Recipe: Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny Soup

This is the soup I tried to make unsuccessfully for years.  I don't know what went wrong or why I wouldn't just admit what I was craving when I wanted warming spices, vegetables, tender raisins, coconut hints, and lentils was just straight up mulligatawny, but I went off course a few times before sorting myself out enough to make a straight mulligatawny that was delicious, warming, full to bursting of flavor, and just plain self high-five worthy.  It was so tasty that when my coworker was out under the weather, I knew it was just the thing to bring in the dead of four feet of Boston winter to warm her up.  


But before I do tell you about the recipe, let me tell you a little story.  

All zero of you reading this may recall that I spent roughly five years working to realize a one year New Years resolution.  You know, that time I made 52 recipes in my Le Creuset.  Well, roughly three days after posting my reflections on the completion of said resolution, the.worst.thing.ever.happened.

My Le Creuset broke.

Red Lentil Soup (Recipe 4)

March guys.  March.  Let’s debrief.  Calling it a rollercoaster is not even a stretch; there were some lows, some sorrows, some craziness, some whirlwind highs, a whole lot of busy, and a really great trip down to see one of my bestest gals: Ms. J.  No, not that Ms. J. 

This Ms. J:

She and I have been buds since 1996, when I walked into my first summer camp cabin and she was there, all braces, curls, and sass.  We lived together in our castle in the clouds after college, and she’s solely responsible for my more guilty ladynerd pleasures. Ahem, ahem, OUTLANDER. Ms. J and I decided it was high time we take our friendship to a new level: honeymoon.  Sure, we’re not married to each other, or at all.  But shouldn’t best galpals get a honeymoon too?  Our ladymoon took us to some excellent eating and watering holes in Durham, NC, Savannah, GA, and Asheville, NC, but one of the most memorable meals was one that Ms. J made my first night in Durham.  

Breaking out alllll the Le Creusets

Her recipe is actually a favorite one of her mom’s, which was obtained at a cooking class at one of their hometown restaurants, Kareem’s.  Kareem’s (and the Ms. J parentals) are located in the fair city of Watertown, MA, made internationally famous for sadder reasons just about one year ago when the Boston Marathon bombing suspects when on the lam and had a dramatic shootout throughout this normally sedate town.  Watertown is home to a ton of delicious Syrian, Albanian, and Lebanese restaurants, and this recipe, adapted from Kareem’s original one, will bring a delicious spoonful of Syria via Watertown right to your own table, wherever you may be.

I did some light adapting, mostly because I am lazy, making it totally vegan, and by using things I had on hand (ie. I was too lazy to squeeze a lemon, so I used the lime juice I was using to make Moscow mules for my guest and I).   It is super quick, super easy, massively delicious, and I’m super glad to report it’ll likely become part of my repertoire for weeknight recipes.  Coincidentally, I am also super glad to have Ms. J as a friend (for more reasons than this recipe, duh).  

Red Lentil Soup (Recipe 4 - Le Creuset Challenge)

Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup

Adapted from an adaptation of Kareem Restaurant’s recipe for Ahmad’s Red Lentil Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 cups red lentils

½ cup farro, quinoa, or other hearty ancient grain (or a mix)

6 cups water

1 14 oz can lite coconut milk

1 medium onion, minced

2-3 Tbsp coconut oil

6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp ground cumin

2 tsp kosher salt

¼ c fresh lime juice

8 oz fresh spinach

Directions

Recipe 27: Clam and Pasta Soup with Summer Squash

I hope this Clam and Pasta Soup with Summer Squash makes up for
my lapse in timely post-making.

Whatever, whatever.  So I'm a huge slacker.  But you guys, summer vacation starts in a mere matter of weeks, when I will (in ambitious terms), write up my recipes and review of the books from the Dinner Train, and also several reviews of things I've read while not reading the books I said I would for Dinner Train (ahem...Middlmarch and Little Women, I'm looking at you with all my 19th century earnest goodness/judgment).  So spoiler alert - not a fan of LW.  Dubious about my ability/desire to finish in for Saturday's book club meeting, but club we will!  Until then, tide yourself over with the following recipe for clam and pasta soup, which I made some adaptions to (and suggestions for improving an already good thing) below.  Tip: canned clams can be found in the same area as tuna.  Don't overthink and look in the fancy section like I did!  Also, this soup is rather economical - but unlike many recipes, unless you are serving it as a starter, the serving size is closer to 3 for a main menu, but this might change if you follow my recommendation make it a little heartier by doubling the cans of clam and use only the juice in one.  Let me know!  This soup is also rather a quick one to make - I'd say it takes under an hour!

