Curried Sweet Potato Soup

from The Essential New York Times Cookbook via joy

serves 6 to 8

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

6 cups chicken broth, or slightly more as needed.

salt and pepper to taste

6 to 8 teaspoons goat cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute, stirring for 30 seconds.  Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red pepper flakes.  Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup, in batches in a blender or food processor.  Season to taste.  The soup can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.  Reheat over a low flame.  If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock.

Kabocha squash stuffed with Butternut vindoloo Isa Chandra Moskokowitz Recipe

So the Vegan recipe I would like to share this week is called Kabocha squash stuffed with Butternut vindoloo. It is so good! I gave it a 9.7! It would have been a ten but I've never given a ten to a recipe before, so  I thought I'd go with the next best rating. All the spices blend so perfectly in this dish and it just melts in your mouth! I can not stress the word 'YUM' enough here.

I made a few revisions. I used Russet potatoes instead of Yukon, because that is what I had. I used 1/2 cup of beef broth in place of the red wine (with apologies to the vegans!) . I did not do the stuff the kabocha squash part, so I'm leaving that part out of the recipe. Just serve with rice and be ready to be impressed!

You'll need:

3 tbs olive oil
2 cups diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, miced
2 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs mustartd seeds
1 tbs ground cumin
1/2 ts ground cloves
4 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine (I used beff broth)
1 (12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

In a stock pot over moderated heat, saute the onions in oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; saute until fragrant (about a minute); add all the seeds and spices and stir; add the red wine vinegar, broth and tomatoes. Mix to combine. Add potatoes and butternut squash, cover, and bring to a low boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Bon Appétit!

P.S. This recipe is really serious about the amount of potatoes and squash you put in and for the amount of time you cook them for. I would suggest weighing the veggies if you can and not over cooking them. There is not a lot of liquid and it will burn easily. Plus, the more evenly you distribute the juices, the tastier it will be.

Also, if you are not familiar with the spice Cardamom, let me tell you about it. It is a heaven-sent spice. It has a beautiful favor. You'll find it a lot in Indian dishes. So good. But when you go to buy it you might faint from sticker shock. It's kind of pricey. This calls for Cardamom pods and instead of seeds. I don't know how hard pods are to find in a neighborhood grocer. I have a Indian food store that I bought mine from. But the seeds might work just as well. Also, you can easily find any ingredient on the internet.

This week I'm trying Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions! If it's good, you'll hear about it!