Involtini. A flavorful pinwheel of meat and stuffing. I hadn’t had any in over twenty years. It took me a long time to realize that I was going to get to eat it again for Christmas dinner, even as I rolled my hands up to help cook it.

Seventeen people were coming for Christmas dinner and my mother-in-law Joan’s house. When I left Ukiah on Tuesday to take my son to visit with grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, I thought Joan was cooking a turducken and I was thrilled. I almost cooked a turducken for Thanksgiving, but went traditional banging out the perfect turkey; so my joy at trying this remakable ballotine was nearly palpable.

Turducken is a Lousiana specialty where a turkey is boned and stuffed with a boned duck, which was previously stuffed with a boned chicken, all further stuffed with cornbread and sausage stuffing; and a ballotine is a protein, meat, fish or fowl, that has been boned, stuffed, rolled, tied, and cooked.

When I arrived Tuesday, Joan told me that turducken was off the menu, she did not remove the poultry from the shipping container, thinking that there was enough dry ice to keep it well for several days. Sadly, most food is shipped with only enough dry ice to get it safely to your door and such was the case here, the turducken was unfrozen and not cold on the outside, and as it was poultry that meant that there was surely spoilage.

Joan told me that we would be having a “brah-zhule” on polenta. I didn’t know what a “brah-zhule” was, but didn’t confess to my ignorance.

On Wednesday, Joan and I started prepping Christmas dinner. I love cooking with Joan, she is a great cook, and our backgrounds do not overlap, so I always learn a ton cooking with her. Joan asked me to pound out some already thin carne asada meat, either flank or skirt steak, so that each steak was larger in surface area. I pounded each piece of carne asada until it was about twice the original surface area.

Meanwhile, Joan combined garlic, flat-leaf parsley, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, pine nuts, and bacon. Joan spooned the mixture onto the meat, rolled it up, and I tied each ballotine with cooking string.

With a flash of comprehension, I realized that “brah-zhule” was similar to what I knew as involtini. A check on the internet, and I find that braciole and involtini are the exact same food item and oddly has two names.

Traditionally, instead of spooning a lump of the stuffing mixture onto the meat, and wrapping it by rolling and tying, the stuffing is usually spread thinly along the surface of the meat, then rolled and tied. The only difference is that the involtini/braciole, when sliced, will present a pinwheel of meat and stuffing when prepared in the traditional manner.

Joan made meatballs and browned them, then put them in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Next, she browned and added to the pan both sweet Italian and hot Italian sausages, some boneless pork shoulder, and the involtini.

We covered the meats in an Italian red sauce of tomato, wine, onion, garlic, herbs, and spices, and set it in the oven to cook most of the way, just needing a little oven time on Christmas to reheat and finish.

On Christmas day, Joan set about cooking polenta in a crock pot, using a recipe by Michele Anna Jordan found in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091215/LIFESTYLE/912149959/1309

Polenta is a cornmeal mush with butter and cheese, and is to Italian cooking what rice is to many other cultures. Put it on a plate, and top it with what you have available. Peasant food become fancy.

Okay, here’s the thing; I grew up eating a lot of involtini in Italian red sauce over polenta. I grew up in an Italian family, and the men hunted. Weekends would find twenty or more Italian men up at a 13,500 acre ranch, hunting by day and cooking by night. This is a dish I ate in endless variety growing up, the meat and stuffing changing, almost always cooked by men. Imagine the scene in the Godfather where Clemenza is teaching Michael the art of making spaghetti sauce for twenty, or the scene from Goodfellas where, in prison,  Paulie is slicing garlic with a razor blade paper thin for tomato sauce. That’s how it felt growing up. Men cooked, not all the time, but almost always better than the women.

Other treats cooked up for Christmas dinner included my take on a Rachael Ray recipe potato dish: I cut up 1 1/2 pound each of baby fingerling heirloom potatoes, baby ruby gold potatoes, baby dutch yellow potatoes, and baby South American purple potatoes. I cut each baby potato in half length wise, then cut them from one end to the other into 1/4″ slices. I put the six pounds of sliced potatoes into a roasting pan.

