The Food We Eat

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

 

  

Hope you all had a great thanksgiving with friends and family. We sure did! Even though I am of East-Indian descent and never grew up celebrating thanksgiving, I really enjoy this holiday. And I really love hosting thanksgiving dinner at our place. In fact, I think we'll never be on vacation at this time of the year 'coz I'll miss hosting. But really, what would thanksgiving even be without our wonderful family and friends?

Well, I have been fighting this nasty flu-cold bug for 2 weeks now (thanks to my germ-carrying school age children :-)), and some soup was in order. Nope, did not use the Turkey carcass and Ham bone yet (soon to come recipes for those). So what did we have? Black bean pumpkin soup.

Another Pumpkin recipe? You ask. But 'tis the season, I say. Good news is this one is not one-dimensional as many pumpkin soups tend to be. Before you all get up in arms, let me clarify. I do like good old pumpkin soup -with apples, or curried, or whatwever. Many good recipes there. But it's just that sometimes I get a bit tired of eating a whole bowl of pureed pumpkin soup. But this one, dear friends, is a fiesty one. Not one-dimesional in the least. Bake yourself some nice cornbread and this is one helluva meal in itself.

If you are not into bacon, pancetta would do nicely. Oh! You're vegetarian? No problem, just  use vegetable broth (or water) instead of chicken broth and leave out the bacon. Me, I'll hold on to the bacon. Woof, Woof! My canine, Casey agrees too. Here is a picture of her lovingly staring at the bacon as I was piling it on paper towels to drain. And yes, she got some (who can resist that face ?)

   

Oh! the black beans. I would really recommend starting from dried beans and cooking your own. Doesn't take much effort and the end result is unbeatable. If you're like me and have a pressure cooker, then it is a real snap as you don't even have to soak overnight. Sure, you can use canned black beans and I have used them many times myself (Goya is my brand of choice), but there is something especially yummy about the texture of freshly cooked beans. The skin is absolutely tender and the inside of the bean is perfectly soft and yielding, and most of all --the luscious inky smooth cooking liquid. Now where do you get that in canned beans. I drain all that off. So, if you will indulge me, cook up a batch of black beans. Oh by the way, they freeze beautifully too.

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

Inspired from Gourmet, November 1996

4 cups cooked black beans

2 cups pumpkin puree (I use fresh, but organic canned will do)

3 strips thick-cut bacon

1 tsp olive oil

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, fine diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart chicken broth

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp kosher salt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Method:

1. Add 1 tsp olive oil to a large dutch oven. Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook till crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside.

2. Drain all but 2 tbsp bacon grease. Add leeks, onions, carrot, garlic, red chili flakes, and salt. Saute 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add chicken broth, tomato paste, sugar, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper.

3. Puree 1 cup of black beans togther with 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Add this to the oan along with the rest of the black beans and pumpkin puree.

4. Cook 30 minutes, till all the flavors meld together, and the soup is thick. Add the red wine vinegar, stir. Check seasonings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, some reserved bacon, and some chopped chives (or scallions). Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds for some welcome crunch.

Asian-spiced Roasted Delicata Squash

 

 

I have only recently been introduced to this wonderful winter squash called 'Delicata'. What drew me to this particular squash is not only its striking stripes, but the fact that the label said the skin was edible. I was intrigued and decided to try it. Once I came home with my striped beauties, I was on a search for a way to prepare them in a way that would make the squash the centerpiece of attention. So soups and stews were out, as there are too many more aggressive players in that game. I settled upon the idea of simply roasting it. I had some beef kebabs marinating in a soy-orange-garlic base (more on that later), so I decided to keep with the asian-inspired theme.

 

Why peanut oil, you ask? Well, I wanted a fat-base that had a lot of flavor. Butter is too mild, and olive oil with asian spices, not a marraige made in heaven, so I decided on some nutty peanut oil. And was I in for a treat! You won't believe the aroma coming from the oven. It was sensational. I can proclaim that the peanut oil was a hit! That said, I think sesame would work well too.

