Fiddlehead Soup

Image courtesy Creative Commons

The only thing tastier in the spring in NB than a “mess of fiddleheads”, is pairing them with a bit of potato and some cream in the form of soup. Tuck into our simple and quick version of this gourmet classic. It can be made with either fresh or frozen fiddleheads. Alternatively, if you’re making it later in the year, you can substitute 16-20 asparagus stalks for the fiddleheads. The soup base can also be frozen to enjoy later in the year.

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (3 cups or more) or shredded
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup of diced onion (about a medium sized onion)
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
•  1-2 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 ½  cups cleaned fiddleheads, tightly packed into the cup
• Water as needed
• 1-2 cups of cream (2 cup coffee cream or 1 cup whipping cream)
• Salt to taste
• Croutons (optional garnish)
• Parmesan cheese leaves (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes, celery, onion and garlic in a heavy bottomed pot. Add stock and enough water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cover pot and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until potatoes are starting to get tender.
3. Add fiddleheads and recover pot. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Fiddleheads must be thoroughly cooked. Potatoes at this point should be very done – mushy and falling apart.
4. Remove a few of the fiddleheads and set aside for use as a garnish. Using an immersion blender or in small batches in a regular blender, puree the soup until smooth.
5. Return to pot and stir in enough cream to give it a creamy texture without overwhelming it. You probably won’t use the full amount called for in the recipe.
6. Salt to taste
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved fiddleheads and/or croutons or parmesan cheese leaves.

Keeping it for later: After step 4 (before adding cream), this soup base can be packaged into freezer safe containers and frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and heat the next day in a pot. Add cream, salt to taste and serve.

Hamburger Chop Suey

This "budget cuisine" dish was invented by one of our mothers back in the 1970s. Bean sprouts were not readily available in many Canadian grocery stores in those days, so being an inventive cook, she substituted shredded cabbage for bean sprouts. Of course, it tastes equally delicious with actual FRESH bean sprouts or a combination of the two. Just whatever you do, avoid the canned bean sprouts. They are very high in sodium, taste terrible (like the inside of the can) and have the texture of mush. Not to mention, they're expensive as all get out. 

Cabbage has the advantage of being readily available, inexpensive and it stores well over a period of time.




Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup

2 stalks celery –finely chopped

2 tsp minced fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger powder

2 cloves garlic – or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)

1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef (or use a combination of ground beef and ground pork)

2 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp soy sauce – we used sodium reduced

2 Tbsp corn starch

2 cup beef stock

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Water chestnuts – 1 small can, rinsed and drained (optional)

Bean sprouts – 3 large handfuls or substitute with finely shredded cabbage (about 6 cups)

Other additions you might enjoy:

Mushrooms,

Green or red pepper

Shredded carrots

Shredded zucchini 

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until it is brown, breaking up the larger chunks.
2. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. If using fresh ginger and garlic, add it now and cook for another minute or two.
3. Stir in the molasses and soy sauce and half (1 cup) of the stock.. If using dried garlic and ginger, stir it in with the beef broth, then add to the cooked ground beef. If using shredded cabbage, add it now and allow to cook for a minute or so to soften.
4. Dissolve the cornstarch in remaining stock and add to the pan. Stir and cook until thickened.
5. If using the water chestnuts and bean sprouts, add them now and cook for another minutes The bean sprouts should maintain some crunch.
6. Spoon over rice and serve.

 

Burrito Delights!! Yummy and PORTABLE

When it comes to quick, easy, portable, versatile and delicious food, burritos are 
where it’s at! The best part of burritos is that you really can’t go wrong... just think 
of your favourite combinations of veggies, beans, rice, potatoes, meat, they can 
pretty much all be wrapped up in a burrito shell or pita wrap and taste amazing. It's 
all about getting creative and finding different ways to wrap up breakfast, lunch or 
supper. We've got a few simple recipe ideas here for you to start with.

Breakfast burrito

For this burrito you will need veggies (try red and green peppers, corn, spinach, onions), eggs, cheese (optional), and sauce kind of sauce, like salsa, hot sauce, or guacamole.

