Sweet Potato Soup with Swiss Chard

Happy New Year!

It's a cold January day, so what better way to warm up than with a nice hot bowl of soup. I've taken to making a big pot each weekend, ready for lunch or dinner anytime throughout the week, especially good when time is in short supply. This is the ultimate in kitchen improv, most soups being a mish mash of whatever is on hand, each one different and delicious in its own way.

And so this is what came to be in my kitchen yesterday:

Sweet Potato Soup with Swiss Chard

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 large zucchini, diced
3 leeks (the top dark green part, sliced thinly) * I'd made some Potato & Leek soup last weekend, and had saved the tops for another time
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 large sweet potato, cubed
2 chicken bouillon cubes
8 cups water
1 bunch Swiss chard, sliced into strips

In a large stock pot heat the olive oil and add the onion, zucchini and leeks.

Cook until softened and slightly browned. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the water, the bouillon, the potato and the sweet potato.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree the mixture slightly with an immersion blender. (I like to puree just enough to give the broth a smooth creamy texture but leaving some of the veggies intact)

Add the Swiss chard.

Stir, put the lid back on the pot and let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the chard to wilt. (If you like, puree a second time if you want the Swiss chard to be in smaller pieces)

Two Fall Soups

Oh, my poor neglected blog. The days are shorter, the nights are colder, and I still haven't posted recipes and photos of those soups I made back in late September...

Soup has always been a favorite of mine. It's the easiest, healthiest way to cook whatever you've got in the fridge or pantry. It fills me up and keeps me warm. I think I can be quoted as saying "whoever invented soup was a genius." Not my greatest moment of high intellectual thought, but you get the idea. I'm a fan.

Mr. PL on the other hand, used to look as me with a puzzled expression when I would suggest soup as a meal. He was fond of saying, "Soup is not food!" Meaning, "But if I eat soup, I'm still going to be hungry."

I took it as a challenge to come up with or find some really delicious and filling soup recipes. Here are a couple of hearty ones for fall. Stay warm!

Split Pea with Barley Soup
Serves 4

1 cup of dry green split peas
2 cups of chicken stock
4 cups of water
1/2 cup of uncooked pot barley
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1/3 cup of diced turkey kielbasa
2 Tablespoons of dry herbs or 1/4 cup of chopped fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, marjoram, chives
1 bay leaf
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Put everything in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium simmer and cover for about 30-40 minutes, or until barley and split peas are cooked. Take soup off the heat and discard bay leaf. Using a hand mixer (carefully...you don't want to splash yourself with hot soup...) roughly puree the soup with a couple of pulses - keeping the chunky texture, but blending the ingredients slightly. Return to heat just before serving.

Leek, Potato and Tarragon Soup
Serves 4

This is a recipe I used from one of my favorite sites, Epicurious.
But I chose to omit the cream and to puree the soup, for a smooth low fat version.

3 tablespoons butter
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced (about 2 cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons water
1/2 pound yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, onion, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook until leeks are just golden, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool slightly. Stir in yogurt. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth. Mix in tarragon and slowly reheat for serving. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Yes, it's true. Soup does not photograph very well. Neither do most things in my semi-dark kitchen, which is why it sometimes looks like I do all my cooking outside on the deck.

And, I'm not as clever as Ana, from imadeitso, who created a very funny post out of a mushy bowl of soup.



Herbed Salmon Turmeric

Turmeric is a favourite spice in my house. Can you tell from the beat up old label on the spice jar?

A member of the ginger family, turmeric has been recognised for its health benefits for generations in South Asia. And its power as an anti-oxidant has been investigated in medical studies in the United States in recent years. Read more about turmeric…

I use it in all sorts of things - from curry to salad dressing to scrambled eggs. It gives them a bright orange colour and an earthy, peppery flavour. Mr. PL even sprinkles it on popcorn.

Herbed Salmon Turmeric was a recipe I made up to make use of some leftover potatoes. It was even better than I thought it would be, given that it had so few ingredients and was so easy to make.

I had some nice fresh baby bok choy.

And I was lucky that a generous gardener had just shared a huge bunch of fresh herbs.

Herbed Salmon Turmeric
Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless salmon fillets, chopped into large chunks
4 medium potatoes
2 cups mixed fresh herbs, chopped (chives, oregano, basil, green onions and radish greens)
1 cup baby bok choy, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of turmeric
a few shakes of garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil + more as needed

Cook potatoes - bake them, boil them - however you choose. I started with leftovers. Cut potatoes into cubes and set aside. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil and add the onions, stirring often and cooking until soft and translucent. Add the salmon and potatoes and turmeric, cooking on medium heat until the salmon is cooked through. Add more oil if needed and add the baby bok choy and herbs. Sautée until greens are wilted and salmon and potatoes are browned. Season with garlic salt and black pepper.

