Spicy Roasted Corn Soup for One

I recently entered a contest on food52.com-a really cool site that collects recipes from bloggers, chefs, and really anyone who loves to cook, covering the gamet of cooking themes (best couscous dishes, best way to cook a whole fish, and even the best nose to tail recipe). These recipes are collected on a weekly basis until June of 2010, where editors pick two finalists and then users vote for the best-of-the-best to be selected into a cookbook food52 is creating. Last weeks contest involved creating a recipe for a dinner alone. I, of course, choose a soup and since I had corn and various spices lying around it seemed like a quick and simple dinner option for myself. Check out the excerpt from my entry below:

 Corn Soup with Salted Lemon Wedges - Seriously Soupy

Spicy Roasted Corn Soup for One


I love roasted corn on the cob. So, in thinking about this challenge I wanted to use what I had, since if I was having a nice dinner at home I doubt I would be dashing to the grocery store. With that in mind I decided to create a variation of the corn on the cob into a soup-using simple ingredients, to make a quick, easy meal, and of course one that I would enjoy eating. I thought that roasting it with olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper in the oven would enhance its flavors (as opposed to just boiling it in water). I also decided to give the soup a little kick with chili powders and paprika, which along with the subtle use of lemon makes this soup slightly spicy, but still cooling. I hope you enjoy it during your dinner home alone (sounds like an impossible feat in my world), but still it's a nice idea and one that I am now prepared for.:)

Ingredients:

• 3 ears of corns
• 1 bunch of dill, tied together
• 1 yellow onion, cut up
• 1/2 parsnip, cut up
• 2-3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 clove of garlic, chopped up
• 2-3 teaspoons of chili powder
• 2-3 teaspoons of paprika
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 2 teaspoons of black peppercorn
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemons
• 1-2 cup of water

Serves: 2
*If you won't be dining alone, you simply have to double the amount of corn and parsnips. You don't necessary have to double the spices, but test the recipe using the suggested measurements. You should modify after you taste it, unless you know that you want it super spicy.


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Shuck three ears of corn and with a knife cut the corn from its stem. Place the kernels on a sheet of aluminum foil or a baking sheet and drizzle the corn with olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper. Make sure all the kernels are well-coated. Close the foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
2. While the corn is roasting, boil a small amount of water in a pot. Cut up the parsnip, onions, and garlic and place in the pot.
3. Take the dill and cut off a chuck of it with your hands. Bind it with some white thread and place in the pot. Make sure the flame is low and covered at this point.
4. Periodically check on the corn, it should appear slightly brown (generally after 45 minutes). Turn off the oven and place the corn in the boiling water mixture.
5. Add the seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder), lemon juice, more butter, and some more water (I added another 1/2 of a cup) to the soup and cover.
6. Let the soup retain these new flavors for 10-15 minutes. Test the mixture, adding more seasonings (if necessary).
7. Turn off the flame and take out the bunched dill. With a hand blender, mix the soup together until it is slightly chunky. If you desire a smoother soup, you can add more water, but be sure to test the flavoring of the soup, since the water may dilute this.
8. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

Seriously Soupy Serena

Garnishing with Vegetables

I hope everyone enjoyed and tested out the crouton recipe from last weeks post. They make an nice addition to numerous soups, but another option is to garnish with vegetables. Using vegetables can enhance the look of a soup by utilizing unique shapes and design forms, as well as change a soups composition, color, and flavor. Since I had beets and carrots at home (the "use what you have" mantra) I decided to incorporate that into a tasty garnish. Generally, when you use vegetable garnishes they are a component of a soup (you make an asparagus soup, most likely an asparagus garnish would be used), but they can also include different ingredients that enhance its flavor (an asparagus soup with a zucchini and rosemary garnish) may also be an option. It's really up to you, and most of the fun is experimenting with different flavors until you find the garnish that works best for your soup. Check out my quick and easy beet/carrot garnish to top off your next soup:

Garnishing with Beets and Carrots

Ingredients
2 beets, very thinly sliced
2-3 carrots, very thinly sliced
1/2 of garlic clove, chopped
1-2 sprigs of fresh sage (can also use rosemary, basil, etc)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper

Directions:
I had beets already prepared, but basically all you have to do is add water to a pot and let it boil. Then, peel the beets, cut them up and add them to the boiling water. After 15 minutes or so they should be ready. Once your beets are prepared (and cooled), cut them and the carrots into very thin, long strips. Cut up the sage (or your favorite herb) into fine squares and mix it into the beets and carrots, along with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a pan, add the vegetables and sautee for 10 minutes, making sure all sides of the veggies are cooked. Use 2-4 thin strips of a carrot and beet combination or just one vegetable and place it on top of the soup, along with a few squares of sage. Enjoy!

