Waist Watchers Special - Apple and Sweet Potato Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This quick and easy soup is simple to make and has the added advantage of being filling, while remaining figure friendly. It is thick and creamy, and because no dairy products are used in its preparation, the recipe may be of interest to those of you are interested in vegan soups. It has gorgeous color and the apples and maple syrup enhance the inherent sweetness of the potatoes, making it a soup that will have special appeal to most young children. The soup can be table ready in 30 minutes, but, whenever possible, I make this the day before I plan to serve it. It's a bit like an engagement. The flavors need time to court and the soup will be at its best if it sits for a day before it's ladled into bowls. This is a thick soup that you will probably want to thin before serving. I also like to add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the pot as it reheats. The vinegar helps balance the inherent sweetness of the soup. This recipe originally appeared in Family Circle magazine and according to their calculations the soup clocks in at 221 calories per serving. That makes it perfect for a soup and salad lunch. Here is how this unusual soup is made.

Spinach and Mushroom Salad with Miso-Tahini Dressing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are moving today and as luck would have it, it is pouring, as only it can pour in the Pacific Northwest. The movers might very well need an ark to get our furniture from storage to its new home. I don't mean to sound cavalier about it, but I'm so glad this day has finally come that the weather can't faze me. The installers finished the floors at nine o'clock last night and the Silver Fox and I worked for another two hours cleaning the fine pumice-like wood powder from the surfaces it covered. We are as ready for this move as we will ever be. Hopefully, I'll be able to access the internet without a break in service, but on the odd chance there is a problem, I wanted to share this salad recipe with those of you who are still looking for a first course to serve with your Easter dinner. It is fast, easy and economical, but more importantly, this unusual play on a standard spinach salad is also delicious. I do hope you'll give the salad a try. Here is how it is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Celery and Potato Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While this soup is very inexpensive to make, it is less substantial than most of the dishes that have been featured on Frugal Foodie Friday. I decided to share it with you because I know there are times when even those on restricted food budgets want something special to start a holiday meal. I thought this soup would be lovely to serve as a first course on Valentine's Day or Easter Sunday and I wanted to post it so those of you who are interested have ample time to do a trial run. The soup was developed by Martha Rose Shulman for The New York Times, and the first time I skimmed through her recipe, I knew it was a keeper. I was not, however, prepared for how delicious the soup would actually be. It is a winner on many levels. The soup is a light celery puree that is thickened with a single potato, and while the combination may sound mundane, I think you'll find it works wonderfully well and will get your meal off to a festive start. If leeks and the walnut oil are not available don't stress. Replace the leeks with another small onion and bypass the use of walnut oil altogether. How do you rate a recipe that is inexpensive to make, easy to prepare and a delight to the palate? I guess that depends on the reviewer, but I can tell you this soup made my socks go up and down and its been a while since that happened. I do hope you will try this soup. It is really good stuff. Here is how it is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Cream of Carrot and Potato Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's hard to find inexpensive starters for holiday meals, so I wanted to feature the recipe for this lovely soup before bargain hunters have their holiday menus set in stone. The recipe is an expanded version of French potato soup to which carrots have been added. The soup is mildly flavored and has gorgeous color that will brighten any table. It will certainly get your meal off to a great start. I like to make the soup the night before I plan to serve it and while I basically follow the recipe below, I do make one change that I want to share with you. I use a food mill rather than an immersion blender to puree the soup. While many prefer a perfectly smooth and velvety soup, I favor the grainier texture that a food mill provides. This is a soup that begs for salt, so be sure to adjust the final addition of salt and pepper to your personal taste. It can be served warm or cold. I do hope you will give this recipe a try. It is easy to make, as well as being easy on the eyes and pocketbook. Here is how it's made.

Cream of Carrot and Potato Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced leeks or yellow onions (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup plain carrot juice
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Garnish: Parsley or snipped chives

Directions:
Melt butter in a 4-quart stockpot. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add potatoes and carrots and stir to combine. Add vegetable stock, carrot juice, salt and pepper and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and sugar. Puree using an immersion blender. Add cream and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into cups and garnish as desired. Yield: 8 to 10 (1 cup) servings.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                     One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

          Asian-Style Leftover Turkey Soup                      Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow Cream
                  

               Three Years Ago Today:                                                     Four Years Ago Today: 

                   Tuscan Cheesecake                                                         Chinese Almond Cookies