Verdict: The delicata squash was delicious! The crisp-chewy skin lent a fantastic structural contrast to the smoothness of the squash flesh. This squash really hold its integrity though.  Leftovers were great, but I didn't dig the skin as much on day two. The crunchiness was lost, and the skin felt a bit tough.

Anyway, if you're looking for a nice alternative to butternut or acorn squash, delicata is your answer. Or if you end up with some in your Winter CSA basket, now you know what to do with it.

Asian-spiced Roasted Delicata Squash

Serves 4

4 delicata squash (about 2 lbs)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp chinese five-spice

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp peanut oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Scrub the squash well. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into 1/2 inch slices.

2. Toss the squash with the spices, salt, and peanut oil. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3. Roast approx. 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the flesh is tender.

French Lentil and Sausage Soup

 

 

The PTA at A's elementary school does this wonderful thing where parents provide a staff lunch every month. A gesture of gratitude for all that they do for our precious ones. I think this is way better than bringing in baked goods on an occasional basis to the staff lunch rooms. This is a complete luncheon, and although A's only been at the school for 2 months, I can already tell the staff really likes this treat. Of course, if you know me, you know I love to cook and feed people, so I'm more than happy to contribute. Tomorrow's theme (in keeping with the frosty weather) is soup and chili. My contribution is one of my favorite cold-weather soups, french lentils with sausage. I hope the staff likes it!

First thing - lentils. Must I use the french kind, you ask? You don't have to, but I am quite partial to these beauties. They are absolutely adorable and I love their petite size. I think it is well worth a trip to a good store to stock up on these. But, you can easily use the standard grocery store brown lentil too. Just make sure you use a skin-on lentil for this soup. We want to preserve the structural integrity of the legume, lest we end up with an unappetizing, brown slop.

Now, let's talk about the sausage. Sure, you could use chorizo or andouille. Heck! I'd eat practically anything featuring those. But, there is another great poultry-alternative that I absolutely love. It is Bruce Aidell's habanero green chile sausage. 12 g fat per link -- not too shabby. But this is no ordinary, tasteless, dry, desperate poultry knock-off. The texture and flavor of these guys is unbelievable. You can purchase them in your grocery store or online here. In any case, please use a robust sausage in this soup. Wimpy ones need not apply.

Next flavor component - ham. I realize many of you won't have a leftover ham bone (from a smoked ham) lying around in your freezer, but if you do, go ahead and get it out. If not, you could use a smoked ham hock, bacon, pancetta, smoked cubed ham, or, if you must, you can leave all the porcine flavor out altogether. If you must! It really does add that extra something (a really big something) to the soup though.

I hope you'll try this and let me know what you think.

French Lentil and Sausage Soup

Serves 6 - 8

4 sausage links (I used Aidell's Habanero-Green Chile), cut into1/4 inch slices

1 leftover smoked ham bone

2 cups french lentils (lentils du puy)

8 cups (2 quarts) water (or chicken broth)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 ribs celery, chopped fine

4 carrots, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1 tsp pepper

1 can (15 oz) organic diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)

1 large rosemary sprig

Salt to taste

Parsley (to garnish)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F *. Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add the sausage and brown. Remove the sausage and set aside. Add ham hock, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, and chili flakes. Saute 5 to 10 minutes till vegetables are slightly browned and fragrant.

* I like to cook the soup in the oven, but you could easily cook the whole thing on the cooktop. Cooking time should be about the same.

2. Add washed lentils, water or broth, tomatoes, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to oven for about 1 hour or until lentils are almost done.

3. Remove pan from oven. Take the ham bone out. Pick off any meat and discard the bone. Add sausage back to the soup. Heat for 10 - 15 minutes longer. Check salt and add some if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot. I like mine with some good crusty bread.

