Soup Du Jor

Recipes and More

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Kicking off summer FINALLY arriving with a gochujang and pear marinadaded flank steak for @qristopher ‘s birthday! . . . #nyc #food #foodie #nom #nyceats #foodporn #brooklyn #astoria #newyorkcity #recipe #recipes #newyork #instaeats #instagood #nom #nomnom #hungry #cleaneating (at Astoria, New York)

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Omg San Juan. Your beautiful city, people and culture is matched only by your incredible food. Consistently mind-blown. #puertorico #sanjuan #oldsanjuan #pr #instagood #instafoodie #nom #nomnom #foodporn #goodeats #puertoricofood #sanjuanfood (at Princesa Gastrobar)

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My (second) attempt at pork taco meat. I made it for friends on Saturday, but it disappeared before I could take a photo. The dreamy @deanfournier assured me it was tasty. Keto-friendly recipe; marinade+instantpot+broil. . . . #nomnom #newyorkfood #food #recipe #recipes #instaeats #instagood #cleaneating #instantpot #nyc #newyork # greenwichvillage #westvillage #hungry #keto (at West Village)

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Enjoying this snow day, and trying out some new things. We’ve been trying out keto eating; recipe results coming soon... . . #keto #westvillage #cooking #healthy #instagood #instaeat #greenwichvillage #nyc #newyork #newyorkcity #newyorkfood #nomnom (at West Village)

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Chicken Provencal is classic and delicious, and also easy to make in my #kobenstyle casserole. Super easy and fairly quick! . . #nomnomnom #instaeats #foodporn #newyorkcity #food #foodie #greenwichvillage #westvillage #recipe #recipes #instagood #nom #hungry

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Clean Eating this week: Veal / Pork / Beef meatballs, sautéed kale and homemade red sauce. Delicious, but I want noodles. . . . . #nomnom #instagood #instaeats #westvillage #greenwichvillage #newyork #nyc #instagay #healthyfood #dinner #manhattan (at West Village)

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Leftovers hash! Homemade protein bowl (chicken, kale, peppers and cucumber) with quinoa, fried eggs and a lil’ sriracha. . . #foodporn #nomnom #nyceats #instagood #instaeats #westvillage #greenwichvillage #nyc #chelsea #breakfast #healthyfood #healthyeating #eggs #newyork (at West Village)

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Nutella Pancakes! After weeks of clean eating, it's time for a treat. Realize now that I should have captured the gooey melted Nutella... #nyc #nutella #food #foodie #nom #nyceats #foodporn #greenwichvillage #westvillage #newyorkcity #recipe #recipes #newyork #instaeats #instagood #nom #nomnom #hungry #spicy #greenmarket #unionsquare #winter #carbs #nothealthy #breakfast #chocolate (at West Village)

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These caramel-chocolate shortbread bars disappeared shortly after winning first place in a holiday bake-off! #newyork #nom #sweets #nothealthy #newyorkcity #christmasdessert #holidayparty #food #foodporn #foodlover #nomnom #westvillage #greenwichvillage

[soupdujor-blog]

Give me anything pickled: brussel sprouts, asparagus, peppers, carrots, green beans and traditional cucumbers. Different brines with different herbs...Can't wait to try these in a few weeks! . . . #nyc #food #foodie #nom #nyceats #foodporn #greenwich village #westvillage #newyorkcity #recipe #recipes #newyork #instaeats #instagood #nom #nomnom #hungry #autumn #fall #pickles #thanksgiving #canning #cooking (at West Village)

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Roasted parsnips and carrots with herbs, lemon juice and spices. So easy, so yummy. . . . . #instaeats #healthyfood #newyork #fall #fallfood #autumn #greenwichvillage #westvillage #newyorkcity #nyc #foodporn #foodie #yummy #nom (at West Village)

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#tbt to the time I was really craving something cheesy and my @tillamook cheddar-Dijon spätzle hit the spot. I usually end up with a few baby loafs in my carryon, which always makes security check entertaining. . . . #didnthidedrugsinmycheese #nyc #food #foodie #nom #nyceats #foodporn #greenwich village #westvillage #newyorkcity #recipe #recipes #newyork #instaeats #instagood #nom #nomnom #hungry #cheese #germanfood #foodcraving #foodblogger (at West Village)

[soupdujor-blog]

Had a fantastic bday party this weekend, with an easy and delicious menu. Maple/mustard/rosemary pork tenderloin crostini, bacon-bourbon meatballs, and Dijon-grilled cheese. Thanks to everyone who came! . . . . #nyc #food #foodie #nom #nyceats #foodporn #greenwich village #westvillage #newyorkcity #recipe #recipes #newyork #instaeats #instagood #nom #nomnom #hungry #spicy #greenmarket #unionsquare #happybirthday (at West Village)

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Stocking up for weekly produce at the @unsqgreenmarket ! Local and organic ingredients just taste better. And they're pretty. 🥕🍆🌶💁🏼‍♂️ (at West Village)

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A few weekends ago, I went back home to Portland, OR for my best friend’s wedding. Held in the Columbia River Gorge, it was one of the most gorgeous weddings I’ve ever been to, and one of the most meaningful weddings I’ve participated in (I had the honor of being on of her bridesmen). 

