So, with soupy weather outside (click on the inserted image to see what I mean) I selected some recipes I had favorited on foodgawker.com and got cracking. Once again, I went with the ever classic soup & bread combo which not only allows me to try a new soup each time, but also a new bread. I played it safe with my first bread last time and so decided to try something a little more exotic. I found this recipe for a cake-like bread that intrigued me, even more so now that I realize it doesn’t have a name. I guess I will christen it myself then – it shall be called Roasted Red Pepper Black Olive and Feta Loaf (or RRPBOFL for short, yet more complicated). I found this recipe at Kayotic Kitchen, and she calls it a Christmas Cake but I don’t know if I would. Nevertheless, it was very tasty and you could definitely taste the red peppers and olives. Normally I would post the recipe here as well, but she has great step by step photos and it would be a pain the ass for me to transfer it all over here – just visit her site here to see it. But I do have the usual photos:

To go with the bread was a Cream of Tomato Soup. Nothing much to it and so I won’t bore you with too many details, but it turned out delicious as well. With the onion that was involved it was a nice combination with the tomatoes. It was well complimented with the RRPBOFL and some Gouda cheese. Another delicious and edible dinner – that is all I can ask for. I failed to grab some photos of the soup (just picture a creamy tomato soup and you are there) but here is the recipe, which I snagged from the gourmet traveller website:

2 x 400g (280oz) cans whole, peeled plum tomatoes
250ml (1 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
750ml (3 cups) whole milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
60g (4 tbsp) butter
4 tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp tomato purée
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
freshly ground black pepper

Gradually pour in the milk and stock, then add the bay leaf, basil, tomato purée, sugar, and salt. Continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes then add them to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and black pepper to taste then blitz again in a blender if you prefer a silky smooth soup (I personally like the bits of onion so don’t bother). Reheat before serving.

Today’s menu was chosen because I have been wanting to have some Potato Leek Soup since being back from the UK, where it seems more popular than here. I thought it might be rather boring all on its own and so I paired it with a Honey Beer Bread. The result? A resounding success! The bread was tasty and turned out just right – soft and moist in the middle with a crunchy crust – pretty damn good for my first bread. It was pretty simple though – flour, baking soda, salt, butter, a bottle of beer (my favorite part) and some honey. That is it! While it was baking away in the oven I prepared the soup and everything was ready for the table all at the same time.

First off, the Honey Beer Bread – five to ten minutes to prepare and then a little under an hour in the oven. Too easy. This recipe is from Gimme Some Oven (via foodgawker) – I followed it to a tee, using Rickard’s White wheat beer and you can really taste it. Can’t wait to see what other beers bring to the flavor of this bread.

* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 Tbsp. sugar
* 1 Tbsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. salt
* 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
* 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
* 4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted

4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.

And to go with the bread, some Potato Leek Soup. This is actually a Weight Watcher’s recipe from Gina’s WW Recipes (via foodgawker again). I pretty much followed this one to a tee as well, except I added some more stock (maybe ½ – ¾ cup more) when boiling the potatoes and leeks to make sure they were all covered with liquid – it will probably depend on the size of potatoes and leeks how much you will need. I also did half chicken and half veggie stock since I had some of each opened. Other than that, no changes.

* 1 bunch leeks (about 4) dark green stems removed
* ½ white onion, chopped
* 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
* 1 tbsp flour
* 1 tbsp butter
* 4 cups fat free chicken stock (homemade or canned)
* ½ cup 2% milk
* salt and fresh pepper

4. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth adding the milk and adjusting salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Here is the recipe I followed from the Simply Gluten Free site that I linked above. I followed it to a tee and it was fantastic. Don’t make the lime optional – it is a really nice touch – and I used vegetable broth in my soup. However, it wasn’t really spicy and so I would probably use hot salsa next time, rather than medium, if I wanted some extra kick. As well, make sure you use the lime sour cream and onions for garnish as it really brings everything together.