Bread and Butter Pudding

 

This is a dish so easy, my six year old could put it together. Preparation time is all of 10 minutes (max) and you can eat it a mere 25 minutes later. Sounds pretty easy, huh? It is. Now mind you, this is not a fancy dessert by a long shot. It is extremely delicious, comforting, and soothing though. R, my little one took a bite and said "Mom, this tastes like French Toast!". Well, he is correct. Poor chap didn't get any Rum on his portion :-) I still wouldn't really have this as dessert. It was a perfect evening snack for us on this cold Sunday. We had a really light lunch, so this was a welcome 4pm treat.

A good hearty artisanal bread is a prerequisite here. Given the small number of ingredients, they must all be superior. We had some whole wheat apple-raisin bread from a local bakery that needed to be used up, and that worked beautifully. You can use any hearty bread though.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Based on Greg Atkinson's recipe

Serves 4 - 6

4 cups cubed day-old hearty bread (1-inch cubes)

4 tbsp unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar*

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1/8 cup brown sugar*

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Pour the melted butter in an 8-inch square baking dish. Pile in the bread cubes. Toss the bread to coat with butter.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread, pressing the bread with the back of a spoon to encourage the soaking of the egg mixture. The bread should be barely covered.

3. Stir the sugar, cinnamon, and almonds together and sprinkle over the pudding. Bake until the pudding is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Serve warm or cold. I like mine right out of the oven with a bit of Myers rum on top.

* Since I used apple-raisin bread that was sweetened already, I used this amount of sugar. If you are starting off with a non-sweetened bread, you might want to increase the sugar buy 1/4 cup in the pudding and maybe 1/8 cup in the topping. It really depends on how sweet you like it.

Masoor Dal with Spinach

 

This type of dal is East Indian comfort food at its best. It is something like 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' the Indian way. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and is inexpensive, nutritious, and filling.

If you don't have Masoor dal on hand, you could go ahead and substitute another type of Indian lentil, or you could also go ahead and use the regular supermarket variety brown lentils (these will take a bit longer to cook though). As go the greens, you could use other leafy greens instead, but if you ask me, there is something very special about the silkiness of spinach in this dal.

The last step of this recipe calls for tempering. This is called 'tadka/vaghaar/chounk' in Hindi, and basically involves heating ghee or oil with spices and then adding the intensely flaovored oil to the dal as a final touch. I cannot explain the magic of tempering. It is a must to elevate this simple dal to something spectacular.

Masoor Dal with Spinach

Serves 4 - 6

1 tbsp peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1 serrano chili pepper, chopped

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 large bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped

1 cup masoor dal

4 cups water

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp salt (plus more to taste)

Tempering:

1 tbsp ghee or oil (ghee highly recommended)

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 dried red chilis (broken in halves)

1 pinch asafoetida (or hing)

6 - 8 curry leaves (kadipatta)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan. Add onions, chili pepper, ginger, and garlic. Saute till fragrant. Add turmeric and saute 1 minute longer.

2. Add spinach and cook till wilted. Add washed dal and water. Add salt and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook till done, approx 20 minutes. Check seasonings. Add  more salt if needed.

3. For tempering, heat ghee/oil in a small saucepan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and red chilis. Heat till seeds splutter. Add asafoetida and curry leaves. Wait 10 seconds. Pour the seasoned oil on the dal, mix, and serve with rice and/or roti.  

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

 

   

I hope you are not sick of pumpkins already. Please don't be. It is only November, and if you, like our family, are trying to embrace the local, sustainable, seasonal movement (and I'd love to know that you are), then pumpkins and winter squash are your friends. And really, they are quite versatile. You can do a lot more with them than making pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, etc. But then again, why not pumpkin bread? Yes, I know you can buy canned pumpkin puree all year long at any megamart, but why not bake some using some fresh pumpkin puree?

