Baba Soup Recipe

I wanted to try to write this post on my new iPhone app, BlogPress, so I wouldn't have to email myself all the pictures from my phone then saving them off to my computer, then uploading them. Until I realized that it's difficult to insert bullets and numbering like I like to do for my recipes.

Fail.

I'll try an easier post to post from my phone.

What do you do with your veggie scraps? We mostly compost ours, and we are even getting coffee grinds from a local coffee shop to compost...but, that's completely besides the point. Did you know you can save those scraps to make your own veggie stock??

{aside: I just typed "vaggie stock" and giggled. INAPPROPRIATE!!}

Yep, veggie stock is actually really simple. Just freeze all your extra scraps - I keep them in a ziplock on my freezer door and just throw more in when I have them. When you're ready to make stock, toss the veggie scraps into a stockpot and fill with water. Let it simmer for an hour or so, then strain out the veggies and put all the stock into jars to freeze or can for later use. It makes a ton of good stock and it's cheaper and healthier than store bought!

Then, once you have your stock, you can use it to make Babaganoush Soup.

Babaganoush Soup
serves 3

prep time: 20 minutes + 10 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes + 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 jalapenos
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 ½ cups vegetable stock
• ¼ cup tahini
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice your eggplant (don’t peel) and lay slices on a sheet tray lined with tin foil. Press paper towels on top of your eggplant slices and let sit for 20 minutes. When done, remove paper towels and dice eggplant. Spray foil with cooking spray and place eggplant back on, if you have room, throw the jalapenos on too. Sprinkle generously with salt and roast for 25 minutes, tossing occasionally.
2. When the eggplant and peppers are done, let cool then gently rub off blackened pepper skin and chop up.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat then add the chopped onion. Saute for five minutes until soft then add the garlic. Saute for 30 more seconds.
4. Add the stock, roasted diced eggplant and jalapenos. Stir in the spices and tahini. Bring to a boil then let simmer for a few minutes. Using an immersion blender or (carefully!) with a regular blender, puree your soup
5. Ladle soup into bowls and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

How do you organize/upload pictures for your blog posts? How do you deal with pictures from two different cameras? (In my case, my Canon and my phone). 


Peace + Love,

Fun Things Friday + Argentine Lentil Stew

First, I'm slacking on procrastinating lately and have only found a few fun things to share with you this week. My thoughts are totally and completely on my upcoming vacation on Maui to visit my family. It's been two years since I've been home, so I'm waaaay overdue for some Hawaiian sun, beaches and FAMILY. I won't be going completely radio (uh, er...internet) silent but I will have a few people guest posting as well.

So on this lovely snowy Friday, I leave you with a few fun things, and a recipe re-post (I posted it on my old blog forever ago, so now you can have it here on PL&B!)

Just in case you wanted to let someone know how awesome they are

secrets

this video is why I want to be a high school math teacher:

well, that and the best pickup line ever:

"Can I be your derivative?....So I can be tangent to your curves!"

and now, a recipe for Argentine Lentil Stew

from allrecipes.com 

• ingredients: 
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 1 quart water
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 medium apple - peeled, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce (or a mixture of ketchup and worchestershire sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• method:
• Place the lentils and water in a large pot, and mix in the vegetable bouillon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.
• 
  
• Stir the tomatoes, onion, carrot, apple, peas, garlic, olive oil, barbecue sauce, and paprika into the pot. Continue to simmer 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

• My thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious this soup was!! First of all, I NEVER have good luck with lentils, but I diligently cooked them long enough this time and it worked out alright! 
• 
  
• And what's with the apples and the barbecue sauce?!? It gave the soup a sweet and savory flavor. It was delicious and packs a nutritional punch. Best of all, it's incredibly easy! Except for lentil cooking time you basically just throw everything in a pot and go.
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• On another note, this soup is best enjoyed with a glass of my Gascon Malbec (my favorite!!)
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• What is your go-to wine for dinner? And are there any weird ingredients you've included in a recipe that just made the dish? I'd love to hear about them!
• 
  
• Peace, Love & Bagels,
• Becca (blogger is driving me nuts today and won't place any picture where I want them to go, so no fun signature to close today's post [sadface])
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Carrot, Bell Pepper and Saffron Soup

Last week, there was a ridiculous amount of snow. 

Lake effect conditions from Sunday until Wednesday made my drives to and from work much, much longer than they usually are. With all that extra time in the car, I got to listen to things on the radio that I don't normally get the chance to hear. Thus, Carrot Saffron Soup was born.

I managed to be in the car long enough to hear a piece on NPR about using saffron. (I'm just mad about saffron, saffron's mad about me...) You know, that spice that is more expensive than most illicit drugs? On this show, I learned that it takes more than 75,000 crocus flowers to make one pound of saffron, which takes about the area of a football field to cultivate. One pound of saffron generally costs over $1000. 

Of course, I have saffron in my spice cupboard! I forked over the $15 for .06 ounces, or whatever it was, and I have only used once, for a tomato paella dish (courtesy of The Wednesday Chef. Which, by the way, was amazingly delicious and worth making again). 

In short, the story on NPR was the come-to-jesus moment for me to use my saffron again. In deliciously spicy carrot and bell pepper soup. Here is the recipe with the (very few) changes I made:

Soup of Carrot, Bell Pepper and Saffron

adapted from here

ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil (I used coconut oil over med-low heat)
2 medium leeks, peeled and coarsely chopped (white and light green parts only)
1  pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon ground coriander (hand ground in a mortar and pestle, if you have a lot of dried coriander leftover from your summer cilantro like we do!)
1/2 teaspoon saffron
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream organic half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt or to taste, if desired
Saffron to garnish green onions to garnish

directions:

Melt the coconut oil in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 6-7 minutes or until translucent.
Add the carrots, and bell pepper and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the carrots begin to soften.
Add the turmeric, cayenne, coriander, saffron and mix well. Cook for another minute.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, or use an immersion blender, one of the random kitchen appliances that I own and absolutely love.
Stir in the cream, salt and pepper and garnish with green onions.

Do you have any great recipes that use saffron?