Showing posts with label soup recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soup recipe. Show all posts

Friday, 4 October 2013

Gluten Free Soups


Honey, I'm home! rang the familiar phrase as the man entered the home after a hard day at work. The father and husband would be greeted by a loving wife who had slaved over a hot stove to make a pleasant meal after his exhausting day. He would sit down at the table and indulge in the home cooked feast. Does this really have to be a fantasy or an image of the past? Or, can there still be a permeating smell that envelops the house and excites all who enter in the present? Yes this can be a reality. After the savory scent is detected, the mouth waters as the salivary glands are activated. Then, the stomach grumbles in anticipation of the upcoming dinner. No matter what gluten-free soup recipes are on the menu; whether it is Chicken Noodle, Hamburger, or Potato, it is sure to please the palate.


The best way to make a fabulous gluten-free Chicken Noodle Soup is to add homemade broth. Homemade chicken broth has a soft enticing taste that is free of added flavor enhancers. It is so pleasant that it brings on nostalgia from the days when grandma always slaved away at the stove for hours making her own broth. All that is needed is two cups of broth, along with one cup of water. Just dice one long carrot and one celery rib and add it to the mixed liquids. Next, add 1 cup of shredded chicken, 3/4 teaspoon of thyme, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and some gluten-free noodles. It is as simple as it sounds and those who consume this savory meal will suppose that it took hours to create. Let them assume that, and in the meantime enjoy this delightful recipe.

For a more labor intensive (yet worth all of the effort) recipe, attempt the gluten-free Hamburger Soup. While chopping all of the luscious vegetables that grace this filling meal, turn on some music to take pleasure in during this process. Chop one cup of carrots, celery, green cabbage, and potatoes. Add these vegetables to one pound of cooked ground beef and 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice. In order to obtain liquid, use one quart of home canned tomatoes and water. Then to enhance the flavor, add thyme, basil, sea salt and black pepper. After listening and dancing away to music during the preparation of this soup, take a hot bath while it simmers. After an hour of relaxation, dinner will be ready and the fragrance of the ground beef, vegetables, and spices will entice everyone to the table to begin the feast.

Another great tasting recipe is gluten-free Potato Soup. The wonderful feature of this recipe is that it can be made dairy-free and vegan as well. I make it gluten-free and dairy-free to meet the special needs of my family, but regular milk can easily be substituted. Simply pour four cups of coconut milk into a large pan. Then, chop three red potatoes, two long carrots, and two celery ribs. Combine these vegetables with the milk and add paprika, sea salt, and pepper. Once the vegetables have simmered for 45 minutes, add four tablespoons cornstarch to a half cup of water and mix well. Add the mixture to the completed meal and thicken. The blend of spices combined with the coconut milk gives this soup a unique taste that will lure those present back for seconds.

With the choice of these three gluten-free soups, dinner will be a smashing hit for those who indulge in it. The permeating smells that induce the salivary glands to be excited and the stomach to beg for food will leave everyone ecstatic for dinner. "Honey, I'm home," will now be a phrase that everyone excitedly recites as they enter the walls of their home knowing that a luscious meal waits.

Saturday, 21 September 2013

Pumpkin Seafood Crossover


Pumpkins during Halloween need not be relegated to the carved variety that you adorn your front yard with. It can turn into the creamiest pumpkin cooking recipes with clams served on the shell. It’s a truly fabulous winter dish to warm the stomach and the soul. Just like choosing the perfect pumpkins to carve, you must also choose the best pumpkins to cook. Pick the one that is free of blemishes and gouges because you will be using the rest of the pumpkin as the serving vessel for the soup. Likewise, it will look attractive and unique as a centerpiece in the dinner table.

The dish is served at Le Trianon Palace’s Les Trois Marches restaurant. In this demonstration by Chef Gerard Vie, he really chose the pumpkin that could make for a good-looking bowl. It should also be prepared and cut carefully so it remains steady when placed on the table. The key is to select squat-shaped pumpkins instead of upright for better balance. Some examples of pumpkin varieties with bowl-like shapes are Cinderella or Rouge Vif d’Etampes pumpkins. Since the inside will be used, the chef removes it from the beautiful pumpkin shell using a sharp knife to cut off the top and scoop out the stringy portion as well as the seeds. Be careful when you cut the lid because it will still be used later on to cover the creamy soup and keep it warm. Do not discard it. Make a clean incision angling the blade a bit when you cut the lid so that it neatly rests on top of the pumpkin and looks attractive, whether you put it on or take it off. The pumpkin is then baked in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.


