Summer Soup with Carrots, Red Pepper, and Orange.

Because Mac did his best to keep me up last night, I didn't really feel like making something complicated today.  I had the idea of making carrot soup and just went with it.  This soup is quick and has a nice, refreshing flavor that suits the end of summer weather we've been having in the City.  It is easily modified and can be made heartier with the addition of potatoes, rice, or tofu.  I've usually found that carrot-based soups are a little too sweet, but this one is tempered by the red pepper and curry powder.  The orange juice adds a nice undertone without overpowering the vegetables.

1lb Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium/large Yellow Onion, chopped (approx. 2 cups)
1 large Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 cups Vegetable Stock
1 cup Orange Juice
salt, pepper, and curry powder to taste (2 full tbsp curry powder gives a nice bite without adding too much heat)
Scallions

Large pot
Blender

Heat the oil in a large pot, add onion and let cook until tender.  Add carrots and peppers and let cook briefly.  Add stock and let simmer for 30 mins or until the vegetables are tender.  Transfer the solids to the blender and add enough liquid so that it easily purées.  It may be easier to do this batches.  Transfer the purée back to the large pot, blending with any leftover liquids.  Add the orange juice.  Add spices to taste.  Heat through (approx. 15-20 minutes.)  Garnish with scallions.  Serve with dipping bread.  

Bonk appétit

Potato and Banana Curry with Snowshoe Naan

This recipe is a variation on one my father gave me for chicken and shrimp curry.  Since Patient Girlfriend is a vegetarian and I am allergic to shellfish, I substituted white potato for the poultry and cut out the shrimp.  Thanks to Dad, for the original!

For the curry:
1 large potato (I used white, but will probably use a waxier variety next time), cubed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 large banana, cubed
1 apple, cubed
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste (I substituted 1 plum tomato finely diced and seasoned with a pinch of salt and sugar)
2 Tbsp curry powder (more to taste)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet or wok.  Add the garlic and onion.  Cook briefly over medium/high heat then add the bell pepper.  Cook and stir vigorously for several minutes, until the onion begins to soften.  Add curry powder, banana, apple, and tomato paste (or diced tomato.)  Add broth slowly and blend.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Let simmer 10 minutes.

Curry set to simmer

In a separate pan, brown the potatoes in the olive oil.  In the future, I plan on adding baked tofu as a substitute for the shrimp.  I would probably prepare the tofu with a curry and herb rub before baking and then pan sear it.

Once the potatoes are browned, add them to the curry sauce and vegetables.  the curry can then be covered and left to cook through, or it may be transfered to a casserole dish and baked at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  I chose to bake to reduce the chance that the potatoes would be over cooked and fall apart.  When using a waxier potato and tofu, I would probably just let the curry cook through on the stove.

For the naan, I followed a recipe in Flatbreads and Flavors.  It is basically a yeast-based recipe that starts with a whole wheat sponge which is left to rise and then to which white flour is added.  After rising, the dough is divided, shaped and baked.

Naan before shaping and baking.

You can top the naan with any savory condiment.  I used thyme and garlic on these.  This was my first time baking naan, and I found the bake time to be almost twice what was stated in the cookbook.  I would also probably try brushing the breads with salt water or oil immediately prior to baking.

A finished naan.

I was pretty pleased with the naan.  It was filling, chewy without being under-done, and flavorful enough to complement the curry.

Mac was exceedingly well behaved over the course of preparation and decided only to get in the way when I was swapping baked and unbaked naan.

Mac helping

 

All in all, not a bad attempt.  I'm anxious to try this again with the different potato variety, tofu, and brushed naan.  Bonk appétit!

Curry and naan