Crema de Zapallo - Peruvian Squash or Pumpkin Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another of my "-ish" dishes. Crema de Zapallo is a soup that is served throughout Peru, and while it is called a pumpkin soup, it is actually made from a large squash that bears no resemblance to its American cousins. Its flesh is creamy when cooked and wonderfully mild. Therein lies the problem. I had this soup many times when we were in Peru, but because it is so mild, each cook seasoned it differently and none of the versions I had were alike. I encountered the same problem when I searched for recipes once I was home. There appears to be no standard way to make this soup, so I decided to make a version of my own. Zapallo are not sold in this area, so I chose to use butternut squash in its stead. It is easier to work with than some of the other hard shelled varieties and the fact that I could buy it already cubed spoke volumes to me. While most versions of the soup are made with condensed milk, I wanted the special richness that cream can provide to simple soups like this, so cream made it to the final cut. The use of red onion, by the way, is not an oversight on my part. Peruvian cooks prefer their mildness and do not use white or yellow onions in their cooking. I deliberately kept spicing to a minimum because I wanted the flavor of butternut squash to dominate the soup. If you are looking for a mildly flavored creamed soup to serve as a first course for a special meal, I think you will find this recipe helpful. The soup is easy to make and comes together quickly. You'll want to adjust salt to your personal taste and if the soup becomes too thick don't hesitate to add more stock. Here's my version of Crema de Zapallo.

Crema de Zapallo - Peruvian Squash Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoons aji chile powder or Hungarian sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt + salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds cubed butternut or acorn squash
1 cup heavy cream (light cream or whole milk can be substituted)
Optional garnish:
Sour cream or chives or bacon or croutons

Directions:
1) Melt butter in large saucepan on medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened but not yet browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chile powder, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute longer. Add squash and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered, for 25 minutes or until squash is tender.
2) Puree mixture using an immersion blender, or, working in batches, puree mixture in jar of an electric blender until smooth. Return mixture to pan if necessary.
3) Stir cream into pureed mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until heated through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Enchiladas con Huevos

Two Years Ago Today: Southwestern Skillet Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

Three Years Ago Today: Old-World Rye Bread

Tomato Crostini

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The shelves and bins at our local markets are starting to sag and bulge under the weight of produce coming from nearby farms. Peppers, especially the sweet green ones, have heard the biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply, and there are more of them available than can ever be consumed. I suspect the excess will soon join overripe blackberries as fodder for local compost heaps. We have melons galore and corn, which is so problematic in other areas of the country, is plentiful here. Early apples are starting to come in and peaches, now in their prime, are picked daily and make their way to freezers and canning kettles throughout the county. Tomatoes are slow this year, but local heirlooms have arrived and boxes of plum tomatoes can be found if you are willing to expand your definition of what "local" means. Those in the markets, whatever their origin, are blood red, sweetly fragrant and ready to be put-by. This is also the time of year to enjoy all those dishes whose flavor is dependent on summer tomatoes. Several years ago, I found the recipe I'm featuring tonight in The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. It has become my go-to crostini recipe and I use it a lot at this time of year. While the crostini are simple to make, they are truly delicious and the recipe is a perfect addition to this week's collection of simple, scrumptious dishes. I know most of you can make crostini with your eyes closed, but I do hope you'll give this version a try. It is really special. If you use seasonally ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and good bread, you are in for a real taste treat. Here's the recipe.


Tomato Crostini...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook and an original recipe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Ingredients:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded, chopped into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 garlic cloves, 2 minced, 1 halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta or baguette, cut on a diagonal into 1/3" pieces, toasted or grilled
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Combine tomatoes and minced garlic in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar; toss to mix well. Cover and let tomatoes marinate at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 hours to allow flavors to develop.
2) Rub one side of toasted bread with cut sides of remaining garlic clove; drizzle bread with oil and cut in half crosswise. Add basil to tomato mixture in bowl and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange crostini on a platter. Spoon some tomato mixture on top of each crostini.

