kitchen Archives - Page 6 of 29

Foodie Friday | Roasted Carrot + Ginger Soup

Today being the 1st day of November, I feel a bit like waiving a white flag. There’s no fighting it anymore. Autumn is upon us in all her splendour, displaying glorious colours and moody skies and a beautiful unpredictability in her winds that makes me certain that if seasons had genders, Autumn would indeed be a woman.

{2012 Family Photos by Gabriela Hansen}

Winter? Well, someone long before me deemed Winter an old man, and I think they were so right. They just missed an adjective…perhaps a grumpy old man? Don’t get me wrong. I love that Graham and Noah thrill in hockey season and skiing and all things winter. I live vicariously through their sub-zero joy. But me? I hibernate. I recoil from Old Man Winter’s chilly edge.

I have to wonder if Winter doesn’t also have a thing or two to teach me, though. About contrast. About learning to warm oneself through seasons of struggle. About perseverance and finding beauty in what doesn’t charm you at first. I need to be open, even if my coat is zipped up to the very top and wrapped tight with a scarf to keep out those biting winds.

{Photo by Gabriela Hansen}

One lesson I think Old Man Winter is out to teach me is about preparedness. “Get ready!” he says, “I’m a’comin’.” From lining my nest with warmer textures and blankets to making sure we’ve all got cozy socks and all the bits and pieces we need, I think Winter is telling me it’s really good to plan ahead. It’s a good reminder, especially with another very special someone saying “Get ready! I’m a’comin’!!”

As I think about prepping for this sweet baby boy’s arrival in early January, one of the things I’m thinking about is food. Sustenance. Basically, I’m thinking about survival and how the heck I’m going to feed my family while in a sleep-deprived stupor. So I’m calling upon Autumn’s bounty and Winter’s lessons in preparedness to work on some simple but nourishing dishes to have at the ready. Today I’m going to share one of my really basic favourites with you.

ROASTED CARROT + GINGER SOUP

THE INGREDIENTS:

2.5 lbs organic carrots

1 large onion

1/4 c. butter

6-8 cups organic chicken broth

2-3 Tbsp fresh ginger

Sea salt + pepper to taste

Plain Greek yoghurt and cilantro for garnish {optional}

THE METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Peel and roughly chop the carrots. Roughly chop the onion. Cut 1/4 c. butter into cubes and distribute over carrots and onions in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven until carrots and onions are tender and begin to caramelize {30-40 mins}.

In a large stock pot, chicken broth {6 cups for a thicker soup, 8 for a thinner consistency…you can add more at the end if you want to} and simmer together for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and chop 2-3 Tbsp fresh ginger. Once the vegetables are done simmering in the broth and are incredibly tender, add the fresh ginger along with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a good quality blender or use an immersion hand blender to purée into a velvety smooth finish. Garnish with a generous dollop of plain Greek yoghurt and some freshly chopped cilantro and ENJOY!

This soup stores really well in mason jars in the fridge and can also be frozen if you need to start planning ahead for a busy season. Guess what I’ll be making this weekend?

Wishing you a cozy, happy start to your November.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 1st, 2013|0 Comments

Foodie Friday | Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Baked Prosciutto: A Simple Autumn Comfort Food

I must confess that I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. I love that Graham and I were married on the first day of Fall, so for me it will forever be a season of romance. I love the changing colours, the crisp air and the warmth of the sunshine. I love the harvest vegetables and the season of hearty, heart-warming cooking and natural gatherings with friends and loved ones. I love pulling out all the blankets and cozy sweaters and spending evenings snuggled up by a roaring fire. I strongly dislike the fact that winter is on Autumn’s heels. Every year. Without fail.

Rather than focus on what I don’t like {note that I didn’t actually say “hate,” because I actually hate the word “hate”}, I am increasingly aware of the power of focusing on what I’m grateful for. It’s possible in any season – weather it be a calendar season or a season of life – to find gratitude that outshines the proverbial “winter of our discontent.” Some days it may feel like a stretch. OK, lots of days it does feel like a stretch to sort through the struggles to find those gratitudes. But it’s the right kind of stretch, like an amazing yoga class or Pilates session after a stressful week. It stretches me in the right direction. I need to stretch more.