Clam and Pasta Soup with Summer Squash

Clam and Pasta Soup with Summer Squash

(adapted from The Soup Bible, by Debra Mayhew)

Serves 3-4, will be on your table in under an hour if you are efficient

Ingredients:

- 2 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 large onion, minced or chopped

- 2-4 cloves of garlic (more if you like more garlic, less if you like less, duh)

- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

- 1 Tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (or 1 Tbsp finely chopped rehydrated dried tomatoes + one tsp olive oil)

- 1 summer squash, chopped (pieces the size of your pasta - aka yellow zucchini)

-  1 tsp sugar

- 1 tsp Italian season blend

- 4 cups vegetable stock

- 2/3 cup red wine (drink the rest)

- 2/3 cup small pasta shapes (mini bow-ties, etc.)

- 1 5-6 oz jar or can of clams in natural juice (or, go for two, using the juice of one can and draining the other for more meat in this soup)

- 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (save some as a garnish)

- Salt-N-Pepa to taste

Recipe 30: Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Orzo Soup (for the soul)

I'd like to preface this by saying, YES.  I KNOW.  I know I haven't done a book review in...oh...2012.  I've got four coming your way: Monte Cristo, Blood Red Road, and (SQUEE) Froi!  I'll get on that just as soon as I get over the heady rush of freedom being done with The Count of Monte Cristo has afforded me! As a quick reminder, February's Dinner Train book club book is Anne of Green Gables. 

This is all you need to
make this soup.
No joke.  Simple!

When I was in middle school, I really really really fell for the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.  You know, specifically the stories where pets/people/relationships die horrible, slow, tragic deaths.  I should be embarrassed, doubly so by the fact that I tended to dramatically and theatrically cry while reading them, but considering my bowl cut, braces, and giant red glasses, I've got larger middle school embarrassment traumas to fry.  But even now, fully aware of what a melodramatic nerd individual I was, I think we can all admit that everyone needs a dash of chicken soup every now and then.  Even you, vegetarians (I'm trying to do Veguary, but having a hard time - it's the SUPERBOWL for crying out loud!)  If you are feeling at all under the weather, eat. this. soup.  Seriously.  It's like all the vitamin C of sucking on a lemon, but way more enjoyable!  Plus, you get some chicken, some orzo, some espinaca, etc.  It's also sinfully easy to make, particularly if you have leftover chicken on hand.  It is so easy to make, I made it a few weeks ago when my throat decided to set itself, my eyeballs, and my sinuses on fire! 

You weren't seeing things.
MY EGGS WERE BLUE. 

I used the actual recipe requirements of orzo, but have made the same with egg noodles and other pastas, though the shorter the noodle the better.  The best part about this soup is that it makes a bunch.  I froze half, which means the next time I am sick I don't have to do anything besides defrost!  Bring it on, seasonal cold and flu!  This recipe comes from the New England Soup Factory.  I always add more spinach than necessary, because I love it.  Because I am in a life-long quest to become a loveable eccentric, I chose to use blue eggs.  YES.  BLUE.  You know you are excited by their existence too (they taste the same, but will excite you twice as much).  You can probably make it vegetarian by using vegetarian stock and tofu cubes.  I bet it would be tasty!  Because of the highly acidic brightness of this soup, I recommend serving with a nice whole grain bread to tone it down just a smidge.  

Yellow is my favorite color; this is my favorite chicken soup.
This bowl choice was totally premeditated.

Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup

via The New England Soup Factory Cookbook

Serves about 6-8

Blue is GLOWING from his healthy dose of Vitamin C,
courtesy of this Greek Lemon, Chicken, and Orzo Soup!