To 6 cups of heavy cream, I added a stick of butter, 4 cloved of crushed fresh garlic, and 4 sprigs each of sage, rosemary and thyme. I cooked over a medium flame, stirring constantly for about 20 minutes, deeply infusing the cream with flavor. I strained the cream, adding about two ounces of microplaned (super finely grated) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and poured the super flavored cream over the potatoes.

Next, I microplaned five more ounces of Parmigiano-Reggiano into a large bowl, then spead the cheese on top of the potatoes. I cooked the potatoes at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. Better than Rachael’s recipe, more flavorful, it came out just fine; think of an Italian rustic potato au gratin dish.

There was sweet potato wrapped marshmallow, on a pineapple ring, topped with a cherry, a spiral cut ham, a perfectly baked salmon with lemon, butter and herb, stuffed zucchini, baked oyster, green bean casserole, salad, french bread, and more. It was all great, but for me, it was all about the involtini.

For my first pass through the chow line, I ladled polenta onto my plate, on top of the polenta I put meats, the involtini, some meatballs, some pork shoulder, and some sausage, and on top of the meat I ladled Italian red sauce.

I also poured myself a glass of the 2008 Folie à Deux Ménage à Trois, a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. With raspberry notes from the Zin, cherry from the Merlot, and blackberry from the Cab, this wine was loaded with rich juicy red fruit notes, and was a great wine for dinner as each food could find a different element of the wine to pair with. Inexpensive, only about $12 a bottle, I was impressed throughout the meal with this wine’s versatility and deliciousness. Honestly, better with food than without.

I spent quite a while with my first plate at dinner, scooping a little polenta, a bit of meat, and some sauce into a perfect bite, sipping a little wine, the emergent whole so much better than the sum of its parts. Each bite a joyful experience, and a trigger to memories of times spent with my father, my brother, and a bunch of old Italian men many years ago.

My second plate was a tasting of the other dishes. While good, some great – I have to get the stuffed zucchini recipe – none, for me, matched the magic of involtini, sauce, and polenta.

I had a glass of bubbly, Korbel’s first sparkler, their Sec. Korbel Sec is made with French Colombard, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, and is a little sweeter than most bubblies, but not cloyingly so. It was nice to have bubbly on hand. One of Joan’s daughters (my son’s aunt) got married last week, and a grandaughter (my son’s cousin) will have a baby next month on or near my birthday. There were many reasons to be enjoying bobbly, but any day that ends in “y” is a good day to drink bubbly – no reason needed.

For Christmas, I received an electric pepper mill, an oregano dipping oil, a “green” water bottle, and a stack of old Cook’s Illustrated magazines, from the folks who produce America’s Test Kitchen on PBS. I am really looking forward to reading the food magazines, they look chock full of ideas for me to try out.

I was pleased to see my son’s face as he opened his presents. He listened to the rock songs featuring saxophone that I loaded onto his new iPod, is ecstatic about getting an XBox 360, and is old enough to be happy about getting new clothes.

It was great seeing family, it is nice that I am friends with my son’s mom, my ex-wife, and that her family still consider me their son-in-law, brother-in-law, or uncle. It was great getting to cook, and getting to help cook. It was fun learning that involtini is also known as braciole.

One of the best Christmas gifts I received were the memories of times spent with my father, triggered by food. My father passed away in 2008, but he was alive in my memory as I cooked and ate Christmas dinner.

