Chris says:

I’ve got just one question for you.

Lisa says:

What’s that?

Chris says:

Do you like crab?

Lisa says:

I love crab, why?

Chris says:

Do you like sweet corn?

Lisa says:

You know I do… that’s two questions, by the way.

Chris says:

Doh — whatever. I just think you’re going to love this — have a spoonful.

Lisa says:

Whoa, that’s awesome! The flavor of the corn in the soup is great, and then getting to crunch on those kernels… delicious!

Chris says:

Yeah — all that, and — piled with crab!

Lisa says:

I heart crab! Hey — I’ve got just one question for you.

Chris says:

What’s that?

Lisa says:

Do we have to share this?

Summer Corn and Dungeness Crab Bisque
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tbsp butter
18-20 baby carrots
1 large yellow onion
3-4 Swiss chard stems
2 stalks celery
2 medium zucchini
2 tbsp Herbes de Provence
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable, or a little of each)
2 ears of sweet corn, husked
1 cup fat-free Half and Half
1 pound of Dungeness Crab meat, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the garlic in an aluminum foil pocket, drizzle with olive oil, and seal.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
Start dicing the vegetables and add them to the pot, starting with the carrots and working your way through to the zucchini.
Saute for about five minutes, and add in the herbs. Once vegetables have softened, add in the broth, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil and boil the corn for about three minutes.
Remove and let cool a bit, slice the kernels from the cob, and set aside.
“Milk” the cob (run the back of your knife down the length of the cob after the kernels are removed to collect the delicious milky corn squeezin’s) and add this to the pot.
Once the garlic is roasted and the vegetables have been simmering for 30 minutes, add the garlic and Half-and-Half.
Use a stick-blender to puree the vegetables and stock into a smooth consistency — you’ll get texture in a bit.
Add the reserved corn and half of the crab meat to the pot, mix well, and simmer for another five minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide among bowls, and garnish with remaining crab meat.

4-6 generous servings

Here’s a dish we made a few weeks ago from The Ultimate Soup Bible. A salmon fillet is cut on the diagonal into thin slices which are seared and then placed into a bowl of steaming hot, richly-flavored broth and udon noodles. Baby bok choy adds color and some crunch.

Oh my god, it’s a miracle.

Chris says:

What?

Lisa says:

Okay, two miracles. One, you’re updating the blog. Two, the recipe doesn’t include mushrooms.

Chris says:

Since when are mushrooms a problem?

Lisa says:

They’re not… it’s just… I’ve gotten comments. I’ve heard things.

Chris says:

Uh…

Lisa says:

Yeah. People are starting to think that’s all we eat.

Chris says:

Well we do like mushrooms.

Lisa says:

That’s true… but… I’m just saying. That last post has been up there for a while. I was wondering if we were going to change the blog’s name to WeHeartShrooms.com…

Chris says:

Hey if that’s not registered yet, I’m gonna grab it. So…

Lisa says:

…yeah?

Chris says:

You want to talk about this dish at all?

Lisa says:

Oh yeah, right! I loved it! Those really thin slices of salmon were awesome. And I just love a big bowl of soup.

Chris says:

Same here — I hadn’t grilled such thin slices like that before. It worked out well. And those thick udon noodles are great for slurping. You know how much I love the slurping.

Lisa says:

Yes. Yes I do. And I guess if the biggest complaint about a dish is how loud it is when your dining partner eats it… well that’s really not much to complain about at all.

Salmon and Baby Bok Choy Ramen
6 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 green onions, sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sake
1 lb salmon fillet, skinned
1 tsp peanut oil
12 oz udon noodles
4-5 baby bok choy, broken into leaves
1 fresh red chili pepper, seeded and sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
salt and pepper

Pour the stock into a pot and add the ginger, garlic, and a third of the green onions. Add the soy sauce and sake, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the salmon at a severe angle into 12 slices. Brush a grill pan with the oil and heat until very hot. Sear the salmon slices for 1-2 minutes on each side until tender. Set aside.
Cook the udon noodles as per the directions, then drain and cool under cold running water. Drain again.
Strain the broth into a clean pot, season, and bring to a low boil. Add the bok choy.
Divide the noodles among 4 deep bowls, along with the salmon slices, green onions, chili, and bean sprouts. Ladle in the broth.