Ingredients

10 cups chicken stock (2.5 qts)

1 cup orzo

4 eggs lightly beaten with a fork

2 lemons worth zest

3 lemons worth juice

1 cup coarsely chopped cooked chicken (about a pound)

1 16 oz bag fresh spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Bring your chicken stock to boil in your Le Creuset over high heat; you may cover slightly but leave the lid a bit open so it doesn't boil over.

2.  When the stock has reached a boil, add the orzo and cook it for approximately 5 minutes.

3.  Stirring constantly, drizzle in your beaten eggs and continue to stir the mix for at least thirty seconds after all eggs have been incorporated; the eggs will immediately cook into threads.

4.  Add lemon juice and zest, chicken, spinach, salt, and pepper.

5.  Once incorporated, remove from heat immediately and serve to your hungry and overtasked white blood cells.  Yummmmm.

Recipe 37: Swiss Chard Spanakopita (but really, Spanakocheater!)

This pan is toooooo small!

Yep.  I've been really behind on my recipe posts.  No denying that.  In fact, this one, a blatant cheat (more on that in a second) was made in August.  For a trip to the beach.  I know there's a wild Indian Summer on, but seriously.  Two months.  I'm off my game!  This recipe was a direct result of having too much farm share swiss chard and green onions.  It was a cheat because...you have no need for a Le Creuset if you actually follow the instructions, and say, have a large frying pan.  I probably could even have just used a wok.  But I'm a stinkin' cheater.  So I cheated and used Blue.  I think you can see why in the illustration to your right. 

This one is jusssst right.
And also the colors look nice together.
Always looking out for you, food porn.

I stuck to the original recipe, and the results were delicious.  I would recommend eating it relatively soon after making, and if you plan on cooling and saving for later (say for your planned picnic on the beach the next day), cool for a darn tootin' long time.  Else, the phyllo will absorb the moisture from the steamy chard and get all wilty and weird.  You can kind of fix this by popping it into the oven for a bit, but this doesn't work if, say, you are on the beach and didn't happen to put your oven in your beach bag.  I also did not follow the folding directions on the recipe.  I chose to do it more like a lasagna, making a point to make the bottom and top pieces alternatively more left or right oriented to created a burn barrier for the filling (if that makes any sense; I'm just lazy).  Using cooking spray is soooo much easier - I ran out halfway through and had to like...dip my little fingers in oil and smear it finger painting style all over the phyllo.  Not very elegant.  Either way, it's a great, healthy, tasty way to get rid of your abundance of swiss chard.  As per, I found it using MyRecipes.com and it comes from the December, 2003 issue of Cooking Light. 

Recipe 39: Peach, Plum, and Blueberry Balsamic Cobbler

Peach, Plum, and Blueberry Balsamic Cobbler

Good luck not just going at this
with a spoon.

     How delicious does that look?  Peaches and blueberries are probably some of my favorite things about summer, so when I saw the recipe for a blueberry and peach cobbler in last July's Cooking Light, obviously I had to try.  It was memorably good.  The type of good where you find yourself standing in the refrigerator door with a spoon chanting "Just one more bite! Just one more bite!"

Older sisters always get
the last laugh, punk.

      Thusly, I knew exactly what I'd be making for my family barbecue, especially because my pissant little brother refuses to try new things unless they are a) covered in chocolate, or b) covered in ketchup, so there would be leftovers, mwahahaha.  But when I got to the grocery store, the plums also looked so tasty!  Thus began my rogue recipe spinoff, so rogue that I added BALSAMIC.  Next time, I may double it and halve the lime just to see if it'll be stronger tasting.  Even my very skeptical mother had two whole bowls!  I mean, if Romina liked it, you know it's a winner (and has a no garlic, no fish, no onion in this house guarantee!).

It's not mold
It's an extra shake of patriotism!

