Turmeric and coconut cream add a whole new dimension to the classic Leek and Potato Soup

There's something wonderful about working the art of Cuisine. Like a painter with his/her palate of basic oils or acrylics, blending primary colors to create entire new ones only limited by an imagination, so too is the Chef and his/her vast array of fresh ingredients, spices, and herbs in creating new recipes from the old classics. This idea did not go unnoticed in this latest creation, Turmeric Leek and Potato Soup.


Providing Indian ingredients to this classic soup opens a whole new window to what you can do with potatoes and leeks and introduces new flavors that you might not have thought about blending. The coconut cream enhances the smooth and silky texture that you will notice from the very first spoonful, while the turmeric adds the accent of an ever so gentle curry undertone that will leave you wondering why you haven't thought of this before.

It's time to seize the opportunity to experience this new recipe for yourself. The ingredients are easy to find, the preparation is quick and simple, and the results of your efforts will wow your most discriminating guests.


Ingredients

13 oz. (370 gm) leek stalk, sliced in 1/4 inch thickness
2 medium size Russet potatoes (about a pound)
3 medium shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
4 cups of water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/3 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt (additional to taste, if needed)
1/2 cup of coconut cream
1 tablespoon of butter, unsalted
1 teaspoon of Turmeric powder
1 tablespoon of plain low fat yogurt or Greek yogurt
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish


Directions

Prepare ingredients and gather cooking pots and utensils. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1 inch squares, slice the leeks into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then remove into a dry bowl with your hands, chop shallots, crush garlic with a knife and then chop finely.

In a 8 to 10 inch diameter pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot, saute the shallots until translucent, then add the garlic. Continue to saute for another minute.

Begin to add the leeks a handful at a time, saute for about a minute between handfuls. Once all leeks are cooking, stir and continue to saute for another few minutes reducing heat to medium.

Next, add the 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and lower heat to low, cover, and continue to cook for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, using a fork, check to make sure the potatoes are tender and cooked. Using a ladle, transfer approximately 4 scoops into a prepared food processor.

To the food processor, now add the coconut cream, butter, and Turmeric powder. Process until everything is well blended and the mixture is silky smooth. Once accomplished, return the mixture to the pot with the remainder of the soup, stir until well blended.

Lower heat to simmer and allow to finish on simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot, with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. Perform a final taste to adjust your salt and pepper to your desired level.  Enjoy.

This preparation should serve 8 ounce portions for a party of six.

Tips

When preparing the leeks, cut the top 2 inches of the stalks and discard; however, please use the rest of the green as well as the white parts. The green part is where most of the nutrients are and it enhances the flavor of your soup.

Stir fried rice lovers, you will remember this one!

If you are a rice lover, that's one thing; however, if you are a stir fried rice lover, this recipe creation propels this grain to a whole new level. And if you follow the preparation to a tee, this dish will take your taste buds to what they may consider taste bud heaven!

Let's face it, things don't get much better to the palate than a dish of fried rice when prepared to perfection and the Chinese have been one of the Masters of this dish since time began. And then along comes this cocky Frenchman (yours truly) who dares step into their culinary territory and try his hand at perfecting something that has already reached its pinnacle. Mais pourquoi, one might ask, would anyone dare stick his or her neck out and try to beat the Champions at their best game? It is perhaps because he loves the challenge.

This creation of a stir fried rice has now been tested by a handful of people and their verdict has been two thumbs up so far. So now you be the judge and jury. Prepare it and see for yourself. Is it worthy of a place at your table?

Precook your rice:

1 cup of brown jasmine rice (uncooked)
2 cups of water
1 or 2 pinches of salt
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

Follow the directions on the package, bringing the water to a boil in a medium pot. Then add the oil and the salt. Rinse the rice well, drain, and add to the pot. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes. You can use 1/4 cup less water if you cook for 45 minutes and want your rice a bit firmer. IF you can't find the brown jasmine rice, the traditional white should work fine; however, remember, this dish was prepared with the brown.

While rice is cooking, prepare all the other ingredients:

1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 cups of finely shredded Napa cabbage
5 cloves of fresh garlic, finely diced
1 teaspoon of ginger root, finely diced
1/2 cup of Edamame beans (w/o pods, precooked)
2 lightly beaten medium sized eggs
3 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
3 tablespoons of Mirin (kind of like a rice wine)
2 teaspoons of Hoisan sauce
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1/4 cup of hot water
10 shakes of the table salt shaker (about a teaspoon or less)
7 shakes of black pepper

Please note: wait until the final step to add the salt and pepper so that you can taste and judge now much you want. Some people like more salt and others less.

In a medium glass, add the 1/4 cup of hot water, Mirin, Hoisan sauce, and oyster sauce together and stir until well diluted, set aside.