One Year Ago Today: Pasta with Bread Crumbs and Herbed Tomatoes

Two Years Ago Today: Mexican Rice

Three Years Ago Today: Biscotti Regina

Roasted Peppers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While Americans tend to treat roasted peppers as a colorful addition to sandwiches, salads and pizza, they receive a more prominent role in Mediterranean countries, where they are served as a first course. It's pepper season here and because my eyes are bigger than my stomach, I now have a proverbial peck of them to pick. I've already done lots of canning and freezing, and the Silver Fox and I are connoisseurs when it comes to the use of piperade with chickens and their eggs, but I had never thought of serving peppers as a first course. It took Dorie Greenspan to set me straight. By way of explanation, I have to interject that I've never outgrown my childhood love of pictures. My attraction to cookbooks is, at least in part, based on the gorgeous photos they contain. The photo of her roasted peppers in Around My French Table, was a siren's song to me, and, like it or not, I was lured back into the kitchen to imitate, if not duplicate, what I had seen. While peppers can be roasted in a variety of ways, the recipe in her book utilized the oven. While I would normally use an outdoor grill, I wanted to follow her recipe as closely as I could, so, I used the oven and had great results. After the fact, I learned this recipe can also be found on her website, which you can link to here. She discusses various roasting times and techniques that you will find  very helpful if you choose not to use the oven. I used a variety of bell peppers to get the color pop I wanted, but I must say the red peppers are the sweetest of the lot and I'll restrict my use to them in the future.  I have a full compliment of herbs at this time of year, so I used the combination that was suggested in Dorie's recipe and I did use garlic. I can't imagine using olive oil without it. I served the peppers on small plates with knives and forks and had a basket of really good French bread to accompany them. It made for a great first course and I'll be serving this again. I love its simplicity and almost effortless assembly. The  peppers are a perfect way to begin a meal of plain grilled meat or chicken.  I hope you'll give this a try. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Peppers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:
6 large bell peppers (a mix of red, orange and yellow)
Coarse sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Assorted fresh herbs (a combination of parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme leaves)
1 to 2 garlic cloves, split
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Move a rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2) Wash and dry peppers, place on prepared pan and roast, turning every 15 minutes, for 45 to 60minutes, or until every side of peppers is blistered. Transfer peppers to a large bowl, cover bowl will plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and let rest until they are cool enough to handle.
3) While peppers cool, pull out a pyrex loaf pan, or, if you plan to use the peppers immediately, a large rimmed serving platter.
4) Working over a bowl, with 1 pepper at a time, remove stem and drain. Remove blistered peel and cut each pepper into 2 or 3 segments, depending on its natural separations. Scrape away seeds and ribs from inside. Place pepper pieces cut side down in loaf pan or on a platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, strew with garlic and herbs of your choice, then pour some olive oil over layer. Continue until all peppers are in pan or on serving platter. Chill. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

One Year Ago Today: Lime Milk Shake

Two Years Ago Today: Pumpkin Yeast  Rolls

Three Years Ago Today: My Grandson Makes Scrimp Scampi with Cumin, Paprika and Sherry Vinegar

Roasted Carrot Soup and Homemade Vegetable Stock

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... I've had really good luck with the soups I've tried this year. This weekend I found another that is a winner, both literally and figuratively. This wonderful soup won the carrot recipe contest at FOOD52, and one spoonful of this unlikely candidate will tell you why it received the honor. The carrots that form the base of of this soup are broiled rather than roasted. They are given a nuanced flavor boost with the addition small quantities of ginger, garlic and thyme, and the end result is a thick, creamy soup that contains no dairy of any kind. While the soup is a vegan delight, I've also seen  carnivores wolf it down. The recipe is easy to follow and the only pitfall is the potential to burn the carrots while they are under the broiler. Watch them carefully. Use a good vegetable stock when you make the soup. It needn't be homemade, but it should be flavorful and not too salty. Vegetable stock is simple to make and I've included a recipe for those of you who would like to make your own. I know those of you who try this soup will rave about it. I served it to guests this weekend and it was really well received. I'll be making it over and over again. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Carrot Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of food52.com

Ingredients:
6 to 8 large carrots (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided use
Salt
6 cups vegetable stock (good quality, not too high in sodium)
1 piece ginger, an inch long, peeled
1 sprig thyme, plus more for garnish
1/2 large sweet onion
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Peel and cut the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Set an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from heat source and turn on the broiler. Broil carrots until they brown and soften, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15 to 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, bring stock to a boil, add ginger and sprig of thyme and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
3) Put onion in a medium stock pot with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brown onion over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cooking until fragrant, and then add carrots.
4) Remove ginger and thyme from stock and pour stock into pot containing onions and carrots. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are soft enough to puree.
5) Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree mixture until smooth. If it seems too thick, add more stock or water and reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, garnish with chopped fresh thyme. Yield: 4 servings.