• Finely chop your veggies into about 1cm (1/2 inch)  cubes and toss them in a frying pan on low-med heat, with just a bit of oil. Lightly sautéed the veggies until they are just a bit softened.

• While the veggies cook, crack your eggs into a small bowl (2 eggs per person is usually a good size portion) and whisk.

• Add the eggs to the frying pan with the veggies and scramble the whole mixture the same way you would scramble eggs

• Warm your burrito while you scramble this mixture, you can either do this in the microwave, or just lay the burrito shell over the mixture in the frying pan, kind of like a lid. Once its warm, place on a plate and put your sauce down the middle then add a layer of grated cheese.

• Remove the frying pan from the heat and layer the scrambled egg-veggie mix in the burrito shell on top of the cheese and sauce. Wrap it up and voila! A hearty breakfast to go

Salad Wrap

This is a good option when you’re not looking for a light lunch or supper, but you want something that feels satisfying. You will need:

• a burrito shell or large pita wrap

• a bowl to mix your salad in

• salad dressing of your choice and any other spreads you might like, such as hummus, cream cheese or mustard

• salad ingredients-get creative, think olives, artichokes, seeds and nuts, plus the usual veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, peppers and fresh greens like spinach, lettuce or arugula

• a touch of hot sauce can also be great in these, for those people who like a bit of spice!

In the bowl, combine all your salad ingredients and toss with your dressing. Layer your spread(s) on the pita or wrap. Scoop your tossed salad onto the open wrap.

Top with hot sauce (if you like) and wrap it all up. Fresh, tasty, and portable.

Hearty Bean Burrito

This is the most like the traditional mix we think of when we think of burritos. The trick to keeping this one interesting is mixing up what you add to your bean mixture as well as what you use for your base.

Bean Mix: 

• Fry some thinly sliced onions and finely chopped garlic in a pan with a bit of oil. If you like, you can toss in some thinly sliced peppers or mushrooms at this point.

• Add a can of beans (black beans, kidney beans, refried beans, and even chickpeas all work fine) to the pan, as well as a dash of salt and pepper, and spice such as cumin or a chipotle sauce.

• Smoosh the mixture a bit with the back of a fork to clump it together, you can also add things like some frozen or fresh corn, or some canned tomatoes.

Rice or Potato Base:

• While you are preparing your bean mix, choose and prepare the base you want for your burrito. Two easy options are rice or potatoes

• Rice is easy, just cook according to the directions on the package

• For the potatoes, we find it’s easiest to chop the potatoes (about half a smallish potato per burrito) into about 1 inch cubes, then boil them until they are tender (so that you can easily spike through the cube with a fork). Drain the potatoes in a strainer in the sink. You can either just add these to the burrito plain, fry them lightly in a pan with a bit of oil (sesame oil adds a nice flavor) or fry them with a bit of your bean mixture.

Other toppings: 

• Lettuce or spinach, chopped into thin strips

• Diced tomatoes

• Lime: add just a squirt of either fresh lime or lime juice as a final touch

• Salsa

• Sour cream

• Grated cheese

Once your bean mixture and starch base are all ready, heat up your burrito shell. Layer the rice or potato base on the bottom, then a layer of bean mix, then toppings of your choice. The only problem you’ll have with this one is being able to close the wrap around all the yummy ingredients you've tried to fit into one wrap!!

Burritos are a great way to make your meal portable, but one important tip when you’re planning on bringing one for lunch to school or work: keep your filling separate from the burrito shell. We often find that when you wrap it all together and let it sit for more than a few minutes, things can get soggy. Instead, try putting your filling in a reusable container and packing the burrito shell separately until you’re ready to eat.

The final tip, how to wrap a burrito like a pro! 

• Layer all your ingredients down the middle, trying to leave about one and a half inches of space at one end.

• Fold up the bottom half

• Fold one side over the ingredients in the middle. It can be helpful to tuck the ingredients in as you fold the wrap over. The shell should now be folded over the bottom part of the shell you tucked up first, as well as the filling.