Prepare all your vegetables per the preparation above, chopping and dicing, etc. Place the Edamame beans in a microwavable dish, along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover tightly, and microwave on high for about 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Set aside and uncover after a minute. Most of the podded Edamame will come frozen, for your information, and it can be found in the frozen vegetable section of your grocery store.

In a large (10 inch) fry pan (or wok, if you have one), add half of the vegetable oil and heat on high, but don't allow the oil to start smoking. Once the oil is hot, add the diced red bell peppers and saute while stirring for about 90 seconds. Next, add the garlic, ginger, and shallots and continue stirring for another 90 seconds.

Reduce the heat to medium high and add the cabbage. Toss and stir so that all ingredients are well mixed together and continue to saute for another 2 minutes. You may, at this time, add 5 shakes of the salt shaker and the ground pepper. Stir, then remove from the pan into a bowl.

Make sure the pan has been scraped with a metal spatula, then add half of the remaining vegetable oil, and quickly saute the 2 beaten eggs over medium high heat. Don't overcook the eggs, Chop and stir with your spatula for about 45 seconds and remove eggs into a small bowl.

Again, scrape the bottom of the pan well, then add the rest of the vegetable oil and the sesame oil into the pan and heat at medium high heat. When oil is nice and hot, it will easily coat the bottom of the pan when you swirl the pan around. Now, add your cooked rice to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom frequently as you stir. Fry the rice for about 2 minutes.

Next, add the sauteed vegetables to the rice and stir so that all ingredients are very well mixed. Add the Edamame beans and continue to saute for another minute. Add the liquid mixture you had set aside and stir until all ingredients are well coated. Finally, add the cooked eggs and do a final stir so they are well distributed throughout the dish. Give yourself one last taste for flavor and add a bit more salt and pepper if needed.

Transfer the fried rice to a heated large serving bowl and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Serve hot all by itself or with your favorite meat. This preparation will yield 6 servings if accompanied by a second item or about 5, if served by itself. Enjoy your creation and please feel free to critique it as you seem fit.

To soup or not to soup all depends on you

With the arrival of warmer weather, it's all too often that soup begins to take a back seat to its more fair weather friend, la salade. Well, the time has come to break from traditional habits. Soup is perfectly comfortable as the days and nights warm up. In fact, if you carefully pick and choose the type of soup, it makes perfect sense as a first course for a July evening dinner.

Think lighter fare when choosing what soup you plan to prepare. We're not talking about the heavy and hearty guns here, but more in the line of light and creamy soups that a simple ladle or two will suffice. Think of a light and silky scarf around your neck as you stroll through the city park on a warm Summer's eve, instead of that thick, old, and scratchy wool muffler that's been hanging in your closet that you can't wait to re-gift. Now you're beginning to envision a wonderful cream of red lentils and carrots with a light scent of ginger and golden curry as you close your eyes and your mind wanders to the sandy beaches of Panaji with subtle, warm breezes blowing in from the Arabian Sea as the Sun gives its last kiss good night.

Snap out of it! It's time to make soup and you've no time for day dreaming. Get yourself a fan and pretend. Here are the ingredients for Red Lentil and Carrot Ginger Soup:

2 cups of carrots, chopped in one inch pieces
1 cup of dry red lentils, well rinsed
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh peeled young ginger
6 cups of chicken stock
3/4 cups of coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon of golden curry power or turmeric (your choice)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of butter

Begin by bringing the chicken stock to a full boil in a medium to large pot. Add the carrots and the red lentils and boil for about 15 minutes uncovered over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. You will begin to see some foaming around the edges. Take a soup spoon and carefully skim this off and discard it. Reduce heat to medium and add the ginger. Cover and continue cooking for about 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender and lentils are soft to the bite. Check back occasionally and stir.  Liquid should have reduced a bit and lentils should have absorbed some liquid as well.

Now transfer the carrots and lentils, along with the liquid to a food processor in 3 equal amounts and process for about 3 minutes each. Once processed, return the soup to the pot by way of straining through a fine mesh strainer. Take your time and don't rush the straining, as you want to have a silky smooth consistency. You can use a spoon to keep the mesh clear as you strain, but don't try to push it through. Any solids left in the strainer can be discarded. This process can take 10 minutes, but be patient. The finer the mesh the better.

Once the soup has been put through the strainer and back in the pot, stir in the coconut milk, the curry powder (or turmeric), salt, pepper, and honey. Make sure the cook top is reduced to low. Stir well until all ingredients are well blended. If you desire less thickness to your soup, add more cream or coconut milk and stir well.  Taste for flavor and add a bit more salt if needed. Continue to cook on low for about 15 minutes until it comes to a very very low boil, all the while stirring frequently. Once it comes to a boil, cook for just about 5 more minutes, remove from heat, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter until completely blended. Serve hot with sprinkled parsley or a nob of sour cream. Settle in the back yard, hit the fan, and go back to your day dream. Enjoy!

