Spicy Ginger Pumpkin Soup

About a year ago, I visited a friend who served this amazing soup. He was kind enough to send me the recipe! This is great recipe because you can play around with the type of liquids and winter squash you use. I've made it with pumpkin and butternut squash - both are delicious. 

Warning - the recipe is SPICY! The ginger sneaks up on you. If you are sensitive to spice, dial it down to your needs.

Your shopping list

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cups uncooked peeled pumpkin, cubed
• 2 Tbsp anchovy paste
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 freshly grated ginger
• 3/4 Tbsp red chili flakes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup 5% cream
• 1 litre low sodium chicken broth
• salt, to taste

Garnish

• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds

What to do with it

Perfect soup for a fall day

1. Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat
2. Add pumpkin and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes
3. Mix in anchovy paste, onion, and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes
4. Stir in red chili flakes, ginger, and brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes
5. Add liquids, along with a cup of water, and bring to a boil
6. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes
7. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth
8. Add salt and simmer for an additional 20 minutes
9. Meanwhile, heat a dry pan over medium heat
10. Add seeds and toast, until just smoking
11. Add cayenne and toss seeds for about a minute
12. Transfer sunflower seeds to a plate to cool
13. Serve soup with toasted seeds

Soups on!

My bestie Ashley bought me an amazing cookbook for my birthday - nothing but soup. I was really excited to find a recipe to make and am so happy that I chose this one. With a few modifications, it turned out great. I'm sure the original recipe is delicious but I am not known for following recipes to a tee.
This is a perfect healthy dish for a cool night.

Creole Shrimp Soup with Quinoa

Inspired by Marian C. Hanna's recipe in The Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers Cookbook

Serves 6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Your shopping list:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1 medium onion (yellow or white), finely chopped
1 cup diced celery
1 sweet pepper, diced (I used yellow)
1/2 cup green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of half of a lemon
2 cups of water
28oz can of diced tomatoes, no salt added
4oz can of tomato sauce, no salt added
5.5oz can of tomato paste
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 bay leaves
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb scallops (or add more shrimp)
a handful of chopped parsley for garnish
Optional - cooked quinoa or brown rice

What to do with it:

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering. 
2. Add flour and stir constantly until the roux is the colour of peanut butter.
3. Add yellow onions, celery and pepper to the pot and cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add green onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until everything has softened (approx 15 minutes)
5. Add lemon rind and juice to the pot along with water, tomato ingredients, worchestershire sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 50 minutes (stir occasionally).
7. Remove bay leaves and add shrimp and scallops
8. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes
9. Serve with cooked quinoa and a sprinkle of parsley!

Doubly Delicious Grilled Chicken

While I realize barbecue season is over, I have yet to throw in the tongs. 
This is one of my favourite recipes because it's fairly versatile. I've made this sauce countless times (occasionally without all of the ingredients) and have never been disappointed. If you don't have a grill, you can make it in the oven instead - I've done this when I run out of propane!

Double-time Barbecued Chicken

Inspired by "Triple Play Barbecued Chicken" from Weber's Way to Grill

Your Shopping list:

SAUCE

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
½ cup lemon-lime soda 
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup packed golden brown sugar
2 Tbsp dijon mustard

RUB

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp kosher salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 chicken drumsticks

What to do with it:

1. Prepare your grill for both direct and indirect cooking over medium heat
2. Cook oil, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes, or until golden over medium heat in a medium saucepan
3. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil
4. Stirring often, reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix together the rub ingredients and coat the chicken pieces evenly
6. Place chicken on the grill, skin side down, over direct medium heat
7. Grill for 8-10 minutes, with the lid closed as much as possible, turning occasionally
8. Move to indirect heat for an additional 25 minutes
9. Brush chicken with the sauce and grill over direct heat for approximately 10 minutes. Continue turning and brushing the chicken until juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone
10. Heat remaining sauce so that it is safe to serve alongside the chicken and your favourite salad!

Ribs Worth Rubbing

This one time I made ribs and they were absolutely disgusting. I spent all afternoon making them and they were so gross even Matt wouldn't eat them -so into the garbage they went. That was about three years ago, before I knew how to find a good recipe and alter it to suit my tastes. I've made this rib rub & sauce combo a handful of times and it has been a hit with everyone who has tried it. I must admit I've toned down the heat to suit the tastes of a friend! 

