Tomato Soup – Homemade & Healthy!

I love tomato soup. It’s just so wonderfully comforting and filling, and is a wonderful vehicle for consuming a large number of grilled cheese sandwiches (one of my favourite pass times!). This tomato soup is, if I do say myself, a gorgeous and slightly more grown-up version of the traditional “from a can” stuff that you probably had as a kid. And it’s ever-so-satisfying to the tastebuds as well as the stomach—the addition of red lentils makes this soup heartier and more filling.

Another great thing about this soup is how quickly it can be made; I literally threw it together in fifteen minutes, then just had to let it simmer for a little while. If you have nothing but tinned goods in your pantry but need something warm and filling, this fits the ticket admirably! Consider replacing the tinned diced tomatoes with fresh tomatoes, about 2-3 per tin, depending on their size. The soup would also be wonderful with a handful of fresh basil leaves, blended in or as a garnish.

Enjoy this hearty and delicious soup!

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Edited: May 17th, 2011

Steamed Moroccan Vegetables

Do I have an obsession with anything “Moroccan”? Sort of. Stick Moroccan in front of any kind of food and I’m going to be excited to try it. After my friends Alaina and Ashton (yes, one of the original Cheeses and her hubby) had a Moroccan-themed dinner party at their apartment to showcase their tajine and new recipes (from… you guessed it, Morocco!) I was so impressed by the combinations of unique spices and flavours—I mean, what North American would even consider putting cinnamon with meat? It blew my mind and my tastebuds and I’ve been gobbling up Moroccan recipes ever since.

This recipe is an alteration from Martha Stewart, so I can hardly claim any sort of authenticity. But darn, these baking paper-wrapped parcels of veggies are good! If you actually own a tajine, this recipe could be easily adapted.

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Edited: February 7th, 2011

Quinoa, Beet, and Chorizo Salad

I don’t think the photo does justice to just how tasty this meal is! I rather impulsively bought a package of organic quinoa the other day, and was tickled pink to discover this lovely recipe in a new salads cookbook my mum got me (thanks mum!). It combines so many things nice—the slightly sweet roasted beet (beetroot for you Aussies), the salty spiciness of the chorizo, the earthiness of the beans and avocado, and the satisfying crunch of a well-cooked quinoa dish.

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is an amazing ingredient. Native of the Andes in South America, it has been cultivated by humans for over 6000 years. It is technically a seed though it is often considered a grain, but unlike any other seed or grain, it contains a full set of amino acids and is therefore a complete source of protein. As it’s gluten free, quinoa is pretty much a power food—great for vegetarians, vegans, and celiacs alike! (And according to Wikipedia, quinoa is one of the few food sources being considered for cultivation on long-term manned space flights! How cool is that?) Omit chorizo and use a tasty tofu or chopped boiled egg for vegetarian or vegan alternatives!

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Edited: December 1st, 2010

Spicy Yam Soup

The weather is slowly struggling and fighting its way towards summer, here in Australia. Some days are glorious—sitting on the balcony with a book requires an iced tea instead of a hot coffee, and you start contemplating moving some of your seedlings outside. The next day it could be hailing, or a blustery rainy day where that chai looks a whole lot better steaming hot.

So, I’m still in the mood for hot soups, especially when leftovers can be put in the boyfriend’s hands for a filling lunch the next day. And sometimes, things in the fridge just come together into a lovely combination. This recipe is actually loosely based off of the African Yam Soup which you can find in the Rebar cookbook, but it’s based off of my mum’s version and then altered heavily again, so really the only similarity is a few tablespoons of peanut butter. I will just say though that yams are very forgiving when it comes to soups—you could really chuck in any veggies into this and it’d still taste great. Ah, yams, how I love thee.

While taking photos of this soup, I discovered that it tastes great cold too. (Sometimes photos take a while, so hot soup gets cold in the process. But can you tell in the photos? Nup. I wonder why I bother reheating leftovers for photos most of the time, actually.) So consider this a great recipe for all year round!

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Edited: August 31st, 2010