Dog got fleas?    Lavender, cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, thyme or wintergreen essential oils work well as a flea repellant for your pets.  Remove the collar from your pet and apply a few drops of your selected oil to the outside of the collar, making sure that the oiled area sits at the back of the head, not under its nose, when you put the collar back on.    For kitten, pups and small animals one drop should be sufficient as they may find the oil too overpowering.    Take care the the oil does not come near the face or ears.  If it does, wipe with a cloth or cottonwool saturated with a carrier oil. eg olive oil, or almond oil.  This will help to dilute the oil. Do not re-wipe with the same piece of cloth or cottonwool as this will further wipe oil over the area. Use a fresh cloth/cottonwool if required.    If your pet seems uncomfortable dilute the collar with olive oil or almond oil.     To place an essential oil directly on to the skin, dilute with olive oil or almond oil (almond oil contains sulfur which is also a natural insect repellant) and apply a few drops of the mix between the shoulder blades.       Apply flea repellant weekly, or as required.    Also add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to your pets water  bowl.  Fleas to not like the smell or taste of vinegar.    Rub apple cider vinegar on your dogs coat after bathing  for a shiny coat and to deter fleas. (Not suggested for cats)  For more information on essential oils go to  www.raindroptechnique.com.au

We only recommend Young Living Therapeutic Essential Oils

Serves: 4 people
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour

This year my family and I are celebrating Christmas at home with each other. Regularly we would meet up with the other members of our extended family and make one big dinner. But this year we stayed in. So to make it a little extra special I decided to make something different, other than the traditional seafood dinner we always have on Christmas eve and made a very spiced up chickpea soup.  This soup has so many Christmasy spices that it will have your house smelling festive for the whole day.

For anyone who knows me, you know that I really hate soup. But chickpea soup is one of my favourites and it was QUITE simple to make. Anyone can do it.

Here it is!

Christmas Chickpea Soup

What you’ll need:

1 can of chickpeas (rinsed well)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of chicken broth
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tbs paprika
1 large carrot
1 large bok choy
1 large onion
5-6 cloves of garlic smashed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (spicy)
1/2 cup of creme
2 tsp cornstarch
Salt
Pepper

How to:

1. Take a large pot and add your olive oil. Warm it up on low heat. Chop up your onion and smash your cloves (Do not dice them). Toss your onion and cloves into the pot and sautee them until they become translucent.

2. Once your onions are done pour in your one can of chicken broth and let it come to a simmer.  Once the broth with the onions and garlic have simmered add your one can of tomatoes and your spieces (Thyme, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Pepper, Paprika). Cover and let it boil for 5 mins.

3. Take your drained and rinsed chickpeas and pour them into the blender. Add your cream and cornstarch and puree. Take the pureed chickpeas and pour it into the pot. Stir constantly until the soup starts to boil.

*Note: If you do not stir until boiling point the cornstarch in the chickpeas will start to make balls in your soup and burn at the bottom of the pot*

4. Cut up your carrot, bok choy (Leaves only) into sizes you prefer. Pour it into the soup and let it cook for about 15 mins.

5. Taste after a while. If soup is too bland add salt and pepper. If soup is too watery add some more corn starch and stir.

Delicious! This is what mine looked like! Festive colours!

All done and ready to eat!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE: FROM OPERATION KITCHEN!

My family doesn’t eat a lot of beef so it is a treat to have a nice beef roast for Christmas dinner. I can’t remember where I found this recipe but it is fantastic so I wanted to share it with my foodie friends in case you want to give it a try for your Christmas dinner. I apologize that I don’t have a picture of the finished roast but this is so good that I didn’t want you to miss out on it and I won’t be fixing it until Christmas day. I did find a picture of a top loin of beef roast, though, so you can see what the cut looks like. It is the piece of beef from which New York Strip (or Kansas City Strip) steaks are cut. It’s a very tender cut of beef and cooks relatively quickly because of its flat thin shape. I highly recommend that you use a meat thermometer so that you don’t over cook it. I tend to roast it to 135 degrees internal temperature. The ends of the roast will be more done than the center so pieces can be cut to suit everyone’s taste. I am also including the au jus recipe that I use. Between the herbs on the roast and the wine in the sauce you end up with a wonderful au jus!

