Caldo Verde

In this era when not only do we crave flavor, but value the health benefits of the various ingredients that make up that wonderful dish; in this wintertime when we look for foods that will warm us there is nothing better than a good hot soup.

We’ve adapted the following recipe from various sources to come up with our own kosher, nutritious, delicious version:

Photo from: http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/deborah/2009/01/sss_week_8_portuguese_caldo_ve_1.html

Caldo Verde is a traditional Portuguese soup, made mainly from kale and potatoes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes or other floury baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks.
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound kale, leaves trimmed from the thick stems, rinsed and finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Put the potatoes in a saucepan with 8 cups water and add a little salt. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Mash the potatoes lightly with a fork, leaving them in the water.
2. Cook the kale in a pan of boiling water for 3 – 4 minutes. Drain and stir into the potato broth with the olive oil. Simmer for 1 – 2 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot.

–XoX–

Variation

Photo from: http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.com/2011/07/recipe-caldo-verde-take-one-caldo-verde.html

Ingredients

• 2 Jack’s Gourmet Mexican Style Chorizos, sliced

Directions

1. Heat up a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add chorizo slices and brown. Once browned remove and set aside.
2. Follow step 1 in the vegetarian version above.
3. Add the Jack’s Gourmet chorizo slices and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the kale and let cook until desired level of doneness.
4. Serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Dairy Beet Borsht

Growing up in Uruguay, I always used to look forward to Borsht Soup. Whether hot or cold, it was always a treat! I never got my mother’s recipe, but I made this one last night and it brought back some sweet memories of my childhood. With Shavous almost here, I thought I’d try a dairy version (parve, also given)

Beet Borsht

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb 8 oz small tender beets
• 1 large chopped onion
• 15 cups of water *
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• chopped fresh dill to garnish
• sour cream (optional, do not use if you prefer a parve soup)

Directions

1. Cut tops from beets leaving a bit of the stems attached, wash thoroughly to remove any sand or grit. Peel the betts and grate them. Transfer to a heavy pan. You might want to wear rubber gloves to prevent your hands being stained.
2. Add the onion to the pan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer partially covered for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Take off from heat and allow the vegetables to cool slightly.
3. Ladle the liquid into a food processor and process until smooth. Rinse off the pan and put the soup back in it.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat and add salt, pepper (to taste), lemon juice and sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes and taste, it should have a sweet and sour taste. If necessary add a little more sugar or lemon juice, if it’s a bit thick, thin out by adding a little bit more water.
5. Serve hot with a swirl of sour cream. Sprinkle with dill. You may also serve it cold if you refrigerate it covered, but you thin out the soup as it will thicken when chilled.

(Sometimes you may find a similar recipe using vegetable stock instead of water, I’ll have to do that next time.)

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy. I did! I tied hot, I can’t wait to try it cold.

CS

Vegetable Cream Soup

Growing up in Montevideo, Uruguay, as the only Jewish kid (a very fat one!) on an all-Italian block… in the middle of the Jewish neighborhood (go figure!), my mother soon realized that it would be safer for her little boy if she learned to cook cucina italiana, then some of his tormentors would stop harassing him in hopes of getting invited for a meal. She learned from our neighbors and soon became the outstanding Italian cook on the block. Somehow word got out, and life became a lot easier for me…

Here’s one recipe I made last eve (using a food processor, which – when I was a kid – my mother didn’t have), after I found it in The Italian Mama’s Kitchen by Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi. It tasted just like I my mother’s!

Cream of Vegetable Soup – Passata di Verdure

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized carrots, trimmed and peeled
• 2 small zucchini, trimmed
• 3 small potatoes
• 1 small bunch (about 1/2 oz) flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 cups chicken stock*
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• Salt and pepper

Detail from photo in The Italian Mama's Kitchen, page 57

Directions

1. Cut the carrots, zucchini and potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes
2. Place the parsley on a piece of cheesecloth. Using kitchen string, tie the of the cheesecloth together to form a bag shape.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the carrots, zucchini and potatoes; sautee for 10 minutes. Add the bay leaves and garlic. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Pour the stock* into the saucepan. Add the Parsley and and peas . Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Remove and discard the parsley and bay leaves. Transfer the stock to a blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is of a consistency you desire. Return the soup to the saucepan to reheat before serving and add salt and pepper to taste. It can be stored in the fridge for up to three days (and I know exactly what I’ll be having this evening, again!)

* Chicken Stock – Brodo di Gallina

Yield: 16 cups

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch (about 1/2 oz) Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 pound hen, cleaned and cut into four pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 large carrot
• 4 bay leaves
• 12 black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place the celery and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth, then using kitchen string, tie the ends of the cheesecloth together to make a bag.
2. Place 16 cups water in a large pot. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the surface occasionally to catch and discard the residue and foam. Add extra water to the broth, making sure the original level of broth is maintained throughout.
4. Drain the stock through a strainer discarding the vegetables and reserving the flesh for further use in other recipes.