Sidebar: I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour for the batter; it was fine but probably  would be slightly tastier/less dense using just all-purpose.  Also, forgive the blue sugar sprinkles.  I thought it would look more 4th of July festive.  My sister told me it looked like mold.  She was right. Finally, you don't have to use a Dutch oven for this recipe; a regular old 9x13 pan would work fine.  The benefit of using a Le Creuset is that it won't cook over thanks to the tall sides.  If you go regular pan, put a baking sheet under to prevent stove drippings.  Finally, you can prepare this in steps and let your fruit marinade in the fridge for a while if you want; I had to and was fine!

Peach, Plum, and Blueberry Balsamic Cobbler

Allegedly this serves 12.   It probably could, but really, it's more like me and 5 friends who like it as much.  

Peach, Plum, and Blueberry Balsamic Cobbler

Recipe 40: Macaroni and Cheese (so good I prefer the name Macaroni and Jesus)

This comfort food recipe comes all the way from the armpit of America to warm your bellies and help you help the government keep the floundering cheese industry on it's feet.  Or something.  

Anydoodle, this one is courtesy of Xandy "Brown Thunder" Brown, a New Jersey native who does not own a Bumpit.  I've included her slightly modified (because I was missing some ingredients) recipe below.  She recommends adding in veggies or even some ham or other meats to dress this one up.  I've had her recipe many times, both with and without fixin's and can assure you, your mouth will shout "HOLY MACARONI AND JESUS" either way.  Or something.    

Cheesey goodness!

Recipe:

Recipe 41: Mark Bittman's Paella with Poblanos, Corn, and Clams

I wasn't sure when I saw this recipe in my May 2011 Cooking Light, but wanted to branch out from soup.  I figured I'd give it the old college try and invited The Asphalt Kitchen to bring their thunder hunger.  And I am so so glad I did!  I learned several things while preparing to and subsequently cooking this recipe.  They are as follows:

1.  When you pay the small fortune it requires to travel to, say, Egypt, and sneeze your way through spice markets, it behooves you to take the advice of your host when they tell you that saffron is dirt cheap there.  Because chickpeas, holy macaroni and hay-zeus, it is NOT cheap in the United States of Supermarket Spice Piracy.  Twenty bones for like... an eighth of an ounce or something!    The jar weighs more!  It adds up, people.  You're better off sucking it up, buying the ticket, filling your suitcase with spices, and hoping the drug dogs at customs don't take a shine to you.  This recipe made me wish I'd stocked up at a place like this:

2.  When your landlord tells you he's getting you a new fridge, and then gets you a new one within 24 hours, that is a good landlord.  However, if you say, have only had mediocre landlords in the past, you'll probably not expect a new one sitting in your kitchen when you get home late from work and picking up the required clams, and are entertaining, can't find anything, and are subsequently buried under a freezer avalanche when you open the door.  Thank you Asphalt Kitchen for your unflappable patience!

3.  Follow this recipe exactly.  It is delish.  See?  (Well, sort of see.  My real camera was dead. But you love my crappy photos!)

 The Recipe For Deliciousness:

Recipe 43: Baked Shrimp with Zucchini and Much Cheese

You know what is hard?  Naming recipes.  And yet, making a quickie recipe is not terribly hard.  Seems kind of bass ackwards, no?  Judging from this being my second shrimp recipe in a row, the interwebs brain-trust can probably figure out that I bought a 3 bag o'frozen shrimp to keep my 3 pound bag o'frozen blueberries company in the freezer.  I've been thinking about making something not soup (gasp) in Le Creuset for a while.  Since I didn't want to feed a small army, I chose to use my smaller Le Creuset, Triple B.  (Which retrospectively is kind of a stupid name.  If you have a better one, because Little White sounds kind of awful and that's all I got, lay it on me.)  This was a great success, but then again I'm pretty sure throwing tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, and cheese in a pot and baking it will taste delicious, no exceptions.  I get the distinct feeling you can add or subtract anything you want to this; I actually intended to add a can of cannelini beans but cleverly forgot until I'd put it in the oven.  As is, this recipe has a lot of extra liquid, but it thickens a bit as it cools.  I'd recommend serving it over polenta, pasta or even rice (whatever your starchy poison is) or doing like I did and tearing up some bread and stirring it into my bowl to soak up the delicious.