Vegetable Stock...from the kitchen of One Perfect Biteinspired by Mark Bittman

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, quartered
1 potato, sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic
5 to 10 white mushrooms, halved or sliced
10 to 20 parsley stems or stems with leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a deep skillet or broad saucepan or casserole set over medium heat. When hot, add carrots, onion, potato, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook without stirring for about 5 minutes, then stir once or twice and cook until the vegetables begin to brown. (If you have more time, brown them well, stirring only infrequently.)
2) Add parsley, 6 cups water, soy sauce, and some pepper. Bring to a boil, adjusting heat so the mixture simmers steadily but gently. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender. (Longer is better if you have the time.)
3) Strain, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more soy sauce or a bit of salt, before using or storing. Yield: 6cups.

One Year Ago Today: Maple Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Walnut Streusel and Maple Glaze

Two Years Ago Today: Kedgeree

Three Years Ago Today: Swiss Onion Tart

Crostini with Pea Pesto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know, I know. The color is impossible. I've tried to tone it down but to no avail. It remains greener than the glorious hues that blanket the floor and hillsides of the valley in which we live. I obviously wouldn't post this, if it had no merit. So, let me say upfront, that these crostini are different, delicious and decidedly easy to prepare. If you are still looking for nibbles with which to start your holiday meal you might want to give them a try. The recipe was developed by Giada De Laurentis who obviously must love peas. She has used them to create a pesto that can be used as a spread or pasta sauce. I made a few changes to her recipe, but they are really minor and involved the addition of extra garlic and a squirt of fresh lemon juice. I also thought the size of the crostini was too large for a nibble, so I used a baguette and cut it into 12 rather than the 8 pieces that were recommended. The pesto should be made several hours before you plan to serve it. Its flavors improve with age and I think you'll be surprised at how well they meld. While this may not be to the liking of all, it is a really nice spring starter that I think you'll enjoy. Here's the recipe.

Crostini with Pea Pesto...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:

Pesto:

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/3 cup olive oil
Crostini:
8 (1/2-inch thick) slices whole-grain baguette or ciabatta bread, preferably day-old, * see Cook's Note
1/3 cup olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, diced

Directions:
1) To make pesto: Pulse peas, garlic, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper together in a food processor. With machine running, slowly add olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2) To make crostini: Preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of prepared pesto on each slice. Top with tomato halves and serve. Yield: 8 crostini.

One Year Ago Today: Fresh Cod and Potato Cakes with Tarragon Sauce

Two Years Ago Today: Spring Vegetable Ragout

Irish Celery and Apple Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Margaret Johnson is an Irish-American writer who is a recognized authority on Irish food and drink. This passionate cook holds dual citizenship in the US and Ireland and has authored five cookbooks that explore the customs and cuisine of the Emerald Isle. Today's recipe, an adaption of an old Irish favorite, is her creation, and color alone makes it worthy of consideration for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Fortunately, it has more than color going for it. If you enjoy the taste of celery, you will love this uniquely flavored soup that is made more interesting with help from apples that add a slightly sour aspect to the soup. The combination works well, and while I can't recommend serving this in large portions, it makes an ideal first course. I served it last weekend with an Italian-type meal that included Arista and I was really pleased at the way all the flavors came together. This is a fast, easy and inexpensive soup that is also mercifully low in calories. It can be made well-ahead of serving, though its color darkens slightly as it sits. I know those of you who are adventuresome will enjoy this palate brightener. Here's the recipe for this truly simple starter.

Irish Celery and Apple Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Margaret Johnson

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch celery, chopped
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
6 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and apples and cook another 5 minutes. Add stock or broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to15 minutes.
2) Transfer solids to a blender or processor and working in batches, process until smooth (I used an immersion blender for this task). Return to same saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in cream. Heat through over low heat. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 10 to 12 one cup servings.








One Year Ago Today: A Formula for Turkey Meatloaf















Two Years Ago Today: Cranberry Cocktail

Curried Coconut and Avocado Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I received a package via FedEx toward the end of last week. It contained avocados, lots and lots of them, and as a result I've been on a tear, testing and creating recipes that put my bounty to good use. The rules of the blogging game kinda force me to say that the posts you'll see over the next few days are sponsored by the folks at SoCal Avocados, a family-owned company in California. They have a fantastic website, found here, where you can order a variety of heart-healthy, hand-picked avocados that will be delivered to your home with no associated shipping costs. There is even an Avocado of the Month Club that allows members to sample the various types of avocados they sell. The avocado is an unusual fruit because it contains monounsaturated, or good, fat that is easily digested by the body. It is considered to be a Super Food because it is high in antioxidants and has high concentrations of crucial nutrients that some believe help prevent the effects of aging. I'm all for that! Health benefits aside, these are nice folks to do business with and their boxed avocados would make wonderful gifts for customers who have received one fruit basket too many. I hope you'll pay them a visit.