Today’s soup is a gratitude for me. A gratitude because of the flavourful comfort of simple and delicious ingredients. A gratitude because it’s something I can make on weekends and have in mason jars in my fridge for quick and easy lunches during the week. A gratitude because I have friends and family to share it with. And a gratitude because my 10 year old really, genuinely loves this soup. It’s a mama win, and I’ll take it! After all, have you tried getting a kid to eat cruciferous vegetables recently and be happy about it? Exactly.

I made a few of batches of the soup in my “test kitchen” before posting this recipe because I wanted to get the balance of flavours just right. My first batch produced a really pretty photo using red onions, and while I loved the slightly blush colour of the puréed soup, the sweetness of the roasted red onions added to the subtle sweetness of the roasted cauliflower was just too sweet for me in the end. I wanted more of an earthy, savoury undertone to compliment that naturally delicate sweetness of the roasted cauliflower. So, a couple of simple tweaks, and here’s the recipe!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP

with baked prosciutto

THE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 head of cauliflower, sliced into 1/2″ thick wedges
1 large vidalia onion, sliced into 1/2″ thick wedges
8-10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 c. butter, cut up into knobs
salt + pepper
1 c. organic whole milk
2 c. organic chicken broth
1/4 c. Greek yoghurt
2 c. finely and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh or freeze-dried herbs
2 slices of Parma prosciutto per person for garnish

THE METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place the wedges of cauliflower and onion and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet and distribute knobs of butter on top. Finish with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes. Once you’ve pulled the veggies out of the oven, bake the prosciutto slices {laid flat on a cookie sheet} for 5 minutes until crisp.

Place roasted veggies, milk, broth and Parmesan cheese into a good quality blender {I use a Blendtech} or add everything to a large soup pot and combine using an immersion hand blender. After blending, reheat gently, being careful not to let the milk and cheese burn.

Garnish with freshly chopped chives or freeze-dried herbs and break up the prosciutto into pieces to garnish. I like leaving the pieces big enough to crack with my spoon because it reminds me of the experience of breaking the surface of gorgeous crème brulée {which I can no longer eat}. Sometimes it’s the little things, right? You can also crumble it up into tiny bits, which Noah loves to do. Either way, that caramelized salty goodness is the treasure hunt in this creamy soup, providing the perfect contrast to the natural, savoury sweetness.

It really is fast, easy and super delicious and I hope you’ll try it in your own kitchen sometime soon!

Wishing you time with friends and loved ones over a bowl of something comforting this weekend. And more than anything, I’m wishing you the awareness you need to gather the gratitudes and recognize the meaningful moments that punctuate the season you’re in right now. They are there if you look for them. I promise.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|September 27th, 2013|0 Comments

Elephant Ceramics | The Art of Imperfection: How Rustic, Organic Textures Create Refined Beauty

I don’t know about you, but I have a love for handmade wares that blur the lines between refinement and organic imperfection. Perhaps it’s about my need to see the courage in others to reveal just a few of their flaws in the context of their beauty. I think we’re all drawn to that when we stop and think about it. Anything {or anyone}too perfect just feels shrink-wrapped and intimidating, at least to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love sophistication and excellence! I just need to see that human touch.

Today’s featured maker blurs the lines between refinement and organic imperfection with such beauty. Michelle Micahel of Elephant Ceramics truly imbues her inspiring humanity into the stunning pieces she creates with an authenticity that creates in me admiration and reflection. There is a sense that she works with the most organic of elements, gathering up bits of earth and sea and sky – dust and salt and ocean air – to create her simple yet elegant collection of ceramics. There is a sense that she knows how to stop herself from “polishing to perfection” such that she reveals the true beauty in her pieces. I need to learn from that.

I think it requires significant restraint to create something so organic. Or maybe it’s really just courage. The courage to allow the imperfections to be a part of what makes it so beautiful. Makes me think about how I see myself, how I try to clean myself up for the world. Maybe my flaws are a part of my beauty? Do I have the courage to find out?

I’d say I’m working on that, trying to balance the “polishing and the refining” with the “revealing and relaxing.” It is a lost art, I think. The art of being yourself.

I’m grateful today for Michelle’s work – for the beauty and refinement, for the organic and rustic simplicity, for the imperfections and textures that takes centre stage in the coming together of the whole. I’m grateful for the ways her work has caused me to reflect.