Showing posts tagged soup
Carrot soup I don`t use the printer very often. As I switched it on yesterday, this recipe came out: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/01/carrot-soup-with-tahini-and-crisped-chickpeas/. A message from God? I swear I had never seen it before. However, the soup seemed rather simple and delicious, so I decided to try it out. Besides, it was an opportunity to use the leftover tahini dressing from the evening before. My chickpeas were tossed in curry powder instead of cumin, as it would be a little too much cumin for Sandis (he`s not a big fan). The roasted chickpeas is all you need to turn dull blended vegetables into a substantial meal with a kick. Later on, I realized it must have been my sister struggling with the printer during her visit last month. In that case, thanks for the recipe! Baiba View high resolution

Carrot soup

I don`t use the printer very often. As I switched it on yesterday, this recipe came out: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/01/carrot-soup-with-tahini-and-crisped-chickpeas/. A message from God? I swear I had never seen it before. However, the soup seemed rather simple and delicious, so I decided to try it out. Besides, it was an opportunity to use the leftover tahini dressing from the evening before. My chickpeas were tossed in curry powder instead of cumin, as it would be a little too much cumin for Sandis (he`s not a big fan). The roasted chickpeas is all you need to turn dull blended vegetables into a substantial meal with a kick.
Later on, I realized it must have been my sister struggling with the printer during her visit last month. In that case, thanks for the recipe!
Baiba

Meat ball soup Although most of the time I have simply given up, there are still dinners when I try to offer the kids vegetables. Disguised in all possible forms. Believe it or not, there are actually children who eat them. In the neighborhood, not some starving third world region.In the picture, you see one of my attempts. It`s been some time since the picture was taken, I cannot recall the precise recipe anymore. However, as with most soups, it`s the idea that matters, vegetables, spices and proportions are up to your imagination and fridge contents.Fry a chopped onion and grated carrots in butter. Pour over water or stock. I use water, my mom`s preserved soup spices (from what I have guessed, the main ingredients are finely chopped mixed greens, garlic, onions, and carrots in salt), and pepper. Add bite size pieces or squash, potatoes, tomatoes (peal the skin off first), and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Blend the soup. Prepare meat balls: mix minced pork with an egg, pressed garlic, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of buckwheat flour. Heat the blended soup on the stove again, and add small balls formed from the meat mixture. When they are cooked through, the soup is ready.The dish was half-success: one of the two kids liked it. Baiba View high resolution

Meat ball soup

Although most of the time I have simply given up, there are still dinners when I try to offer the kids vegetables. Disguised in all possible forms. Believe it or not, there are actually children who eat them. In the neighborhood, not some starving third world region.
In the picture, you see one of my attempts. It`s been some time since the picture was taken, I cannot recall the precise recipe anymore. However, as with most soups, it`s the idea that matters, vegetables, spices and proportions are up to your imagination and fridge contents.
Fry a chopped onion and grated carrots in butter. Pour over water or stock. I use water, my mom`s preserved soup spices (from what I have guessed, the main ingredients are finely chopped mixed greens, garlic, onions, and carrots in salt), and pepper. Add bite size pieces or squash, potatoes, tomatoes (peal the skin off first), and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Blend the soup. Prepare meat balls: mix minced pork with an egg, pressed garlic, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of buckwheat flour. Heat the blended soup on the stove again, and add small balls formed from the meat mixture. When they are cooked through, the soup is ready.
The dish was half-success: one of the two kids liked it.

Baiba

Corn soup This is where I used the asparagus stock of the day before. Recipe for a quick dinner (the original idea belongs to Janis Kairis, published in a Latvian cooking magazine). Peel some potatoes and let them boil while preparing the soup. Chop an onion, 2 cloves of garlic and some chili. Fry in a pot in some butter. (I had to used butter, as my 6-year old had made some himself while on a trip to farm with his school). Add 750 ml [asparagus] stock and a can of corn, bring to boiling and simmer for some 5 minutes. Blend with 80 g Frischkaese. Serve with the boiled potatoes and fresh dill. Baiba View high resolution

Corn soup

This is where I used the asparagus stock of the day before. Recipe for a quick dinner (the original idea belongs to Janis Kairis, published in a Latvian cooking magazine).
Peel some potatoes and let them boil while preparing the soup. Chop an onion, 2 cloves of garlic and some chili. Fry in a pot in some butter. (I had to used butter, as my 6-year old had made some himself while on a trip to farm with his school). Add 750 ml [asparagus] stock and a can of corn, bring to boiling and simmer for some 5 minutes. Blend with 80 g Frischkaese. Serve with the boiled potatoes and fresh dill.
Baiba

Party

Kids` party was just a pretext for having a nice long weekend dinner with their parents.
We had:
1. A lentil soup. After my previous post of the carrot soup, one of the readers suggested adding lentils. It works, I love the consistency and fullness they add. In the pot, fry a chopped onion and a few chopped garlic cloves with turmeric, cumin, and ginger. Add sliced carrots. Cover with stock and let simmer for about 5 mins, then add a can of tomatoes and red lentils. When lentils are soft, blend the soup. The result is tender and sweet. Most kids liked it.
2. Quinoa salad. A cucumber, belle pepper, avocado, mozarella, mango, and cooked quinoa, dressed with a mixture of lime juice and walnut oil. Avocado has to be ripe and soft, otherwise you`ll spoil the salad.
3. Pork. Mix roughly sliced carrots (again a carrot dish. I know it`s not good manners to base two dishes on the same ingredient, but I really had to get rid of the carrot stocks in my fridge), a chopped aubergine (kept in salt for a while to take away the bitterness) and a can of chickpeas with some olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread in a shallow oven dish. Top with slices of pork, season again. Cover with foil and bake in the oven until the pork is cooked through. Serve with rice.
For the dessert, we had a cheesecake from the local bakery.
For some years, I tried to avoid pork, as all the nutritionists (and cardiologists) were warning against the high fat content. Well, animal fat has been rehabilitated in the meantime. I wonder which food is next to be proclaimed evil (or magic and curing from all diseases, like omega3 today or margarine several decades ago:)). My guess is canola oil or fruit. Currently, the root of all evil is transfats. And that goes well with my understanding of good food.

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