Slow-Cooked Root Vegetable Soup

I love root vegetables. I love to roast them, microwave them, steam them, and smash them. And I also love to make soups out of them.

I was recently given a beautiful, blue, enameled, cast iron Le Creuset oval French oven. These pots are versatile. They can go on the stove or in the oven, and thus easily transfer from one to the other for braising or slow cooking. I decided to make a slow-cooked root vegetable soup by chopping up a bunch of root veggies, covering them with broth, then cooking them at a low temperature over a long period of time in the oven. The result was absolutely fabulous.

Slow cooking really brings out the sweet flavors in root vegetables while mellowing out any of the harshness. The result is a rich, almost buttery tasting soup that has absolutely no fat in it. It's perfect for lunch or dinner!

Feel free to substitute any other vegetables (whether root veggies or not).

Slow-Cooked Root Vegetable Soup
Serves about 6

8 oz celery root, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 rutabaga, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
3 carrots, chopped into 2-inch pieces
3 leeks, white and pale green parts only, washed well and chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups vegetable broth
low-fat Greek yogurt (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 275˚F.

Put all ingredients into a large, ovenproof pot with a lid. Bring to a simmer on the stove, then place in the oven. Cook for 3 hours, then remove from the oven and take off the lid. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, then puree the soup with an immersion blender.

Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Waste Not, Want Not: Roasted and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Karl and I bought a pumpkin before Halloween. We had grandiose plans to make pumpkin wine by scooping out the insides, rubbing sugar all over the flesh, sealing it back up with wax, then letting it naturally ferment for a few weeks. Apparently, you get pumpkin wine out of all this, and it would have been a fun experiment, but our lives got busy, and the pumpkin sat out on my fire escape for about a month before I remembered it existed. C'est la vie!

Last weekend, I determined to cut up and roast the pumpkin, then freeze for a rainy day (I'm thinking soups and stews rather than pies, as our pumpkin was quite large. The smaller ones are better for pies, or so they say). And so I did.

One of the best things about pumpkins are the seeds. I think a lot of people just throw them away when they make their jack'o'lanterns for Halloween, but when I was growing up we always dried them out and roasted them in the oven with a little bit of salt. What a tasty snack! It's relatively health, though a little higher-calorie than I would have thought. According to NutritionData.com, 1 cup of pumpkin seeds (without salt) is 285 calories, with 2 grams of saturated fat. NutritionData also touts pumpkin seeds as a good source of protein, magnesium, and zinc.

When you scoop the seeds out of a pumpkin, they're usually covered with the stringy, slimy innards of the pumpkin (which you probably will want to discard). I simply put all the seeds in a colander and spray them with water until the stringy bits are detached from the seeds. You will probably have to pick through to get the last few stringy bits, but it's not difficult or time-consuming. Since my pumpkin was a little older, there were also some seeds that had sprouted. I discarded those, although, in retrospect, they might have tasted interesting...next time!
I spiced up my pumpkin seeds with Spanish paprika and Hot Curry Powder (Penzey's Spices), but you could simply use salt (classic), or be even more adventurous and use a blend of spices (e.g., cumin, cardamom, coriander, chile powder, etc.). Anything goes!

Happy snacking!

Roasted and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried completely
1 TBSP margarine, butter, or oil
1/2 tsp salt, or more or less to taste
1/2 TBSP spices of choice (e.g., Spanish Paprika, Hot Curry Powder)

Preheat oven to 300˚F.
Melt the margarine or butter, if using, and pour into a small bowl. Mix in the salt and spices until well blended. Stir in the pumpkin seeds, tossing until well coated.

Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake 30-45 minutes, or until well toasted. You should give them a stir every 10-15 minutes or so to make sure they aren't burning.

Allow to cool before eating.

Soup's On: Spiced Parsnip and Apple Soup with Parsnip Chips

It's starting to get chilly out there! I love winter, because it means that the soup pot will be put to more regular use. Soup is so comforting, so versatile, and so delicious.

Last year, Karl and I started using parsnips more often. The parsnip is an overlooked vegetable, and I just love the tangy and earthy flavor. If you've never had one, it tastes a lot like a carrot, but stronger.

Well, Karl and I have used parsnips in bean stews and we've roasted them (side note: roasting parsnips is amazing! It changes the flavors subtly and makes a tasty snack), but we've never had a dish in which parsnips were really featured. So, I was excited to try out a parsnip-based soup!