4 Servings.

Lisa made this soup when we were in California during the holidays — orzo, chickpeas, and spinach swim in a simple vegetable broth, topped with garlicky tomatoes and shredded Parmesan. Lisa’s dad liked the soup so much he decided to make it again just a few days later. The recipe is based on one from Heidi’s site, with a few additions.

A delicious noodle soup, orzo it seems

Lisa says:

C’mon, no puns tonight please.

Chris says:

Alright, fine. I do love the addition of the chickpeas…

Seto says:

This is very good Lisa! I’m having more.

Lisa says:

Awesome! I love the egg whites… they add a neat texture to the broth.

Chris says:

I bet this would be good with the kale option as well — if we make this when we get back to Seattle let’s do it that way.

Seto says:

I’ll be making this myself by the end of the week. Leave me the recipe…

7 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 14-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 14-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, well drained
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
3 egg whites
sea salt

grated Parmesan cheese

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until just tender – about ten minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach and chickpeas.

Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, and a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a separate saucepan. Taste for seasoning and salt if needed.

Just before serving, slowly pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring quickly with a whisk. Taste and add more salt if needed. Divide the soup among four bowls, each serving topped with a spoonful of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and some of the cheese.

4-6 Servings

Here’s a quick & easy, packed-full-of-flavor slurpy bowl of goodness from Super Natural Cooking: Noodles, tofu, and onions swimming in a rich, creamy coconut curry broth. Just the right amount of spice, and a garnish of cilantro and shallots provide nice color contrast to the yellow broth.

Ooooh, good choice! This is different than what we usually make.

Chris says:

Yeah, I’m usually not in the mood for coconut-broth-type dishes like this. I certainly never order them out.

Lisa says:

Well I’m glad you made this one; and I actually like the spiciness level.

Chris says:

Yeah it’s perfect — could always kick in additional hot sauce if you want it hotter.

Lisa says:

What makes it yellow, the curry paste?

Chris says:

It was a little closer to orange before the turmeric. Adding that and the coconut milk gave it the nice yellow color. I think the only thing I don’t think the recipe as shown in the book needs is the peanuts. I’ll leave them out when I make this next time.

Lisa says:

Agreed — they don’t really add much. It’s plenty awesome without them!

Big Curry Noodle Pot
8 1/2 oz. dried whole wheat udon noodles
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp red curry paste
12 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 1″ long columns
1 14 oz can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 shallots, sliced into rings
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook noodles according to package directions in lots of boiling water with a dash of salt. Drain, stop the cooking by running cold water over, and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion and curry paste, stirring until the curry paste is well incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Add the tofu and gently stir until coated. Stir in the coconut milk, broth, turmeric, soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a slow simmer and keep it there for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice and noodles, and stir.
Add the noodles and some extra both to each of 4 bowls. Top with the shallots and cilantro.

4-6 Servings

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while, looks like I had bookmarked it about a year ago and finally got around to making it.  Originally from a Cooking Light recipe, this modified version from The Kitchen Sink features chicken, potatoes, and other veggies in a smoky-tasting, creamy broth — using just 1/4 cup of cream.

This is bueno — I knew I’d saved that link for a reason…

Lisa says:

It’s pretty creamy tasting…

Chris says:

I know! There’s a little cream in there, but not a lot — most of the texture is from pureeing the broth and onion, celery, and carrots.

Lisa says:

Oh good, I like that the potatoes aren’t pureed in. I like the chunks.

Chris says:

Same here… and I just want to add lime and cilantro to every recipe.

Lisa says:

Don’t we already?.