2 cans black beans – drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup prepared salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & Pepper
2 limes – optional

2. Stir some lime juice into the sour cream until smooth and swirl some over the top of each serving and garnish with chopped green onions

So why the Spanish flavor to today’s lesson? Because today I decided to take another crack at some baking. With my recent attempt to eat less things that come prepackaged in boxes and bags, I figured I would make my own cookies. The inspiration for today was a recipe I found on Tastespotting for Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies – which I now call Chocolate Chiphuahua Cookies. I was taken aback for a second when I saw the ingredients but, being the adventurous cook that I am (with ingredients, not effort), I figured I would give them a shot. Glad I did! They are delicious – soft, chewy, chocolaty and finish with a kick. Definitely one of the best cookies I have tasted, and so easy to make. While you can detect the spice after using a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red peppers flakes, I think I would double that to a 1/2 teaspoon to give them just a tad more of a bite. I guess it depends if you like spicy or not.

Here is the version of the recipe I followed from here, which made 30 cookies for me:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chunks

4. Bake cookies until golden brown but still soft to touch, about 10 minutes (for crisper cookies, bake 12 minutes). Let stand on sheets 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

After completing the cookies I cleaned up quickly as I had a curry to make as well. Again, I found a recipe that looked interesting and got cracking. It really wasn’t too difficult despite the number of ingredients needed, but in the end I was disappointed with the results. I think it turned out ok for a curry, but I think I was expecting something else. I was expecting more of a tikka masala or rogan josh type curry – something with a kick – and this seemed rather bland to me. Oh, and I put a tad too much cilantro. Others liked it, but I guess I set my expectations too high. Probably my second dish not to turn out in my eyes, so not too bad of a track record still. I won’t bother posting a link to the recipe since I personally can’t recommend it, but here are some shots of the curry… it definitely looked and smelled good.

I believe I found this recipe for Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup at www.tastespotting.com again, but it isn’t in my favorites there and so I can’t be certain. I pretty much followed the recipe as it is with just a few minor adjustments/guesstimates . First, guessing one person’s pumpkin sizing to another is impossible. I estimate that I probably had about 4 cups of mashed pumpkin after baking and scooping what I had leftover from the stew. Also, since we had sushi last night I simply used the leftover ginger from that and diced it really fine, rather than getting ginger root and grating it – I also probably used about 2 tsps of it rather than 1 (I like ginger). I also doubled the red curry paste to 4 tsps, which created a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Lastly, I only used about 1.5 cups of vegetable broth as I like my soups thicker, like a pea soup consistency. Of course, all of these ratios change a bit depending on the size of the pumpkin used and your personal preferences, so just use this as a guideline.

Here is my version of the recipe:

1 large pumpkin, 8-10 lbs, cut in half and seeds removed (about 4 cups once mashed) (or you could use two large cans of pumpkin, or a butternut squash or two)
salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
4 tsp Thai red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen, which is gluten-free)
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1.5 cups vegetable broth
minced chives for garnish

In a large stock pot, bring olive oil to medium heat and add garlic, ginger, curry paste, and coriander. Allow to cook for a minute or two, stirring, just until it becomes fragrant. Add pumpkin and coconut milk and stir, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat, and puree. (I used a hand blender, but if you don’t have one, you can blend in batches with your blender or food processor.) Place back on heat and stir in broth, a little at a time, until the soup is at the desired consistency. Taste, and add salt and pepper as necessary. Keep at a simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Garnish with minced chives. Serves 5-6.

This recipe was so easy to make – 15 minutes after starting I had some yummy soup on the table. I had planned on making this before I even started the stew the other night and so I baked the pumpkin half and mashed it as the stew cooked. Even if you bake the pumpkin the day of making the soup, it is just 45 minutes in the oven on its own – not too difficult. I combined this with a asian coleslaw salad and a baguette with some fresh cheese for a hearty and delicious lunch. Oh God, I sound like those pretentious food bloggers… shoot me now!