Carrot, Apple and Ginger Soup with Cheese Crisp

Shared by M. Click here for the recipe. Looks really delicious.

I just learned that I shouldn't be adding photos actually which are posted by other people. Read here for details. I'll change it with my own photo soon. Hope the owner doesn't mind. It's a personal blog anyway and I've properly documented the site where it came from, including the recipe.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti.

A KISS for You

Kitcherie Is Simple Silly. ;-)

Ingredients
1/2 cup toor dhal + 1.5 cups brown rice, soaked in water for at least 15 minutes, discard water.
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a sauce pan. Lower heat and fry the mustard seeds until it begins to pop. Add the cumin seeds and allow to pop as well. Add the rest of the spices. Mix in the dhal and rice. Add 5 cups of water. Transfer everything to a rice cooker. Turn it on. Do your practice and a healthy dinner will waiting after.

For variation. Add chopped carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, garlic and onion (not sattvic of course), some bell pepper, or whatever you fancy. Use freshly grated ginger instead of powder for a fresher taste. I can't be bothered at the moment thus the simple soupy kitcherie.

Got invites to attend dinners and parties tonight but I think I'll be a geek tonight.

Sending love to all those who might come across this entry this Love Day.

Namaste.

Soupy Dhal

Fry 1 tsp black mustard seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds in 1-2 tbsp olive oil over really low heat until the seed begins to pop. Add 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, and mix well.

Be careful not to burn the spices.

Add 1 cup moong dhal, chopped potatoes and carrots (about 1 cup each), 4-6 cups water depending on your desired consistency, 1 chopped tomato, 1 veg stock cube.

Increase the heat and bring to boil. When boiling, decrease heat and simmer until everything is cooked.

Add salt and pepper to taste, a dash of chilli powder. Add a handful of chopped coriander and stir well before serving.

Eat with steamed brown rice.

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"Activity of mind is brought about by vasana (motivation directed towards satisfying a physiological or psychological need) and samirana (respiration). If one of them ceases to act then both cease to function." - Hathapradipika IV:22

Minestrone Soup

Saute 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 chopped small white onion in 2 tbsp olive oil for a minute or so. Add chopped tomatoes (5 ripe medium sized tomatoes), lower heat and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes begin to disintegrate.

Add chopped potatoes and carrots, 1 cup red kidney beans, 1 cup elbow macaroni, mix well. Add about 4-5 cups water, a mushroom stock cube, dash of red chilli powder to taste, salt and pepper.

Allow to boil and then lower heat and simmer until the vegetables and pasta are cooked and tender. Use less water for thicker soup.

When done, remove from heat and add a handful of chopped fresh basil and coriander.

Serve with wheat pandesal (or your favorite bread) and butter.

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Just arrived from Makati. Taught a class this morning and then had lunch with Joey, a fellow Pinoy ashtangi I met in Mysore. He's been to Mysore about 4 times already and is one of the very few Filipinos who can proudly say that they've studied with Guruji himself.

I never got to study with Guruji when I was in Mysore because he was no longer teaching. I still feel blessed though to have seen him in person.

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"Wherever the mind attaches itself first, it becomes steady there; and then it becomes absorbed in it." - Hathapradipika IV:88

Veg Macaroni Soup

Dinner last night. The green curry stayed in the fridge and will be my housemate's lunch or dinner today.

Saute 2 cloves garlic, minced, sliced onions, in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add chopped potatoes, carrots, peas, about 1 cup each. Add 6 cups water, 1.5 cups elbow macaroni, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drop one mushroom stock cube, season with salt and pepper, and dried rosemary.

When the pasta and vegetables are cooked, slowly pour in about 1 cup milk (I used evaporated milk), and stir well. Allow to simmer for another minute and stir in a handful of finely chopped fresh basil leaves.

Went to the Assad Indian mini-mart in Marikina this morning after my class in Makati. It was an adventure figuring out where to go. Glad to have been able to buy all the spices and dhals that I need to make authentic Indian dishes.

It's hello kitcherie again in the next few days. Oh, and rice milk... yummy!

