I am not a soup connoisseur...I haven't been cooking long enough to be one. But this past Monday I made a soup that, thus far in my life, is the best soup EVER. And I'm not being biased because I made it. Brendan's reaction was just as amazed as mine. He took a bite of soup and said, "Gina, this is one of the best soups you've ever made. No joke". Though I cannot take credit for the recipe, I will take credit for doing a terrific job of following instructions! Seriously, if you have time to make this soup over the weekend or sometime in the near future, DO IT. It is so frickin' easy to make and will blow away your taste buds when you try it. You will not regret the decision to make this amazing recipe.
Sweet Potato, Apple, and Chipotle Soup (from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking for Health)
Serves 10 (1 cup servings) or 5 (2 cup servings)
Ingredients:
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-3 celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
-1 large apple, chopped
-1 tablespoon canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (add extra for more heat!)
-4 cups vegetable broth
-1 cup water
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 cup unsweetened apple juice
Directions:
1. In a medium soup pot, warm the oil. Add the onions & garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add all remaining ingredients, except for the apple juice. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3. Turn the heat off. Add the apple juice to the pot. Using an immersion blender, or working in batches in a blender, puree the soup until it is smooth.
4. Enjoy!
*Note: depending on how much chipotle pepper you use, this soup will be pretty darn spicy. Be sure to have some good bread, cheese, or a glass of milk on the side!
Massachusetts finally hit a cold spell...nay, a below freezing spell. All of last week the weather fluctuated between 5°- 20°F. Brrrrrrr! Needless to say, I wanted something to warm me up; and what better way to do so than by cooking and eating some hot 'n spicy food?! Now, I recognize that not all of you are fans of spicy food, but do not be afraid of the recipes that lay ahead. All of the recipes use the same "spicy" ingredient--chipotles canned in adobo sauce--and you can alter all of the recipes to include more or less of this spicy flavor, according to your personal taste. Also, do not scoff at the tofu recipe. It is INCREDIBLE. If you're not a fan of tofu (and unwilling to try it...though shame on being close-minded), then use the marinade on something else because the taste will blow your mind.
The recipes are all fairly easy to make, absolutely delicious, and would be great for Super Bowl Sunday (for those of you planning ahead). Regardless of how spicy you decide to make these recipes, they'll definitely get you feelin' hot, hot, hot!
Was anyone else freezing last week? Did you cook anything to make you feel warmer?
Chili Fest Chili (from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking For Health)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
-1 onion, diced
-2 bell peppers (I used one green, one red), diced
-2 carrots, diced
-3 celery stalks, diced
-1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
-1 tablespoon ground coriander (this is ground cilantro...if you don't have this ingredient, don't worry about it. Try adding a bit more oregano instead)
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
-1 tablespoon paprika
-1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced (plus 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce)
-1 28oz. can diced tomatoes (preferably no salt added)
-1 tablespoon molasses or brown sugar (I didn't have molasses, so I used brown sugar and I think it turned out great)
-2 15oz. cans red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
-1-2 cups water
-salt
-2 tablespoons oil
Optional:
-1 1/2 cups cooked barley, bulgur, or brown rice (adding some sort of grain makes the chili a bit bulkier)
-greek yogurt (to use as a topping)
-grated cheddar cheese (to use as a topping)
Directions:
1. In a soup pot on medium-high heat, warm the oil for a few seconds and then add the onion & bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add carrots and celery to pot. Cook for 5 minutes, until carrots start to soften.
3. Stir in all the spices (cumin through paprika). Cook for 5 minutes (make sure to stir, so that spices don't stick to the bottom of the pan)
4. Add the canned tomatoes, minced chipotle pepper & adobo sauce, sugar, beans, and water. Start by adding 1 cup of water and add more according to how soupy you want the chili to be.
5. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir.
6. Add cooked grain(s) to the pot, making sure to mix well.
7. Serve hot, with greek yogurt and/or cheese on top!
Chipotle-Apple Turkey Burgers (from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook)
Makes 8 palm-sized burgers
Ingredients:
-2 celery stalks, finely diced
-3 green onions, finely chopped
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1 apple, shredded (I used Granny Smith, but Gala or Fuji would taste good too!)
-1 pound ground turkey
-1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
-1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional:
-bread or slider buns
-sliced cheese
-sliced tomatoes
-lettuce or spinach
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook celery, green onions, and garlic until just browned. Set aside.
2. Combine the grated apple, turkey, chipotle chili, salt, pepper, parsley, and cooked veggies in a large mixing bowl. Stir everything until well combined. Form the mixture into 8 palm-sized patties. At this point you can cook the burgers, or place them on plates (cover with plastic wrap) and keep in your fridge for a few hours, until you're ready to cook them
3. Preheat oven to 375°F.
4. Heat your sauté pan over medium-high heat and evenly space turkey burgers in pan. Cook until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes each side).
5. Place burgers on a baking sheet and cook in oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 175°F (internal temp. of meat)
6. Serve hot, on top of bread or salad greens.
Tastes great with sweet potato fries and roasted brussels sprouts!
Tofu with Chipotle-Orange Barbecue Sauce (from Your Organic Kitchen)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup orange juice (preferably fresh)
-4 tablespoons honey
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
-1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from can)
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 pound firm tofu, drained and cut into 8 slices
Directions:
1. In a 13x9 inch glass baking dish, combine all the ingredients except the tofu. Whisk together.
2. Add sliced tofu to the dish. Place dish in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. Be sure to flip tofu slices over, every 30 minutes.
3. Preheat your broiler
4. Place tofu on baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes on each side, until skin starts to become brown.
5. Serve hot!
*Tastes great with brown rice and sauteed greens (like collards, kale, or bok choy!)