Whole Top Loin of Beef

Ingredients
1- 8 to 10 lb. whole top loin of beef
balsamic vinegar for brushing

Herb and Garlic Paste
2 T. minced garlic
2 T. chopped fresh thyme
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
2-3 T. salt
1-2 t. freshly ground pepper
1 T. olive oil

Combine the paste ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Au Jus
4 C. beef stock
1 C. red wine
1 lg. shallot, sliced thin

Mix the au jus ingredients together and set aside.

Mix together 1 T. cornstarch with 2 T. cold water. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush the balsamic vinegar all over the roast. Lay it fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. It must be on a rack so the roast stays out of the au jus. Coat the top, ends, and sides of the roast with the herb paste. Carefully pour the au jus mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan (don’t pour it over the beef). Place the roast in the middle of the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue roasting for 35 – 40 minutes more. After about 25 minutes, begin to the check the internal temperature in the thickest part with an instant read meat thermometer. Remove roast from oven when the meat thermometer reads 115-120 degrees for rare meat, 125-130 degrees for med-rare or 130-140 degrees for medium. Cover the roast loosely with foil & let rest for 15-25 minutes so the meat juices and internal temperature can equilibrate. Meanwhile pour the au jus from the roasting pan into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the hot au jus. Stir until thickened slightly.

While perusing The Pioneer Woman food blog, which is one of the best food blogs around in my opinion, I came across a recipe for braised short ribs served over a creamy polenta.  The pictures looked amazing and the recipes simple, so I though I’d give it a try.

Polenta is a very basic recipe from Italy- just water, cornmeal, and some salt.  I’ve made it once before and it was quite a hassle, with different pots of boiling water and cornmeal that had to be constantly mixed for well over an hour.  Very messy and tiring.  The polenta turned out alright, but there was too much of it and it quickly became stale and gross.  From what I’ve gathered, I think I made it in the more “authentic” manner- but after learning of this quicker method, there’s no way I’ll go authentic again.  It’s a 15-minute process during which you add cornmeal to boiling water, give it a few stirs, add some salt, butter, and cheese, and voila!  Mine turned out great, and really, how could it not with such an easy recipe.   There are many different ways to eat polenta once its been cooked; fried polenta is quite good, and it can be grilled as well.  For this meal it acts as more as a soak-up-the-juices mashed potato substitute.

Creamy polenta: from The Pioneer Woman blog:

Ingredients

• 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil.

Add cornmeal to the water in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, adding salt and extra tablespoons of water as needed.

When polenta is done, stir in butter and goat cheese. Check seasonings, and add salt to taste.

_______________________________________________________________

The most important thing to remember when making braised short ribs, is that they must be braised!  I made this mistake, not realizing that the ribs needed to cook in the oven for almost 3 hours… Of course I didn’t take that into account, and since no one wanted to eat at midnight, the photos you are seeing are of reheated short ribs and polenta from the second night.  My stupidity might have been a blessing in disguise, however, as the meat had another 24 hours to get nice and tender and really become infused with all the great flavors in the pot.  If you are looking for a new way to cook beef and have a lot of time on your hands, I highly recommend this dish (with or without the polenta).  Suffice it to say, though, that I would not be cooking short ribs if I weren’t at home- they are a bit pricey.  But go for it anyways, its worth it!  For a fall-off-the-bone experience, here ya go:

Ingredients

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
• Kosher Salt & Pepper To Taste
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 6 pieces Pancetta, Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

It was sooooo cold in D.C. yesterday and night…. I needed to make something to warm us all up. Mike was feeling sickly still from his flu shot he got the other day, and he wanted some Minestrone Soup.

