roasted carrot & ginger soup.

16 April 2014

I can hardly believe there has been months & so many happenings since the last time I shared a recipe, a photo, or even my thoughts here on we eat. happy. Mostly, though, it has been a long winter here in Portland. I feel so much joy in the snow melting away to reveal purple & white crocuses emerging from the earth & small pale green buds adorning stark branches. The birds have returned, chirping towards the bright mornings & reveling in the warmth of the sun. Needless to say, this revival is inspiring.

Over the past months, I have continued to eat minimally processed foods (sticking with grain-free & sugar-free foods), & have been delighted with the overall results. Now that I have experimented a bit cooking this way, I feel prepared to share my everyday meals as well as the special dishes with everyone here. My beliefs have certainly not changed though. Cooking & preparing foods that are in season (when you can) allow for the best flavor and the ingredients on your plate to really shine. 

Everything about this roasted carrot & ginger soup is simple: from its character to the preparation.  Just because this dish is minimal, does not mean the flavors are--in fact, they are comforting, refreshing, & satisfying. This is a lovely lunch as well as perfect starter for the main course. This version is vegan, but if you are looking for a rich accent, a dollop of creme fraiche or sheep's milk yogurt definitely wouldn't hurt!

roasted carrot & ginger soup.

serves 2 as a meal or serves 4 as a side

6-8 carrots, peeled & chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt & cracked pepper
2 shallots, peeled & diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger root, peeled & grated
3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock (homemade always elevates the flavor, but whatever you have on hand!)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the chopped carrots with about a TBL of extra virgin olive oil, & a pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper in a roasting pan. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and begin to get caramelized around the edges. 
2. Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom stock pot, drizzle another TBL or two of olive oil & bring to a medium heat. Add the onions. Cook until the onions are tender & translucent. Add the garlic & grated ginger, & saute for another minute. Add the broth or stock & bring to a boil. 
3. Take the carrots out of the oven & add them to the broth. Simmer for about 15 minutes. 
4. At this point, carefully blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or in a regular blender.
5. Pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve for a more refined texture, or leave it pureed for a heartier texture. Season to taste with sea salt & cracked pepper. 

happy eatings & cheers!

day 2. detox. lunch & dinner.

A glass of warm water with lemon juice upon waking...

lunch. chicken & coconut soup. 
serves 2

2 cups organic chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 knob of ginger peeled
1 7oz organic chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
1/2 chili
1 TBl tamari (wheat-free Japanese soy sauce)
a handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 lime, cut into 2 wedges

1. In a medium stock pot, add broth, milk, ginger, chicken & chili. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 6-7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through. 
2. Remove the ginger & chili. Add 1/2 the cilantro & the TBL of tamari. 
3. Serve with extra cilantro & a squeeze of lime. 

potatoes are technically not detox, but I had a couple I had use up...you could switch it up for sweet potatoes...

dinner. haddock papillote with fennel & potatoes. 

serves 2

Adapted from Rachel Khoo's Little Paris Kitchen cookbook

3/4 lb. sustainably wild-caught haddock or cod

2 organic yellow potatoes, parboiled until soft & sliced

1 bulb of fennel, outer layer peeled off & bulb sliced

zest of 1 lemon & slice up the rest to squeeze over the fish when it is done

olive oil

sea salt & cracked pepper
a handful of parsley, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix oil, lemon zest, 1 tsp. sea salt, & pepper in a bowl, rub the mixture all over the fish. 
2. Put the potatoes on a large piece of parchment paper, layer the fennel over that, & then the seasoned fish. 
3. Now bring the edges up to form a tightly sealed parcel, (do a double roll). Use kitchen string or tinfoil to keep the parcel sealed. Place on a baking tray. 
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve with lemon wedges, a scattering of parsley, & a pinch of sea salt. 

happy eatings & cheers!

bouillon de poulet avec quenelles de volailles.

Or chicken dumpling soup. This recipe is from The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo...I am in love right now. First of all, I can't complain about how small my kitchen is, because she is working it in a smaller kitchen with one outlet. Second of all, her dishes are simple & look so darn tasty. There is a real love of cheese, and I can relate to that. To top it all off, she is super adorable & British.

This dish may not be vibrant with color, but it is homey & delicious. It is also dead simple & it different than your regular chicken soup. If you want to watch Rachel Khoo whip these up, watch the video on Youtube. It will also help you solidify the dumpling making technique.

bouillon de poulet avec quenelles de volailles.
serves 4
The Little Paris Kitchen cookbook

for the quenelles:
7 oz organic chicken breast fillet
3oz white bread, no crusts (I used Udi's GF white bread)
6 1/2 TBL half & half
1 free-range egg & 1 yolk
1 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of nutmeg

1. Put ingredients in a food processor or blender & whiz until smooth. Form the paste into 20-25 dumplings by using two tablespoons (or for smaller quenelles, use teaspoons). 

for the soup:
6 1/2 cups organic chicken stock (homemade or store bought)
2 large carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
sea salt & cracked pepper if needed
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley

1. In a large stock pot bring chicken stock and carrots up to a boil (cook about 10 minutes).
2. Drop the quenelles into the stock and cook about 5 minutes (they will rise to the top when they are done). In the last minute of cooking add the mushrooms. 
3. Serve immediately, with roughly chopped parsley. 

happy eatings & cheers!

aegean kakavia. {grain-free & dairy-free}

14 April 2012

The Aegean Kakavia (or beautiful fish stew) recipe is from Jamie Oliver's visit to Greece in Jamie Does... It is a simple luscious recipe. The simple ones usually are. Jamie said the fishermen make this at sea, using salt-water for stock. I used vegetable stock as suggested, but I have also used seafood stock (which comes out really nice too). As for the fish, I have used fresh haddock, hake & flounder...whatever is fresh, wild & sustainably sourced.

happy eatings & cheers!