A Life, Lived

Sunday Slow Soupers # 2: Mexican Turkey Soup

The slow travel gang has moved on to soups - not a moment too soon . . . with the weather forecast for today winter is at the doorstep. Nothing keeps winter at bay so much as a nice bowl of hot soup! This week's selection was mine and knowing that it was American Thanksgiving on Thursday I selected a turkey soup to help out with all of that leftover turkey.

I like this soup because it is different than the usual turkey soup. Paul describes its spice level as a gentle zippiness. The addition of the cilantro to the avocado cream was a huge hit in this house. We also liked the layers of flavours and textures. Everything about this soup works . . . except for the fact that it doesn't make a huge pot!

Mexican Turkey Soup

1-1/2 cups fresh corn niblets (frozen will work but thaw first)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions, white and light-green parts only; reserve dark-green ends to garnish
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp finely chopped, canned chipotle peppers
4 cups chicken stock (or if you have time, try making your own turkey stock)
3/4 cups shredded, cooked turkey
1 ripe avocado
2 limes
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp finely chopped, fresh cilantro

In a large pot, dry-roast corn over high heat until lightly charred. Set aside in a small bowl. Repeat process with tomatoes.

Using same pot, saute onion, garlic and chipotle peppers in vegetable oil over medium heat. Add turkey and stock and bring almost to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.

Roughly chop tomatoes and add (with juices) to pot along with corn. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mash avocado with a fork. Mix in juice from 1/2 of one lime and mayonnaise. Stir in chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Serve soup topped with avocado cream, finely chopped dark-green onions and a wedge of lime.

Nutritional information
Nutrients per serving: 273 calories, 17 g fat, 17 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g fibre.

Photohunt - Metal

Today's photohunt theme is metal. I had many picture ideas for the hunt but finally settled on this one. I took this picture in Chicago at the Millennium Park when we flew into the city for Paul's birthday. Cloud Gate is a stunning public sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor. Nicknamed "The Bean" because of its shape, Cloud Gate's exterior consists of 168 highly polished stainless steel plates. The sculpture's highly polished exterior reflects and transforms the city's skyline.

Lots of the slowtravel  community members also photohunt when they aren't traveling. You can find their posts by clicking the links below. 

• Old Shoes, New Trip
• Eden's Wanderings and Wonderings
• My Place in the Sun
• Churches in Venice – Mosaics, Marble, and Miracle-Working Madonnas
• Palmabella's Passions
• What I Really Think
• shave Ice and Gelato
• Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!
• Keep your Feet in the Street
• Baked Alaska
• That's my story...and I'm stickin' to it!
• Postcards from the Trail

Craziness in Ottawa

I had thought I was done with politics for awhile. The election in Canada was just a few months ago, the US seems to be on the road to redemption, all appeared to be right with the world. There were even some pleasing signals from Ottawa that the vile Conservatives were willing to tone down theirpartisan rhetoric and work with, rather than against their colleagues in Parliament.

Then this man . . .

Jim Flaherty, the Finance Minster, rose in the House to provide an economic update. Sadly it was devoid of any sort of stimulus plan. In fact, there was no economic stimulus at all. Canada would have to wait for months for any sort of plan.

Flaherty did introduce a plan that would remove public funding from political parties. Here in Canada (unlike in the US) there are severe restrictions on political donations. Without public funding the opposition parties would be unable to launch an effective election campaign.

So much for doing the right thing . . . when the country desperately needs leadership the government launches a disgraceful attack on their opposition. So much for putting Canada first, before petty politics. So much for a move from the cynical politics of the previous few years. So much for hope . . .

Flaherty also announced an plan to sell off federal assets in a bid to balance the books. Now doesn't this make sense? In the midst of the worse economic crisis in decades let's try to dump airports, real estate, crown corporations. . . . I'm sure that their value has all decreased significantly in the past few months! If selling them was so important wouldn't it make sense to do so when there was some value in them?

I think Flaherty failed economics 101.

This is nothing new to Ontarians. Flaherty used to be Minsiter of Finance in the Provincal government. In this role he launched a series of tax cuts that benefited the wealthy, drained the provincial coffers, and initiated policies that targeted the poor and underprivileged. In fact, when his government was voted out of office they had turned a healthy surplus into a huge multi-billion dollar deficit.

Now he is working his magic on all Canadians!

Interesting that the business community is now calling Flaherty's pre-election policies irresponsible. They now realize that these poicies resulted in theFederal coffers being drained at an alarming rate. The cupboard is so bare that the government has little room to maneuver in the midst of economic tumult.

I tried to tell you during the election campaign but no one was listening!

