Cauliflower soup : מרק כרובית

אני עדיין באויר. החיים שלי מניו יורק ארוזים בארגזים, עושים דרכם באוניה בדרך לישראל. החיים שלי בישראל שלפני ניו יורק ארוזים בארגזים במחסן אצל אמא שלי. ובין לבין, אני מנסה לייצר הווה.

כבר שבוע שאני רוצה לבשל אורז עם כרובית, ובכל פעם יש בעיה אחרת, פעם אין כרובית ופעם אני לא מוצאת את המתכון (באוניה...).  
בסוף זה נגמר במרק.

מצרכים:

1 ראש כרובית, מפורק לפרחים

1 תפוח אדמה, קלוף וחתוך לקוביות

1 בצל, קלוף וקצוץ

2 שיני שום, מעוכות

1 כף חמאה

2 כוסות מים

2 כוסות חלב

1/4 כפית אגוז מוסקט

מלח ופלפל

לבחירה - לקישוט: פטרוזיליה קצוצה או קרוטונים

הכנה:

1. ממיסים את החמאה בסיר גדול על להבה בינונית. מוסיפים את הבצל ומבשלים כ- 5 דקות, עד שהבצל הופך שקוף. מוסיפים את השום ומבשלים כדקה נוספת.

2. מוסיפים את תפוח האדמה והכרובית, מערבבים הכל ביחד, מכסים את הסיר ומבשלים במשך 3 דקות. מוסיפים את המים ומביאים לרתיחה, ממשיכים לבשל על הלהבה בינונית עד שתפוחי האדמה והכרובית רכים, כ- 10 דקות.

3. באמצעות בלנדר או מעבד מזון - טוחנים את המרק עד לקבלת קרם אחיד.

4. מוסיפים את החלב, אגוז מוסקט, מלח ופלפל, ומביאים לרתיחה. מנמיכים את הלהבה ומבשלים כ- 10 דקות.

5. מגישים את המרק חם בתוספת עלי פטרוזיליה או קרוטונים לקישוט.

 

 

It feels like I am floating in the air. My New York life is packed in boxes, on their way to Israel. My Israeli life (Before I moved to NY) is packed in boxes at my mother’s garage. And in between, I try to have a living.

It has been a week since I wanted to cook rice with cauliflower. Every time I had other difficulties; one time I didn’t have cauliflower, and the other time I couldn’t find the recipe (on its way to Israel…).

It ended with a soup.

Ingredients

1 Head cauliflower, chopped

1 Potato, peeled and chopped

1 Onion, roughly chopped

2 Cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon butter

2 Cups of water

2 Cups of milk

1/4 Teaspoon grated nutmeg

Salt & pepper

Optional – for serving: chopped parsley or croutons

Directions

1.     In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onions and cook, until onions are cooking but not browning, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

2.     Add the potato and cauliflower, stir to combine, cover and cook 3 minutes. Add the water, bring to boil, reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until potato and cauliflower are tender to the bite, about 10 minutes.

3.     Turn the heat off.

4.     If you have a hand blender – blend all together inside the pot until desired consistency. Turn the heat again.

If you have a blender – pour the soup into the blender container and blend for 2 minutes until desired consistency. Pour the soup back into the pot.

5.     Add the milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes while stirring.

6.     Serve soup hot, with a chopped parsley or croutons.

A recipe – Red Beets Soup

I remember one time when I was a kid, two orthodox Jews knocked on our home door and asked for a donation for their Yeshiva. It was quite common those days in Israel. When my mother opened the door and these guys started talking with her. She immediately said, without even thinking twice, “I am sorry but my mother is not at home” and closed the door. My mother was at her 40s, and though I still think she looks wonderful, even then in the late 80's she didn’t look like a girl…

Oddly enough, I found myself using the same tactic. Once in a while, someone knocks on my door and starts lecture me about the gas bills, the electricity bills, X bills or Y refund… 

I always have the same answer: “Sorry, I am subletting”. Even if it is not relevant, they usually don’t know what to do with that and just leave.

