Really Gouda Cauliflower Soup

I was the world's pickiest eater as a child (okay maybe until 18). Going out to eat with my parents meant fried mozzarella sticks, which I would inevitably choke on at least once during the night due to eating them too fast. At home, the most reliable way to get me to eat vegetable involved a sauce made from heating milk with American cheese and whisking it together. At that time I loved it, especially over potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower (said quietly while looking at the floor in shame).

While American cheese has not been on my grocery list since, well, I started buying groceries, I have continued my passionate love affair with cheeses of all kinds. This soup is a dressed up version of my childhood meals-a chunky cauliflower soup with creamy melted Gouda.

To Make Cauliflower Soup:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon parsley
2 cups chicken stock
1 can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons flour
Splash dry white wine (2 tablespoons, more or less)
4 oz Gouda, grated or chopped into tiny pieces
Optional: chopped chives

Melt 2 tablespoons in large stew pot. Add onion and garlic to pot and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that garlic and onion do not brown. Add cauliflower and parsley and cook 5 minutes to soften.

Add white wine to pot. Let wine come to simmer and cook off, about 3-5 minutes, stirring vegetables. Add chicken stock to pot and bring to simmer.

While soup is cooking, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in sauce pot. Whisk flour into butter. Add milk slowly, stirring so that it becomes incorporated. Stir mixture until it begins to thicken. Add gruyere chunks and whisk as it melts into roux.

Take some broth from soup (about 1/2 cup or so) and whisk into roux/cheese. Pour entire mixture into soup pot. Let soup simmer about 15 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with chives if desired.


By the way...I apologize for the recipe's cheesy name (oops I did it again!)

Black Bean, Red Bell Pepper and Shrimp Stew

This is pretty similar to my vegan black beans and rice recipe. In this version, I add red bell pepper, corn and shrimp to the beans, creating a healthy Caribbean stew served with white rice that is a bit lighter than its beans-only version. (Photos will be posted tonight!) Other fun option would be the addition of sweet plantains or chorizo to the black bean soup.

Ingredients:

1 1 lb bag dried black beans
4 cups chicken stock
2 onions, diced
1 head garlic, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons pimenton (Spanish paprika)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup frozen corn
1 lb large shrimp, de-veined and peeled
4 cups cooked white rice
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 avocados

Rinse beans very well in cold water and let drain. Put in large stew pot and cover with water, so that there is about 3 inches of water above beans. Let beans soak overnight or 8 hours.

Drain beans and rinse well and drain again. (For some reason, the rinsing gets rid of most of the substance that gives people indigestion).

Heat olive oil in stew pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic. Turn heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables have softened.

Add tomato paste, spices, and vinegar and cook 3 minutes.

Add beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Turn beans down to soft boil and cook 3-4 hours, or until they are almost soft enough to eat.

Stir in frozen corn, and bring to a soft boil. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink.

Scoop white rice onto plates. Ladle soup over rice. Serve with sliced avocado and lime wedges.

Portuguese White Bean, Kale and Linguica Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb pork and fennel sausage (linguica)
2 strips bacon, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 15 oz can cannellini beans
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 cups kale

Heat up olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add linguica and cook about 6 minutes, turning halfway through to brown both sides. Remove from pan and let cool (leave burner on).

Add onion, garlic and bacon chunks to pan. Saute for 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent. Add red pepper flakes and cook 1 additional minute.

Add tomatoes. Let mixture come to a boil, then let cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cannellini beans and chicken broth. When soup comes to a boil, turn down so that it remains at a simmer.

Cook uncovered about 20 minutes, until beans are soft. While cooking, slice sausage into approximately 3/4 inch long chunks.

Add sausage chunks and kale. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until soup has thickened.

Serve with crostini (Slice Italian bread, drizzle with olive oil then grill or cook in toaster oven).

Spanish Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo)

Sopa de ajo is perfect for those winter nights when you need a little something to warm you up. It's also my favorite soup to have when I have a cold (take that, chicken noodle). It's incredibly simple to make, and delicious!

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons Spanish extra virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves
3 thick slices of day old bread (white, baguette, ciabatta) (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon pimenton (Spanish smoked sweet paprika)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 eggs

Use garlic press to crush cloves. Heat up the olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, until garlic is soft. Add bread, paprika and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down so that the soup is simmering, but no longer boiling. Cook about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle soup into bowls. Crack egg over each bowl, the heat from the soup will cook the egg (not a whole lot-it's more like lightly poached). You can also add poached eggs, this will ensure your egg is done the way you like!

You can pulverize the bread if you prefer a more uniform texture.

Aphrodisiacs: Oysters 3 Ways

The word "aphrodisiac" was born when Aphrodite emerged from the sea on an oyster shell. Because the goddess of love was said to be born from the sea, many types of seafood have reputations as aphrodisiacs.