So I pulled out the book…. because I don’t know the recipe by heart and made the Minestrone Soup:

8Cups of Vegetable Stock
11/2Cup Garbonzo Beans*
2Cups Red Kidney Beans*
1/2Cup Carrots
3Medium Tomatoes*
1/2Cup Fresh or 1Tbsp Dried Parsley
1Cup Cabbage
1/4tsp Oregano
3/4tsp Basil
1/4tsp Thyme
1/2Cup Celery
1/2Cup Onion
1Clove Garlic
1Pkg Noodles

* Or one 14oz can of unsweetened and unsalted Italian Tomatoes with juice
*Soak Kidney Beans or Garbanzo Beans overnight and rinse and then cook beans. Or use canned Kidney Beans or Garbanzo Beans.
Chop all vegetables, saute in water or soup stock over medium heat until onion is translucent-about 5 minutes. Stir in drained Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Diced Tomatoes and Minced Herbs. Bring to a simmer, then turn heat down and simmer about 10 minutes. As the soup cooks, it will thicken. Add more tomatoes or soup stock as needed. Serve with Noodles.

Right, i had an infuriatingly unsuccessful search this week for a recipe on the ‘blogosphere’ so i’ve decided to, when i remember a decent one, post a recipe or two on here.

Leek, Potato & Thyme Soup
(serves 4 i reckon)

2 medium leeks – sliced
4 potatos – peeled & cubed
1 red onion – sliced
Bunch of thyme – chopped
1 litre of vegetable stock
Salt
Pepper
About a tsp Olive/vegetable oil (not too much or your soup will be oily)

Hope this was of use, it’s dead easy to make, pretty healthy and really cheap!

This is my very first food recipe post!

Let’s start off with the morning I had with my boyfriend. I’m not going to give out details, but I really have to tell someone:

I’M SUCH A LUCKY GIRL

Yes, I’m in cloud nine. Such a bliss when I’m with him. Anyway, I’d see him again tomorrow (yay). End of story. Details later.

On a different note….

Tonight my dad was craving for some chicken gumbo. Looked it up on google, and I told him we needed celery. Now, who doesnt want celery? When I was little, i did not like it, the smell and the taste. Now, to make a real gumbo, we need celery.Like, NEED it. Can i stress it enough? Some recipes omit okra and just thicken the soup with roux. But I have objection with okras so I told him we need celery.

Guess what? The celery were deemed to expensive (really?) and the recipe must go on without it. I could cry buckets, I thought I’m failing the recipe. Then another anvil struck: leftovers! All kinds of ham from ham ends and roasted chicken. To top it off, no andouilles!!!

People, I believe I am desecrating the gumbo.

So, using what I got… I took a deep breath and plunged into the recipe, creating my own style of gumbo.

this is how a roux should be

Okay. America’s Test Kitchen, my golden guru for perfect recipes, instructed that roux should be golden brown in color. This means, DO NOT BURN THE ROUX. when you add the flour, stir it gently until smooth, then lower the heat, adjusting every now and then until you get this golden brown, nutty color. I’m so proud of myself when I did this.

add them all slowly

On a very good note, I found the reason for the distinct flavor of the gumbo. Like when you put oregano in a hamburger patty or meatball, you put…ta-da: Thyme. I fell in love with thyme when I found you were this flavor I have been looking for.

finished product

So, the inevitable tasting test.

Left-overs: never fail to impart flavor. The roasted chicken, smoked hams and the italian sausage gave a imparting taste that is just….good. I added the rice, which is not a good idea if you want to try this and you want it soupy, unless you want to add more chicken stock.

finished product

Leftover gumbo
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 mild italian sausage

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 c. green and red bell peppers, chopped

1 c. ham ends, chopped

1 c. roasted chicken meat (breast), chopped roughly

1/4 c oil

1/4 flour

1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 c water or chicken stock

1 can whole tomatoes, reserve the liquid and chop the tomatoes

1 c cooked rice

1-2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 c. diced zucchinis

1 c. diced carrots

salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the italian sausage first in the heated portion of the oil. This will make chopping it up easier. Fry it until golden, then take it out of the dutch oven or casserole.
2. Add the remaining oil and reduce heat. Add the flour and stir it gently. If the heat is sufficient, it will brown quickly. Watch the roux so it wont burn.
3. When the roux is perfect (Remember: perfect means golden brown, nutty color) add the onions and bell peppers. Let it soften, then add garlic and okra.
4. Add the stock or water, then the meat ingredients. Let it boil, then add the tomatoes and the juice.
5. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Let it simmer.
6. Put in the rest of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
7. Add the cooked rice and let it simmer more for 15 minutes.

