Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Since we are in the process of moving, I've been trying to use up things in the cabinets (i.e. less to move).  I threw together a vegetarian tortilla soup based on the ingredients we had lying around.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of diced tomatoes
  
• 1/2 cup of kashi pilaf (essentially brown rice and some grains)
  
• 4 cups of water
  
• 1/2 a bouillon cube
  
• 1 can of black beans
  
• 1/2 an onion, diced
  
• 1/2 a green pepper, diced
  
• dash of Cholula hot sauce
  
• salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder
  
• lots of cilantro, chopped
  
• lime juice
  
• a few swigs of beer
  
• 3 corn tortillas, sliced in strips
  

I cooked the pilaf, as per the directions.  Once it was almost cooked, I added the diced tomatoes, a few dashes of hot sauce and some chili powder and cumin. Once the tomatoes had heated up, I added the black beans and let the mixture heat through.  Next I added the 4 cups of water and the bouillon.  Once this was close to a boil, I turned the heat down to low and a few splashes of Blue Moon beer (because that's what I had opened up to drink) and the onions and peppers.  I basically let it all simmer until Nicole got home (maybe half an hour).  

While waiting, I sliced up the corn tortillas and fried them in about 1 tablespoon of oil, until they were crispy.  Right before we were ready to eat I added a little splash of lime juice, salt and peppered to taste and added lots of cilantro.  Each bowl gets topped with the tortilla strips.

Ten Minute Couscous Soup

Nicole saw this recipe for couscous soup on www.101cookbooks.com and decided to give it a try. It was really easy and came out so good, she actually made it twice.  The recipe was tweaked to our liking; we left out the sun-dried tomatoes and put in less couscous and added peas and shrimp.

Ingredients:

• 7 cups of water
  
• 1/2 to 1 cube of Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt (the amount you use depends on how salty you want it...this bouillon is pretty much the best tasting I've ever had, we got it from Whole Foods)
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat couscous
  
• 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into small pieces
  
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
  
• 1/2 cup of green peas
  
• 4 green onions, chopped
  
• ~20 shrimp, shelled and deveined (we used frozen cooked ones, optional)
  
• 4 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
  
• garlic powder
• grated romano and/or parmesan cheese
  
• chopped sugar snap peas (optional)
  
• bean sprouts (the mung bean ones, like you get to put in pho, optional)
  

In a large pot, heat the water, bouillon,  red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and olive oil.  Once it has come to a boil, add the couscous and turn to low heat.  After two minutes, add the frozen shrimp (if you are having shrimp in it).  Wait about 1 minute, then add the broccoli, cauliflower, green peas, and green onions.  It will probably take about 2 more minutes for the vegetables to cook (you don't want them mushy, just no longer raw).  The final step is to put it bowls, top with the cheese, and if you'd like, the chopped sugar snap peas or bean sprouts.

We've also made this with red cabbage and cilantro instead of green onions.  It's pretty versatile and quick.

From YummyFood

From YummyFood

Salmon With Cauliflower Puree Revisted

Nicole came and spent a week of vacation with me in early November (we were in Ann Arbor for a a day before heading out to Philadelphia for the aiche conference I was attending). As a result of all the traveling, I really haven't cooked much lately. I did have some excellent food while on the east coast: a meal of mushrooms, lobster, and sole all stuffed with crab, shrimp fra diavolo, and a giant bucket of mussels steamed with garlic, jalapenos and beer...just to name a few. However, I did make a great meal for Nicole and Carp while we were in Ann Arbor.

The store was still full of a lot of fresh, locally grown cauliflower, so I decided to whip up and old favorite, Salmon with Cauliflower Puree. For the puree, I basically followed my second revision, substituting milk and romano cheese for the goat cheese, but also added a dash of soy sauce, sesame oil, and roasted garlic (basically the sauce I have below), which was great tasting.

Since I decided to bake the salmon, I wouldn't have to worry about a sauce charring on the outside (like I would if I were to pan sear it). I made up a marinate that consisted of:

Marinade ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon pickled ginger, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder
• 1 squirt of rooster sauce
• a few grinds of black pepper and sea salt directly on the fish itself

I bake the salmon at about 375°F in the toaster oven for around 25 minutes (I had a 1 lb filet that was pretty thick in the middle). While the salmon was baking, I made a sauce to serve with the fish (and, as I mentioned before, tastes awesome with the cauliflower puree).

Sauce Ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic, roasted
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon of pickled ginger, minced
• a few grinds of black pepper

I took the skin off the garlic and roasted it at 450°F for about 10 minutes (until the cloves were mushy). I then mashed up the garlic with a fork, mixing in the ginger, soy sauce, and oil.