Chris says:

Good point.

Lisa says:

Good dinner.

Chipotle Chicken Chowder
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce, minced with 1 tsp of the adobo sauce *
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground oregano
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 small chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3/4 lb yukon gold potatoes, in 1/2″ dice
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
lime wedges

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped chile, adobo sauce, onion, carrot, celery, cumin, oregano, and garlic; cook 7 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Stir in the potatoes and chicken; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Top with additional cilantro and serve with the lime wedges.

* Tip: To avoid wasting an entire can of chipotles when you only need one for a recipe, do the following: Once the can is opened, line a baking sheet with foil, spoon each chipotle chile with sauce onto the foil, and place in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from the foil (they’ll slide right off) and place into a ziploc bag or other container and keep in the freezer. Easy to remove just one when required for future recipes.

The Third Place Books close to us was having a blowout on used books a couple of weeks ago, and we picked up a copy of The Best of Cooking Light: Everyday Favorites for four bucks (I’m a sucker for cookbooks with pictures). This pork posole recipe caught my eye because it looked pretty much like a normal (aka, non-light) posole recipe. Pork is browned and then added to a stock made from chicken broth and pureed ancho chilies. This recipe is all about the condiments: a squeeze of lime and a bunch of cilantro really brings out the flavors in this soup.

We must love posole — I think we have four different recipes on the site.

Chris says:

Yep, and each one is a little different.

Lisa says:

I’m not sure about this one, you know I like the stewier ones.

Chris says:

Well, even though this one is broth-based, I think you’ll like it.

Lisa says:

Hmmm… kind of bland.

Chris says:

What? Ahhh… hit it with those garnishes. Squeeze that lime! Add those onions! Savor the cilantro!

Lisa says:

Wow, that makes a big difference… yum! It’s definitely growing on me.

Chris says:

Yeah, keep going…

Lisa says:

Awesome — I’m going back for more.

Chris says:

Mission Accomplished!

Pork Posole
4 ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into (1/2″) pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 15.5-oz cans white hominy, undrained
sliced radishes
chopped green onions
minced fresh cilantro
lime slices

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place chilies in pan; flatten with a spatula. Cook 10 seconds on each side or until blackened. Combine toasted chilies and 2 cups boiling water in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Place pepper mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Cook cumin seeds in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Place in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Do this in batches if you must — don’t crowd the pork or it’ll steam instead of brown. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring frequently. Stir in pork, pureed chilies, toasted ground cumin, broth, sugar, salt, and hominy; bring to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Spoon equal portions posole into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with radishes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve with lime slices.

6 Servings

“CSA” Soup: Delicious!  Lisa made this soup up from all the ingredients we had left over from our last CSA box.  Snow peas, zucchini, broccoli, and shallots, in a tomato and vegetable broth base.  Making a soup is a great way to use up vegetables that are starting to lose their firmness or are a few days away from the compost bin.

This stir-fry, originally found on 101 Cookbooks, is a quick-to-prepare mix of tofu, asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach.  We [Heart] Asparagus season!

Asparagus Stir-Fry
toasted sesame oil
8 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into slices
4 oz mushrooms, halved
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
a couple big pinches of fine-grain sea salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 big handful of toasted cashews, chopped up a bit
a few handfuls of spinach
zest and juice of one lime
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 small handful fresh mint, slivered
1 small handful fresh basil, slivered

Heat a teaspoon or so of sesame oil in a large pan, or well-seasoned wok over medium high heat. When it is hot, add the tofu, and cook until golden – a few minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Add a generous splash of oil to the pan and, as soon as it is hot, add the mushrooms, onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, asparagus, and salt. Stir fry for about a minute, then add the garlic, cashews, and spinach and stir-fry for another minute, or until the spinach wilts. Return the tofu to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the hoisin sauce. Cook for another 10-20 seconds, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and stir in the mint and basil. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed.