• Finally, fold the opposite side over. You should have one open end at the top. If you don’t want it to be open, simply just fold in both the top and bottom ends for your first fold.

Tortellini Soup

Fresh tortellini are frequently marked down by 50% at various grocery stores. The large family pack makes 2 batches of this delicious and quick soup. Keep an eye out and when the tortellini is marked down in the deli section, buy a pack, split it in two before freezing. That way, you'll always have something quick at hand for those days when time is short and the family is hungry.

Fresh spinach in this is great; however, you can substitute thawed frozen spinach as well.

Ingredients 

• 1- 900 ml box of vegetable, chicken or beef stock or 3 bouillon cubes dissolved in 3-1/2 cups of water.
• 8 oz bag of fresh spinach or 1 box of frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry, roughly chopped
• 540 can of tomatoes
• 350 g of fresh tortellini (about ½ of a ‘family size” package)
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil (or other suitable oil)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Basil – about 1 Tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried.
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to a large flat bottom, heavy pot. Heat the oil over a medium heat. When warm, add the garlic and allow the garlic to warm slightly. Do not use too high a heat or the garlic will burn and become bitter.
2. Add the broth, tomatoes (including juice) and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat, add tortellini and cook for 5 minutes or until tortellini are tender.
4. Stir in basil and spinach, allow it sit for a few minutes to let the spinach wilt.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Maple Syrup Dressing

We pulled this recipe from a cookbook published by the New Brunswick Maple Syrup Association ... YUM, YUM!!! It's simple enough for everyday but fantastic enough for a special occasion.

Ingredients: 

2 Tablespoons maple syrup (30 ml)

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 ml)

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (60 ml)

1/3 cup olive oil (75 ml)

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon fresh fine herbs (5 ml)

½ teaspoon sea salt (2.5 ml)

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper (1.25 ml)

Directions:

1      Mix all ingredients together.

2      Let sit for one hour

3      Pour over your favourite salad. It’s particularly good on spinach salads.

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

1 can (540 ml) )chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes – I use no salt added

1 can (4.5 oz) green chilies

1/2 cup diced onions – about one small onion

2 stalks of celery diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced sweet potato (optional)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp ground coriander

1/4 cup vegetable broth

4 or 5 frozen spinach pellets or ½ cup of chopped fresh spinach

½ chopped green sweet pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat for about two minutes.
2. Stir in cumin, ginger and coriander.
3. Add celery and cook until vegetables are tender.
4. Add chickpeas, vegetable broth, green chilies and tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes if using. Cover and simmer for ten minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Add additional water or vegetable broth if it is too thick.
5. Option: stir in some frozen spinach pellets or add ½ green pepper, diced. Remove from heat and let flavours mingle for a few minutes before serving.
6. Serve alone or with brown rice and steamed green beans.

Tomato-basil soup

Tomato –Basil Soup

Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver

Serves 6-8

Equipment: You will need an immersion (stick) blender, food processor or a regular blender to puree the soup. 

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 medium onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 3/4 litres vegetable broth
• olive oil
• 796 ml /28 ounce can plum tomatoes
• 6 large ripe tomatoes
• Small bunch of fresh basil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper (optional)

Preparation

Peel and roughly slice the carrots, slice the celery, peel and roughly chop the onions and peel and slice the garlic. 

Put the broth in a large saucepan and heat until boiling. Lightly score the bottom of each tomato in an X. Immerse into the broth and leave for 30 seconds. Remove and place into a large bowl of ice water. When tomato has cooled, cut the skin around “the equator”. Skin should peel right off. Set aside.

Put a large saucepan on medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped ingredients and mix together. Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for around 10 minutes with the lid askew until the carrots have softened but are all still holding their shape, and the onion starts to turn color.

Add the boiling broth to the pan with your canned and fresh tomatoes, including the green stalks that may still be attached (provides additional flavor). Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the pan from the heat, and season with salt and pepper (you can also add in some crushed red pepper flakes if you'd like) and add the basil leaves. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup until smooth. Season again before dividing between serving bowls.