African Peanut Soup

When I was living at Karinsplass in Minneapolis during college, I used to frequent a nearby grocery store Co-op for bowls of warm soup  and monster cookies. My favorite soup that they served was an African peanut stew; I always felt like it was my lucky day when that we being served up on a cold, blustery, Minnesota afternoon.

Seamus is on a little bit of a soup kick right now, which I have been thoroughly enjoying. I saw this recipe while browsing on the internet, and I showed it to Shea. He seemed intrigued, and decided that he was going to make the soup this week.

The soup turned out fantastic, and even better than I remember the soup that I originally fell in love with in Minneapolis. Seamus substituted one can of coconut milk with chicken broth, which I think lightened the soup up perfectly while still maintaining the richness of the peanut flavor.

African Peanut Soup

Courtesy of Kiersten at Oh My Veggies.com

ingredients

• 3 cups vegetable stock or water
• 2 (15-ounce) cans coconut milk
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 teaspoon seeded and diced hot chile pepper
• 4 cups chopped sweet potato (1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato (1/2-inch pieces) or 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari or other soy sauce (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Berbere spice mix (optional)
• 3/4 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, for garnish

instructions

1. Place the vegetable stock in a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the peanut butter, cilantro, and peanuts, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove about 1 cup of the liquid and place it into a small bowl. Add the peanut butter and stir until creamy. Return the mixture to the pot, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the cilantro, stir well, and garnish with peanuts before serving.

notes

Variations:

You can sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil before adding the vegetable stock.

Replace the peanut butter with almond butter or other nut butter.

For a lighter soup, replace one can of coconut milk with an equivalent amount of vegetable stock or water.

Add 2 cups of chopped spinach, chard, or kale once the peanut butter is added.

Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Thyme

It is certainly starting to feel like Fall in the Pacific Northwest, and that means it is time to eat more squash! If you know me, you know I love to eat squash. I will use any excuse I can to eat any kind of squash I can get my hands on. This dish actually incorporates several favorites of mine; bread pudding, leaks, squash... Yum!

Seamus and I have had another busy weekend hanging out with our good friend Dorothy who was visiting us from New Orleans. We decided to lay low for the rest of our Sunday, and this was the perfect recipe to make while hanging out together. It takes some time (you have to roast the squash and bake the casserole), but if you have the time, it is totally worth the day of delicious smells and tastes that are the result!

Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Thyme

Courtesy of Justin Chappel at Food and Wine

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 leeks—white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
8 ounces baguette, crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking ceramic baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 25 minutes, until tender, tossing once halfway through. Let cool.
2. 
   
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
4. 
   
5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the half-and-half, cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the bread and let stand for 10 minutes. Fold in the squash and the prosciutto. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for about 1 hour, until lightly golden on top. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Thyme-Basted Pork Tenderloin with Oyster Mushrooms

Shea and I both had really hard weeks at work and we knew that we needed some comfort food on this Sunday evening. Shea had been eyeing this recipe for a couple of weeks, and I am glad he did. The earthiness from the mushrooms paired with the fresh herbs, perfectly cooked pork, and interesting garnishes make this an extremely special meal. Right after we finished eating we both agreed that this was a company-worthy recipe, and that we even make make it for my parents who are visiting us next week!

We used chantrell mushrooms mixed with oyster mushrooms because it is Chantrelle season and we live in the Pacific Northwest. Both of the types of mushrooms were fabulous, but I have to admit that I am partial to Chantrelles and would probably use them exclusively the next time I make this meal.

Thyme-Basted Pork Tenderloin with Oyster Mushrooms

Courtesy of Food and Wine

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• One 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 2 crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 large thyme sprigs
• Toasted walnuts, for garnish
• Chopped shallot, for garnish
• Chives, for garnish
• Flaky sea salt, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°, 18 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the parsley and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
3. Set the pork over moderate heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the crushed garlic and the thyme to the skillet and cook until the butter is foamy. Baste the meat with the butter just until the butter browns, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cut into thick slices. Spoon the mushrooms onto a platter, top with the pork and drizzle with the brown butter. Garnish with walnuts, shallot, chives and flaky salt and serve.
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