Some people believe in a "law of similarity," that is, food resembling genitalia may possess sexual powers. Others state that the mere belief that oysters enhance sexual desire and performace creates a psychosomatic response and their bodies respond to the belief-due to the mind, not the oysters.

However, oysters gained their reputation at a time many people were zinc deficient-which affects sexual desire and pleasure. Oysters contain just about the most zinc of any food. Thus, the addition of oysters to a zinc-deficient diet, would definitely lead to an increased sex drive.

True or not, the belief of oysters' awesome powers continues. In honor of Aphrodite, and oysters :) I have included 3 oysters recipes in this post. The first is from MarthaStewartLiving.

Chanterelle and Parmesan Oysters:

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
6 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, rinsed, drained, patted dry, and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
Freshly ground black pepper
1 dozen extra-small (2 to 3 inches long) Pacific oysters, shucked and drained, bottom shells reserved
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat broiler. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in chanterelles and lemon juice and cook, until the chanterelles release their liquid, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley and creme fraiche. Season with pepper.

Scrub reserved oyster shells and dry.

Place an oyster in each shell and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the chanterelle mixture onto each oyster. Sprinkle with cheese.

Place oysters in a heatproof dish and broil about 6 inches from heat source until bubbly, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately

Artichoke and Oyster Soup

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/4 small green pepper, minced
1 1/4 rib celery celery, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts, chopped
12 oysters, rinsed well, removed from shells (careful to remove any shell fragments!)
8 ounces baby bellas, chopped
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of dry white wine.
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until golden. Add the onions, green pepper, celery and garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally, about 7-10 minutes.

Add the milk, whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth.

Add the mushrooms and oysters and cook until oysters are wilted and edges curled. Remove the oysters and chop them into small pieces.

Add the quartered artichoke hearts and oysters to the soup and enough of the chicken broth to make soup consistent.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Just before serving, add Parmesan cheese and dry white wine and let the soup simmer a few minutes longer.

Oysters on the Half Shell

Ingredients:
12 oysters on the half shell
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Piri-piri sauce
A mignonette of your choice

Pick up one of the oysters by the shell. Squeeze lemon over oyster, or spoon a little sauce over oyster.

Use a small fork, like a cocktail fork, detach the oyster from its shell.

When you are sure the oyster is no longer attached to the shell, put the edge of the shell against your bottom lip.

Slurp the oyster into your mouth.

Enjoy!

Truffled Wild Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 celery rib, diced
4 shallots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, chopped
6 ounces crimini mushrooms, chopped
6 ounces oyster mushrooms, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc works well)
1/4 cup dry Sherry
1/4 cup all purpose flour
4-6 cups chicken stock
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Salt
Pepper

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, shallots, onion, garlic and thyme. Turn down to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute 5 minutes. Add wine and sherry. Bring everything to a boil. Cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until liquid is reduced.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in medium saute pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until mixture resembles a golden paste. Add 1 cup chicken stock to paste and whisk in until creamy. Add to sauce pot and stir until paste and vegetables are mixed together. Add remaining chicken stock. (If soup is too thick add all 6 cups stock, if not, just use 4 cups). Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to so that mixture simmers. Cook about 10 minutes.

Puree soup in blender or processor until smooth. Return soup to pot and add milk and truffle oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to simmer and cook additional 5 minutes.

Fabada (Fava Bean and Chorizo Soup)

Ingredients:
1 lb. Fava beans
4 small chorizo sausages or 2 large ones, chopped
1/4 lb. pancetta, chopped (not Spanish, I know, but I like the added flavor)
1/4 lb. jamón serrano, chopped
1/2 lb. ham hocks
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 garlic
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
a few threads of saffron
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt to taste

Soak the white beans in water overnight. Drain, rinse thoroughly and drain again.

Heat oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the chorizo, pancetta, jamon serrano and other meat products and sear meat on all sides. (It's okay if it isn't completely seared-just do the best you can to brown the meat). Place meat large stew pot over medium heat.

In pan with meat drippings, saute the onion, carrot, garlic, paprika and saffron for a 5-7 minutes over medium heat, add additional oil if necessary. Add to stew pot, along with chopped parsley and bay leaf.

Add beans to stew pot. Add chicken broth and extra water if necessary to cover all the beans/meat. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender. Make sure the beans are always covered with liquid, adding water if necessary.

Take several beans, mash them up, return them to the pot and cook uncovered for several minutes.

Serve with good crusty bread.

To buy good chorizo or other Spanish products in Boston, I LOVE Las Ventas. Its owner, Julio de Haro. owns the tapas restaurant next door, Estragon (I haven't been there yet as I am a big fan of Dali), and always gives me free samples of cheeses, sausages, etc. They also do lunch sandwiches. Mmmm...