There is a bit of hope on the horizon. Apparently the opposition parties have been involved in discussions over the past few days. Their plan is to topple the government and form a coalition government.

Cross your fingers folks, cross your fingers!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

I posted a recipe for braised brussels sprouts last week. Here we are barely a week later and I am posting another one. I guess when I mentioned how much I enjoyed the sprouts I wasn't fibbing!

This recipe was created by the always stellar Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchens. Her inspiration was from an article in Fine Cooking magazine that focused on roasting vegetables back in November 2007. I knew that if this was one of Kalyn's recipes then we would enjoy it . . . and we did!

Roasting brings out a sweetness in the sprouts that pairs nicely with the balsamic and salty cheese. We liked the recipe so much that we ate it all in one fell swoop and there were no leftovers. :-(

Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

(Makes 3-4 servings)

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into quarters
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T Parmesan cheese (preferably fresh grated)
1 T pine nuts (preferably toasted, could substitute other nuts of your choice)

Preheat oven to 450 F. Trim brussels sprouts, remove any discolored leaves, and cut into quarters (or halves if they are small.) Put sprouts in mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Cover roasting pan with foil if desired, and spray with non-stick spray if needed. Arrange sprouts in a single layer on roasting pan, and roast 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until sprouts are slightly crisp and golden brown on the edges.

When sprouts are nearly done, toast pine nuts in a dry pan about 2-3 minutes, until barely starting to brown. (Be careful, they can go from lightly brown to overdone quite quickly.) Put cooked sprouts back into mixing bowl and toss with parmesan cheese. Arrange on serving plate and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve hot.

Quantum of Solace - Review

Paul and I headed out to the theatre last night to catch the latest in the James Bond series (number 22 and the only one not fully inspired by an Ian Flemming story). There are those who idolize Bond - they know the gadgets, characters, stories, etc. by memory. We are not those people. We like a good Bond flick but we wouldn't line upon overnight for first showing tickets.

Having established that we aren't raving Bondites, what were our thoughts?

This was a stripped down Bond (no, we are not at all referring to Daniel Craig emerging from the water wearing nothing but a sardonic grin and a speedo). Gone are the outrageous gadgets from earlier Bond films. Unfortunately, gone is also the well-crafted and depicted story.

Many have claimed that Quantum of Solace is more watching Jason Bourne on the big screen than James Bond. Others have claimed that this is the Bond for the new millennia. Daniel Craig's Bond is worn down, angry, paranoid, stressed out and beat to hell in this film. While this may be indicative of our times, I want 007 to rise about it all with the aplomb of Sean Connery or Roger Moore.

The film features non-stop frenetic action from start to finish. In fact, this Bond film trots the globe more than any previous installment in the franchise. At times, I felt if I was on a bus tour of Europe . . . it is Monday so it must be opera in Austria, on Tuesday a car chase around Lake Garda, and on Wednesday lost in the Bolivian desert. I needed a rest just from sitting back and watching it unfold on the screen.

The film continues from where Bond left off last time. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr White who reveals that the organization that blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.

Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti, where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille - a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene - a ruthless businessman and a major force within the mysterious organization. Greene - unlike previous Bond villains isn't played with villainous make-up or razor sharp metallic teeth - rather the actor makes a seemingly normal looking man ooze evil through wonderful acting skill. No artifice or tricks needed here.

On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world’s most important natural resources (water), is forging a deal with an exiled General Medrano. Using his associates in the organization and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in Bolivia, giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land.

In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends Mathis and Felix Leiter in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M, to unravel Greene’s sinister plan and stop Greene’s organization

The story has potential but gets lost in the action and the frantic pace of the telling. It wasn't a horrid movie but it wasn't as good a film as it could have been.

Oh yes, theopening song? Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. It was worse than a pack of dogs baying at a full moon.

Braised Pork Roast with Apple-Brandy Sauce

I don't know why it is but I find myself craving pork in the fall. We had to do something about that craving this weekend so Paul decided to make a pork roast on Sunday - the perfect treat for me! This one sounded interesting with its herb rub and delicious sounding apple sauce so we decided to give it a try.

I am pleased to report that it tasted even better than it sounded! Because the apples cook in the same pan as the roast is braised, the chunky apple-brandy sauce picks up the herb rub's savoury flavours. The end result was a dish worthy of company but more than appreciated by Paul and I on Sunday!

Even better - low-fat! There are 259 calories per serving.