Today's Vegetable Salad

I actually put together a green salad with some Red Bell Peppers, Olives, Red Onions, and an Oil based dressing. Then I picked up a Rice dish, Eggplant dish, and a Mushroom, Green Bean Salad. Yah know, Mike told me before we went in, I think you’re going to like this place. It has all the foods you eat.! Well he was right.

Then tonight, it was great… Mike and I unloaded the car of drying cleaning and some shopping items. And immediately took to the kitchen to make our respective meals for dinner. He made his Gormazabzi (Meat, Bean, Onion Dish) with Rice and I made this great looking Vegetable Salad. I chopped up Asparagus, Broccoli, Red and Orange Bell Peppers, Sweet Peas, Carrots. I put together an Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing with seasonings like Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Celery Salt, Thyme.

Vegetable Salad:
Asparagus
Carrot
Sweet Peas
Red & Orange Bell Peppers
Broccoli

Dressing:
Olive Oil
White Wine Vinegar
Pinch of:
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika
Celery Salt
Thyme

This is sooo soup season, my pretties. It’s mid-December, and the ole thermometer has been having some challenges creeping up over freezing for days now. Perfect weather to whip up some bread bowls and fill them with luscious soups. Did someone say cheddar, loaded with vegetables? Mmmm … yes yes yes … follow SoupAddict … she’ll show you the way to steaming deliciousness.

SoupAddict loves to grow carrots. The foliage is so pretty and long-lasting, and then, when you yank it out of the ground, you get this wonderful surprise. These are not SoupAddict’s carrots, as her 2009 crop was consumed long ago, but even bulk grocery store carrots will still be yummy and beautiful in this soup.

Oh, how typical. SoupAddict gets so caught up in making soup that she forgets to photograph things that should be photographed. This was a lovely head of orange cauliflower. You’ll just have to trust SoupAddict on this one.

SoupAddict’s thyme garden is still in full force. Spunky little thyme, it will last the winter the through. SoupAddict, however, is not quite as spunky and was getting mighty cold waiting for the breeze to subside so she could focus the camera on the swaying thyme branches. It never did subside.

SoupAddict craves chocolate. But she also craves vegetables. Is that weird?

SoupAddict also craves the aroma of onions, celery and garlic. This soup is souper simple. (Get it? Souper? Super? Oh, don’t look at SoupAddict like that—you try to come up with a clever pun on a Saturday afternoon.) Get the veggies cooking with some chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if you want to keep it vegetarian). Add seasonings. Simmer until you can’t stand it anymore.

On a whim, SoupAddict bought some extra, white cauliflower florets from the salad bar specifically for the cheese sauce. Pureed cauliflower adds thickness and a touch of savory goodness to a bechamel sauce without extra calories or fat.

Havarti is one of SoupAddict’s all-time favorite cheeses. This is a wheel of baby havarti, which melts like a champ but still has a load of flavor, unlike many soft cheeses. Is a cube missing from this picture, you ask. A cube that, were it still present, be covered with the fingerprints of a certain soup-maker? Why [chomp] no [nom nom] I have no idea [swallow] what you’re talking about.

Along with havarti, SoupAddict likes to use an aged cheese of some sort for the bechamel, to add a sharp, distinct flavor. Here, she’s grated a lovely aged gouda and some gruyere.

Mmm, creamy, cheesy goodness. If it would fit, SoupAddict would stick her head in this pan. But she’s kinda glad it doesn’t fit in the pan, because she would not want to clean dried cheese sauce of her hair.

