Colourful Curried Confetti Soup

The leaves have begun to scatter. After yesterday’s rain, they littered this morning pavement like coloured confetti. I can’t help but think that before long, even these leaves will pass, and we’ll be left with nothing but bare branches, grey pavement and even greyer skies for the winter months ahead.

It would be a melancholy time, if not for recipes such as this one for a colourful curried confetti soup, with its flurry of red onion and cabbage, orange pumpkin, yellow sweet potatoes and green zucchini. And for fall company like Lindsay, who  blew into my apartment a few nights ago as if on seasonal cue with a warm grin, girly gossip and a massive green salad from Whole Foods. I love that she’s the sort of friend I can share this sort of messy, unfussy soup with-both of us in comfy sweats, catching up on life and relationships between spoonfuls. Perfect company to colour grey fall evenings.

{RECIPE} CURRIED CONFETTI SOUP

{MAKES} 4 generous servings

{INGREDIENTS}

2 TB olive oil

2 cloves garlic, slivered

1 TB curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 small red onion, diced (approx. 1 C)

1 large sweet potato, grated (approx. 2 C)

1 large zucchini, grated (approx. 2 C)

2 C pureed pumpkin

2 C chicken stock

2 C coconut milk

1 C frozen peas

1/2 C purple cabbage, finely diced (for garnish)

salt and pepper to taste

{DIRECTIONS}

one. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and add the garlic and red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

two. Stir in curry powder and cumin.

three. Add grated sweet potato and zucchini to the pot. Saute uncovered for 6-8 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.

four. Stir in pureed pumpkin,  then chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes on medium-low heat until vegetables are well softened, stirring occasionally.

five. Add coconut milk and green peas. Simmer on low until peas are bright green and just cooked through.

six. Remove from heat and stir in purple cabbage.

Serve with thick slabs of crusty bread and a crunchy green salad.

Brazenly Braised Purple Cabbage

You’ve got to admire the prima donna boldness of purple cabbages. While savoy cabbages’ crinoline leaves crinkle shyly under pressure, and average green cabbages go almost unnoticed in their Plain Jane simplicity, purple cabbages are bright, brazen and audacious. They’d pucker up their purple lips and flirt with your boyfriend in a heartbeat. Shamelessly.

Don’t bother trying to stop them. Braise them. It’s true they’ll soften sweetly and be even sexier the next morning. But he’ll fall in love with both of you.

{RECIPE} BRAISED PURPLE CABBAGE

{MAKES} Serves four to six generously as a side dish.

{INGREDIENTS}

2 TB olive oil

6 small shallots, finely sliced

1 small brazenly-red cabbage, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced

1/4 C apple juice

3 TB apple cider vinegar

2 TB honey

1 tsp salt

{DIRECTIONS}

one. Heat olive oil in a large, non-reactive skillet or pot over medium heat.

two. Add shallots and saute until translucent and slightly golden.

three. Add cabbage, apple juice, vinegar, honey and salt.

four. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the cabbage is very soft but not falling apart  (about an hour).

Yes, that really is it. Serve with your favourite chicken or pork recipe, or in a big bowl for the morning-after.

{ADAPTED FROM}

A brazen adaptation of Molly’s Braised Red Cabbage with Apples.

September's Cinnamon Cider Roasted Vegetables

Given September and the season, we have been blessed with more sunny skies than we could have hoped for here in Vancouver. But today, as the month draws to a close, showers have slipped in and with them the suggestion of cozy sweaters, woolen socks, and the scent of cinnamon and apple cider to warm these wholesome roasted vegetables and the months to come.

{RECIPE} CINNAMON CIDER ROASTED VEGETABLES

{MAKES} A lot, enough to serve 4-6 people, depending on how much they like their vegetables…

{INGREDIENTS}

This simple recipe works with any combination of your favourite September vegetables, from sweet potatoes and swiss chard to shallots and squash. Combine colours and textures for flavour and crunch.

Fall Vegetables (or a combination of your own):

6 cloves garlic

1 red onion cut into wedges (approx. 1 C )

6 small carrots, sliced (approx. 2 C)

1/4 head purple cabbage, sliced (approx. 4 C)

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets  (approx. 4C)

2  zucchini, sliced (approx. 4 C)

scattering of salt and freshly ground pepper

Cinnamon Cider Roasting Sauce:

1 C natural apple cider or apple juice

3 TB extra virgin olive oil

3 TB apple cider vinegar

1 TB honey or brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

{DIRECTIONS}

one. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

two. Cut vegetables into similar-sized pieces, with root vegetables (such as carrots) sliced slightly smaller as they take longer to roast.

three. Toss vegetables into a large pan and season with salt and pepper.

four. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the cinnamon cider roasting sauce.

five. Pour sauce over vegetables then roast them in the oven for 40-50 minutes, to your personal desired level of crunchiness. Toss at least twice to combine ingredients.

{INSPIRED BY}

Karina’s recipe for Cider Roasted Vegetables from her gluten free kitchen.

Thai Ground Pork Salad with Cilantro & Maybe Mint

It would only have taken 5 minutes to swing into the grocery store and pick up a bunch of mint, but seriously, I could not be bothered . It had been a longish day at work, and all I really wanted to do was come home, change into my pajamas, make a half-hearted attempt to kind-of-cook something in the kitchen, then sink into the couch and watch Gossip Girl with a big bag of chocolate chips.

It’s too bad, because mint would have been a lovely addition to this quick, flavourful Thai Ground Pork Salad with Cilantro. But it’s perfectly fine without it and made the recipe even easier to prepare. Try it tonight. Dinner in minutes.

{RECIPE} THAI GROUND PORK SALAD WITH CILANTRO & MINT

{INGREDIENTS}

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 bunch fresh mint, chopped (optional)

1/2 small head white or green cabbage, finely sliced (I like to use Taiwanese cabbage when available for its more subtle texture and flavour)

2 small shallots, finely sliced

10 oz. lean ground pork

1 tsp salt

2 limes, halved

2 TB Asian fish sauce (preferably Thai naam pla)

1 tsp chili flakes

{DIRECTIONS}

one. Remove stems from cilantro (and maybe mint). Chop leaves and toss into a large mixing bowl.

two. Finely slice cabbage, as if it were for coleslaw. Toss into the same bowl.

three. Put ground pork into a small sauce pan. Add just enough water to cover the pork, then toss in 1 tsp salt. Take one of the lime halves, squeeze the juice into the pan and toss the entire thing into the pot (rind and all). Bring the pan to simmer on the stovepot until the pork is just cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Occasionally stir  the pork with a fork to break into pieces.

four. Drain the ground pork in a sieve and discard the lime half. Toss it into the cabbage/herb mixture.

five. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime halves directly to the bowl, along with the fish sauce and chili flakes.

six. Toss the entire mixture with a fork. Serve at room temperature, with or without rice.

{INSPIRED BY}

Gourmet Magazine’s Thai Ground Pork Salad with Mint & Cilantro