Curried Split Pea Soup

This post was first published on my other blog "Another Drop In The Bucket" on 1-27-11.

My first attempt at a food post.  I figure at least this way I can't lose the recipe!

I've been craving this soup since the first time I made it a few weeks ago.  I had never had split peas before and wasn't sure I would like them so I stuck to the recipe the first time.  I hate fresh peas, so dried split peas was a leap of faith for me.  This soup is delicious and filling. Best of all, Liam loves it!

Curried Split Pea Soup (Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe as published on www.foodnetwork.com)

2 TBSP unsalted butter
Salt & pepper
1/2 large white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 TBSP curry powder
Cayenne pepper, to taste (I used 4 shakes of the jar, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon?)
6 cups chicken broth or stock
12 oz. dried green split peas, picked over and rinsed
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes, (approx 14 oz), washed and cubed
Plain yogurt
Crushed red pepper for sprinkling

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add onion and salt and pepper, cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic, cook for an additional 30 seconds.  Add curry powder and cayenne, cook for another 30 seconds.  Make sure you do not allow the onion and garlic to brown.  Add broth and peas, bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.  Add carrots and potatoes, continue simmering until vegetables reach the desired tenderness, about 20 minutes.  (This will vary depending on how thick your vegetables are.)  Using a  stick blender, puree soup until it reaches desired consistency.  I like mine nice and thick but not too pureed that it's like baby food.  You may need to add water if you like a little thinner soup.  Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

Grown-Up Ants On A Log

banana

Nutella

dried cherries

YUM!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Spring Is Here!

Tulips

Seriously, this is the forecast here for the next few days.  I think Minnesota forgot that it's only early March!

Sedum

 I even got to work in the garden!

Before: the doggies have been digging.  Bad doggies!

After: All cleaned up and holes filled!

With the forecast we've got, I may be eating fresh chives bu the end of the week!

My favorite garden ornament: a frog I found in the previous owner's garbage pile.
Froggie ain't got no eyeballs. 

Filling flats to start seeds.  Not often I do that outdoors in March!

I started my edibles in the basement this week.  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant so far.  We'll see what else I get around to by the end of the week.  It's going to be hard to dedicate time indoors with this gorgeous forecast!

Chipotle And Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Soup

 I hadn't planned on blogging this.  It's just something I threw together. However, I had a request for the recipe before I had even tasted it to know if it was any good!

This soup has ingredients, but not really a recipe.  Everything is dependent on how big your squash are and your taste for spicy heat and garlic. So I'll tell you what went into this batch, and you can adjust from there. 

 

Chipotle And Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Soup

4 small butternut squash, washed, halved, and seeded

1 head garlic

Olive oil

Canned chipotle chiles in adobo - I used three and some sauce. This was perfect for me but would have been too hot for my husband. Use your own judgement, always starting with less than you think you need. 

Vegetable broth- I used 4 cups

Salt, to taste- I used a couple pinches for the whole pot. 

 

Place squash halves cut-side down in a lightly oiled baking pan. Add water to pan until it goes halfway up the sides of the squash halves. 

Cut tips off of garlic cloves,  leaving head intact. Lightly coat cut ends with olive oil and wrap head of garlic in aluminum foil. 

Roast both squash and garlic in a 350 degree oven for about one hour. Remove from oven and let cool.

When squash is cool enough to handle, scrape flesh into a stockpot. Squeeze individual cloves from the garlic head into the pot. Add chipotle chiles and sauce, salt, and vegetable broth.  Use an immersion blender to purée all ingredients, adding more broth as necessary to reach desired consistency.  

Heat on stove, stirring frequently, and serve. 

 

Just a couple notes on this recipe:

     -If you don't have an immersion blender, you can purée this soup in a food processor or regular blender, working in batches. If you do it in a regular blender, DO NOT do it when the ingredients are hot. The steam cannot escape from a regular blender and it will explode all over. 

     -I served this with crushed Beanitos chips on top- they fit into the wacko elimination diet I'm currently on. Regular tortilla chips would be good, as would big homemade croutons or a side of a nice crusty bread. (Mmmm, I miss bread.)

     -Garlic, chiles and salt can be easily adjusted to taste in this recipe. Always remember to start with less than you think you want and taste between additions.  

 

This soup was the perfect thing to warm my belly on a cold Minnesota winter day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Chile Lime Potato Chips

When you're on a really restrictive elimination diet, you sometimes have to get creative.  I had a huge craving for guacamole tonight but I usually eat it with chips.  Corn is on the "NO" list.  Ok, so Blue Diamond Nut-Thins- rice and nuts, right?  Yep, and butter.  Dairy is also on the "NO" list.  Grrr.  So I looked up a recipe for gluten-free crackers.  I found one that looked good, but it calls for either arrowroot powder or cornstarch.  I have no arrowroot powder, and remember...corn is on the "NO" list.  
I sat and stewed about it for a while.  I really, really, REALLY wanted guacamole!  On beans?  Nope, don't have any that aren't dried.  On chicken?  Frozen.  Then, finally, AHA! On homemade chile lime potato chips!  Potatoes, lime juice, olive oil, ancho and chipotle chile powders, and salt to taste.  Bake in a single layer at 400 degrees until crispy.  They absolutely hit the spot!   

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe was an attempt to convince myself that squash is good.  I've never met a squash that I liked, but until last year, I had never met a sweet potato I liked either. 

I decided after discovering a love for spicy sweet potato fries, that the problem with most traditional American sweet potato and squash recipes is that we add sugar in some form and make them sweet.  (Think marshmallow on sweet potatoes, brown sugar and butter on squash.)  Sweet, as far as I'm concerned, does not belong on my dinner plate! 

I love curries so this recipe was a natural choice for me in my quest to like squash.  I adapted it just slightly to fit my taste preferences, omitting the sugar, increasing the curry paste, and adding some heat with cayenne.

So did I like it?  Yes!  Will I make it again?  Yes!  But probably with one more change.  I don't mind the flavor of the tofu, it really doesn't have much, but I wasn't a fan of the texture of the cubes.  I'd either puree it into the soup next time or break it into smaller crumbles. 

Thai Butternut Squash Soup
Adapted slightly from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas For The Weeknight Table

1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups vegetable broth
24 ounces cooked butternut squash
2 TBSP lime juice
2 cups fresh baby spinach
Cayenne pepper to taste

12 ounces firm tofu
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp coconut oil


In a soup pot, whisk together the coconut milk, 1 tsp curry paste, salt, and broth.  Add squash, cover and bring to a simmer.  Puree with stick blender if needed. 
Meanwhile, prepare the tofu.  Cut tofu into small cubes and put in a bowl.  Toss with soy sauce and 1 tsp curry paste.  Heat coconut oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. 
Add tofu, lime juice, and spinach to the simmering soup.  Stir and cook just until the spinach wilts.  Add more salt and cayenne pepper to taste.