Still got one class later. Not really mine now but started the program 4-5 years ago and left it with Joji when I moved to Saudi. It would be good to see the group again.

Vegetable Chowder

Had this for dinner last night... and now for lunch. I didn't puree it last night as the recipe didn't call for it... decided to puree it for lunch though just to have that feel that I'm having something different... yeah... who am I kidding?

INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, chopped.
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped.
2 medium sized potatoes, cubed
1 medium can sweet corn cream-style.
1 vegetable stock cube
500ml water
2 tbsp olive oil

INSTRUCTION
Fry the onion and red bell pepper in the olive oil for about 5 minutes or until soft. Dump everything in... and wait for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy.

Creamy Mushroom Soup by Richard Phillips

I'm preparing this now... just had 2 fruit bowls after practice and now I'm starving. Was planning of having corn chowder using the recipe at the back of the Kallo veggie stock that Maria sent me but I don't have some of the ingredients. It's so much of a task to go to Othaim... I'm a lazy ashtangi until I get to that plane.

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Ingredients

½ onion, roughly chopped
1 large mushroom, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
30g/1oz butter
½ large potato, peeled and chopped
150ml/5fl oz water
½ chicken or vegetable stock cube
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp double cream

Method

1. Place the chopped onion and mushroom into a small food processor with the garlic and blend together.
2. Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and mushroom mixture and fry for a few minutes. Add the potato, water, stock cube and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer for ten minutes.
3. Add the cream and pour into a bowl to serve immediately.

Found this recipe here.

Potato Spinach Soup

Had this for dinner last night.

INGREDIENTS
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bunch spinach
1/2 cup green peas
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of dried rosemary
500ml water

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring the water to a boil then add the potatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the green peas, vegetable stock. Bring to a boil again and add the rest of the ingredients. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a moment before pureeing using a hand blender. Quick and tasty.

Spinach and Zucchini Soup Recipe

The Othaim boys went to Hyperpanda Supermarket last night and I bought some zucchini. I made a nice roasted vegetable soup two nights ago and I'm now on the soup roll.

Zucchini brings me back to Belgium, where I first tasted a soup made from this vegetable. I was with the UP Filipiniana Alumni Dance Group participating in folkloric dance & music festivals around France, Belgium and Switzerland. This is not the exact recipe of my foster mother. I just googled it and picked a website from the list. Sounds light and healthy.

A recipe from 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
big pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups potatoes (2 medium) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
one lemon

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Serves about 6.

Link: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spinach-and-zucchini-soup-recipe.html

Maria's Favorite Soup

Maria emailed me the recipe of her favorite roasted vegetable soup. Was thinking of buying peppers a while ago when I was at Othaim. Maybe tomorrow... or I can call Macky now and ask him to buy me some red peppers...

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SOUP!!!!!

What you need

5 large carrots
2 Red peppers
1 large onions
1-2 Tbs Olive Oil
1-1.5 pints Vegetable stock
half teasp of cinnamon
1 Lime
fresh or dried coriander
pinch chilli /cayenne powder
What you do

Roughly chop the carrots and peppers into chunks, toss them in some
olive oil and roast in a hot oven (200-220 celcius) until the peppers
start to char, it takes about 15-20 mins, but you have to watch them

Finely chop the onions and sautee slowly in olive oil

When the veg are ready, remove from the oven add them to the pan with
the onions and mix all the ingredients together

Add the pinch of cinnamon here, coriander (if using fresh coriander,
only a sprig or two, as you dont want it to overpower the soup. If its
dried coriander, a sprinkle is enough), the chilli/cayene powder, salt
and pepper, and juice of half lime

Then add the stock and bring up to the boil

Reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are softened
( i like them to still have a just a bit of bite, so again, the timing
on this depends on your taste, but be carefull not to over cook)

Then, blend/puree the soup in a blender or liquidizer

Serve with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of youghurt/creme fraiche
(or on its own!!)

The soup will freeze no problem, just omit the cream/yoghurt at the end

Enjoy!!!!

Maria :-)