Tag Archives: ginger

Sunflower Seed Butter (Sunbutter) Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Sunflower seed butter is made from roasted sunflower seeds. NOT RAW. Found this out the hard way… after trying to pulverize raw sunflower seeds in the Vita-Mix to only come out with grayish, powdery, thick … something.

I roasted the unappetizing mess at 350° for 25 minutes to try to redeem myself, and it worked! The roasted seeds dispersed their oils beautifully, and in no time I had roasted sunflower seed butter. Two cups. From 12 ounces of seeds.

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What to do, what to do? Besides shoveling it in by the spoonful taking little licks from the knife?

A paleo cookie! Naturally. A paleo cookie = a flourless cookie, usually made with a nut butter, an egg or two, some baking necessities (powder, soda, vanilla, etc), a little bit of sweetener and some spices. Generally, a very delectable treat. However, something kind of turns me off from eating what is basically straight-up nut butter in cookie form. Filling yes, but high in fat… Even though it’s good fat. I like to have fifths seconds or thirds of desserts like cookies… especially healthier cookies.

So, this led to the addition of oats! No longer strictly paleo, but I don’t subscribe to any one “diet/lifestyle” and just eat what I find works for me. And I LOVE oats.

And what goes with peanut butter, or sunbutter?

… Ginger. Obviously.

Oh, and chocolate.

 

Sunflower Seed Butter (Sunbutter) Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Eat Well, Adventure Well

1 cup sunbutter (or other nut butter) (I used my homemade one, to which I added some sea salt and roasted flaxseed)

1/3 cup honey

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

dash salt

1/4 cup minced ginger, chopped finely

1 to 2 cups oats

chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a pan with parchment paper.

Mix everything but the oats and chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl. Add the oats, more or less depending on the consistency and how you prefer your ratio of oats to nut butter.

Dollop the “dough” by the tablespoonful and top with 4-5 chocolate chips per cookie; press down to flatten a bit.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

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These were SO good… Really, truly reminiscent of the texture of Kashi cookies (but of course, much better). They are lightly sweet, and the crystallized ginger adds to much depth and deliciousness. The small amount of chocolate on top is perfect–just enough, not overdoing it.

Plus, they’re vegan [if you sub maple syrup for strict vegans], babe. Even if no longer Paleo.

Grilled Sesame-Ginger Tofu over Vegetable Orzo

Guess I’m practicing for being in China, where my diet will consist of what I believe will be dumplings and porridge for breakfast and vegetable stir-fries with tofu and/or meat for lunch and dinner for 3 1/2 weeks. Actually… I sort of doubt that orzo will make an appearance. What can I say? We were out of rice…

Conclusion? Orzo or rice, I think I’ll be fine with the food.

Grilled Sesame-Ginger Tofu over Vegetable Orzo

Adapted from The Vegan Grill and my own concoction

Tofu: Serves 4

1 package of firm tofu (1 block)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (what I had on hand… originally called for rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 pressed cloves of garlic or 1 tablespoon pre-chopped garlic

Drain tofu and rinse with water. Fold up paper towels in quarters, making two soaking-up apparati and place on a cutting board. Put tofu on one, place other on top, and then put something heavy on top of that to press the remaining liquid out of the tofu. You may have to replace the paper towels after a time. I think I allowed them to press for a few hours.

Mix marinade ingredients.

Once pressed, slice tofu in half to get two equal slices about 1/2 an inch thick and then cut how you like–I made triangles.

Coat each piece in marinade and put into an airtight container to sit for 30 minutes or more.

Heat up a grill pan with some olive oil; have a large oil-spatter mesh cover at the ready. Place each marinade-soaked piece on grill and grill about 3 minutes per side.

Orzo:

1 box orzo
1 head broccoli
3 carrots
Onion, chopped roughly
Olive oil

Cook orzo according to package directions.

Chop up broccoli and carrots into small pieces. Heat up oil in a large nonstick pan and add onion, cook about 4 minutes until translucent. Add other veggies, stir and cover, cook until they are fork-soft and tender. (5-10 minutes). Toss with orzo.

To serve, place a bed of orzo on a plate, and topped with two tofu steaks.