Beer cheese. ‘Nuf said.

Cheese sauce is almost done. Just mixing in the tender, mashed cauliflower florets.

Look at this gorgeous soup! Wait until the cheese sauce goes in.

Now, remember the bread bowls, and how you plucked out some of the soft interior to make a roomy cradle for the soup? This is what you do with the leftover bits of bread: You take the biggest chunk …

… and you dunk it into the delicious soupy goodness as it warms on the stove. Then pop it in your mouth. Repeat with the remaining chunks of bread in descending order of size. You’re the chef; you deserve it.

Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic. Sautee until soft, about 6 minutes.

Add a splash of chicken broth from the quart and allow to warm. Push the vegetables to one side and add flour in the cleared area. Tilt the pot to let liquid run into the flour. Stir until thick, then mix in with the vegetables in the pot. Add the remaining stock and turn the heat up to high. Add the broccoli and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme, and cover, simmering for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. In a small pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour to butter and stir until a thick paste forms. Add milk a little at a time, stirring completely after each addition. When all milk is incorporated, allow mixture to heat to bubbling, stirring frequently. Keep an eye on it – don’t walk away. When the mixture is nice and thick and hot, stir in the beer. Begin adding the cheese, about one cup at a time (don’t measure it, just throw in a handful), stirring continuously. When the cheese is melted, remove pot from heat.

Add cheese sauce to the soup and stir until completely incorporated. Taste, and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

Do you ever look at a recipe that has a list of ingredients so long you find yourself drifting off halfway through? Much as I love the look of his dishes, I’m afraid this is what usually happens when I read Yotam Ottolenghi’s page in the Weekend Guardian. I’ve cut out so many of his recipes – but never cooked one of them. However, if the main ingredients are things I like and am happy cooking with, what I often do is pick out a few things and make my own, simpler version.

That’s what I did with my supper on Saturday night. Yotam’s original recipe was for root mash with wine-braised shallots. Which, in my kitchen, became butternut squash, lentils and shallots, with thyme and red wine vinegar. I’d never thought of combining lentils with squash before, but it is a very tasty and satisfying way of cooking these two humble ingredients. I ate it with a couple of grilled rashers of bacon, but it is easily substantial enough for a meal in itself – perhaps with some greens on the side, if you feel the need.

At this time of year, you’re a lucky person if you manage to avoid all the seasonal coughs and sneezes that winter brings. With everyone stuck inside for much of the time, in close proximity to everyone else (especially with all the Christmas parties!), germs spread so easily. Sore throats are often the first symptom, especially if you’ve been to a party and talked a lot, or even been carol singing. Luckily, Think Natural has a solution to help.

If you’ve been overdoing it, Kiwiherb Echinacea, Thyme & Liquorice from Think Natural is a totally natural, organic solution that rapidly soothes sore throats and relieves hoarse voices. Echinacea helps enhance immunity and restore a weak immune system, so if your sore throat is the result of an infection this is one of the most effective natural ways to shorten its duration. Liquorice is soothing and anti-inflammatory, while Thyme contains antimicrobial volatile oils which calm and soothe the throat. Together they soothe your sore throat, reducing the inflammation, and help your voice return to normal quickly.

Kiwiherb Echinacea, Thyme & Liquorice from Think Natural can be taken daily by both adults and children. It should be diluted in either eater or juice and can be sipped slowly or used as a gargle, holding the tincture in your throat for a short while before swallowing. It can even be taken as a preventative if you know you’re going to be using your voice a lot and will be susceptible to sore throats, making it perfect at this time of year!

Here is the third instalment of my Erectional Soup Series.

These recipes represent me “winging it”. I’ve tried my best to make these directions easy to follow. I encourage experimentation and substitutions. You can always use pre-made broth – it’s not a crime, but doesn’t have the depth and flavour of homemade stock.