* For this garnish (beets and carrots), I would top it with a pureed soup such as squash soup, carrot soup, or a potato-based soup

Other Vegetable Garnish Options:

• Leeks
• Zucchini
• Squash
• Pumpkin
• Bell Peppers
• Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes
• Radishes
• Artichokes
• Eggplant 
• Asparagus

Soups that Work with Vegetable Garnishes

Vegetable Purees such as:

• Squash Soup
  
• Carrot Soup
  
• Asparagus Soup
  
• Tomato or Cream of Tomato Soup
  
• Potato and Leek Soup
• Leek Soup
  

What vegetable garnishes do you use and with what types of soup?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Soup Links—A weekly rundown of soup in the news

There has been quite a lot of soupy action going on this week. Check out some of exciting things in the world of soup, including voting for a soup created by yours truly —seriously:

• The Gift of Soup. Congrats, you just had a baby! Now, here's your soup. Maybe this will take some time to take flight, but the recent article in the San Francisco Gate by Amanda Gold is surely a proponent for this novel idea. Entitled The Gift of Soup, the article illustrates how the gift of frozen soup can be a creative way to comfort new parents, while providing them with a nourishing meal, which is much-needed during those sleepless early days. Gold also goes one to give some rules for the preparation and which soups can be frozen. Now, I'm not much for rules when it comes to soups, but Gold's suggestions are very helpful, especially when she discusses what ingredients last in the freezer (vegetables, meat and beans) and those that should be eaten in a few days (mushroom). Additionally, she includes handy tips for the thawing out process and recipes, along with wine pairings for each individual soup. Not sure if these soups would even make their way to my freezer, especially the Winter Ribollita and the Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, but I really enjoyed this step-by-step style article. You can check it out at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article/article?f=/c/a/2010/01/10/FDCJ1BC0JJ.DTL#ixzz0chC8nJwn
  

• Roasted Chestnut Soup with Crème Fraiche. So, I have become a little obessed with chestnut soup. And this is not because I have been savoring this soupy, but have been seeing it everywhere since I have been trying to find this rare ingredient (at least in my neck of the woods) for my Christmas soup. Although it worked out for the best with my Sweet Potato and Cranberry Soup, I can't help but grit my teeth in frustration at not being able to create it myself. This week I stumbled upon yet another chestnut soup creation with a Roasted Chestnut Soup with Crème Fraiche recipe from Ceramic Canvas. I immediately loosed my jaw, as it dropped in amazement at the sight of the gorgeous food pictures taken by the author, Reginald, and then of course there was the recipe. Loosely based on a recipe from Metropolitan Home magazine, this recipe incorporated seasonal ingredients such as fresh chestnuts, onions, thyme, and crème fraiche (my other nemesis). You can find the recipe here: http://ceramiccanvas.com/2010/01/roasted-chestnut-soup-with-cream-fraiche/ and hopefully you will have more luck on your quest for the chestnut.
  

• Spicy Roasted Corn Soup. And now on to the shameless self-promotion part of the evening.... I recently entered the food52 "Best Home Alone Dinner" challenge, which asked contestants to submit a recipe based on meal that they would create if they were having a meal for one. Of course I opted to create a soup and decided since I was home alone (in fantasy world, of course) that I would keep it sort of simple by using what I had in my house (corn, parsnips, onions, some spices, etc). Rather than boiling the corn, I decided to roast the corn with garlic, salt, butter and olive oil, which blackened the corn a bit. I then transported it into a soup pot to cook for another 15 minutes or so with a minimal amount of water, some lemon, and spices. What resulted was a chunky soup with tons of flavor that started out sweet from the corn and ended with a slight kick from he spices. I would even opt to increase the spice a bit next time, but that's up to you. Check out the recipe here: http://www.food52.com/recipes/2659_spicy_roasted_corn_soup_for_one and don't forget to vote for me!

Seriously Soupy Serena

Rosemary and Chicken Barley Soup

Rosemary and Chicken Barley Soup—Adventures with Barley-Part Two

Guest Writer: Aimée Wheaton

As I mentioned in yesterday's citrus barley and chicken soup post, there was going to be a follow-up piece featuring another variation on the barley/chicken combo. As many of you may already realize, soups are pretty incredible, which has a little something to do with the infinite amount of recipes that you can create by using the same ingredients in many different ways. Here's another barley/chicken soup recipe created by the uber-talented Aimée Wheaton. Ok, so were are good friends, but I do LOVE this recipe for its simplicity and for putting into action the "use what you have" mantra, which is certainly the name of the game these days. The recipe, like many soups can be varied based on your preference, but I think you will be quite delighted by this little soupy just the way it is. Without further adieu, check out Aimée's easy and super tasty rosemary and chicken barley soup:

Rosemary and Chicken Barley Soup

Ingredients:
3 frozen chicken breasts
1/2 cup quick cooking barley
Blend of herbs for the crockpot (I chose a rosemary blend)
2.5 tablespoons of olive oil
Mirepoix = 2 carrots, 3/4 large red onion, 3 stalks of celery
3 cloves of garlic, chopped up
6 cups of chicken broth (low sodium)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Directions:

Start by slow-cooking three frozen chicken breasts in a crockpot with a rosemary seasoning blend. You can also use fresh rosemary (or a blend of your choice) if you would like. Let that cook on a low heat all day or for about five or six hours. Then chop up a package of Mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery), as well as three cloves of fresh garlic and sautee them in olive oil. Saute for about five-seven minutes, stir every now and then so it doesn't stick to the pot. Then add more seasonings—salt, pepper, and more herb blend. Added six cups of low sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup of quick cooking barley. By that time the chicken will be done. Take the chicken out of the crock pot, chop it into chunks, and place it a pot. Bring the water to a boil and then let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes. Volia! There you have it-a quick (once the chicken is done), easy, and hearty soupy!

P.S. Aimée notes: If I were to make it again I would have cooked the barley separately and sprinkled it in as a garnish, it was a bit soggy by the time we ate it. Also, when you prepare this soup be sure to keep tasting it throughout the preparation. You may need to add more herbs, salts, etc, but you will be sure to love this one, it's delish!

For more information about Aimée, check out one of her zillion websites;)
www.cafepress.com/mazerdesign (my online store)
www.mazerdesign.etsy.com (my other store)
www.mazerdesign.com (my website)
www.creativeflutter.blogspot.com (my art blog)
www.lollishops.com/lolo-land (OOAK art pieces)
www.artfire.com/mazerdesign (new shop)
www.inspiranzadesigns.com/lologlow (jewelry I sell)

Citrus Barley and Chicken Soup

 Citrus Barley and Chicken Soup—Adventures with Barley-Part One

Citrus Barley and Chicken Soup

You may be asking yourself, what exactly prompted me to make a chicken soup with citrus? Well, basically the answer to that would be barely. I love this hearty grain and I especially wanted to test out a soup with it since one of my dearest, but not so nearest friends-Creative Flutter created a recipe using it as well. So instead of featuring one barley recipe this week I thought it would be interesting to feature two recipes that used a similar combination of ingredients, but that were prepared in two totally different ways. Where the citrus part came from, I haven't the faintest idea. I did know that I wanted to create a twist on a chicken soup and lemon chicken in a soup sounded interesting to me, so that was it. I then decided to include oranges, cranberries, and lemons as the base of the soup, hoping to create a tangy/semi-sour/savory soup with a zip without having any idea if this was even possible! Although I didn't know what the concoction would turn into, I enjoyed the process of trying to figure out the right level of citrus/sour, while attempting make it well, taste good! Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this tangy and refreshing little citrus soup, although other people (Lonnie Feldman-occasional soupy writer) begged to defer by stating "I don't get why these flavors are put together." Oh well, to soup his own. Be sure to check out another variation of a chicken and barley soup tomorrow by the extraordinary Creative Flutter. Until then, here's how to create your own citrus soup:

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
6-8 cups of water
2-3 cups of barley
1 zucchini, cut up
2-3 oranges, cut up into thick strips
2 lemons, cut up into thick strips
1/4 bag of fresh cranberries
1 leek, cut up
1 yellow onion, diced into squares
1 stalk of celery, cut up
1/2 bag of carrots, cut up
1 parsnip, cut up
dill, bunched together by string
parsley, bunched together by string
approximately 1 tablespoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:
Essentially, you are beginning by making a chicken broth. I used Grandma Fay's recipe, but added leeks (had them on hand) and used a whole chicken (as opposed to chopping it up like I did in the past). Let the broth cook for about 2-3 hours, checking on it periodically. I found I had to keep the flame low and add some more water.  Then, cut up and add the oranges and lemons to the pot. While the soup is boiling, start boiling another pot of water (approximately 2 cups) where the cranberries will cook. While they cook the cranberries will make a popping sound as the berries release, so it's best to keep this pot covered as it cooks. I also didn't include the cranberries in the soup pot because I didn't want to add a red color to the soup, but if that doesn't bother you then no additional pot is required. When the cranberries are finished (approximately 10 minutes) add it to the soup pot, along with the barley and let that cook for another 30 minutes. I also added additional carrots, zucchini, and onions since they got very soft after cooking for 2-3 hours. This is completely optional though. Then add salt, pepper, and taste. The soup will be tangy, which is the intent, but if you prefer something a little more subtle, you can add more water and salt to dull some of the citrus. You can also opt to use less lemons/oranges if you like. Lower flame and enjoy!!!

P.S. Although I used chicken, there is no reason why you couldn't omit that part and use a veggie stock. Remember most recipes can be made vegetarian, you just have to tweak them a bit...

Seriously Soupy Serena