This was so yummy! The grilled tofu wasn’t tough like I’ve had in the past (at school)–maybe because I used firm, not extra-firm tofu. It was very soft and easy to cut, which I liked. The broccoli and carrots were great counterpoints to the savory tofu, and the orzo base was delicious as well. All this needed was a dressing or sauce of some sort. Any ideas? I didn’t want to drown out the flavor of the tofu, but I also didn’t want to amp up the salt consumption by adding more soy sauce to the orzo. Maybe a peanut sauce?

Anyway, this made a delicious lunch! Totally going to be grilling more tofu in the future.

Brown-Sugar-Mustard-Glazed-Salmon with Edamame-Cauliflower Puree

TGIF! Okay, well, a day late. TGIS! In fact, TGITW (the weekend). Woo!

For real.

Bobby Flay did not steer me wrong. He hasn’t won Iron Chef 1580153 times for NOTHING.

A lot of my love for this recipe is for this little gem.

Crispy blackened salmon skin. Hardly anything gets better than that. Okay, well, maybe 100% dark chocolate chips in homemade mint chip banana soft serve… or Coach rainboots… or perfectly ripe avocado… or getting a handwritten letter/postcard in the mail… but I mean, crispy salmon skin is HIGH on the list.

And if you love crispy salmon skin in forms other than sushi (which, I have yet to try such a roll–AHHH!), then I recommend the following:

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Salmon with Edamame Cauliflower Puree

Adapted from Bobby Flay (Food Network)

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup dijon or spicy brown mustard

1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger

4 salmon filets

vegetable oil for grilling

salt and pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan on medium heat, melt the butter with honey and brown sugar. Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, minced ginger. Season to taste if desired, or add more soy sauce (I cut way back on the soy sauce and it was 100% delicious; however, feel free to peruse the original recipe).

Heat a grill pan on medium heat.

Rinse off the salmon if thawed from frozen-ness and pat dry. Spread vegetable oil on the skins. Once pan is hot, placed salmon skin-side down; spread mustard glaze over the flesh part. Save remaining glaze. Grill 6-8 minutes (it will splatter at you so use a mesh cover). Flip if desired, probably unnecessary, around 5-6 minutes in. The skin came off on mine but my dad and I feasted on the charred crispy skin (my mom gagged inwardly and happily dug in to the pink).

For edamame cauliflower: 

1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into small pieces, steamed until fork-tender

1/2 cup edamame beans, cooked

sprinkle of garlic powder

dash of salt and pepper

a few huge dollops of 0% Greek Yogurt (optional, for creaminess–you really don’t taste the tang at all!)

Using a handheld immersion blender or food processor, process everything until smooth and creamy. Season to taste. The result? A really yummy and protein-packed, low-carbohydrate alternative for mashed potatoes.

To serve, simply plate a filet, a bit of crispy salmon skin, some cauliflower puree, a spoonful of leftover glaze, and a small side salad with orange-yet-sweet grape tomatoes. Divine!

Am I a weirdo for liking salmon skin? Is it a half-Asian thing? My mom recoils at the thought but my dad (Chinese) has always eaten it and taught me to eat it too. I ain’t arguing. The skin is where the bulk of salmon’s healthy fats lie! Maybe it’s not that healthy to eat the skin that’s crisped to a black char but… it’s… so… yummy…

This dinner ROCKED. So good! The cauliflower edamame mash complimented the salmon well, and the glaze was perfect. I kept “taste-testing it” by the spoonful even prior to spreading it on the salmon (butter and brown sugar, can you really go wrong?) and it really couldn’t be easier to make this healthy, delicious, filling meal.

Sure beats meatloaf and potatoes any day. Well, meatloaf makes me  recoil in disgust; I guess we all have our loves and our hates.

Aloo Gobi Matar, Take 2

If I could just get myself to an Indian restaurant… I could try something other than Aloo Gobi Mattar. But of course, this would lead to multiple Indian food cravings rather than just one specific dish. I think that’s something I can live with. For the time being, I’ll just keep trying to recreate the only Indian food dish I have tried… and continued to crave.

Aloo Gobi Mattar

Adapted from Veggie Belly

2 cups cauliflower florets, gently broken into bite-sized pieces
2 white potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks, not peeled (medium size)
3 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger or minced ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cardamon pods (didn’t have, unfortunately)
1/4 cup finely chopped tomato + 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, mixed
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder or red chili powder (didn’t have)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Frozen peas, about a handful or 1/2 cup
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoon 0% Greek yogurt or regular yogurt
2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves / Kasuri Methi (Optional)

In a sauce pan, add 2 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt. Bring it to boil. Turn off and add the cauliflower florets, let stand 2 minutes to blanch the cauliflower. Remove. Add cut potatoes to same cooking water, cook until fork-tender.