Enjoy

Braised Pork Roast with Apple-Brandy Sauce

1 (2 1/2-pound) rolled boned pork loin roast
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon margarine
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thawed apple juice concentrate, undiluted
1/2 cup applejack (apple brandy)
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 2/3 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Unroll roast; trim fat. Combine sage, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub inside surface of roast with one-third of sage mixture. Re-roll roast, securing at 1-inch intervals with heavy string. Rub outside surface of roast with remaining sage mixture.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add roast; brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan; set aside. Melt margarine in pan. Add onion and celery, and sauté 5 minutes. Return roast to pan. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, apple juice, applejack, and broth; pour over roast.

Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of roast. Cover and bake at 425° for 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325° (do not remove roast from oven), and bake 30 minutes. Add apple; cover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Remove roast from pan, reserving cooking liquid. Place roast on a platter; cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine water and cornstarch, and stir into reserved cooking liquid. Bring mixture to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Serve sauce with pork.

Note: Use 1 cup apple juice concentrate and omit apple brandy, if desired.

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces of pork and 1/3 cup of sauce)

Honey Roasted Root Vegetables

This a my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, now sponsored by Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once and hosted by Scott from The Real Epicurean .

Here is another post that would have my mom's head aspinnin'. As a child I presume I was a picky eater - I'm stubborn enough so I can imagine the nightmare I must have been when confronted with a plate of ick (AKA vegetables). In this dish there are three things that never would have passed my lips - turnip, sweet potato, and parsnips. Now as an adult I have come to discover what I was missing all of those years.

I have also come to understand the importance of cooking things properly and not boiling them into a 1970's grey mush!

In this dish, originally from Cooking Light, the honey amplifies the natural sugars of the caramelized vegetables in this dish. If you can't find tupelo honey, substitute another medium-color, floral variety, such as dandelion, loosestrife, or orange blossom.

There is a lot of peeling and chopping but the results are worth it. It sure helped having sous chef Paul in the kitchen to help with this.

Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Root Vegetables

2 cups coarsely chopped peeled sweet potato (about 1 large)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled turnip (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped parsnip (about 2 medium)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrot (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup tupelo honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 shallots, halved
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray in a large bowl; toss to coat. Place vegetable mixture on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender and begin to brown, stirring every 15 minutes.

  Root Vegetables

Heart root veggies such as carrots, rutabagas, beets, and parsnips are especially good during the colder months when we tend crave food that is more substantial. Root vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. In general, they are low in calories and virtually no fat. The deeper the root vegetable's colour, the more antioxidants it contains. Carrots are well known for their beta carotene (which forms vitamin A); beets are known to deliver phytochemicals that are good for liver health and purple potatoes are loaded with anthocyanins, pigments that act as antioxidants.

Beets
Beets are sweet tasting and have a highest sugar content of any vegetable. Usually beets are deep red, but less common varieties yellow, pink-striped or white flesh are available. Young beet greens are tasty in salads or stir-fries.

Carrots
Carrots are sweet treats loaded with nutrients. One 8 oz. glass of carrot juice contains about 20,000 mg (45,000 IU) of vitamin A. Besides the recognizable orange types, there are yellow and purple carrots.

Parsnips
Parsnips look like cream coloured carrots, and though they are sweet, they have a spicy element. Unlike carrots, parsnips contain no beta-carotene but they are a good source of vitamin C and folate. Parsnips add a complex flavour to stews, soups and mashed potatoes. Parsnips can be substituted for carrots in carrot cake for an interesting change.

Potatoes
Few vegetables are as nutritious and versatile as the potato. Not only does a potato give you an excellent supply of carbohydrates, but it also provides important vitamins and minerals, including potassium, niacin, vitamins B6 and C, and manganese. For optimum fibre, eat potatoes with the skin on. Avoid potatoes with a green tinge. They are high in the alkaloid solanine, which can be toxic if eaten in large quantities.

Rutabaga
The rutabaga is member of the cabbage family and resembles a large turnip. They contain good amounts of Vitamins A and excellent amounts of vitamin C. Typically 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3 to 5 inches) in diameter, rutabagas have a thin, pale yellow skin and a slightly sweet, firm light orange flesh.

Buying and Storing
All root vegetables are good keepers. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place around 0 to 4 ° C (32 to 38 °F). If vegetables start to grow, the temperature is too high. If vegetables start to shrivel, the air around them is too dry.

Availability
Root vegetables are available year round. Locally they are at their best from October to March.

Preparation
Wash root vegetables well with a vegetable brush to remove dirt.

Easy ways to prepare root veggies:

• Try a mashing a variety of root veggies together.
• Puree root vegetables to thicken soups and stews.
• Eat them raw as finger food with a dip.