Baked Shrimp with Zucchini and Much Cheese
(via my brain, courtesy of my stomach)
Serves approximately 4

Recipe 52: Spicy Peanut Soup

Like a bottle of Heinz Ketchup has 52 ingredients, my boy Blue will have 52 recipes. Thus begins the 52 Le Creuset Challenge! Recipe 52 (whatever, whatever, I do what I want, like count down!) was the recipe that started it all. And I'll have you know, it was delish. It comes to me from The Soup Bible, a gem published by Barnes & Noble and edited by Debra Mayhew (ISBN: 978-0-7607-9045-8), but was further edited por moi for reasons like "Oh shizer, I just walked to the grocery store in a blizzard* and forgot to get the corn I set out to get in the first place." This soup is bangtastic, all warm from both the warmth AND the spice, and filled with way more veggies than you originally think. Prep takes a while, but the soup itself cooks pretty quickly.

Spicy Peanut Soup

Allegedly serves six....but it's really more like eight.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large minced onion
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 large red bell peppers, minced (and obvi seeded)
1.5 cups minced carrots
1.5 cups finely chopped potatoes
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 cups/32 oz vegetable stock
6-8 Tbsp crunchy natural peanut butter**
1 can whole corn kernels (or one cup frozen)***
salt & fresh pepper

1. Heat the oil over medium-high.
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes, until onions are soft.
3. Add the cayenne and stir for about a minute.
4. Add the vegetables through celery and stir. Cook for around 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the stock, peanut butter, and corn. Stir until the peanut butter incorporates.
6. Season the soup and bring it to a boil.
7. Lower the heat to a medium, bringing the soup to a simmer. Cover.
8. Cook for around 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Adjust spices as you see fit!
9. The soup bible recommends serving this dish with crushed, unsalted, roasted peanuts as a garnish. I recommend just eating it. It's a souper supper.

*I'm not making up a fake blizzard to garner your moste skeptical sympathy points. True story, there was a blizzard. True story, the snow was up to my knees. But true story, I did not walk uphill both ways, Old Timer.
**I wound up using closer to 8 because my original 5 were the remainder of my jar of Teddies. Being au-natural, the oils were mostly gone and it was a tad dry. Thusly, I added about 2-3 more heaping Tbsp's from my fresh jar.
***Being a toolbox, I forgot to get the corn (like I said earlier). I used a can of sweet corn I got at the drug store. I let it soak and rinsed it several times in the hopes that it would strip some of the sugars away. I'm pretty sure this did nothing, and it was really good regardless...so...moot point? Up to you.

52 Le Creuset (Un amour interdit!)

Several years ago, I entered a long term, committed relationship. My love is Dutch by way of France. Our love is hot, heavy, and durable. We first met online, but things got serious when we bumped into each other at the mall. "Oh heyyyy hot stuff," said I. Things escalated quickly thereafter. We took the plunge on Christmas morning 2008 in a frenzy of gift bows and wrapping paper, and we've never looked back.

I think you're ready to be introduced to my boy, Blue:

You're my boy, Blue!


Earlier this week, cooped up and feeling craftsy during my snow day, an idea of sheer genius struck me like the hammer of Thor. What if Blue and I were to take our love to new levels of heat and passion? What if we were to do it on the stovetop AND in the oven? What if we were to do it 52 times in one calendar year? Would our love grow? Would we try all new recipes for culinary and gastronomic love? Would food porn ensue?
Yes, to all of the above. I will use Blue 52 times to make 52 different recipes. IN ONE YEAR.** Bring it!

Thus begins the 52 Le Creuset challenge.*


*It sounds like a fancy restaurant, right? Except it is not! Tricked you! You have my guarantee that many of these recipes will, in fact, be totally less than classy (ie. lots o'cheese, and a strong chance of booze).
** Rules: Each recipe counts only once; there must be 52 total recipes, but they do not need to occur once a week; recipes may use both stovetop and oven; recipes will be both vegetarian and filled with meat and cheese; even failure recipes will count; both Blue and his little brother (kind of like Barbie and Scooter) count; year and challenge end at midnight 12/31/2011 (obvi) EST.