2 Main-dish Servings

Everyone loves chili! (Right?) This vegetarian chili is from Great Bowls of Fire: The World’s Spiciest Soups, Chilies, Stews, and Hot Pots by Jay Solomon. It came together really quickly, and Abbie’s cornbread was a perfect accompaniment. The spice level was just right — not too hot, but definitely present.

Rather, this:

Chris, Lisa, Thad, and Abbie said:

Yum, This is delicious, Could you pass the cornbread, Thank you, No problem, This isn’t very spicy, I like it, As do I, Thanks for making mine without cilantro, I love cilantro, I love corn, Good job on the cornbread, Are there any leftovers, No.

Ancho White Bean Chili
2 dried New Mexico chilies, seeded
1 cup simmering water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can fire-roasted plum tomatoes
1 15-oz can corn kernels, drained
1 15-oz can white kidney beans, drained
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dried chilies for about 2 minutes, shaking as they cook. Remove from the heat and cover with 1 cup of simmering water, then soak for 15-20 minutes. Place the chilies in a blender with 1/2 cup of the water and puree for 5 seconds. Scrape into a small bowl.
In a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, carrot, and garlic, and cook for six minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and the pureed chilies and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with the cilantro.

6 Servings

Wow — there are a LOT of chickpeas in this stew.

Chris says:

Yeah, I don’t think you’re going to complain about this being too “brothy”.

Lisa says:

Not at all!

Chris says:

Actually, I had to add a little more broth while I was cooking it anyway; the potatoes were taking a longer time than I had expected. I’d cut them smaller next time.

Lisa says:

The sliced tomatoes on top are a nice change…

Chris says:

Yeah, I really like them. This isn’t the most remarkable dish in the book, but the tomatoes on top give it a nice twist.

Lisa says:

Well, I hope you like it enough to have the leftovers tomorrow night…

Chris says:

Definitely!

Creole Chickpea Stew
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
6 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tomato, seeded and sliced

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, green onions, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, and oregano, and cook for five minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and half of the parsley. Cook for five minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in the tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the potatoes; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and simmer for another 6 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the tomato slices and remaining parsley.

6 Servings

Carrie came over this week for dinner and we enjoyed this crab soup with a spinach salad and plenty of wine. The cilantro relish was a big hit, and though crab is expensive, it was totally worth it in this dish. We all loved it! The recipe comes from The Ultimate Soup Bible.

Carrie says:

Yum, I love crab!

Lisa says:

This soup is awesome…

Chris says:

I think there’s probably a bit too many noodles, but other than that I’m in love with this soup!

Lisa says:

Too many noodles in the recipe?

Chris says:

Nah, the recipe itself is probably a good amount, but my estimating skills are lacking. Determining five ounces out of a package of 16 when some unknown portion of them have already been used apparently is a challenge for me.

Lisa says:

The cilantro topping is awesome.

Carrie says:

Can I have more?

Chris says:

Yes! Let’s finish the batch!

Lisa says:

Leave room for dessert…

Dungeness Crab Soup with Cilantro Relish
SOUP:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chipped
2 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fresh Dungeness crab meat
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
juice of 2 lemons
1 lemongrass stalk
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
5 oz angel hair pasta, broken into 2-3 inch lengths
salt and fresh ground pepper

RELISH:
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 green chili, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven and add the onion, chilies, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the onion is very soft. Transfer the cooked onion mixture to a bowl and stir in the crab meat, parsley, cilantro, and lemon juice, and set aside.
Bruise the lemongrass on a chopping board. Pour the stock and fish sauce into the dutch oven. Add the lemongrass and bring to a boil, then add teh pasta. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the pasta is just tender.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the relish by using a mortar and pestle to make a coarse paste of the cilantro, chili, oil, lemon juice, and cumin.
Remove and discard the lemongrass from the soup. Add the crab mixture into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then set on low and simmer for two minutes.
Ladle the soup into four bowls and put a spoonful of the cilantro relish in the center of each.

4 Servings