Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I have been roasting vegetables for many years, and when I just want a simple side dish, I’ll toss my prepared vegetables with a little olive oil and seasonings and pop them into a very hot oven to roast. Some of my favorite vegetables to roast are broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and winter squash. I had a big bowl of leftover roasted cauliflower in the refrigerator this past week and decided to turn it into a creamy soup.

Ingredients:

1 Large Head of Cauliflower, or 8 Cups, Cut Into Florets

4 Teaspoons Olive Oil, Divided

Salt & Pepper To Taste

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

3/4 Cup Chopped Onion

4 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

Garnish:

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Pancetta

1 Cup Whole Grain Bread, Cut Into Pea Size Pieces

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley Leaves

Method:

1.      Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.      Toss the cauliflower with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3.      Spread the cauliflower onto a baking sheet, and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden brown and tender.

4.      While the cauliflower is cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the pancetta over medium heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

5.      Add the breadcrumbs, stirring to mix with the oil and pancetta, then cook, stirring often until the crumbs are crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.

6.      Season with salt and pepper, toss with the parsley and set aside.

7.      Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan, and cook the onions and garlic over medium low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

8.      Add the broth and water to the onion mixture and bring to a boil.

9.      Add the cauliflower to the saucepan, and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

10.  Taste, and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

11.  Add the heavy cream to the pot and then puree until smooth and creamy in batches.

12.  Return the soup to the pot and keep warm.

13.   To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls, then top with a couple of tablespoons of the garnish.

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Hyderabadi Dum Ka Murgh

Hyderabadi Dum Ka Murgh

Whole chicken marinated leisurely in a host of spices along with cashews, chironji and fried onions. It is slow-cooked 'dum style.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, whole cut-up

2 Tbsp cashew nuts

1 Tbsp chironji or buchanania lanzan

1 cup sour curd, well beaten

1 cup deep fried onion

2 tsp ginger paste

2 Tbsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

2-3 green chilli, chopped

1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp shahi jeera

4-5 green cardamom pods, crushed

2 cinnamon sticks

5-7 cloves, crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

Juice of 1 lemon

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp ghee or clarified butter

Whole wheat or atta dough

Salt, to taste

Method:

1.      Add cashew nuts and chironji in a spice grinder and dry grind them to make a fine powder. Take the ground nuts out of the grinder and put aside.

2.      Now add cumin and coriander seeds and make a fine powder with them. Keep it aside.

3.      In a large non-stick pan, add chicken, nut powder, curd, fried onion, ginger-garlic paste, chopped chillies, chopped mint and cilantro, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, shahi jeera, lemon juice, salt, vegetable oil and ghee in the pan. Mix well.

4.      Leave the marinated chicken in the pan for at least 2 to 4 hours.

5.      After 4 hours take the lid off the pan and seal it with the atta dough and put the pan on medium heat to cook the chicken for at least 35 to 40 minutes.

6.      After 40 minutes, turn off the heat but do not open the lid. Leave the chicken as it is for 10 minutes.

7.      After 10 minutes cut the seal and open the lid.

8.      Chicken is ready. Serve hot with rice or any Indian bread.

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Clams Style Taiwanese

Clams Style Taiwanese

Stir-fried with the basic Chinese seasonings of oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, and infused with the spiciness of fresh red chilies, these clams retain the original briny sweet taste. You can try making this Taiwanese-style clams at the comfort of your home

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Manila clams

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 inch ginger (peeled and cut into thin strips)

1 1/2 fresh red chilies (seeded and sliced into pieces)

2 stalks scallion (cut into 2-inch lengths)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon rice wine

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:

1.      Clean and scrub the shell of the clams thoroughly. Rinse with cold water and drain.

2.      Heat up a wok and add the cooking oil. When the cooking oil is very hot, add garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic, and then follow by the red chilies and do a few quick stirs. Add the clams into the wok and stir a few times and cover with the wok’s lid. When the clams start to open up, add all the seasonings into the wok. Cover the lid again until most clams are open. Add the chopped scallions into the wok, do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve immediately

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Seared Cod With Chowder Sauce

Seared Cod With Chowder Sauce

This dish is inspired by chowder, a hearty American fish soup, often enriched with pork and potatoes. Chowder is a vegetable stew, often served with milk or cream and mostly eaten with saltine crackers. Chowder is usually thickened with broken up crackers, but some varieties are traditionally thickened with crushed ship biscuit. New England clam chowder is typically made with chopped clams and diced potatoes, in a mixed cream and milk base, often with a small amount of butter.

Ingredients:

knob of butter

1 small shallot, finely chopped

50g lardons or 2 smoked streaky bacon rashers, finely sliced

100ml white wine

1 large waxy potato, cut into small chunks

100g clams

100g sweetcorn

50ml double cream

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 x 150g thick-cut cod fillets from a sustainable source

chives, finely chopped

Method:

1.      Melt the butter in a pan. Cook the shallot and lardons or bacon for about 5 mins until softened. Add the wine, potato and 50ml water. Cover, then cook for 10 mins, stirring often, until nearly softened. Tip in the clams, cover, then cook for 5 mins until they have opened – discard any that don’t. Stir through the sweetcorn and cream, and keep warm.

2.      Heat a non-stick frying pan until smoking. Add the oil, swirl it around, then put the fillets in, skin-side down. Season, then cook for 3-5 mins until the skin is crisp. Carefully turn over, then cook for 2 mins more until just cooked through. Spoon the creamy potato mixture into 2 shallow bowls. Place a cod fillet in each and sprinkle with chives.

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