In the pan...

And on the plate...

French Potato Salad

Memories of France…

For me, one of the greatest pleasures of cooking is coming across a new flavour. I sometimes associate a flavour with my first experience of it. Some people open up an old photo album to reminisce. I like to open up a cookbook and remember when and where I was when I first tasted something.

Growing up, my mom cooked nutritious but simply prepared food and I didn’t get a lot of exposure to tastes from around the world. I think she must have been inspired by her mother’s way of cooking, which was to simply cook the food that the farm produced – there was no need to add a lot of fancy or rich sauces because it was so good just the way it was. We rarely went to restaurants, so we only ate the foods that were part of my mom’s repertoire. It was always delicious, but my palette had a lot of room to grow...

The sense of smell is highly linked to memory (because the part of the brain responsible for our sense of smell, the limbic system, is related to feelings and memory). But along with smell, each new taste experience adds something to my mental map and to the growing collection of stories about the food I eat.

Some examples…

Green Peppers
When I was in grade one, my teacher created a game where we had to reach into a bag blindfolded and identify the fruit or vegetable. I had never tasted a green pepper before, but I remember being completely blown away by the sharpness and the juiciness of a raw green pepper.

Brussels Sprouts
These poor little veggies get a bum rap. Do kids in real life squirm when mom serves them a plate of brussels sprouts, or is that only in movies? I felt privileged never to have been subjected to these green little monsters, but also complicit in their blacklisting. So, finally living on my own, I marched myself down to the grocery store and bought a bunch. Delicious! I'm sorry, but anyone who doesn't like them is crazy.

French Tarragon
I lived in France for one wonderful year and there are several foods that have the power to bring me back there. Along with small tasty French lentils, the predictable Brie and Camembert cheeses, chestnut spread, anything made with black currents, Nutella crepes and many more, the delicate, distinctive taste (and smell) of tarragon says to my brain: Oh la la…you are now in France.

So why not take a little vacation and make this fresh French-style potato salad? Tarragon is key. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite.

French Potato Salad
Serves 4

2 eggs
10 asparagus spears
6 medium white or yellow potatoes (choose ones that are smooth skinned and new)
2 tablespoons of tarragon
2 tablespoons of chives
1 tablespoon green onions
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon old fashioned Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ tsp each of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Hard boil the eggs and set aside to cool.

Wash the asparagus and remove the ends. (To do this, start at the end opposite the spear and just apply gentle pressure as though you’re trying to bend it, until you get to a spot where it snaps. Discard this short woody end.)

Grill the asparagus at 300 C, lightly brushed with olive oil until tender crisp.

Scrub the potatoes, removing any eyes or blemishes, then cut into thick slices. Cook in boiling salted water, until a knife slides through them easily. In the meantime, make the dressing.

Chop the following finely and put in a bowl: tarragon, chives, green onions, garlic and Dijon mustard.

 Whisk herbs together with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

When the potatoes are done, drain and run under cold water just briefly to cool slightly. Peel and chop the eggs. Chop the asparagus into large pieces. Put potatoes, asparagus and eggs in a large bowl and very gently toss everything with the dressing.

Cool to room temperature before serving, or refrigerate until cold.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Beet & Acorn Squash Dip / Potato Hummus

Dipping into my roots...

I was born and raised on the prairies. Although I grew up in a prairie city, the prairie landscape was never very far away. I still marvel at the beauty of a golden field shining under an immense blue sky and idealize the notion of growing your own.

I have wonderful childhood memories of food - green onions snatched and eaten raw out of the backyard garden (I didn't think my mom would find out, but she had a nose for these things...); raspberries that my grandmother served every time I visited the farm (she knew they were my favourite – I still think they smell like roses); soup full of vegetables grown high in my other grandma’s mountain village garden. No wonder I came to appreciate the incomparable goodness of freshly picked food. Now, I look forward to the bounty of my mother-in-law’s harvest, which she shares year round.

Tonight I made two different dips using root vegetables. I made use of vegetables that I’d roasted or cooked ahead of time.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, recipes on this blog serve two really hungry people. (or two regular people with some leftovers)


Beet and Acorn Squash Dip

5-6 beets
1 acorn squash
sea salt & black pepper
1 teaspoon butter or olive oil

Roast vegetables in the oven until soft. Peel beets and scoop out squash. Mash them up together and add salt, pepper and butter/olive oil to taste. Eat hot or cold.

Potato Hummus

This is a bit like the Greek potato dip Skordalia, a bit like cold garlic mashed potatoes. Rather than add almonds, I added organic tahini (sesame paste).

5 cooked white or Yukon gold potatoes (leave the skin on for extra fibre)
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of tahini
1 teaspoon of olive oil
sea salt & black pepper
fresh oregano (optional for garnish)

Mash everything together with food processor or hand blender. Chill and serve with toasted rye bread.