Today's recipe is the first of three that will take advantage of my avocado windfall. This simple starter is based on a soup that first appeared in the cookbook, Sunday's at Moosewood Restaurant. The soup, which is served chilled or at room temperature, contains just 4 ingredients and can be table ready in less than 30 minutes. It is a great way to start a meal when you are looking for something that is a bit out of the ordinary. The soup has wonderful color and I like to heighten the effect with a garnish of celery or lime wedges. I hope you'll try the recipe. It is really pleasant and good enough to serve even fussy guests. I know those of you who enjoy mild curry dishes will like it. Here's the recipe.

Curried Coconut and Avocado Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Sunday's At Moosewood Restaurant

Ingredients:
2 (medium-ripe) avocados
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth + broth to thin as necessary
1-1/2 cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Scoop flesh from avocados and place in a blender. Add vegetable broth and blend until well incorporated. Add coconut milk, curry powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend again until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Chill. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Fast and Easy Filipino-Style Chicken Adobo


















Two Years Ago Today: Morning Glory Muffins

West African Peanut Soup - Groundnut Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This rich and delicious soup is quite thick and often used as a sauce for rice or chicken. I came across the dish while searching for foods that would typically be served at celebrations held during the African harvest festival, Kwanzaa. The soup is protein-packed and, with a base of peanuts and tomatoes, it makes a great vegetarian entrée that is perfect for Meatless Mondays. Throughout most of the world, peanuts are called groundnuts. They were brought to Africa by the Spanish and Portuguese and to the United States by African slaves, who called them goobers or pindars. They were an integral part of the slave diet. Milk and dairy products were unusual in the countries from which they came because the tsetse fly made cattle rearing impossible. Ground nuts, puréed vegetables and certain fruits were used in their stead to make rich, creamy and filling soups and stews. Peanuts were a perfect choice because they were easily grown. The soup is always made with peanut butter, tomatoes, hot peppers, and onions. In Africa it would be served with plantains and cassava dumplings or with rice balls. Here in the United States, boiled potatoes, rice or whole-grain bread are the usual accompaniments. I like to serve it as a simple first course. This is a rich soup and if you find it too thick, it can be thinned to your liking. I like to add lemon juice to the soup once it is pureed. I find it really brightens the flavor. This is an unusual soup, but I think those of you who try it will find it to be very pleasant. Here's the recipe.

West African Peanut Soup ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bit adapted from a recipe by Allison Liefer and Kate Leahy via Relish.com

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 to 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 sweet potato peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
3-1/2 cups water, divided
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
5 scallions, chopped

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Stir in yellow onions and carrots and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add ginger and cayenne; cook 1 minute.
2) Add sweet potato, 3 cups water, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3) Ladle soup into bowl of a food processor. Add peanut butter. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into a clean pan.
4) Heat soup over low heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup water to thin if desired. Stir in lemon juice. Ladle into soup bowls and top each serving with green onions. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Conchas - Mexican Shell-Shaped Pastry















Two Years Ago Today: Drop Biscuits with Cheddar Cheese and Garlic Butter

Old Salzburg Garlic Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the second of the two garlic soups I keep in my recipe arsenal. Both are creamy soups, but they achieve that smoothness in different ways. One uses sour cream, while the other uses a copious quantity of light cream to loosen the heavy base. Both are cooked in the same fashion as a good onion soup, where onions are first cooked in a covered pot until they collapse and give up liquid, and then browned until a beautiful golden slurry is formed. I must admit I like this recipe as much as the first and find it slightly easier to make. The recipe comes from the kitchens of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl on the outskirts of Salzburg, Austria. It sits on the banks of Lake Fuschl and it is actually a converted castle originally built as a hunting lodge and summer palace for the archbishops of Salzburg. The soup is delicious, but my active imagination would find it even more tasty sitting on the deck overlooking that gorgeous lake. The location and attendant ambiance would definitely enhance the flavor of the soup and quickly break the tie I spoke of. Those archbishops sure knew how to live, and while I can't match the ambiance they enjoyed, I can provide the soup. Here's the recipe.