Well, actually, you don't even really need pumpkin. I should rename this post "Kubocha squash" bread. What is Kubocha squash? It is a winter squash, originally from Japan, and is also called Japanese pumpkin. Texturally, it is very similar to butternut squash, but it has gorgeous deep orange flesh. And unlike some pumpkins, the puree is extremely silky. And, did you know that many so called 'canned pumpkin purees' are actually not pumpkin, but winter squash? Yup! This is true. So go ahead and use pumpkin puree, or squash puree. You can't really tell the difference when you bake with it.

 

My kids are funny about nuts in baked goods. Sometimes they like 'em, sometimes they don't. So today, I decided to bake the loaves without nuts in the batter, but with almonds sprinkled on top.

So go ahead, double the recipe, and pass some warm-spiced pumpkin bread on to your neighbors. Even the chilliest ones will warm up :-)

 

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes one 9 x 13 inch loaf

1 cup white whole wheat flour (you can use regular whole wheat too)

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp fresh ground/grated nutmeg

1/4 cup (2 oz, 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup buttermilk (or yogurt)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk or sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.

3. Cream together the sugar and butter. Add oil gradually. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl. Beat in the vanilla, pumpkin, and buttermilk.

4. Add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until evenly moistened. If using nuts, now is the time to add them in.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle nuts on top, if using. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approx. 1 hour (if your loaf seems to be browning too fast, loosely tent with foil).

6. Remove the bread from the oven. Place it on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Gently run a knife along the edges of the pan to help release the bread.Turn it out of the pan, and place on a rack to finish cooling. Serve warm (yum!) or at room temperature. Also, note that this bread freezes extremely well.

Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke) Soup

I am a newbie to the world of Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes. I have tried them before at restaurants and I liked them, but I guess for some reason, I had never tried to make something with them in my kitchen. Well, until now. This year, I got a small sample of them from the farm, and that was enough to pique my curiosity. Oh! the possibilities.....

This is what I love most about cooking. Just trying out new gadgets, new ingredients, new methods -- this really makes me happy. J says I look like a mad scientist on happy drugs when I am in the kitchen.

In any case, I got my hands on a pound of these beautiful tubers and just had to try out this recipe for Sunchoke Soup from Thomas Keller. But I did tweak it a bit (mostly in the cream arena). You see, I had just returned from busting my A-- at the gym, and there was no way I was loading up this soup with 2 cups of cream! Not to mention, I just don't like that much cream in soup. It is way too cloying on the palate. I'd much rather save my cream quota for something else.

What resulted was a intensely earthy, absolutely luscious, velvety bowl of soup. Some crisped up Proscuitto on top and voila! Heaven in a bowl....

   

   

Sunchoke Soup

Loosely Adapted from Thomas Keller

Serves 4 generously

1  lb sunchokes

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp thinly sliced garlic

3/4 cup sliced shallots

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup half and half

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

4 slices proscuitto (for garnish)

Method:

1. Scrub the sunchokes well. Peel the rough knobby bits and thick skin. I left the tender parts unpeeled. Slice thinly and soak in cold water.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots. Sweat until softened (but do not allow them to brown). Drain the sunchokes and add them to the pan. Cover with chicken stock and simmer until the sunchokes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In the meantime, if you are using the proscuitto, heat a cast iron skillet. Lay the slices on the hot skillet and cook till nicely browned and crisp. Crumble and set aside.

4. Add the half and half to the soup, return to slight boil, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully ladle the soup into a blender and process until smooth and velvety. If you have a super-blender like I do (the Vitamix), then you should have a beautifully smooth soup on your hands. If not, enjoy as is, or if you want a very smooth texture, you can process through a sieve. Your choice.

5. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with more pepper and proscuitto.

Stir-Fried Broccoli and Seitan with Oyster Sauce

 

 

Dinner tonight - quick, easy, nutritious, family-pleaser, and delicious. Not too bad huh? I was in the mood for something vegetarian, but you could easily substitute tofu, beef, pork, or chicken for the seitan here. In fact, I usually make this stir fry with nice thin strips of top round beef.