 

 

Ingredients

2 potatoes - peeled and cubed

3 – 4 medium red beets

1 onion - peeled and cubed

2 cloves garlic - sliced

5 cups of water

1 tablespoon cumin

Salt & pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1.     Put the beets in a pot and cover with water. Boil and cook for about 15 minutes just until you can peel the beet. (The easier way to peel the beets is simply hold them under running water and gently peel them with your fingers. The shell will remove smoothly)

2.     Heat the oil in a large pot; sauté the onion and the garlic until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the potatoes and fry while stirring. 

3.     Cut the beets to cubes and add to the pot. Stir all together for 2 minutes.

4.     Add the water (5 cups) and the cumin, salt and pepper, stir and bring to boil, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 40 minutes.

5.     Turn the heat off.

6.     If you have a hand blender – blend all together inside the pot until they reach a desired consistency. Turn the heat again and bring to boil.

If you have a blender – pour the soup into the blender container and blend for 2 minutes until desired consistency. Pour the soup back into the pot and bring to boil.

A recipe – Orange soup

I live in denial! As long there is no snow, I can’t internalize that the winter is already here.

Every morning before I even open my eyes I check the weather, and if it is 34 F degrees and up, it is ok. 
I don’t know how 34 F (0 C degrees) became my comparison point – is it cold or is it ok?

Suddenly I realized - it’s not okay, even 40 degrees is too (F***) cold!

Ingredients

2 potatoes - peeled and cubed

3 - 4 carrots - chopped

1 sweet potato - peeled and cubed

½ acorn squash (or same size piece of pumpkin) - peeled, seeded, and cubed

½ cup of small red lentils – washed

2 cloves garlic - sliced

5 cups of water

1 tablespoon cumin

Salt & pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1.     Heat the oil in a large pot; add the garlic and the carrots and fry while stirring.

2.     Add while stirring the potatoes, sweet potato, squash and in the end the lentils. Stir all together for one minute.

3.     Add the water and the cumin, salt and pepper, stir and bring to boil, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 30 minutes.

4.     Turn the heat off.

5.     If you have a hand blender – blend all together in side the pot until desired consistency. Turn the heat again and bring to boil.

If you have a blender – pour the soup into the blender container and blend for 2 minutes until desired consistency. Pour the soup back into the pot and bring to boil.

6.     Garnish with parsley or seed mixture to serve.

A recipe – Creamy mushroom soup in less than 20 min.

Every time I have been asked how to make a dish, my answer started with “oh, it is so easy…” I am afraid my friends no longer believe me.

Nophar, my friend, is the same – if you ask her for a recipe it will be something like: chop, heat, mix and it is ready. Nophar is not only an amazingly talented designer, but also a great cook. Here is Nophar’s Creamy mushroom soup, and it really is that easy to make!

Ingredients

1/2 cup of dried mushrooms

1/2 cup of boiling water

1 large onion - finely chopped

1.75 Oz (50 grams) butter

2 boxes of fresh mushrooms (2 kinds) - wash, take of stem and slice

1/4 cup of mushroom Bullion (not necessary)

4-5 cups of milk

1 cup of heavy cream

Salt & pepper

Sour cream

Directions

1.     Put the dried mushrooms and the boiling water in a bowl and cover for 20 min. Strain and finely cut the mushrooms. (You can use the water to replace some of the other fluids in the soup, it'll give it an extra mushroom flavor)

2.     In a big pot, sauté the onions in the butter until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms. Stir for 5-7 min.

3.     In a separate small bowl, mix the Bullion with 1/2 of the milk, and Pour this into the pot.

4.     Pour the rest of the milk, heavy cream, salt and pepper (Do not add the sour cream).

5.     Heat through over low - medium heat, while steering, for about 10 min, until soup is thicker. If the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat.

6.     Soup is ready. Put a dollop of sour cream in your serving bowls, pour the soup over it and enjoy!