Chantarelle Soppa

Sweden's woods grow wild with Chantarelles. Sadly enough, I had never seen one before coming here. But once my first Fall hit...they were everywhere. Shops, outdoor markets, under my feet and in my refridgerator. Andreas (the hubs) loves them. He pan fries them in plenty of butter and places a generous heap atop a buttered piece of toast, topping it off with a sprinkle of herb salt. The sight sickened me at first. But once I overcame my stubborness, I took a taste and fell head over heels. This mushroom in unlike any other, in a very fine way. So when my dear husband wanted to make a Chantarelle cream soup, I stood behind him...despite the fact, that warm milky things are my worst nightmare. And because he loves me so, he replaced the heavy cream with oat cream. (available most anywhere if you jut take a look) It was delightful, extremely simple and contains half the cholesterol and fat of any normal "cream of" soup.

NEEDS:
5 handfuls of fresh Chantarelle mushrooms, washed well
2 shallots, chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup "heavy" oat cream or alternatively any lactose free heavy cream
1 1/2 vegetable boullion cubes
1 tbl soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

To Do:
Dissolve boullion cubes in the water
Fry the washed mushrooms in about 1 tbl of butter, in a large saucepan
Add shallot and cook until the shallot is clear
Add your "veggie stock", cream, soy sauce and let simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lentil Stew to Soothe the Soul

 

















     



My little family took a little trip across the pond, and my writing came to a crashing hault. I miss it here. The place were my creative juices flow, the place where I can share recipes and stories alike. Needless to say, summer came and went and fall is well underway. Guilt has eaten me up and left me feeling those familiar pangs of hunger. I've been hungry to write and hungry to cook, so for those of you hungry for food...here it is.
    
Lentil soup is one of those things that I either really enjoy, or can hardly stomach. I've tried my hand at it a few times, but was left with a bland, colorless bowl of good protein. Today, while trying to use up what I had on hand...I succeeded and exceeded my lentil soup expectations. And just in time for another cold front.


Needs:
2 cups uncooked red lentils
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 small potatoes, washed and cubed
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup frozen spinach
3 tbl balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

To Do:
Heat oil in large saucepan, add onion, garlic, carrots and potatos. Cook until onion is soft. Add spices and lentils, stir well. Add crushed tomatoes, water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour. After stew has simmered, add spinach, vinegar, salt and pepper. Dish up and top with a pile of fresh rocket salad, or other on hand greens.

Veggie Chili

Soup is one of the greatest things invented by man. It's warm, filling, feeds a small army and you can throw anything into it. So as Stockholm's sky turns grey and the leaves begin to fall, this chili will take care of any chill and leave you wanting more.

Needs:
6 tomatoes, chopped
6oz can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium size jalapeno pepper, de-seeded & minced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large orange pepper, diced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium size zucchini, chopped
1 can yellow corn
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked kidney beans
Frank's Red Hot (for an extra kick)
2 tbl olive oil

To Do:
-Heat oil in large pot, fry onion, garlic and jalapeno, stirring constantly for 2-3 mins
-Add tomatoes, and cook for 3 mins
-Stir in tomato paste and a few shakes of Frank's (if you want that extra spice)
-Add all other ingredients cover and cook on a med-low heat for 30-40 mins
-It will seem like there is no broth, but do NOT add water. The vegetables cook down and leave a good amount of liquid.