Bake the pumpkin only just as it begins to soften. Be careful not to overcook the pumpkin or the shell won’t hold and support the weight of the pumpkin puree. You only want to soften the flesh so that you can easily scrape it out from the shell. Remove from the oven and cool the pumpkin before you scoop out the flesh. The shell should be intact and just thick enough to support the thick puree that will be ladled on it. While you are baking the pumpkin, steam the clams until the shells open up. Serve this darling of a soup with a bottle of Cote du Rhone ou Anjou blanc.

Ingredients
1 small pumpkin weighing about 3 lbs.
2 pints clams
1 cup cream
0.44 lbs. butter
1 leek white
1 onion
salt, pepper

1. Cut off the top of the pumpkin. Remove seeds and stringy matter. Place in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 375 degree oven until the flesh is tender and easy to scrape. Use a spoon to remove the flesh inside. Be careful not to scrape too much from the bottom of the pumpkin or it might break.

2. Steam clams in salted water until the shells open up.

3. Sautee the pumpkin flesh with leeks, onions, 3.5 oz. butter, 1/2 gallon water (or better: bouillon), salt, and pepper. Stir well with an electric mixer to puree. Add cream and butter. Continue mixing until smooth and creamy.

4. Open the cooked clams. Recover the meat from each shell. Season. Add the clams to the pumpkin cream. Do not let the mixture boil any more.

5. Carefully pour the pumpkin cream into the prepared pumpkin shell. Place the lid back on the pumpkin to cover it and keep it warm. Serve.

Friday, 20 September 2013

Spinach Pea Soup



Dried pea and spinach soup is an uber green and super nutritious dish that can be a part of healthy recipes. It is ideal for the health-conscious. Serve this as a warming and comforting appetizer. Or enjoy it with crusty bread for a very light dinner. In this healthy recipe, the peas and spinach are cooked then passed through a sieve for a thick and smooth consistency. This soup has a sumptuous texture in the palate and tastes spectacular. Its bright green color gives instant delight to the eyes and the senses.

Before cooking dried peas need to be soaked for at least eight hours in cold water. This can be done overnight so that the peas are all ready to cook the next day. Substantial amount of cooking time will be saved by soaking the peas before cooking. However, do not soak the peas for more than ten hours or germination may occur. This may change the flavor of the peas. Before cooking the peas, pick over them to remove any stone, dirt or debris. And also to remove any discolored peas or those with blemishes. So that you can inspect them carefully spread them out on a clean surface. Place the sorted peas in a colander then wash and rinse them well under cold running water.

The soaked dried peas when boiled will collapse into a puree making a fantastic soup that has a wonderful texture. The spinach also adds a thick texture to the soup aside from a greener color. If the peas are pureed and the spinach has disintegrated into the liquid you will know the soup is ready. To make sure that any solid parts are squished pass the contents of the soup through a sieve to puree it even more. To puree the whole soup you can also use an immersion blender.

Ingredients
5 cups dried peas (soaked overnight)
1cup chopped spinach
1 onion, peeled
3 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a pot add all ingredients and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes. Keep stirring often.

2. Cover. Let it simmer on medium flame.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste towards the end. Stir well.

4. Pass the mixture through a sieve. Then heat it once again. In a soup bowl serve it hot.

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Peas, Carrot and Rice Soup


To make comforting and soul warming soup recipes you only need a few simple ingredients, including green peas, carrots, rice, water, butter, salt and pepper. Since most of these are pantry staples they can be easily obtained in the local grocery or nearby market. This is a very convenient recipe since all the ingredients are cooked together in one pot that can be thrown together anytime of the week and of the day. This colorful, flavorful and nutritious simple soup recipe makes a fantastic and light appetizer for any meal. During the winter season this also helps warm you up.


Compared to the green peas and carrots the rice cooks longest so you want to cook the dish when the rice is thoroughly cooked and is nice and fluffy. You need not use stock since the butter already gives a rich flavor to the dish if you have but feel free to use it instead of water to make the dish even more flavorful. It is the delicate sweetness of both peas and carrots that gives a delectable flavor to the rice, which serves as the base for the soup. The very-pleasing-to-the-eyes colorful contrast of bright green and orange makes the soup even more delightful to savor spoon after spoon.

While this recipe uses very few ingredients, to give it a bit of a kick, you can season the soup with your choice of herbs and spices. You can garnish the soup with fresh parsley. Or give it a little spice with some cumin or turmeric for a nice color. If you want it to warm you up all the more add chili powder to the soup. Otherwise, salt and pepper are just fine for seasoning the dish. This can also make a delicious side dish to meats and fish.
 
