Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Carrot Soup with Curry and Ginger

Somehow, even though I am not at work, the day goes by so fast. 
There are so many things I want to try an accomplish over these next
few weeks.  Everywhere I turn I get distracted by a project and before
I know it is 5:00 and time to think about making dinner.

I made Carrot Soup because it just seemed like an appropriate summer recipe.
Don't worry it wasn't just Carrot Soup ~ It was Carrot Soup with Curry & Ginger
and then topped with roasted red peppers and pepitas.

I don't have exact measurements so you will have to be a little adventurous when
making this dish.  You can do it!

Carrot Soup with Curry and Ginger

1 bag of whole carrots (about 10 -12)
1/2 white onion , sliced
pinch of thyme
pinch of salt
honey
1 tsp. of curry powder
1/2 tsp of ginger powder
1 cup of almond milk
1 cup of chicken broth

Wash and peel the carrots.  Cut them in half. Slice the onion, leaving large pieces.
Place the carrots and onion on a baking dish and pour a little oil over them.
Sprinkle a little dry thyme and salt over the carrots and onions.  Mix them well and
then put them in the oven.  Cook them at 400 degrees for about 25 -30 minutes,
until the carrots turn a little brown.



Take the carrots and onions out of the oven and let them cool.  Once cooled,
place them in a food processor.  Add the almond milk, chicken broth, curry, ginger,
and honey in the processor and blend until smooth.   Taste and add ingredients as
needed.

Pour the soup into a pan to cook.  I cooked the soup on low for about 40 minutes
so the flavors could come together. 

While the soup cooked I toasted pepitas in a pan with a little salt.  I also sliced a red
pepper up and roasted it in the oven with a little oil.

Pour the soup into a bowl. Place the red peppers and toasted pepitas on top.


Very Yummy!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Tilapia with a White Wine, Lemon, Butter Sauce

We had a wonderful dinner tonight! 
I made Tilapia with a White Wine Sauce,
Balsamic Green Bean and Tomato Salad
and Spiced Sweet Potatoes.  
It all turned out delicious!

We just returned from a week in Florida
where we ate some amazing food but
it is nice to be back at home in my own kitchen
cooking dinner for two. 


Tilapia with a White Wine, Lemon, Butter Sauce

Rinse and dry your Tilapia Fillets
Make a simple flour and seasoning mixture to
bread the fish in .   I used flour, salt , thyme and
oregano.   I lightly floured the fish in the flour mixture
and set it aside while I prepared the wine sauce. 
When you cook the Tilapia, cook it in a pan with a little oil.
Only cook the fish a few minutes on each side ( about 2-3)
unless your fish is really thick.  I like to turn up my heat really
high for about a minute or so to get a light, crispy coating on
the outside of the fish.


White Wine Sauce:
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, peeled, quartered and chopped
1 tablespoon shallots, chopped finely
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 TBS of butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
pinch of pepper
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1-2 tablespoons of capers
touch of lemon zest


Heat a little oil in a pan and add the chopped shallots and let them cook on low for about 3-4 minutes.
Add the wine and lemons to the shallots and bring this mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium/low and let this simmer and reduce by half, about 15 - 20 minutes.  Stir the mixture frequently.

Add the cream and continue cooking until the liquid reduces again, about 5 minutes.

*Begin to cook the fish now**

Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time and cook for about 3-4 minutes and allow the sauce to thicken . Continue stiring the sauce.  Add the salt, pepper, parsley  and whisk to blend. Add the capers and a touch of lemon zest. Stir one last time.  Give the sauce a taste and see if you need to add anything before serving.

This is a wonderful White Wine Sauce for fish that I am sure it can be used on many different types of fish.


                                                         Delish!