Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle Soup

Here is a recipe that I didn't create myself.  It is from the book Cooking with Kurma.  It is a wonderful recipe and I'm sure you love it.  Remember that chipotles can be very spicy and if you don't like much heat in your food, then either leave them out all together or just use a really small amount.  By small amount I mean maybe 1/2 a chipotle.  And if you are like me a love the heat, then you don't need to change anything, just make this and impress your friends!! 


                        Red Pepper Chipotle and Peanut Soup

Serving Size  : 4     Preparation Time : 1 hour
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  3             medium  red bell pepper -- blackened and skinned
  2        tablespoons  olive oil
     1/2      teaspoon  asafoetida (can be found in Indian stores)
  2                dry  chipotle chillies -- seeded and cut up
  1          14 oz can  crushed tomatoes
     1/2           cup  cilantro and stalks -- chopped
  4               cups  stock or water
                        salt and pepper to taste
     1/3           cup  peanut butter (if you really like the flavor you can add more)

Place the red peppers on the stove top and blacken over the flame.  Do this until they are completely
black all over.  Set aside to cool, then skin will come off very easily once they have cooled.  Take off skin and all seeds and stems.  Chop them. Set aside.
Heat the oil and add the asafoetida, stir, then add the dried chipotles.  Stir briefly then add the tomatoes, colled peppers, cook for about 10 minutes or until tomato breaks down a little.
Add the stock, salt and pepper.  bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and add peanut butter to the blender and then add the soup.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Serve with fresh cilantro chopped ontop of this divine soup.

Description:
  "Recipe from cooking with Kurma book."
.
NOTES :  Asafoetida is also known as Hing or Devils Dung.  It smells very strong and either you love or hate it.  Anyone who is familiar with Indian Spices will immediately recognize this smell.  It is said to be helpful for excessive gas, impotence and disorders of the stomach.

Brazil Nut Milk

In my last post I didn't tell you how to make Brazil Nut Milk, so here is a recipe for it.
You can buy nut milk bags online or at some Whole Foods stores.  Also you can do this with pretty much any nut.  Remember, that some nuts need to be soaked first, but Brazil nuts and Hazel nuts do not need to be soaked.  Remember to squeeze the bag thoroughly to get all the milk out.  If you want you can dehydrate the left over nut pulp and the whiz it in the vitamix to make a gluten free nut flour.
I haven't tried this with brazil nuts, so I cannot say how good it is, but I have done it with Almond pulp and it works well.

Brazil Nut Milk

Recipe By     :      Chef Shobhan
Serving Size  : 0     Preparation Time :0:05
Categories    :
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1                cup  Brazil nuts
  20            ounces  pure filtered water
                        stevia (to taste.....remember it's 300 times sweeter than sugar)
                        pinch of salt
Blend ingredients together and strain through a nut milk bag. Chill and serve. 
Use in smoothies or however you would use regular milk.
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Raw Chocolate Brazil Nut Fig Protein Shake

This is a really good one for a sweet treat.  Kids will love this one.
However, I do not recommend drinking this every day.
I believe that a Green Smoothie is one of the keys to great health, so make this one occasionally as a special treat.

                Raw Chocolate Brazil Nut Fig Protein Shake
Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 1     Preparation Time :0:05
Categories    :
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  9             ounces  brazil nut milk
  3             soaked  black figs
  1                     date
  2        tablespoons  raw chocolate powder
  1         tablespoon  almond butter
     1/2      teaspoon  vanilla
  2        tablespoons  pea or hemp protein pwder
  4              cubes  ice
                        salt to taste
Blend with ice and serve............yuuuum

Description:
  "Yuuummm"
 
NOTES : Brazil nuts are high in selenium.  Selenium foods in the diet help prevent coronary artery disease, liver cirrhosis, and cancers. Only 1 or 2 Brazil nuts a day will give you enough selenium.  They are also high in B complex, vitamin E and good levels of copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc

Leek Spinach and Yellow Pepper Quiche

Here is a lovely quiche recipe I made today.  Its very delicious,  I hope you all enjoy it.  I would love to hear how the recipes go, so do comment if you have tried one of my recipes and let me know how it worked out.

