Recipe: Roasted Curry Vegetable Soup

This was just so darn good, especially as the weather has gotten chilly around here...

Ingredients:

1 large rutabaga, peeled, cut into chunks

1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into chunks

1 large fennel bulb, fronds removed, cut into chunks

1 large cauliflower, separated into florets

1 large red bell pepper, cut into large chunks

1 large leek, ends removed, chopped finely

3 tbsp. minced garlic

3 tsp. curry powder

1 1/2 tsp. Chinese five spice powder

1 tsp. ground white pepper

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. dried mint

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. ground black pepper

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup dry vermouth

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Place chunked rutabaga, potato, fennel, cauliflower, and bell pepper into a large roasting pan. Drizzle 1/2 of the olive oil over the vegetables. Sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt and black pepper. Use a wooden spoon to mix the vegetables well and ensure they are coated evenly with olive oil. Roast the vegetables for 35 minutes.

In a large stock pot, melt the butter in the remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Add the leeks and garlic, cover, and saute for about 10 - 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add all the roasted vegetables to the stock pot. Add all of the remaining spices, chicken broth, heavy cream, and vermouth and stir well to combine. Raise heat to high and cook, uncovered, until boiling. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and recover and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Using a hand blender, puree the soup until thick and creamy. Serve immediately.

Makes about 10 servings.

Recipe: Spicy Shrimp and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 bunch of spinach, loosely chopped

3 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. white pepper

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 tbsp. sugar

1/3 cup dark soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 head of magenta or other leafy lettuce, washed and left as whole leaves

2 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil

Directions:

In a large wok or stir fry pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper. Cover and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until the peppers are soft. Add the ground chicken. Add the dry spices, lemon zest, and sugar. Cook for approx. 7 - 8 minutes, stirring frequently until chicken is fully cooked. Add the shrimp and cook for approximately 1 - 2 minutes until shrimp are pink. Add the soy sauce and sherry and combine. Add the spinach, recover and cook for 4 - 5 minutes until the spinach wilts. Uncover, stir well, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for an additional 10 minutes to reduce. Serve with the lettuce leaves.

Makes 4 - 5 dinner servings or 8 - 10 appetizer servings.

Recipe: Roasted Winter Squash Soup

The chill has set in... time for some full-on comfort. This was perfect for this winter evening.

Ingredients:

2 large russet potatoes, peeled, loosely chopped

1 large kubocha, acorn, or other winter squash - seeds removed, cut into wedges, skin on

1 1/2 cups of diced cured ham

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup dry vermouth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped leeks

3 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 1/2 tbsp. Herbs de Provence

2 tbsp. coarse sea salt

Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Place sliced squash onto a baking sheet and baste evenly with olive oil. Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp. sea salt evenly over the squash. Place into the oven. Place the potatoes into a pot and cover with water up to 1 inch above the potatoes. Put in 1/2 tbsp. of the salt. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to medium-high heat. Roast squash and boil potatoes for about 40 minutes.

In a large stock pot, melt the butter into the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped leeks and garlic. Cover and sweat the leeks for about 7 - 8 minutes. Drain the potatoes and remove the rind from the squash with your hands (painful process, but very worth it). Mix the two together and mash vigorously with a potato masher. Remove cover from the soup pot and add the diced ham and dry vermouth. Re-cover and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, all dry spices, and all of the potato and squash mash. Turn heat to high until boiling, then reduce to low heat and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Soup will thicken as it cooks. Serve with a French baguette.

Makes 4 dinner servings.

Recipe: Mu Shu Pork

Not exactly authentic, but extremely tasty... made this last night for my friend Howard and his partner... both are still raving about it today.

Ingredients:

2 1/3 lbs. of pork butt steak (pork tenderloin will also work, but the fattier butt is a better choice if you can get it)

2 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil

2 large leeks, leaves and ends removed, finely chopped

1 head of green cabbage, loosely chopped

1 1/2 cups of wild mushrooms, loosely chopped

2/3 cup low-salt soy sauce

1 cup dry vermouth

1 1/2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. white pepper

2 tsp. orange zest

1 tbsp. chili pepper paste

3 tbsp. garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. grated ginger

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tbsp. black sesame seeds

Directions:

Slice the pork butt into thin strips. Heat the canola oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the pork and saute until the pork is about half done. Add the garlic, ginger, pepper paste, orange zest, and white pepper and mix thoroughly. Add the chopped leeks and cover, reduce heat to medium, cook for about 4 - 5 minutes to sweat the leeks. Uncover, add the mushrooms, return heat to medium high, and recover. Cook another 3 - 4 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk the soy sauce, vermouth, sugar, and salt together. Uncover the wok and add the sauce. Mix thoroughly and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped cabbage and mix thoroughly. Recover, cook for an additional 5 minutes to sweat down the cabbage. Uncover, return heat to high, and cook stirring frequently until the sauce is fully reduced, about an additional 10 - 12 minutes. Then drizzle the well beaten eggs all over slowly, stirring to combine, and continue stirring until the egg is fully cooked. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over and mix to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Hoisin sauce and warmed small flour tortillas can be served for wrapping on the side, but as you notice above, it's just as good served with white rice.

Makes 6 servings.