Butternut squash soup

 

Tools n’ stuff

• cutting board
• knife
• blender/hand blender
• large pot
• wooden spoon
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• soup ladle

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• arugula/watercress to garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

 

1. In a large pot, sautée the butter, onions and garlic on medium-low heat till softened
2. Add the butternut squash and sautée till softened, also. Add the curry powder, salt, pepper and chicken stock
3. Let simmer on low heat, covered, for about an hour until everything is soft and has started to break-down
4. Stir in the cream and puree using either a hand-blender or standing blender till completely smooth
5. Ladle into bowl and garnish with a drizzle of more cream and some greens.

 

*For a variation in flavor, switch it up and swap the curry powder for sage. Or another twist; add lemongrass and swap the cream for coconut milk!

Gumbo not dumbo

Tools n’ stuff

• Big soup pot
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Smaller pot
• Soup ladle
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp (shell on)
• 2 regular size Andouille sausage
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 bell pepper (diced)
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 1 stalk celery (diced)
• 1 large can diced tomatoes (diced)
• 1 large can okra (sliced)
• 1 large carton seafood stock
• 1 teaspoon tabasco (or to taste)

Roux

•  1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon butter

 

Seasonings

• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp gumbo Fillet
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 3 Bay leaves
• 15 dashes (more or less to taste) tabasco

 

1. In a bog pot, cook the sliced sausages in oil and remove once lightly browned. set aside for later.
2. In a separate pan, cook the roux until browned, set aside for later.
3. Place all veggies (except okra, leave okra aside till last) in sausage pot and sauté until translucent.
4. Stir in all the spices and season. Toss in tomatoes, roux, sausages and broth.
5. Let simmer for about an hour, till it breaks down a little.
6. Toss in okra, shrimp and tabasco at the very end and let cook just till shrimps are cooked.
7. Serve over rice

Russian borscht with purple cabbage and ox-tail

 

A delicious traditional Russian soup. Perfect for winter nights or when you have a bunch of beets and purple cabbage left over from Easter egg dying. Yeah. It happens.

Using ox-tails adds delicious flavor, the bones help to richen the broth.

Tools n’ stuff

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Large pot
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons

 

Ingredients

• ½ a head of cabbage (shredded)
• 2 beets (julienned)
• ½ an onion (diced)
• 4 ox tails
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 12 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sour cream

 

1. Liberally salt and pepper the ox tails. In a large pot, brown the ox tails on medium heat thoroughly
2. Toss in onions and sauté just until the onions become transluscent
3. Pour in 6 cups of vegetable stock and let simmer for about 2 hours, with the lid on
4. Remove ox-tails (meat should be tender and falling off the bone). Let cool and shred
5. Place the soup in the fridge for about an hour, to let the fat solidify on top of the soup. When thoroughly chilled, remove the layer of fat and discard
6. Return soup to stove, add remaining 6 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Add the red wine vinegar, beets and cabbage. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, until veggies are tender
7. Add the shredded oxtail, let it heat through, plate!
8. Add a dollop of sour cream before serving.

 

Serves 3-4

Chicken congee (porridge)

Tools n’ stuff

• Food processor
• Large pot
• Small pot (optional)
• Frying pan (optional)
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound minced chicken (mince in a food processor)
• 1 cup rice
• 12 cups water
• 3 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
• 5 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tsp rice wine
• white pepper
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 7 spring onions (finely sliced)
• 6 eggs (optional)
• 6 pieces of chicken skin (optional)
• cut red chili’s (optional)

 

