i am 2 kelp

spatheandspadix:

This is a tasty, savory autumn soup. The smokiness of the paprika contrasts with the sweetness of the squash and earthiness of the lentils beautifully. I made it to pair with a chipotle cheddar potatoes au gratin.

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash or equivalent, cut into half-inch chunks

1 leek, chopped

1/2 cup green lentils

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp thyme

1 and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pot. Add garlic, bay leaf, and thyme, sautee.

2. Add squash and leek. Cover pot and allow vegetables to cook down. It can be helpful to add a small amount of water to keep them from scorching to the bottom of the pan.

3. While the vegetables are cooking down, mix in smoked paprika.

4. Add lentils once the squash has softened. Allow the squash to cook until it can be crushed against the side or bottom of the pot. The goal is for the soup to be thick and fairly smooth while retaining the textures of the ingredients.

5. Add 1-2 cups of water or stock until the desired consistency is reached. Mix the soup with a broad spoon until the squash falls apart, forming a thick soup base.It helps to crush it against the pot.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

vermilionink:

It finally happened; I finally succumbed to this crappy cold that’s come to NYC with the autumn weather. Hauling myself into work turns out to have been a foolish plan, but at least on the way back I was able to stop off for vital chicken soup ingredients.

Sick Day Chicken Soup

2 packets chicken thighs (bone-in)
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1 box stelline or your favorite soup pasta, whimsical for preference
4 small leeks or 2 large leeks
2 large carrots
8 cloves garlic, as we are sick and not messing around here
a thumb of fresh ginger
fresh tarragon
fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
paprika
cumin
olive oil
salt & pepper

Heat a good dollop of olive oil in your soup pot. Smash garlic, chop leeks, chop carrots into not-too-fat rounds, and sweat in oil over medium heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and a good sprinkling each of cumin and paprika, and allow to sizzle, coated in your veg, for a couple of minutes. Add stock, plus 4 more cups of water. Make thyme, tarragon and bay into a bouquet garni and float in pot. Let simmer for a good couple of hours, while you blow your nose and indulge in sick day TV. If it boils down too much, add additional water or broth, adjusting seasoning accordingly. About 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, add pasta. (You can do it the proper way and cook the pasta separately, in which case you would just add it immediately before eating, or you can just toss the dry pasta in and let it absorb all that broth as it cooks.)

And feel better!

ktnoms:

Hurray soup season!

There are a lot of potato leek soup recipes out there.  I combined a few to make this version.

Ingredients

2 large leeks or 3-4 medium ones
3 large potatoes or 4-5 medium ones
1/4 white onion
2 chicken stock cubes (I use a vegan imitation)
1 cup of water
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
a little oil or butter
garlic to taste
pepper to taste
green onions to garnishing
cheese (optional)

Chop up the leeks and dice them.  Also, dice 1/4 of the onion.
Dice the potatoes.

-In a large pot, heat oil or butter.  Combine garlic (I did one Tbsp) and two chicken stock cubes.  Stir occasionally until dissolved.
-Add leeks and onions to the pot.  Simmer until lightly golden.
-Add the diced potatoes.  Then, pour over the water and heavy whipping cream.  For a vegan version, you could just add three cups of water opposed to one cup of water and a pint of whipping cream.
-Let simmer at a low boil for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

From here, you can enjoy the soup as it is (chunky) or you can puree half and add it back to the soup.  That is what I do.  Or, you could puree the whole thing!

Also, you can add cheese and stir until it is melted.  I might try that next time.  Garnish with chopped green onions.

recipesinmovies:

Tangled Inspired Hazelnut Soup

In the new animated feature from Disney, “Tangled,” an old crone named Mother Gothel, voiced with malevolent glee by Donna Murphy, keeps threatening Rapunzel with a hazelnut soup that has parsnips in it. It’s a running  gag that has probably had more than one kid gagging at the thought. But it had the opposite effect on me. I wanted to run home and make a batch of it.

The thought of toasted hazelnuts mingling with a strong vegetable stock and a touch of heavy cream led me to a recipe that was just what I had in mind. It even had a parsnip in it.

Creamy hazelnut soup

1 cup ground hazelnuts
3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 medium leek, white only, chopped
1 parsnip, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 quart vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/8 cup chopped hazelnuts, roasted

Creamy Hazelnut Soup

Roast the ground hazelnuts in a pan (no fat necessary as the nuts contain enough for them not to stick or burn) until they emit a strong sweet smell.

Add the butter, shallots, leek and parsnip, and cook them for about 10 minutes or until soft. Dust with the flour and incorporate.

Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream.

Purée the soup in a blender and strain through a sieve, if desired. (For a more rustic texture, you don’t have to strain the soup.) Return to the pan, season with salt and pepper and reduce to the desired consistency.

Sprinkle with roasted hazelnuts to serve.

Makes 6 small appetizer servings.

recipesinmovies:

Ingredients

5 pounds lamb fillet, shoulder or leg, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup water

4 cups beef stock

2 teaspoons white sugar

3 teaspoons brown sugar

3 cups diced carrots

1 cup diced zucchini

1 1/2 cups diced celery

2 large onions, diced

3 potatoes, cubed

5 cups dried plums

2 teaspoons dried thyme

3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

2 bay leaves

1 cup ginger ale

Preparation

1. Place lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly.

2. Heat olive oil in a large pan and brown the meat, working in batches if you have to.

3. Remove lamb to a side plate. Pour off fat, leaving 1/4 cup in the pan. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion becomes golden. Deglaze frying pan with the 1/2 cup water, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan to stir up all of the tasty bits of meat and onion. Cook to reduce liquid slightly, then remove from heat.

4. Place the lamb and garlic-onion mixture in a large stockpot. Add beef stock and sugar, stirring until sugars are dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.

5. Add the vegetables, dried plums, herbs, and ginger ale to the pot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until meat and vegetables pierce easily with a fork.

recipesinmovies:

Ingredients

1 lb of Chuck Meat

1 Small Bag of Fingerling Potatoes

3 Medium Carrots – Peeled

2 Celery Stalks

1 Bag Pearl Onions

1 Leek

5 Cloves Garlic

Bunch of Thyme

2 Bay Leaves

½ Bottle of Red Zinfandel

4 Cups Beef Stock

1 Small Can Tomato Paste

2 oz. 100% Cocoa Chocolate

Olive Oil

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Instructions

Soak the Pearl onions in water, this will help peeling them. Chop the Celery, Carrot, Leek into 1 inch slices, wash thoroughly in cold water. With a Paring Knife, slice the ends and tips off the Onions, peel away the first layer, continue till finished.

In a deep sauce pot, heat enough Oil to cover the base. Season the meat thoroughly with salt and pepper. Add and brown till there is a nice deep crust. Remove from the pot; add in the Vegetables and Garlic. When browned, add in the Tomato Paste and sauté till well incorporated. Deglaze the pot with the Zinfandel, add the beef stock and the Thyme and Bay leaves. Cook covered for about 45 minutes on med heat, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the lid and let the liquid reduce. Add the Chocolate for richness and to give the sauce a nice sheen. Remove the thyme and bay leaves.

Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve and enjoy with friends or family for a comfortable movie night. Bon Appetit!