Without further ado, I present:

The World's Best Ribs

Inspired by: My Life as a Mrs cooking instructions and rib rub, and this guy's sauce.

prep time: 10-15 minutes
cook time: 6.5 hours max (includes slow-cooking and making sauce while cooking ribs)

Your Shopping List:

A package of two racks of ribs

Rub:

1/4 cup cumin

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (optional because I've omitted it twice and they were still delicious)

1/2 cup paprika 

1/4 cup chili powder

1 Tbsp cayenne

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1-2 tsp salt (original recipe calls for wayyy too much)

freshly ground pepper

Sauce:

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sriracha sauce
1/2 cup white rum
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or very finely minced
1 tsp ground dry mustard
ground black pepper to taste

What to do with it:

Rub it on!

Ribs

1. Spray slow cooker insert with olive oil/non-stick spray
2. Rinse ribs and pat dry
3. Coat ribs evenly with approx 1/2 cup of dry rub
4. Place ribs in slow cooker insert bone-side in - You may need to intertwine the racks so that it all fits
5. Cook on low for 5-6 hours

Sauce

1. Heat all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat
2. Stirring occasionally, simmer for 30 minutes (reduce heat as needed)
3. Set aside to cool, and refrigerate until ready for use

Sauce & Ribs

1. Spray grill with olive oil, or other non-stick spray and preheat to medium high heat
2. Coat ribs with bbq sauce and placeon the grill, meat side down
3. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip, rib-side down. Baste the meat again, close the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes
4. Repeat three or so more times and then remove
5. They will fall apart. They will be delicious!
6. Serve with green beans & potatoes, or whatever you so choose.

Don't judge my photography skills - these are amazing.

Where There's a Fish, There's a Dish!

If you haven't already figured it out, I'm a huge fan of quinoa. I'm such a fan, I can't remember the last time that I used rice as a side dish.

After a busy weekend visiting family and then having my first rehearsal, I didn't have time to think ahead to Monday's dinner. I took some rainbow trout out of the freezer and hoped I'd find inspiration by the time I was home from work.

Searching "rainbow trout recipes" doesn't give much that seems appetizing. To be honest, I don't really like fish at all. I eat it because it's something different, and it can be affordable when it's on sale. Of all fish, rainbow trout is the one I prefer. Of course, I like any fish that is battered and deep fried as well!

So, here's what I did with my rainbow trout:

Thai-naise Rainbow Trout with CocoThai Quinoa and Plain Jane Green Beans

inspired by Canadian Living

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 6-20 minutes (because I like my fish overcooked!)

Your Shopping List:

3-4 rainbow trout fillets, washed and patted dry
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
salt & pepper, to taste

1 medium clove of garlic, minced

1 tbsp or so chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges (optional garnish - in hindsight, lime would likely be better with this) 

2 cups of quinoa, rinsed
1 14oz (414ml) can of coconut milk, unsweetened
1 1/3 cup of chicken broth, no sodium added
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 cup (ish) cauliflower, broken into bite-sized pieces
2 green onions, white parts sliced
1 medium clove of garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce, or more!
1 lime, juiced

however many green beans you want to eat
olive oil, drizzled
salt & pepper, to taste

What to do with it:

Fish

1. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, curry paste and garlic together. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Arrange trout on a baking sheet, in a single layer, skin side down.
3. Place in oven and broil for 6 minutes, about 6 inches away from the top.
4. If you prefer your fish to be well-cooked, leave it for 10 minutes.
5. Realize you REALLY like it cooked and set your oven to 450 F. Remove after 5 additional minutes.

Quinoa

1. In a medium saucepan, mix quinoa, coco milk, broth and salt together. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for approx 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. MEANWHILE - Heat sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Add carrots and cauliflower, cook for about 5 minutes (really it's a matter of preference).
4. Reduce heat slightly, add green onion, garlic, and sriracha. If you don't reduce the heat, the sriracha will burn and you will inhale the spicy fumes and choke. Yes, this happened to me.
5. Set aside until quinoa is done.
6. Realize the quinoa is not cooking well without a lid even though the recipe you're using tells you it works.
7. Put lid on the pot, wait an additional 5-7 minutes. Quinoa is less mushy and more cooked.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Mix vegetables with quinoa and add the lime juice.

Green Beans

1. Wash and trim green beans. I break off the ends.
2. Put green beans in steamer basket and add a bit of water to the pot and put the lid on.
3. Turn the element to high and set a timer for 10 minutes.
4. Turn it to low when the water starts boiling.
5. After 10 minutes, remove from heat and remove the lid. (Green beans keep cooking a bit after removing them from heat. If you prefer well-cooked beans, leave the lid on).

Plate your dinner, and garnish - if you so choose.

Fresh parsley from my garden!
Somehow it hasn't been killed by frostbite.