The day before the wedding, a few teenagers shot off fireworks on a hiking trail nearby, creating a devastating wildfire that took weeks to contain (my brother, a firefighter, was one of the hundreds of firefighters who helped contain it). Though the wedding did not suffer and my friends and family were not harmed, it was devastating to see something I grew up loving so carelessly damaged. Since moving to New York, I’ve made a point to come home every summer. A highlight of my trip is being in the gorge, whether it’s hiking, floating, or just being by the river. 

Another highlight of my trip, is my family. Nothing brings me more joy than sitting on my folks’ back deck with family, food and the satisfying feeling that summer brings. Since retiring, my parents have spent time making my childhood backyard a green paradise with trees, flowers and an organic garden. This trip home, my dad sent me back with some home-grown shallots, basil and onions. 

Additionally, my cousin has a healthy-eating/healthy-living instagram (@rosieheals), and encouraged me to try a healthy soup with some beautiful purple carrots I had picked up from the Union Square Greenmarket.

So here’s a family collaboration of great memories, home-grown ingredients and healthy food.

Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

Recipe

3 T olive oil 1 lb carrots, chopped into 1 inch chunks  1 lb shallots, chopped (or 1 large onion) 2 cups cauliflower pieces 4 cloves garlic 3  whole cloves ½ t Red chili flakes (or more if you like things spicy) 1 T minced ginger 2 T Turmeric powder 1 Bay leaf 6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock) Lemon juice Sunflower seed pesto (recipe below) Sour cream drizzle (½ cup sour cream, ½ cup milk, squeeze of lemon juice)

In a french casserole, saute the onions on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add in the carrots and saute another 5 minutes until everything browns slightly. Add in chili flakes, turmeric powder, garlic, cloves and ginger, cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add in cauliflower. Cover with stock, and add in bay leaf and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the bay leaf, and dig out the cloves (this is the worst part; I always make sure to count how many cloves I put in so I know I’ve gotten them all). Working in batches, puree in food processor or blender until smooth.

Return to pan. The soup should be thin; add more stock or water if needed. Bring soup up to simmer and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Serve with a dollop of pesto and a little bit of sour cream drizzle.

Sunflower seed pesto

Recipe

2 cups basil leaves 6 cloves garlic ⅓ cup olive oil ⅓ cup unroasted, unsalted sunflower seeds ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

Blend basil leaves, garlic cloves and olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add in sunflower seeds and parmesan cheese and blend until finely minced.

[soupdujor-blog]

Mixed Peppers Hot Sauce

We try to stick with a pretty clean diet with a ton of vegetables, lean proteins and little sodium and processed foods. Obviously, the tricky part is also not sacrificing flavor. My boyfriend is Indian, and while I’ve always had a taste for spicy foods, he’s definitely amped up my tolerance for heat. We’ve also been hitting up Greenmarkets on the weekend to try to find local and organic produce for the week.

This weekend, we found some gorgeous hot peppers at the Union Square Greenmarket, and I decided to try to make our own hot sauce to keep meals spiced up without sacrificing nutritional value. Plus, it’s free of preservatives and processing.

Any mix of hot peppers will do; we picked up a pre-selected mix of cayenne, cherry hot, long italian, hungarian wax, fish, jalapeno and a few others whose name I didn’t catch. This turned out pretty spicy; use less-spicy peppers for less heat. You could also use a majority of mild peppers and throw in a few hot ones as well.

Some hot sauces are cooked down to a liquid, others are fermented and some are simply mixed with vinegar for preservation. This is a combination of fermentation and using vinegar. The entire process took about a week, so plan for that if you decide to try this recipe.

And make sure you wash your hands REALLY well or use gloves when you handle the peppers. This is an important step that I usually forget and always end up touching my eyes. Don’t do that.

Recipe:

2 lbs mixed hot peppers

2 T kosher salt

2 cups vinegar

Note: The photos above have summaries in the captions for reference!

Chop your peppers into 1 inch chunks. I left the seeds, but you can remove the seeds to reduce the heat level of the final sauce.

In a food processor, add the peppers and salt and finely mince. This will release some of the juices into the air and can burn your eyes, so be sure that everything is well-sealed and step back. I’ve also found that burning a candle next to the processor tends to help reduce amount of acid in the air. 

Scrape the minced peppers into a 32 oz jar (or a jar that holds at least 3 cups), and loosely cover with the lid. I basically gave it a light spin until it shut, but wasn’t sealed tight. After about an hour, you’ll notice liquid forming in the mixture - this is the beginning stages of the fermentation process, and you’re going to want to ferment this mixture for a while. Using a spoon, push the solids down until they are submerged in the liquid. Repeat the spin-close method mentioned above, and let sit overnight or 24 hours.

This fermentation process helps increase the beneficial probiotics naturally occurring in hot sauce. After 24 hours, add the vinegar. Spin-close the jar and let sit at room temperature for 4 - 7 days.

After the fermentation process, run your mixture through the food processor again, and press through a fine mesh sieve. Alternatively, you can puree this mixture for a chunkier sauce.

Bottle or jar your sauce, and store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

[soupdujor-blog]

Did you know you can freeze buttermilk? Love buttermilk biscuits but I can only find half gallons of buttermilk at my local @traderjoes. I freeze my leftovers for later biscuit making! The milk solids separate when thawed, but quickly fixed with a good whisk. #cookingtips #tips #recipes #greenwichvillage #newyorkcity #biscuits #newyork #foodie #food #butter #nyc (at West Village)