Sunday Slow Soupers # 1: Chestnut and Porcini Soup

The slow travel gang has moved on to soups - not a moment too soon . . . I'd need an entire new wardrobe if I continued eating ice cream. Between now and April members of the slowtravel community will experiment with a different soup recipe. We decided not to feature a particular cookbook, instead each participant is posting a tried and true favourite for their week.

This week's selection was by Amy. Her pick? Chestnut and Porcini Soup. This soup was amazing on so many different levels - easy to make, quick, yet it packs a rich, sophisticated taste leaving folks thinking you had spent hours in the kitchen. Don't feel the need to correct them one bit!

We enjoyed this soup for lunch today - it was just the thing after braving the cold to put out the Christmas lights. Paul's comment? 'Two thumbs up, Amy! Two thumbs up!' High praise, indeed.

Chestnut and Porcini Soup

1/3 cup dried porcinis
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 medium carrot, diced
1 celery, diced
2 large shallots or ¼ small onion, finely chopped
1 sprig each of bay leaf, thyme and parsley
2 tablespoons butter

2 cans low-sodium chicken broth (or 4 cups homemade)
1 1/4 pounds coarsely chopped peeled roasted chestnuts or 8-12 ounces bottled/canned/defrosted chestnuts. You want between a cup and 1 1/2 cups chestnuts.
Fresh-ground pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry, or white wine, or cognac

Creme fraiche or a swirl of heavy cream, for garnish
chopped parsley for garnish

Combine porcini mushrooms and the hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms soften, about 20 minutes.

In a large saucepan melt butter and add carrots, celery, and shallots or onions. Sauté until tender. Add herbs and chicken broth.

Using slotted spoon, transfer porcini mushrooms into saucepan with chicken broth. Add porcini-soaking liquid to saucepan, carefully leaving sediment behind in bowl (I like to pour it through cheesecloth) . Add chestnuts and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove herbs before pureeing.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth, then return soup to saucepan. Or, just use an immersion blender, being careful to keep it at the bottom of the pot to avoid hot splatters. You may want to add a bit more water or stock if it’s too thick. You want a light soup, with the consistency of milk. Add Sherry, wine or cognac to taste. Bring soup to simmer, correct seasonings adding salt and pepper, to taste. Cool slightly and refrigerate. Can be prepared 2 days ahead or frozen. Re-warm over medium heat, stirring well to recombine if its separated.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with a spoonful of crème fraiche, or drizzle a bit of heavy cream in a spiral. Just a touch of parsley for color is nice.

Photohunt - Reflection

Today's photohunt theme is reflection. It was an easy picture to select as one of my favourite photos from my first trip to Italy is the Castel Sant'Angelo reflected on the Tiber in Rome. It was early morning and I was off for a walk before the rest of the family woke. . .

Lots of the slowtravel  communitymembers also photohunt when they aren't traveling. You can find their posts by clicking the links below. 

• Old Shoes, New Trip
• Eden's Wanderings and Wonderings
• My Place in the Sun
• Churches in Venice – Mosaics, Marble, and Miracle-Working Madonnas
• Palmabella's Passions
• What I Really Think
• shave Ice and Gelato
• Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!
• Keep your Feet in the Street
• Baked Alaska
• That's my story...and I'm stickin' to it!
• Postcards from the Trail

Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie

Mom was coming for dinner tonight so I was 'required' to make dessert. Normally we would only have dessert on the odd night i.e. when mom is coming. I wanted to make an apple pie to help use up the apples we picked in September - my lord - is the fall that far gone?

I had pie shells in the freezer so I decided on a crumble pie. This one jumped out at me becaus eof the addition of the cranberries - I thought the sweet, spicy, tart tastes would be a nice contrast.

Turns out it did!

Enjoy . . .

Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie

1 9-inch frozen deep-dish pie shell

Streusel Topping:

3/4 cup quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Filling:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Two tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Six medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch wedges

1 cup cranberries

 

Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C).

 

Thaw pie shell for 10 minutes. Set on a baking sheet to catch any drips while pie is baking.

 

To prepare streusel, combine oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add butter cut into cubes. Using fingers or a pastry cutter, cut butter into oatmeal mixture just until fine crumb consistency. Set aside.

 

In a small bowl, stir together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

 

In a large bowl, combine apples and cranberries until mixed. Stir in sugar mixture and coat fruit well. Spoon into pie shell. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over top. Bake on lower shelf in centre of oven for 10 minutes. If topping begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of foil.

 

Reduce oven temperature to 350° F (180° C) and continue to bake until apples are tender, filling is hot and topping is a deep golden brown, about 50 minutes.

 

Remove from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

Serves 8