The chicken stock can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen up to 30 days.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Soups as Comfort Food

It’s winter, last evening we had our first snowfall of the year. It was not a heavy snow but it was followed by verrrry cold weather, is there a  better way to warm up than having some nice hot soup? Below is one of my favorites:

Creamy Potato Soup

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 medium potatoes, mashed
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 6 cups soy milk
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Parsley and basil for garnish

Directions

1. Peel, cube, boil, drain and mash.
2. In separate pan, melt butter, add flour and cook while stirring for about a minute or so.
3. Add half the milk and stir until lumps are out of flour mixture.
4. Add remaining milk and on med-high heat, bring to a boil.
5. Stir almost constantly or it will scorch.
6. After boiling, turn heat off and add the mashed potatoes.
7. Sprinkle some parsley and basil, serve.

Having scoured the web, we bring you a few easy to make recipes but are truly delicious.

At Foodista.com – The Cooking Encyclopedia Everyone Can Edit I found the following recipe by Alisa Escanlar:

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 can (14 oz) whole tomatoes, broken up, with juice
• 10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme, ground

Directions

1. Heat cooking oil over medium heat in large saucepan and add ground beef.
2. Scramble fry until browned and crumbly.You can remove excess oil. Drain the hamburger and add back to pot.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Then, cover and simmer in medium to low heat.
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender but not too soft.
5. Serve with crackers.

From South African cooking blog: KOEK! we bring you:

Photo by: Koek! blog

Pappa Al Pomodoro

Ingredients

• 8.5 ounces olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 leeks, finely chopped
• 34 ounces meat stock (made with beef and chicken)
• 64 ounces puréed canned tomatoes
• Half a loaf of bread, thickly sliced
• Generous handful basil leaves, torn
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a medium cooking pot. When the garlic has coloured slightly, add the leeks. Saute over a low heat for 20 minutes, adding water as necessary to keep the vegetables from turning brown.
2. Stir in the stock and puréed tomatoes and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and add the bread, pushing it into the liquid with a wooden spoon. Stir in the torn basil leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Now whisk the soup energetically until it has a porridge-like consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. 5. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Vegetable Beef Soup

Shavuos Recipes – Part 1

Being a foodie, I’m always scouring the net or pestering friendly Chefs for new interesting creations. Here are two superb Shavuot recipes. The incomparable Lévana will always find a way to do it different, to make it easier and keep it delicious!

Ricotta Almond Pie

Anyone looking for a nice departure from the traditional all-American Cheesecake? This is for you! light and ethereal, with a wonderful almond crust and scented with lemon peel. I just made it for a fundraiser demo and watched it disappear with great pleasure!

Almond crust ingredients:
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
Dash salt
2 cups flour (any flour, including Gluten-free)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
2 tablespoon very cold water, or a little more if needed.

Filling ingredients:
3 cups ricotta
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brandy or rum
2 tablespoons lemon zest

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the crust: finely grind the almonds with the sugar. Add the salt, flour, vanilla and butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the water and mix just until the dough comes together. Working quickly, spread into an 11inch springform pie plate, coming up the sides.

Whisk all the filling ingredients together. Pour into the pie crust. Bake about 40 minutes, or until set.

For a long time I wanted a great kosher recipe for French Onion Soup Recipe… I finally found it:

Every single ingredient in this wonderful soup is in on the secret of its success: All the members of the onion family are present; fresh thyme; The mixture of dark miso and dry red wine do wonders to imitate the beef broth that is the trademark of onion soup but that is off-limits to Kosher and Vegetarian Cooking; The cheeses must be freshly grated.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, sliced very thin (food processor)
4 large shallots, sliced very thin (food processor)
2 large leeks, white parts only, sliced very thin (processor)
6 large cloves garlic, minced (food processor)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups dry red wine (liquor stores)
1/2 cup dark miso paste (health food stores)
6 sprigs thyme, leaves only (or with their stems, but remember to fish it out)
2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water
Good pinch nutmeg
Salt and freshly grated ground pepper (very little salt if at all)
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 cup smoked cheese, cut in small chunks
1 cup grated parmesan
A dozen slices baguette, cut on bias, toasted. (375 degrees oven, for about 20 minutes, until light brown)

Directions:
Heat the oil in a heavy pot, and in it fry the onions, shallots, leeks and garlic on a medium flame, about 30 minutes, until dark. Add the sugar and cook two more minutes until caramelized. Add wine, miso, thyme, water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and cook covered another 30 minutes.  Stir in the ground pepper and nutmeg. Pour the mixture into individual oven-proof soup crocks. Float a slice of toasted baguette in the center of each bowl, and a handful of the mixed grated cheeses, and run under the broiler for just a few seconds. If you don’t own the crocks, no problem, just stir in the cheeses at the end and cooking, right in the pot, and top each serving with a slice of toast. It won’t look as dramatic, but it will be every bit as delicious!

Enjoy these folk, I know I will.

CS

related posts

shavuos recipes – part 2 

shavuos recipes 

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shavuos recipes – part 2

For prize winning cheese cake recipes: and the winner is…