I don't have that much more to say today. Actually, in the spirit of honesty, I am in a bit of a hurry. You see, I made up the recipe as I went along (however, I actually stopped to measure so I could post a decent recipe) and so I need to get this down before I forget what I actually did. This is a pretty standard master recipe for me, but I do tweak it a bit mostly depending on the spice tolerance of the eaters. Since it was family dinner for us, spice level = 0. J and I had to supplement with some Sriracha sauce on the side. Anyway, what's the big hurry, you ask? Well, you see, I Tivo'ed (is this a verb now, like 'Googled'?) Barack Obama's first press conference since becoming President-elect and I can't wait to go watch it with J. Ok in the spirit of complete honesty, I've already seen it, but I think I will watch it again....

So quickly, back to the recipe..

 

Stir-Fried Broccoli and Seitan with Oyster Sauce

Serves 4

Sauce:

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp chinese shao xing wine (or dry sherry will do)

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp red-chili flakes (optional)

Stir-Fry

1 lb seitan (or other protein), sliced thin

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 1/2 lbs broccoli (florets and stems separated and cut into bite size pieces)

2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces on the bias

1 small onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

5 garlic cloves, minced fine

1/3 cup water

Method:

1. To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together.

2. For the stir fry, mix the seitan with the soy sauce and set aside.

3. Add 1 tsp peanut oil to the wok and swirl to coat. Add the seitan and stir fry for 1 - 2 minutes, till you see nice browning. Take the seitan out and set aside.

4. Add 1 tsp peanut oil to the wok. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper, and stir fry on high heat for 1 minute or just until you see slight blistering on the vegetables. Scoop vegetables out and set aside.

5. Add last teaspoon of oil to the wok. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds till aromatic. Add the broccoli and stir fry on high heat for 1 minute. Now add the water, cover and steam for about 2 minutes, or just until broccoli turns bright green and crisp-tender. Please do not overcook.

6. Add the seitan and onion mixture back to the wok. Pour the sauce on top and toss to combine. Cook 30 seconds more, or just until sauce thickens. Serve immediately over steamed rice.

Sichuan Green Beans

The regular CSA share season at the farm is over :-(, but the good news is that the Winter share season is already in swing. Well, it 's not quite the same. The regular Summer CSA features vegetables grown 100% at the farm, so you can't beat the freshness. It is as local as it gets. The Winter share relies on produce locally and sometimes from California, but oh well. The revenues from this keep the farm going. In any case, my loot today consisted of Kale, Spinach, Celery, Broccoli, Potatoes, Carrots, and Green Beans. Green Beans! Hello friends, I have so missed you!

I was flipping through the September issue of Cooking light (while watching CNN), and came upon the Sichuan Green Beans. A-ha! That's what would become of my green jewels. BTW, I must admit - I am so glad Obama won, but I am suffering from Election withdrawal syndrome. For the past month especially, like many other fellow Americans, I too have been consumed by the election coverage, and as you can see, the blog postings have been a bit bleak. I promise to be more regular now.

Back to the food! These green beans are absolutely delicious and unlike the greasy oily restaurant stuff, these are actually a healthy way to eat those beans. Give these a try! I will add some XO sauce to mine next time. Also, I did not have Chinese black vinegar on hand (need to fix that asap), so I used good balsamic. If you have the real stuff, I would use that.

 

 

Sichuan Green Beans

From Cooking Light Magazine

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 tbsp peanut oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1 tbsp chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Method:

1. Cook beans in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain and pat dry completely.

2. Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp of oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add green beans; stir fry 3 - 5 minutes until beans are well browned and blistered. Spoon green beans into a bowl.

3. Add remaining oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and red pepper. Stir fry 1 minute or so, until onions brown. Return green beans to wok. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. Toss to combine. Serve immediately alongside rice and protein of your choice.