Ingredients for Spicy Carrot Soup

• 8 – 10 medium-sized carrots (peel carrots ONLY if they are the woody, big bagged variety)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh (or dried) thyme to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 medium size red onion, chopped
• 3 – 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 hot pepper, chopped (Serrano, chilli, jalapeño – your choice)
• 8 cups chicken stock

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash carrots. If they are new and fresh, leave an inch or so of the carrot tops on. You can cut these off later. If carrots are those awful woody imitations you get in a big bag, wash, cut off tops and peel.
3. In a shallow oven safe dish, place carrots. Drizzle olive oil over carrots. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle as much fresh or dried thyme as you desire (recommend at least 1 tbsp, better with 2). Give the carrots some love and rub the olive oil and seasoning all over.
4. Roast carrots for 1 hour, maybe more, depending upon size. You want them to be soft and full of roasty love.
5. Let carrots cool. Once cool, chop up into smaller pieces to be used in the food processor.
6. In a large pot, sauté up onions, garlic and hot pepper in butter – sauté until soft.
7. In a food processor/blender, whiz up carrots, and sautéed onions, garlic and hot pepper. Add all the oil and seasoning from the roast pan, as well as the large pot. Blend until even, smooth consistency. If carrots are a bit dry (because you used bagged carrots), add some of the soup stock.
8. Add soup stock to the large pot and set to a boil. Add blended carrot mixture from food processor. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat below medium and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. You will want to taste the soup at this point to see if you need extra black pepper, thyme and salt.
9. After simmering for 10 – 15 minutes, soup is almost ready to serve. You have two options: strain the soup to remove all the little carrot bits that didn’t blend…or not. It’s all a matter of preference. If you want a soup with some chew to it, then don’t strain.
10. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 T grape seed oil

Sea salt and pepper

6 oz goat cheese of choice

3 T thyme, chopped

1/2 c mild roasted red peppers, like pimento, diced

4 T chives, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 c vegetable broth

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

(2) Place potatoes on a baking pan and toss with oil, salt and pepper.

(3) Bake until soft, 30-40 minutes.

(4) Remove from oven and cut in half.  Let cool slightly. 

(5) With a spoon, remove the inner flesh and place in a bowl.

(6) Add the cheese, thyme, peppers, chives and garlic. Stir to combine or use an electric beater. 

(7) If mixture is dry, add broth.

(8) Place mixture back into potato skins and on a baking tray. 

(9) Bake until golden on top and heated through, 15-20 minutes. 

(10) Remove, let cool 5 minutes to set and serve.

Good eats I’ve recently discovered or made:

I never made polenta myself and after seeing a nice recipe in a new cookbook, I knew I had to try it today! It’s really easy and pure comfort food. I added boiling water to a pan (about 2 cups) and added half a cup of polenta (italian cornmeal, I used a quick-cooking version, the regular polenta takes about 45 minutes). While stirring, I left this simmering for about 10 minutes. I finished the polenta with a tablespoon of butter, some thyme, sage, salt&pepper and a handful of grated parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, I sauteed some leek and mushrooms in olive oil. I added two tablespoons of balsamic reduction (you can easily make this yourself by cooking a balsamic vinegar with some sugar and let this reduce until it’s thick) and crumbled goat cheese. Then I served this mushroom mixture on top of the polenta and finished with lots of extra goat cheese, some parmesan cheese and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Now that is comfort food!

Realisation I’ve recently made:

In about 1,5 week I will go on holidays with my family. Like I said before, I’m not sure if I will be able to post during those two weeks. There will be a guest post on this blog and maybe you’ll find some ‘new’ posts from myself in that time. And I promise; whenever I have the time and chance, I will definitely check out your blogs and keep myself a bit updated. Besides that, I am planning to enjoy my vacation to the fullest, to relax, to celebrate and to see lots of new things. So I’m warning you already; I will probably have lots of inspiration when I return! But first; still 1,5 week ‘business as usual’