Ingredients
3 cups green peas, shelled
2 carrots, peeled, sliced thin
½ cup rice, washed
6 cups water, boiling
2 tablespoons butter
Seasonings to taste

1. Add all ingredients in a pot and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes. Keep stirring often.

2. Cook covered. Let it simmer on medium flame.

3. Towards the end add the seasonings. Stir well. Serve hot in a soup bowl.

Kids and Vegetables



Creating healthy meal recipes to fit the entire circle of relatives can be a difficult process, particularly the place kids are involved. A balanced meal should contain vegetables, if not have them as the big name element, but ceaselessly it's hard to seek out vegetable recipes for dinner which can be kid-friendly. This article compiles three vegetable recipes which can be sure to be scrumptious and wholesome. This delicate vegetable soup makes for great convenience food and is more straightforward to make than you'd assume.


Foods:
450g carrots, diced.
1 massive onion, diced.
four sticks celery, diced.
3 medium white potatoes, diced.
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped.
3 cups hen or vegetable inventory.
1 teaspoon dried thyme.
1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Manner:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Upload the carrots, celery and onion and cook dinner for 10 minutes.

2. Add potatoes and garlic. Cook for some other five mins.

3. Upload the inventory and dried thyme. 

4. Convey to the boil after which cut back to a simmer for 15 minutes.

5. The usage of your blender, puree the soup until easy.

6. Stir in the course of the cream or half-and-half and season if essential.

7. Serve with some crusty bread and revel in.

Cheat's Carrot Fries
A delectable change for unhealthy french fries, this vegetable recipe for children and adults alike makes sufficient to serve four people. Children are positive to love the crunchy and crispy texture, they received't even notice they're getting considered one of their five-a-day. Why not try those with a few of your favorite herbs and spices, reminiscent of tarragon, basil, paprika and even chilli powder.

Meals: 
500g carrots.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 tablespoon cornflour.
Salt to taste.

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F/200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or tinfoil.

2. Peel carrots and chop into lengths so that they resemble french fries. 

3. Toss the carrot fries in olive oil and spread them in a single layer at the baking tray. 

4. Bake for forty to forty five minutes, turning them midway throughout the cooking time.

5. Upon getting rid of them from the oven, toss the carrot fries in salt or different seasoning to your preference.

6. Serve scorching from the oven as a facet to a chief dish, or as a snack with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Sunday, 8 September 2013

The Coriander Touch


Be it a steaming hot list of  soup recipes, or a dish of luscious noodles, or a handsome serving of dumplings, or maybe just plain rice; a little bit of coriander just adds that right amount of delight. Mainly used in Indian and Indonesian dishes, coriander or cilantro is used widely as an enhancement to flavor and garnish. Its fresh citrus essence also makes it a good appetizer.

Indian dishes make the most out of this herb. Right from naan breads to chicken korma they are a prominent ingredient in these healthy gourmet recipes. Furthermore one of the many varieties of chutney utilizes the minty leaves as the main component. The street food of India which display a great range of crunchy snacks like alu-muri, bhelpuri, pav bhaji, papri chat and so on, often make it a point to exploit the fragrance of coriander. The leaves make a pretty nice addition to many soup preparations as well. It works wonders with lentil or carrots even.

Just like many spices, coriander acts as a good anti-oxidant. Fried foodstuffs or curries can be preserved for a longer time with a generous helping of coriander. Although this property is mainly possessed by the leaves, but the seeds also have a pretty good anti-oxidizing effect.

Moreover, coriander has been known to display anti- bacterial characteristics as well. What more, even folk medicine has records of this herb being used as a curative for insomnia and anxiety. Well, actually coriander as a medicinal herb as countless instances.


The fresh mint which makes a lot of delicious dishes is also used as an evergreen sauce. Coriander leaves can be made into a paste, mixed with a thickener and refrigerated, and regularly served with fries, bread and any basic meal; a pretty good trick for the busy bees who cannot afford the time to prepare delectable dishes in the working days. Powdered coriander seeds, commonly known in India as dhaniya powder, are a compulsory additive to numerous gravy preparations.

The essence of coriander extends over to dessert preparations as well. It is not only used to garnish curd and other creamy stuff, but it also finds a place in pastries, if you move over to western cuisine. Basically, you go munching snacks or stuffing a heavy laden meal, or slowly licking around that dessert, coriander can invoke the magic everywhere.

For bringing the vegetable stock alive, for sticking to the juicy chicken leg and making it caress the taste buds, for complementing the roasted brinjal and even for appearing to top up the pastries, here goes a salute to cilantro!

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Bean Soup


In this easy gourmet recipe adapted from Heart Healthy cooking for All Seasons by Marvin Moser white beans, hominy, Jerusalem artichokes, and smoked sausage are cooked in chicken stock and flavored with garlic, carrots, onions, parsley, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper to make an aromatic and flavorful soup. This is a true comfort food that will lift your spirits during the cold months and dreary days. This bean soup is filled with nutrients and quite filling. It will give you a boost of energy and can be a full meal on its own. Serving it with some tortilla chips or nachos you’ll make it an extra delicious experience.