This recipe comes from one of my many soup cookbooks, "The SmartCook Collection: Soup" by Delia Smith. The soup was excellent. The original recipe called for 1 1/4 tsp of coriander seeds, but I couldn't find any at the grocery store on short notice (not sure what was up with that), so I just left those out. It turned out for the best, I think: the more spices added into this dish, the less the parsnip will shine. I also made some other substitutions (margarine for butter, curry powder for turmeric, etc.) both to accommodate my vegan roomie and to avoid buying unnecessary spices. The soup as I made it perfectly exhibits the potential of parsnip. The apple grated in at the end was a nice touch, but maybe wasn't absolutely necessary.

I don't usually bother with soup garnishes, but this time, I made an exception and fried up some thinly sliced discs of parsnip into parsnip chips. It is well worth it to go to the trouble of making the parsnip chips for a garnish (or just for a snack): they are so flavorful and add some interest to the puréed soup. If you're pressed for time, or just don't feel like heating up a pan of oil, you can use potato chips, veggie chips, or croutons. If you're into presentation, I think it might also be pretty to garnish with a spiral of apple peel, or even a wedge of apple.

Eat up, and stay warm out there.

Spiced Parsnip and Apple Soup with Parsnip Chips
Serves 4-6

1 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
6 whole cardamom pods, seeds only
3 TBSP margarine
1 TBSP canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 tsp sweet curry powder
2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1 1/2 lbs parsnips
5 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Parnsip Chips (fry thin slices of parsnips in a 1/2 inch of oil until light brown and crispy)
1 Granny Smith apple

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Dry-roast the cumin and cardamom seeds in the skillet (this "excites" the flavors"). This only takes 2-3 minutes (don't burn them!). Crush the spices finely in a mortar and pestle, or use the back of a spoon to crush them in a bowl.
Peel and chop the parsnips into chunks (the smaller you chop, the shorter the cooking time, but it doesn't really matter what they look like as long as the pieces are approximately the same size).
Heat the margarine and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until the margarine foams a little. Add the onions and gently cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the toasted, ground spices, and also the curry powder and ginger root. Stir, and cook gently for a few more minutes.
Add the parsnips to the saucepan, stirring well, then pour in the stock. Add salt and pepper, then let the soup gently simmer uncovered for about an hour, or until the parsnips are very tender (fork will pierce easily).
When the soup has been simmering for an hour, remove it from the heat and cool it slightly. Use either an immersion blender, upright blender, or food processor to puree the soup. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan and taste to check the seasoning.
When ready to serve, reheat the soup over medium heat. Grate the apple into the soup and stir. Serve hot, garnished with parsnip chips.

Party Fare on a Budget: Spicy Popcorn

For our Diwali party, I decided to break out an old-school snack that I think I had forgotten about since the ol' college days. I used to keep boxes and boxes of microwave kettle corn at all times: you never knew when a movie would spontaneously begin playing in those days.

Popcorn is the ultimate budget snack, especially if you make it using plain kernels either on the stove in a pot, or using this awesome contraption that our friends Lauren and Adam brought over for the party (thanks!). The microwaveable bowl essentially replaces the bag for microwave popcorn and helps you avoid the higher probability of burnt popcorn popped on the stove. Regardless, popcorn is CHEAP, and adding some chile powder or other spices to some melted margarine before tossing it into the popcorn is enough of a twist on an old favorite to wow the crowd easily.

I'm thinking about experimenting with sweet curry powder for my next batch...mmmm. Everything tastes better with curry it seems.

Spice up your life! This recipe is not just for parties.

Spicy Popcorn
Yields 6-8 cups popcorn

2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
4 TBSP butter or margarine (more if you like extra buttery popcorn!)
1 tsp extra hot chile powder (or any other spice)
salt and pepper to taste

Pop the popcorn by any method (using a microwave popper, an air popper, or the stove). If using the stove, make sure to coat the bottom of the pot with a little bit of oil to help prevent scorching. Click here for more-detailed instructions on popping popcorn on the stove.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine or butter. When it is melted, add the chile powder and salt and pepper. Allow to heat through until the spices are fragrant.

Toss the freshly popped popcorn with the melted margarine or butter mixture in a large bowl and serve.

Party Fare on a Budget: Spicy Peanut Balls

My roommate Ruchi and I hosted a Diwali party last week for a few friends. In the spirit of Diwali, we lit a ton of candles and played fun games like carrom board, UNO, and Fluxx. We also had lots of snacks out, including burfee, spicy popcorn, vegan chocolate chip cookies, and spicy peanut balls.


I found the origins of the spicy peanut balls recipe in one of those cookbooks you can find 365 days a year in the bargain racks of the large bookstores (Barnes and Noble and Borders). You probably know the ones: there's at least one full-page photo every 2 pages and the price is so ridiculous ($5 to $8) that it's worth it to buy it for the pictures even if the recipes stink (which, sometimes they do...).