1. Place the chicken, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, white pepper and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
2. In a large pot, pour in the vegetable oil. Let it heat up then throw in the chicken mixture. On medium heat, sauté, just until it becomes fragrant, roughly 10 mins.
3. Pour in the rice, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
4. Pour in the water. increase flame to high. Cover pot. Let it cook till it starts to boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about an hour, until the rice breaks down, stirring every 15-20 mins or so to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
5. While this cooks, make the eggs and chicken skins (if you have them). Bring water to a boil in a smaller pot (make sure theres enough water to cover the eggs) and add the eggs to cook. (7 minutes for half-boiled eggs and 11-12 minutes for harder-boiled). Remove from heat and fill the sauce pan with cold water to cool the eggs. Peel when cooled and cut in half
6. Place chicken skins if you have them, flat in a pan, sprinkle with salt and let cook on low-medium heat, flipping once to brown each side. kinda like how you cook bacon. Usually takes about 15-20 mins. Be careful not to burn them. You can let them cook on the back burner while youre prepping everything else.
7. The Congee at this point should be ready. It should be creamy and most of the rice should have broken down. Uncover the pot, and stir in the sesame oil.
8. Plate! Garnish each bowl with the half boiled egg, crumbled chicken skins, some sliced chili, and spring onions.

So tasty and belly-warming – the fried chicken skins just make everything that much more delectable. No chicken skin left unturned. Grandma always told me not to waste anything.

Breathe in the hearty aromatics, and enjoy.

 

Serves 6 – 7.

Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Soup)

Tools n’ stuff

• Big soup pot
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Smaller pot
• Soup ladle
• Tongs

 

Ingredients

Soup stock

• 4 peeled garlic cloves
• 2 medium sliced shallot
• 3 candlenuts (macadamia nuts if you cant find it)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of galangal (ginger if you cant find it)
• 1 stalk fresh lemongrass (use white part only)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 quarts good chicken broth (fresh/homemade if you can)
• sea salt to taste

 

Solid components

• 1 lbs chicken

(I like to use bone-in skin on thighs because I think it adds more flavor and I can fry the skins separately, but use breast meat if you prefer)

• 1 packet of thin rice noodles
• 6 thinly sliced green onions
• 3 cooked eggs, shelled and cut into wedges
• 2 limes (cut into wedges)
• Fried shallots (you can buy this already made in a jar)
• Chili sambal (you can buy this already made in a jar)

 

1. Put the garlic, shallots, candlenuts, galangal, lemongrass and turmeric in a food processor and blast until finely pureed.
2. Put the oil in the large pot on the stove on medium heat, and put in the pureed mixture once hot. Stir-fry this just until it starts to brown.
3. Stir in the chicken broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Let this simmer for at least ½ an hour if not more.
4. While its simmering, add the chicken to cook. Let chicken cook for roughly 15-20 minutes until not pink in the thickest part, pull out and set aside to let cool. You will shred the chicken meat once cooled.
5. While that’s cooling and the soup still simmering – prepare the noodles, boiled eggs and garnishes.
6. Bring water to a boil in a smaller pot (make sure theres enough water to cover the eggs) and add the eggs to cook. (7 minutes for half-boiled eggs and 11-12 minutes for harder-boiled). Remove from heat and fill the sauce pan with cold water to cool the eggs.
7. Add salt to the simmering stock to taste.
8. Place chicken skins if you have them, flatly in a pan and let this cook on low-medium heat, slipping once to brown each side. Usually takes about 15-20 mins. Be careful not to burn them. You can let them cook on the back burner while youre prepping everything else.
9. Slice the shallots
10. Shred the chicken into pieces with your hands
11. Peel and quarter the eggs
12. In the smaller pot, again, bring some water to a boil and add the rice noodles. Cook according to packet directions (usually about 4-5 mins). Then portion the noodles with your tongs into individual bowls, depending on how many people you have.
13. Time to plate! Portion the chicken and green onions out between the bowls on top of the noodles. Ladle the broth over them. Garnish with 1-2 egg wedges, ½ a teaspoon of sambal, about 1 tablespoon of fried shallots per bowl and a 2 lime wedges. And a shard of chicken skin if you made them.
14. Squeeze the lime wedges over the soup and EAT!

Serves 2-3.