Tag Archive for 'carrots'

Lentil & Swiss Chard Stew

Published on November 23, 2010 in Beans + Legumes, Indian, Main Courses and Soups + Stews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .


I make a variation of this dish quite often and especially now that we are looking at a very loooong and cold winter coming our way, it will probably go into heavy rotation around here. The constants are the lentils and some type of green; what varies are the other veggies and spices.



This time I went the Indian route, which gives a nice spicy kick to the hearty and basic veggies. If that’s not your style, you can go more Provençal with thyme, bay leaves and rosemary. And now that I think about it, this stew is also pretty similar to the yummy hambone lentil soup my mom always had waiting for us after skiing (minus the hambone, mind you). No wonder I like it so much. I’m a sucker for a Proustian food memory…

Lentil & Swiss Chard Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 large potato (I used an Idaho), peel and diced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala*
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 quart vegetable stock
3-4 cups Swiss chard, stems and big ribs removed, coarsely sliced into ribbons
Salt
Black pepper

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy stockpot. Sauté the onion for a few minutes until translucent. Add the carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes and then repeat with the celery. Add the potatoes and then the spices, including salt, cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the lentils and then the stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover partially and simmer until the lentils are soft but not mushy, about 25 minutes. Stir in the chard and cook just until wilted, but still bright green. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

* Garam masala is a traditional Indian spice mixture consisting of some or all of the following: black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cloves, ginger, star anise and nutmeg. The mix I used contained the first 6 spices.

Cauliflower Soup

Published on November 11, 2010 in Soups + Stews. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .


I love soup. Soup can be so hearty and soothing and comforting. And it’s such a nice easy meal with a hunk of crusty bread and a maybe a slice of delicious cheese — and OK, why not? — let’s throw in a lovely glass of pinot noir. We’re celebrating. It’s almost Thanksgiving, right? Great.

Anyway, I found this delicious cauliflower soup on Ree’s site (always a great read) and realized if I still want to fit into my pants, I’d need to make a few changes. But not too many; butter is your friend, people. And there are vegetables in here to counteract all that dairy and fat. Promise. I liked the Pioneer Woman’s idea of mixing the milk and flour in a bowl first to make the white sauce (I usually add the flour to the melted butter and then add warm milk). It did end up taking longer to thicken for me, as I started with cold milk, but I don’t see why you can’t warm the milk first before adding to the flour. So do that, please. Or just do it the other way. Whatever makes you happy.

If you’re lactose-intolerant, you might think this is not the recipe for you, but I imagine you could substitute soy or rice milk for the dairy. And now that I’m thinking about it, wouldn’t a bit of coconut milk be divine in here? With some lemongrass and cilantro tossed in for good measure? Well, then, it would be an entirely different soup, but that’s the beauty of soup. You can jigger it here and there and usually it turns out pretty well. I may just have to try this again with a Thai bent…could be fun. Or you could and then tell me how it is. And then I’ll copy you. Thanks!

Cauliflower Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced (thyme would also be great)
2 quarts (32 oz/~1 liter) vegetable stock
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 tablespoons flour (I used whole-wheat)
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 cup half & half
2 bay leaves
2-3 teaspoons salt
Black pepper
Sour cream (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes or the time it takes to chop the carrots and celery. Add the carrots, celery, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook another few minutes. Add the cauliflower and parsley and turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is softened. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes or so.

While that’s getting all happy, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on low-medium heat. Combine the warm milk and flour in a bowl and add that to the melted butter. Whisk continuously until the sauce begins to thicken (you may need to turn the heat up a notch). Once thickened, add a cup of half & half to the white sauce and pour that into the soup.

Toss in a couple bay leaves, and let the now-super-creamy soup simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary (I ended up using about 2 teaspoons of salt because I used a low-sodium broth). If you’re feeling particularly naughty, add a tablespoon of sour cream to your serving bowl before adding the hot soup (in my defense, it was reduced-fat sour cream).

Enjoy with aforementioned crusty bread and glass o’ wine. Moan softly. Then go lie down.

Carrot Cake

Published on January 6, 2010 in Cakes and Desserts. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .


One of the best things about being here in Buenos Aires is the amazing group of women that I’ve met through my playgroup. When you move to a new country not knowing a soul with a one-year old, let me tell you, meeting other moms should be priority #1. These women are not only invaluable resources (as most of them have lived here for years), but have also created a great support system. If you’re a mom, you know that sometimes you need to talk ad nauseum about your child’s sleep schedule — or lack thereof (and if you’re not a mom, you get really bored by this kind of talk). And to top it all off, they’re just fun and cool and they’re my new friends. Yay! We like friends.

So, when it was my turn to host, I thought a special effort was in order (don’t think I didn’t consider serving those buttery scones from my lovely panaderia; alas, they only make them on Fridays). I have yet to see carrot cake here, so I thought a little taste of “home” (i.e., North America) would be nice. This cake was based on a recipe from Cooking Light, but I made quite a few changes based on what I had on hand (whole-wheat instead of white flour, yogurt instead of carrot baby food, 9” round pan instead of 8” square, etc. etc.), and I think it turned out quite well.

So I raise a carrot cake covered fork (and a glass of wine) to my ladies in the playgroup…besos!



Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:
¾ cup whole-wheat flour, sifted
¼ cup oats
1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup plain yogurt (whole or low-fat, your choice or if you live in BsAs and want to be naughty, then use Casan Crem
(it’s like sour cream)
1-¼ cups finely grated carrot (about 4 ounces or two good-sized carrots; buy three just in case, though!)
½ cup chopped walnuts (or you can use raisins, if you like; I’m not a huge fan)

Frosting:
3-4 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F/165º C.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, canola oil, sugar and vanilla. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Stir in grated carrot, yogurt and walnuts. Pour batter into an 8” square or 9” round baking pan coated with cooking spray or butter. FYI, this will also make 15 standard-sized cupcakes.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

To prepare frosting, combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until creamy (or by hand if you’re like me and don’t have a mixer). Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla, beating at low speed until smooth (please don’t overbeat. Thank you.). Spread over cake; sprinkle with coconut if you like that sort of thing (I do).