Sopa de quinua con chancho

Quinoa soup with pork! 

For the first time, I checked out a cookbook from the local library. It is called "The South American Table", by Maria Baez Kijac. So far it has been a treasure trove of delicious recipes. The book starts with a quick geography and history lesson about South America, then dives into the good stuff... soups, meats, grains, drinks, appetizers, desserts.... Yum!

The recipe I share here, for quinoa soup with pork, may initially seem daunting with it's large cast of ingredients, but don't be deterred! Most of the ingredients are standard household fare and I am pretty sure everything else will only require one trip to a standard grocery store with a butcher counter. This soup is well worth the effort!! (I made it this last weekend and Will and I both had second servings.)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions (white and 1 inch green part) 
• 1 cup chopped leeks (white and 1 inch green part)
• 1 medium sized, ripe, firm tomato - peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves mashed into a paste with 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 
• 1 pound of lean pork shoulder- cut into 1/2 inch cubes 
• 6 cups hot water 
• 1 pound of boiling potatoes - peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 3/4 cup of quinoa - cooked
• 1 cup frozen peas 
• 2 tsp dried basil 
• dash of cayenne pepper 

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over low heat - add the paprika and warm for 1 minute 
2. Stir in the scallions, leeks, tomato, garlic paste, and cumin - cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly 
3. Increase the heat to medium - add the cubed pork - cook for a few minutes until the pork is well-coated with the vegetable mix 
4. Add the water - bring to a boil - cover and reduce heat to low - simmer for 45 minutes 
5. Add the potatoes and quinoa - simmer for 20 more minutes (until potatoes are tender)
6. Add the peas, basil and cayenne - simmer another 2-3 minutes  (until peas are warmed)
7. Serve and enjoy! 

The Garden is growing!

Local diner. Corner booth. (In memoriam)

I sit down across from you,
and your withered warm hand shakily reaches out
to pat my cheek.

You smile,
and your eyes, dim and sad,
suddenly twinkle and brighten.

They are sky blue
and they smile at me
from your aged face.

I ask how you are doing,
and you say, I'm fine honey,
so glad to have a little company.

You were so lonely
in your room
with the view of the ocean and the hills.

But you were so lonely.
So very alone.

You wanted to walk to your local diner
and sit in the corner booth,
with red vinyl seats and a white chipped counter.

You would say hello to everyone
who came in for coffee or breakfast
and they would sit down to visit with you.

You would eat real eggs,
and real bacon,
and drink black coffee, while visiting.

You would not be lonely.

I hope that your heaven
is a corner booth in the local diner,
with scrambled eggs and bacon,
surrounded with visitors.


Thank you for visiting with me.

Asparagus risotto

Before I start I have to confess - I stole this idea from the new Sunset magazine, and then revised it a little bit... so if you subscribe to Sunset you may have run across this recipe. Whew - confession done!

Now onto the good stuff!!

Asparagus is in season right now and it is sooooo good. Asparagus is at it's most tender, most sweet, most delicious right now, so why not enjoy it?

I made this tonight after a full day of work, a little yoga, and  few moments sitting on the couch wishing the food-fairy would just come through the window and deliver dinner (yes, I know, technically that would be take-out and they would use the door, but I like to dream). This dish really evolved based on what I had in the frig that was close to going bad (green onions and asparagus) and what I had in the pantry to compliment it (garlic, rice, white wine).

Asparagus Risotto (with optional chicken)

Ingredients: 

• 6 green onions, diced (whites and greens)
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (rinsed)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 7 cups of hot water
• 1 very large (or 2 smallish) bunch(es) of asparagus - chopped into 1 inch pieces
• Optional: 2 cooked chicken breasts (chopped into small pieces)
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Fresh cilantro (chopped) or dry cilantro

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil over med-high heat in a large saucepan - add green onion and garlic - saute for approx 1 minute
2. Add the arborio rice - saute everything together for a few more minutes (until it is fragrant) 
3. Add the wine - stir frequently to mix in the wine
4. Start adding the hot water a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously over med-high to high heat until the fluid is mostly absorbed - continue adding the water a 1/2 cup at a time until all the fluid is cooked into the rice (this takes about 15 minutes and requires continuous stirring, otherwise your risotto will stick to your pan and make a really big mess and not a very tasty meal)
5. When you only have a 1/2 cup of water left to add, mix in the asparagus pieces and add the final 1/2 cup of water - continue to stir for another 3-5 minutes, frequently checking the asparagus for tenderness (the longer you stir and cook the softer your asparagus will become, if you want a crisper asparagus lean towards cooking for 3 minutes, not 5)
6. Optional - stir in the chopped chicken breast
7. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with a little cilantro, salt and pepper on top

Take-home thoughts: 

• Risotto is a bit labor intensive with all the stirring that is required, but it makes a really great meal (and leftovers!!!)
• Time investment is pretty light - approximately30 minutes from the time I got off the couch and started hunting in the frig to sit-down-and-eat time
• I would love to have a food-fairy, but as that is simply not going to happen, I might as well continue to peruse my frig and experiment with what I have in the pantry
• Sorry for no picture - I was too hungry!!!

Mmmmmm chocolate.

Chocolate Pudding

I love this pudding. Let me repeat: I LOVE this pudding. It is so rich and chocolatey and delicious. Some of the ingredients are a little different, but that is what it makes it dairy-free. So all of you with lactose issues get ready to enjoy!! At the bottom of the recipe I will give details on where I found supplies.

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbs arrowroot powder
• 1 can light coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1/3 cup agave nectar 
• 2 Tbs & 2 tsp of organic cocoa powder 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Directions: 

1. Place the arrowroot powder and 1/2 cup of coconut milk in a small bowl - whisk together. 
2. In a saucepan combine the remaining coconut milk and additional ingredients. Slowly whisk everything together (this takes a few minutes) over medium heat. Then bring the mixture to a light boil. 
3. After the mixture has come to a boil add the coconut milk and arrowroot powder - stir in quickly and continue to stir until you feel the mixture thicken. 
4. After the mixture thickens pour into a bowl or individual ramekins - store in the refrigerator to cool. 
5. After the pudding is chilled - eat and enjoy!

Other information

• Arrowroot powder - I found this in Whole Foods in the baking section in a small bottle (similar to the size of spice bottles)
• Coconut milk, agave nectar, cocoa powder - I usually pick both of these up at Trader Joes
• The recipe - borrowed from "Gluten Free Vegan" by Susan O'Brien
• The photo - pudding just isn't terribly photogenic... so no picture this time