comforting meal solutions. A crispy staple is welcomed year round, and so I offer up my version of a pancake that is enjoyed around the world. I served these at dinner time to go along with some leftover green pea soup, but they are perfect for breakfast or for lunch.

Spicy Potato Pancakes

2 pounds of potatoes (roughly 4 large potatoes)
1 small onion, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup of cornmeal
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
oil for frying

Peel the potatoes and cover with cold water for about 20 minutes. Drain and grate the potatoes with a grater or in the food processor. Mix the grated potato with the onion, jalapeno, cayenne, eggs, cornmeal and salt and pepper.

Heat a shallow pool of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, drop heaping tablespoons of the batter into the pan. Flatten each pancake firmly with a spatula. Fry until golden brown - about five minutes - flip and cook the other side for another 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve hot and top with sour cream if desired.

Yields roughly 12 pancakes.

Other potato recipes you might enjoy:
Scalloped Potatoes with Wild Mushroom Soup
Aloo Gobi
Bengali-Style Crunchy Potatoes