Not that long ago I discovered an amazing food blogger named Angela Liddon and her wonderful food blog called oh she glows. Of course the rest of the world discovered her long long long before I did but that's not the point here. In a previous blog, I gushed about her very first cookbook and detailed all of her recipes that I had tried (and absolutely LOVED) as well as all the recipes that I could not wait to try. A few weeks after purchasing her first book, lucky me did not have to wait too long before bringing home the sequel. And we all know that sometimes first time authors can become one-hit wonders, when all of their creativity and energy goes into creating the first one and nothing is left over for the subsequent ones. We all are led to feel slightly let down and depressed and maybe slightly cynical (or maybe that's just me everyday...who knows!). Thankfully this is not the case with Oh She Glows Every Day (did I have you worried there?) I did read a couple of initial reviews that maybe were not so glowing but after reading it myself I will have to politely disagree (I'm Canadian after all) with them. I have already made a checklist of all the new and wonderful recipes that I just have to try: the picture of the Fusilli Lentil-Mushroom Bolognese just makes me want to eat the page directly out of the book. What I also love about this latest version is how she has expanded her chapter on Cookies and Bars. Is there not a better way to reward yourself for cooking and eating healthy than by eating healthy AND delicious cookies?!?! I think not. I made the Triple Almond Thumbprint Cookies. I admit I was sceptical at first...how can cookies be both tasty AND good for you? That's crazy talk. But I can't wait to make them again...and eat them all myself (I shared a few with the family out of of courtesy but that ain't happening next time.)
But before trying the cookies, maybe we should focus on a meal first (yup, I'm such a kill-joy.) We love our soups here at Bistro 164, especially creamy soups...without the cream. The Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup was the obvious first choice as we delved into the foray of the latest cookbook. And it did not disappoint. It was creamy and thick (love my thick soups), flavourful and filling. And you really must try garnishing it with the Roasted Tamari Almonds- yes it is a bit of extra work but it just completes the experience. They add a nice nutty crunchiness that contrasts nicely with the spicy soup. And to reward yourself for all your hard work, you can then make yourself the almond thumbprint cookies. What is life without some cookies??? Dig in and enjoy life!
Cheers from Bistro 164!
Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup
Makes 8 cups or 4 servings
Ingredients for the soup
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil (I didn't have this in stock yet so I used vegetable oil)
2 cups diced sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 tbsp of diced garlic in oil)
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsps red curry paste
4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1/4 cup almond butter
3 cups diced peeled carrots
3 cups diced peeled sweet potatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
For the Soup
Grab a large pot and add your oil. Add in the onion, garlic and ginger and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste.
In a small bowl, add some of the broth and whisk together with the almond butter until it's smooth. Add to the big pot containing your veggies. Add in the rest of the broth as well as the carrots, potatoes, salt and cayenne. Stir until mixed together.
Bring the soup to a low boil over medium-high heat. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes (once your veggies are tender.)
Very carefully (learned this the hard way!) ladle the soup into a blender. You will have to do this in a couple of batches. You will likely need to lift the lid a little bit to let the steam escape (also learned this the hard way a few years ago.) Blend low and slow initially but start increasing the speed until the soup is smooth.
Return the soup to the pot, season with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick for your liking then add a bit more broth. I like my soups thick so I didn't feel the need to add anything extra.
Serve it up into a nice bowl and add your favourite toppings- I highly recommend trying out the Roasted Tamari Almonds (see below for recipe), cilantro, or a dollop of greek yogourt.
For the Roasted Tamari Almonds
1/2 cup raw almonds, finely chopped
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp tamari sauce
Preheat oven to 325. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the almonds and tamari in a bowl together until the almonds are fully coated. Spread the almonds on the baking sheet. Road for 9-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely on the pan. Using a spoon, scrape the almonds off the parchment paper. Sprinkle on top of your soup and dig in!
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