Hominy comes from yellow or white corn kernels, typically maize. Maize is a type of corn used for making cornmeal, that have been soaked in an alkali solution of either lime or lye until the hull and the germ of the corn are removed and the grain puffs up nearly twice its normal size. When cooked hominy has a chewier and fluffier texture than regular corn and is less sweet. There are variations of hominy and it is called by different names. When coarsely ground, it is called samp, when ground in small grains it is called grits, little hominy, or hominy grits. It is called posole when the kernels are whole. For this chef recipe, it is best to use whole kernel hominy or posole. Before it is ready to use for cooking dried hominy needs to be soaked in water for at least eight hours.

This recipe also uses Jerusalem artichokes. This artichokes has no relation to the more common globe artichokes nor do they originate from Jerusalem. Also known as sunchokes, Jerusalem artichokes belong to the sunflower family. They are tubers native to North America. With tinges of yellow, red or purple they look like knobby ginger roots. Their edible roots hey have a crisp texture like water chestnuts and when cooked become soft and taste nutty. The peels of sunchokes are edible. Before cooking they should be washed well and cleaned with a soft brush.


Ingredients
1 1/3 cups dried posole or whole hominy
1 lb. dried white beans
10 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped Jerusalem artichokes
4 oz. smoked sausage
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon ground sage
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Pick over and rinse the beans and posole or hominy. Pour them into a pot filled with a gallon of cold water. Allow them to sit and soak overnight. Drain.

2. Pour the prepared posole or hominy and beans into an 8 quart Dutch oven. Add the stock, garlic, carrot, onion, Jerusalem artichokes, sausage, parsley, sage, and rosemary. Over high heat bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat. Cover, and simmer for 2 hours, or until beans and posole or hominy are tender.

3. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set it on a plate to cool. Chop the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Then return it to the soup. Heat until the meat is warm again. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Yummy Mushroom Soup


This is a rustic Russian recipe adapted from Cooking the Russian Way by Musia Soper. It is a hearty and healthy mushroom soup filled with barley and vegetables, inspired by traditional country cooking of peasants who often make delicious comforting soups to keep their body warm in the often harsh Russian climate. This Mushroom soup “Pokhylopka” is perfect for enduring cold winters and chilly afternoons.

This is a no-meat healthy gourmet recipe so you can serve this as a filling vegetarian meal. It is complete in flavors, textures, and packed with nutrients. One bowl of this soup invigorates the body and enlivens the senses. The sharp intensity of dill is contrasted with the woodsy aroma of the dried mushrooms. It is the starch from the carrots, potatoes, and barley that create a thick dense in the soup that will keep you full for hours. Then the subtly sweet and delicately spicy flavors meld together. The combination creates a pleasant and profound harmony that brings you peace of mind. Because of its harsh climate, soup is an integral part of every Russian meal and most of the Russian soups have a deep and hearty flavor. This easy gourmet recipe, in particular, has an earthy essence and it is best made using wild mushrooms, preferably the dried ones, to achieve that unmistakably intoxicating flavor. Thus, the ideal mushroom to use for this dish are the dried porcini or ceps (also known as boletus). Take note that the dried mushrooms take several hours to soak in water before using them. Cooking time for barley can vary so check that it is tender enough to suit your taste before serving. If you find the broth too thick add water, but don’t make it thin too much as it is meant to be a dense soup. This soup can be made days ahead and stored in the freezer. Just heat it before serving. This way the flavors meld deeper together as the dish develops a more potent and exquisite taste.


Ingredients
4 oz. dried mushrooms
2 tablespoons pearl barley
2 onions (chopped)
2 leeks (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
2 Large potatoes (diced)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
½ tablespoon all purpose flour
4 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs fresh dill (minced)

1. Into a large bowl pour 8 cups of water; add the mushrooms and soak for 2 to 3 hours. Take note that the water covers them.

2. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place the butter in it and melt. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Then add the leeks and carrots and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Transfer the onion mixture to a large saucepan. Drain the mushrooms and pat dry. Add 6 cups of water to the saucepan, as well as the water where the mushrooms soaked in.

4. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the saucepan. Wash, peel and dice the potatoes. Add the potatoes, bay leaves, peppercorns, barley, and salt. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a simmer and cover. Continue simmering until the barley, potatoes, and mushrooms are tender. Stir occasionally.

5. About 5 minutes before the soup is done cooking, mix the flour and sour cream together in a small bowl. Then add this mixture to the saucepan. Serve with the dill on the side or sprinkled over the top.