                     
* Exported from MasterCook *
                    Leek Spinach Yellow Pepper Quiche
Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 0     Preparation Time :0:30
Categories    :
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1                cup  sprouted whole wheat flour
  4             ounces  pasture butter
  3        tablespoons  water
  1             large  leek -- washed and hopped cut sideways
  2           handfuls  spinach -- washed and chopped
  1              small  yellow pepper -- chopped
  6             medium  pasture raised eggs
     1/2           cup  organic 1/2 and /.2
     1/4           cup  feta cheese -- crumbled
     1/4           cup  goat gouda or gruyere -- grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put the flour and butter in a food processor and cut in butter till fine.  Add water and leave on till the dough forms into a round ball.  Remove from processor and roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap and place in a quiche or glass dish.  Place in oven for 15 minutes.
Saute the leek in butter and add the yellow pepper after 3 minutes then add the spinach after 5 minutes, stir spinach for 1 minute and then set aside.
Beat 6 eggs together and slightly warm the 1/2 and 1/2 in a small pan  till it is tepid, then add to the eggs and mix in a little salt.  Add the vegetable mixture and the feta cheese.  Sprinkle the grated goat gouda on top and place in the oven for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve with salad of your choice.

Description:
Lovely crisp crust with divine veggie filling

NOTES : Pasture raised eggs are what a real egg is supposed to taste like.  They come from chickens that have been outside eating a proper chicken diet like bugs and vegetables and therefore the egg comes from a more healthy chicken and therefore it produces a better tasting more nutrient dense egg.  I know they cost more, but they are worth it.  Better yet, get your own chickens and then you really will have the best eggs you can get.

Winter Squash Stew with Almonds and Sesame

I've been neglecting my blog and I do apologize.  Here is a wonderful winter warming stew for you packed full of phytonutrients.


                Winter Squash Stew with Almonds and Sesame
Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 8     Preparation Time :0:45
Categories    :
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1             medium  winter squash (kabocha or butternut) -- peeled and cubed
  2             medium  onions -- chopped
  3             cloves  garlic
  2          teaspoons  cumin
  1           teaspoon  chipotle chile powder
     1/2      teaspoon  ancho chile powder
     1/2         large  caulflower
  8             ounces  mushrooms -- sliced
     1/2           cup  corn -- fresh or frozen
     1/2           cup  peas -- fresh or frozed
  1              ounce  almonds -- chopped or ground to your liking
  3        tablespoons  sesame seeds
Chop the onions and garlic and place in a large cooking pot with 1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil.  Saute for 5 minutes then add the spices.  Stir and cook for about 1 minute then add the squash.  Then add 6 cups of vegetable stock or water.
Bring the water to the boil and then add the mushrooms.  Cook for another twenty minutes or so, until the squash is tender.  Then add the corn, peas almonds and sesame seeds.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Then add 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste.  Adjust the spicing to your taste and serve.  You can serve over a brown rice or quinoa or just on its own.
Description:
  "Warming Winter Stew"
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Green Smoothie 1

I have really taken a long time to get into green smoothies, but, I finally came around. I had been given some really horrible recipes. I recently lost my sense of taste, and it's taken about two months to come back! Beware of Sea Beans! I ate one tiny one and lost my sense of taste! I am so grateful that it's come back, it's back 99% now. I tried green smoothies because I was having stomach issues and a green smoothie was the only thing that seems to work for me over the last two weeks. So here is my first recipe for a green smoothie that I created today.

Green Smoothie 1

Recipe by:  Chef Shobhan
Size : 2
   
Preparation Time :0:05
1/2 jalapeno -- seeded chopped
1/2 avocado -- peeled
1/4 whole peeled pineapple with the middle in
8 stalks kale
4 large lettuce leave
1 medium lemon -- juice
1 inch ginger -- peeled
16 ounces ;pure filtered water
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon inner-eco coconut kefir (optional)

Blend everything until smooth. Add some ice if you like it cold. Drink! "spicy and effervescent" NOTES : The stalk of the pineapple is where the bromelain is in the pineapple, so it's important to use the stalk as well as the fruit. adding the Inner Eco Coconut Kefir is adding wonderful probiotics to this lovely refreshing healthful drink.

New layout confusing to me

I am so sorry that my last couple of blogs have been looking weird. I am having a problem with spacing and such. So I am experiementing to see if I can make it how I want to.

Here is a lovely recipe for Amaranth Porridge, its yummy and healthful.

Amaranth Porridge
Recipe By : Chef Shobhan

Serving Size : 2

1 cup amaranth
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons dessicated coconut
1/4 teaspoon cinammon
ground 1 small banana -- cut into slices
4 drops liquid stevia concentrate

For best results, soak the amaranth in water overnight, then drain and rinse before cooking. Place the amaranth and water in a pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. or until almost all the water is absorbed and it is a creamy consistency. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Description: "High protein grain breakfast" Start to Finish Time: "0:20" 

NOTES : This is a power packed breakfast dish. Amaranth, is more nutritious than most grains and contains a high amount of protein and also the amino acid lysine. Other key nutrients include calcium, B vitamins, methionine, magnesium, zinc, copper and iron. \