Old Salzburg Garlic Soup...from thekitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Croutons
Minced fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions:
1) Combine onions and garlic in a large stock pot set over medium heat. Cook
slowly over medium heat until onions are golden brown. This can take 30 to 40 minutes. 2
2) Add 1/2 cup flour and cook mixture, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Add stock, wine, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes.
3) Strain mixture through a fine sieve into another pot. Stir in sour cream and freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
4) Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted croutons and parsley. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Sun-Dried Tomato Soup















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Cream of Garlic Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several times a year, I throw caution to the wind and invest in a center cut piece of beef tenderloin. That's a sure sign I'm yearning for the dinner parties of my misspent youth and have a yen for chateaubriand that I feel can only be justified by the presence of guests at our table. While I no longer called these occasions dinner parties, they are special dinners where good food and fine wine are combined with great conversation and the company of good friends. I want the food to be delicious, but I also want it to be simple, so I can enjoy the company of our guests. That means the first course I serve will usually be a soup that can be made well ahead of time. This lovely cream soup, develop by chef Susan Spicer, is perfect for those occasions. It is made from a slurry of garlic and onions that mellow with long, slow cooking. The soup is then pureed to perfect smoothness and enriched with light cream just before it is served. The trick to this, of course, is proper cooking of the onions and garlic. While the recipe calls for chopped onions and garlic, I've found they exude less liquid and brown better when sliced. Because garlic can burn quickly, I partially cook the onions before adding it to the slurry and I consider the times recommended in the recipe to be suggestions rather than fiat. The vegetables should be cooked until they are golden brown and form a slurry similar to that of an onion soup. That might take longer than the recipe suggests, so don't rush the process. If you master the slurry, you will have a interesting soup that makes your socks go up and down. This is a lovely soup that ages well. I hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Cream of Garlic Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Susan Spicer

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds onions, about 4, chopped
2 cups garlic cloves, about 4 large
heads, chopped
2 quarts Chicken Stock or canned
low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 loaf day-old French bread (about
1/4 pound), cut into chunks
1 bouquet garni: 6 parsley stems, 9 sprigs fresh thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried, and 1 bay leaf
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Croutons, optional

Directions:
1) Heat oil and butter in a large pot set over low heat. Add onions and garlic. Cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Raise heat to moderate and continue cooking onions and garlic, uncovered, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 10 minutes longer.
2) Add stock, bread, bouquet garni, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes.
3) Remove bouquet garni and purée soup in a blender or food processor. Strain soup back into pot. Add half-and-half and pepper and bring back to a boil. Serve topped with croutons, if you like. Yield: 6 servings.










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Two Years Ago Today: Chocolate Chili with Black Beans

Carrot and Fennel Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...At risk of life and limb, I'm throwing tradition to the wind and plan to serve a non-traditional feast on Thanksgiving Day. I'm not jaded or blase, I'd just like something different for a change. At some point before the holiday, I'll stuff and roast a turkey. That will guarantee the aromas of the holiday grace my kitchen and assure leftovers for midnight sandwich raids, but the big day itself is going to feature new dishes that we've tried and found to be exceptional. My intent, please God, is to prepare a meal where every course has the socks of the assembled guests going up and down. I plan to start with a soup that was new to us this year. It has quite a pedigree. Amanda Hesser created a chunky version of the soup for The New York Times Magazine and Molly Wizenberg featured a pureed version of it on her blog, Orangette. It is wonderful either way, but I'm going with the pureed version of it for the holiday. I have lovely small cups for creamed soups that I like to use as starters for holiday meals and they are perfect for serving small portions of this vibrant, nearly creamless, soup. It is, of course, delicious, but it has the added virtues of being cheap and easy. While my description is a bit inelegant, it is apt, and the soup is a perfect starter for special meals. It has bright and layered flavors and can be made a day or two ahead of serving, so please hold on to your socks. You are going to love this one. Here's the recipe.

Carrot-and-Fennel Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Amanda Hesser and Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced; fronds reserved
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 4 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1) In a large heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter until foamy. Add fennel slices and cook, stirring, until softened. Add carrots and garlic and cook another minute or two. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable stock and season with salt. Simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.
2) Remove soup from heat and stir in orange juice, sour cream and reserved fennel fronds. If you have an immersion blender puree soup in pot, otherwise puree in batches using a food processor or blender. If soup appears too thick, thin with reserved vegetable stock. Adjust seasoning to taste. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.









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