Potato and Mushroom Soup

"Something with potatoes and mushrooms," was the request from my sister Grace. And so it was that I came up with this soup as I wandered the produce section.

I sauteed diced onions and fennel bulbs, and minced garlic, in olive oil. Then I added the chopped cremini, shiitake, and white mushrooms, which cooked down as well. I seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and added boiling water. Then I threw in the diced potatoes, fresh tarragon leaves, and some lemon juice to brighten the earthy flavor of the potatoes and mushrooms. Those are chives on top.

(Thanks, Grace, for this placemat! Love it!)

Massaman Curry

Mmmmm...massaman curry: beef, potatoes, and onions cooked in coconut milk and a curry paste that includes garlic, chilies, ginger, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and lemongrass, among other things, and garnished with peanuts. Serve it with rice to soak up the delicious sauce.

Though I love Thai cooking and experiment with it occasionally, yielding delicious results as seen here, I am no expert at this exquisite cuisine. However, Leela's She Simmers is a blog that has tons of Thai home cooking (and some non-Thai recipes). Even better, almost all her recipes are gluten-free! Here's the link to her massaman recipe so you too can enjoy it.

Manaqeesh Za'tar

I always find it amusing when an ordinary Arab ingredient is exotic to Westerners. (And I'm sure I look silly to Southeast Asians for being intrigued by kaffir lime leaves and palm sugar.) It seems that the latest trend is the commonplace za'tar, which is the name for both a variety of species of  thyme and oregano, as well as the name of a mix made with these herbs, salt, sesame seeds, and sumac. On an average morning, it's eaten by dipping Arab pita into extra virgin olive oil and then into the za'tar mix, often accompanied by sliced tomatoes or cucumbers.

When you have more time to prepare or eat, you bake or buy manaqeesh (singular: manqousheh) za'tar, a sort of mini-pizza made with bread dough spread with an olive oil and za'tar blend. Of course, this has always been made with gluteny wheat dough. Until now. Behold, gluten-free manaqeesh:

I have yet to seriously experiment with gluten-free baking, so for now I've been relying on ready-made gluten free products when I occasionally want something bready. One day, I'll develop a gluten-free dough that is suitable for Arab breads and crusts, but for now we'll use Udi's pizza crusts, which worked very well, though they make a manqousheh that is thinner than the classic one.

The preparation is simple. Acquire some za'tar, which you'll find at your local Arab grocery. It may come with the sesame and sumac mixed in, or you may have to add them yourself (in which case, you should pick up some of those too). No Arab grocery in your area? You may find za'tar and sumac at your local gourmet shop, though they are likely to be wildly overpriced. You can play with the ratio of za'tar, salt, sesame seeds, and sumac until it's too your likely, but it should be herby and tangy. This za'tar blend is then mixed with enough extra virgin olive oil to form a loose paste. Spread the paste onto the crusts, and toast them for a few minutes in an oven that's been preheated to 450 degrees. You can eat them somewhat crunchy, but they taste better when they are softer. With these crusts, I found that using them right from the freezer yields a more pliable result. Keep an eye on your manaqeesh as they bake; they can quickly get too dry. Eat with sliced or diced tomatoes, which refreshingly counter the herbs.

Note: In it's classic form, this dish is vegan, and I am labeling it as such. Udi's crusts, however, have egg as an ingredient. If you can't eat eggs, use a crust that is free of them.

Sunchoke and Potato Soup

I remember seeing this soup on Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, Shauna and Danny Ahern's wonderful blog, and thinking I should make it right away. That was a year ago. Today, I finally made the soup. It was delicious! 

This is the first time I've eaten sunchoke, also known as Jerusalem artichoke. It looks like a cross between potato and ginger, and tastes a little like water chestnut. 

I rarely consult recipes when I cook. When I do, as in this case, I don't follow them precisely. I get the general idea and then I just do it, relying on my own skills, experience, and tastebuds, nary a measuring spoon in sight. In this case, I didn't want to deal with a blender, so I chopped the potatoes and peeled sunchoke extra small, and then gave them a rough mash in the pot once they cooked through. I also omitted the heavy cream, so that it would be dairy-free. Because of these two changes, you'll see that my version is less creamy looking, but I'm sure it's just as tasty.

Spiced Sweet Potatoes

I heart sweet potatoes. And if you want the sweet-potatoiest sweet potato, go for the garnet variety, which I tend to find in the organic section (all the better!).

Here, I peeled and sliced them. (When you do so, be prepared to get some sugary starch on your hands from the potatoes. It's a little difficult to get off, though vinegar and salt helped me scrub it off. Or wear gloves.) Then I placed them in an olive-oiled tray and roasted them.

When the potatoes are almost done, crush a bunch of garlic and grind some (toasted if you like) cumin and coriander. Cook the garlic, cumin, and coriander in some olive oil (or butter) and add to this some chili powder, cinnamon, and salt. This will form a sort of cooked-down paste, which you will then brush on the potatoes. Let the potatoes roast until done and enjoy!

Cranberry Relish

This is an extremely easy cranberry dish to make; so easy, in fact, that I learned to make it 25 years ago in my kindergarten class. It's been a family favorite ever since. My Uncle Louis, in particular, is an ardent fan.

You need a food processor; about equal amounts of (washed, of course) red apples, oranges (preferably navel), and fresh cranberries; and sugar. Roughly chop the apples and oranges, keeping the skins and peels on, but taking the stems and seeds out. Then fill the processor with about equal parts apple, orange, and cranberry, and some sugar. Process the fruits until they achieves a relishy consistency. There's no way to tell you how much sugar you'll need; it depends on your personal taste, as well as the sweetness and tang of the particular fruit you're using. Just add the sugar bit by bit, until you achieve a balance you like between tart and sweet. If you make a batch that's too sweet, make the next batch less sweet and mix the two batches. 

This relish tastes even better the next day, so you may want to make it (and refrigerate it) a day before you serve it. It makes an excellent sweet, tart, cold counterpart to warm, savory turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Tortilla Soup

Most tortilla soups are made with chicken, but this is a vegan one.

I started by making a vegetable broth of green and red bell peppers, onions, garlic, pablano peppers, ancho (dried pablono) peppers, salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, oregano, basil, and chili powder. Sautee all these ingredients in some olive oil until they've cooked down, then add some boiling water and let everything simmer for a while.

Next, add cooked beans (I used black and pinto), corn, fire roasted tomatoes, and some slices of corn tortilla or tortilla chips, and let them all cook in the soup. Squeeze in a bit of lime juice. And that's it!

Many people eat this with cheese or sour cream (or other garnishes), but since I am 98% dairy-free, I added a few more chips, and raw tomato and onion.