Vegan or Vegetarian, Who gets to eat Mushroom Stuffed Egg White Crepes?

I've always been confused with what constitutes the diet of a "vegan" vs. a "vegetarian". Can a vegan eat egg products and does the vegetarian have to stay away from dairy? It's all so confusing that every time the subject comes up, I just have to go to the fridge and pull out a nice 8 oz. tenderloin of beef just to calm me down.

I should know all of the rules by now; after all, I have amongst my friends, a couple of vegetarians - well, wait one minute. One is a vegetarian and the other, a vegan. And you ask why  I get so confused? It's quite a feat to juggle menus, especially when you've got both at the dinner table, along with the meat eaters and a non fish eater thrown in just for the added excitement. I can't wait until the food sustainability advocate comes barging in wanting a seat at the table! I'm sorry folks, the restaurant's closed. I'll take 'walking on eggs' for 2,000, Alex.

Speaking of eggs, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they are one of most versatile foods around and no fridge should be without a dozen or two and so easy to get. Just wait until the hens have left the hen house and like a fox, sneak in and raid the nest. In all seriousness however, they can conveniently be found in your neighborhood supermarket in sizes small to extra large.

A recent recipe that I came up with was enough to dazzle my vegetarian friend. Using egg whites, several varieties of mushrooms, a bit of coconut cream, and few herbs and spices was all that it took to come up with my mushroom stuffed egg white crepes. Served as an appetizer or a part of the main course, these crepes will certainly entertain the palates of vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Your shopping list for a party of 4 should include:

8 egg whites (from medium to large eggs)
1/2 cup of coconut cream
1/2 cup of vegetable stock or white rice wine
6 cups of several varieties of mushrooms (sliced or chopped)*
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 medium shallots, finely chopped
1/3 cup of finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of olive oil**
salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray (vegetable)

*Suggestions for mushroom varieties can include baby Portabella, Chanterelles, Cep, Porcini,  Lobster mushrooms, and a variety of Asian mushrooms.

**If your diet permits, also use 2 tablespoons of butter. It will add a lot of flavor

Begin by preparing the egg white crepe mixture. In a bowl, add all the egg whites, 3 tablespoons of the coconut cream, a couple dashes of salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Heat an 8 inch frying pan over medium heat. Spray the cooking spray to cover the bottom the pan completely. Now, with a ladle, pour enough of the egg whites to thinly cover the bottom of the pan to about 1/8 inch thickness. Roll the pan around so that you get even thickness of the crepe, just as you would if making regular crepes. Watch the crepe so that it doesn't burn. You won't need to turn it over like a regular crepe as the egg whites will cook to the top. When all liquid egg whites have solidified, using a spatula, carefully remove it from the pan and place open on a plate. Before making the next crepe, spray the pan with more cooking spray. Repeat the process until approximately 8 crepes have been made.

Wipe the pan clean, you will be using it to make the crepe filling. When sauteing mushrooms, you don't want to over crowd them as they will tend to create too much moisture and you won't get that rich sauteed flavor. Slice and chop your mushrooms and add to a large bowl. Add all the other dry ingredients to the bowl (garlic, shallots, parsley, basil, tarragon) and thoroughly mix well. Do NOT add the salt and pepper yet. Separate the mushrooms into 4 portions.

Heat the frying pan over medium high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes before adding a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once olive oil is added, begin sauteing the first quarter of the mushrooms. Saute until they begin to brown. Remove mushrooms from the pan, add some more olive oil and saute the second batch. Continue the process until all mushrooms have been sauteed.

Return all the mushrooms to the pan over a medium heat and cook for about 1 minute. Now add the vegetable stock (or white rice wine) and stir to de-glaze the pan. Add the coconut cream and Dijon mustard and stir well. Reduce heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter (if diet permits). Salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat. If you want, you can add a couple more tablespoons of coconut cream and stir.

To fill the crepes, lay out an open crepe on a dinner plate and add a couple nice tablespoons of mushrooms to the middle. Taking the end of the crepe closest to you, fold it over the mushrooms away from you, then tuck each side inward and continue to roll the crepe. Transfer to a dish and into a warm (not hot) oven until ready to serve. Continue doing this until all crepes are made.

Serve two to a portion, along with a side of vegetable of your choice. If diet preference permits, you may add a spoon of white cream sauce (like a Bechamel sauce) and sprinkle grated Gruyere over the top.