Anyway, I adapted a recipe from an Appetizers cookbook for the spicy peanut balls. If you have a food processor, you should file this recipe away for your next party. Essentially, to make it budget-friendly, I left out the expensive ingredients and substituted things I already had for ones I didn't.

These balls were a big hit! They're great finger food, and really: who doesn't like something fried once in a while? We dipped them in a spicy chile sauce that I purchased from Trader Joe's ($1.99) and they were quite lovely. There are a million ways you could make these without having to buy expensive ingredients. For example, I happened to be out of turmeric, so I used hot curry powder instead. You could also use something else to replace the fresh ginger, which most people don't keep around all the time.

The only problem I had with the spicy peanut balls was that they disappeared way too quickly. Next time I'll make a double recipe.

Enjoy, and Happy (belated) Diwali!

Spicy Peanut Balls
Yields about 14 balls

1 to 2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tsp hot curry powder
1/2 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp hot chile sauce
1 cup cooked jasmine rice
1/2 cup peanuts, roughly chopped (or lightly processed)
vegetable or canola oil (for frying)
Hot Chile Sauce (for dipping)

Process the ginger and garlic in the food processor until they form a paste. Add the curry powder, soy sauce, and chile sauce, and process very well. Scrape down the sides of the processor several times if necessary. Add 3/4 cup of cooked rice and process until a sticky paste. Add the remaining rice and pulse a few times to incorporate it.

Form the rice mixture into bite-size balls, then roll them in the peanut pieces.

Heat 3 or 4 inches of oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. A good way to test whether the oil is hot enough for frying is to press a wooden chopstick or the non-spoon end of a wooden spoon on the bottom of the pot. If bubbles rise up around the utensil, the oil is hot enough.

Using a heat-resistant spoon, carefully add the peanut balls to the oil in batches of 5 or 6 and fry 3 or 4 minutes, until the balls are a lovely golden brown color. Enjoy hot.

Serve hot, with chile sauce for dipping.

Baking on a Budget: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I believe that, even in a small-scale, personal economic crisis (or a big one), one should indulge every so often. Cookies are simple to bake, lift the spirits and, more importantly, stave off the symptoms of SAD (seasonal affected disorder) and PMS (no explanation necessary, I hope). A homemade cookie is also a treat that potentially will not break the bank.

Last week, I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies that both I and my vegan roommate Ruchi could enjoy. But how to do it on a budget? Vegan baking sometimes requires ingredients that I don't typically have on hand. However, when I Googled "vegan chocolate chip cookies", to my surprise, the first recipe that came up required nothing that I didn't already have on my shelves besides vegan chocolate chips. The recipe, from VegWeb.com (a site that features recipes, forums, coupons, and social networking), was so simple that I almost didn't think the cookies would turn out well. I was happily mistaken.

One of the things that usually turns me off about vegan cookies is the texture. Many vegan cookies are chewy, thick, and fibrous (i.e., they're 'healthy' cookies with lots of bran and oats thrown in for texture). These cookies are soft and the cinnamon gives the impression that they are melting in your mouth.

We shared the cookies at our Diwali party the next day, and everyone agreed that they were fabulous cookies, even before finding out they were vegan!

I think it's very important to follow the preparation instructions to a "T." Especially the part about mixing the oil and sugar together separately before adding it to the dry ingredients. I believe that this is the secret to the soft and delicious texture. I did need to add about 1/2 cup more of flour as the dough was clearly too wet with only 2 cups of flour, so I reflected this in the reprinted recipe below. I used about 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, but you can leave the cinnamon out (I don't really recommend it though: I think the cinnamon is what makes these cookies shine). I also did not use raw sugar, just regular granulated sugar. Some vegans do not use regular granulated sugar because it is processed using bone char. I opted out of purchasing special sugar since my roommate is not particular about what kind of sugar she eats.

Oh, and here's another tip if you have a Trader Joe's near you: their semi-sweet chocolate chips are vegan (i.e., there are no milk products or butter in them) and cost only $1.99 for a 12 oz. bag! Enjoy!

Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Vegweb.com

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
cinnamon to taste (optional)
vegan chocolate or carob chips - put in as many as you like
1 scant cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. It will work if they're not at room temp but it works MUCH better if they are.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Add the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix sugar and oil very well. Add the vanilla, and then add the water, mixing well. Add the wet ingredients to the well in the dry ingredients. Mix, being careful not to overwork it. Add more chocolate chips if you so desire. Spoon the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets (about 1 TBSP per cookie).

Bake 8-12 minutes. The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer then you want them to be. They will harden up some as they cool.