In a wok/kadai, add oil and heat on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and listen for the sizzle. After a minute or two, when you see the seeds turning brown, add cardamom, chopped ginger, and onion. Sauté until onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomato/salt mixture and sauté 3 minutes. Add turmeric, chili, kashmiri chili powder, and continue to sauté. If necessary add 2-4 teaspoons of water to keep it from sticking.

Add the ground cumin & ground coriander and sauté. Add a handful of frozen peas. Add two tiny dollops (2 teaspoons) of yogurt, and the pre-cooked potato and cauliflower. Mix well–be sure to get all of the sautéed bits from the bottom of the pan to cover the cauliflower and potatoes.

Add garam masala, mix, and close the lid on the wok and let it simmer (There wasn’t much to simmer for mine, so it just kind of cooked a little longer) to marry the flavors. Stir to avoid stickage, unless using a non-stick wok (like I did).

If there is any liquid, open the lid and let it evaporate. Let cool but serve hot, topped with fenugreek leaves (didn’t have).

 A note about the formatting of the ingredients: These ingredients can be combined beforehand in small bowls to make use of mise-en-place, which you’ll find quite useful in this recipe because of the multitude of spices. So ingredients that are bolded in a row can be in one bowl; underlined => different bowl; italicized => different bowl. Little glass bowls are perfect for this. I am usually too lazy to do mise-en-place, but it’s a definite for this recipe.

So this was quite yummy!  Having non-burnt garam masala made a difference I think, as did fresher ginger and such. But while my first attempt at this dish came out too brothy, this one was hardly brothy at all–in fact, it was rather dry. I was hoping for more of a thick stew sort of thing, that could drench rice; a sauce that could be cleaned off the plate with some naan. Still doesn’t live up to the one I had but it was fun to make, and better than my first attempt. It was deliciously spicy (in the flavor way, not in the heat heat heat way).

I like that this dish is mainly vegetables but is still so filling. I’m glad this one included tomatoes to add more umami/savory flavor. I added peas for a pop of color (was not in the original) and some sweetness to go with all of the savory spices.

I made garlic bread to go with this (talk about cuisine-crossover) and it was pretty good, although naan would have been better. Some rice would have been good as well. I had a small side of plain yogurt with mine, too, to dip! Next project… homemade naan? Homemade whole wheat naan? Hmm… if I only had the patience to wait for the dough to rise…

Ginger Molasses Granola Bars

Or maybe they should be named ginger-molasses-sunflower seed-pecan-craisin-dried-cherry-maple-date-chia-cinnamon-nutmeg-oat granola bars.

Dense. Chewy. Spicy and sweet.

And chock full of good-for-you goodies. These are definitely energy bars and will get you through your day.

Ginger Molasses Granola Bars

Adapted from this recipe, which also has directions on tried-and-true oat/nut/binder/sweetener proportions to make any kind of granola bar you wish!

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

In a large food processor, pulse three times the molasses, maple syrup, vanilla, and dates.

Add the spices (incl. the salt) and puree until basically smooth. Add the oats and pulse a few times until they are coarsely chopped and incorporated. Remove from food processor and transfer to a bowl, and stir in the dried fruit, pecans, and sunflower seeds.

In an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper, firmly press in the granola mixture until tightly packed and even.

Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes, remove, let cool on the stovetop, and then transfer entire pan to the freezer until the bars firm up (could take a long time, like an hour ish?)

Lift out the parchment paper and cut into 8-12 bars (12 is probably better).

I wrapped each individually in plastic wrap and they are now in the freezer, where they will last for a month and be delicious thawed out whenever I know I won’t have time for lunch… or dinner.

These were sooo yummy. If you’re not fan of ginger, don’t make these. But if you are… you’ll love them.

Slowly trying to phase out processed foods (e.g. Kashi granola bars) from my diet. These bars make it easy to do so… as long as you’re on spring break and have motivation.

Pear Crisp with Crystallized Ginger

Fruit crumbles/crisps always remind me of cool fall days, even in this mildest of Novembers. Usually we make a Cranberry Apple Crisp for Thanksgiving, but this year we decided to try a different recipe: perfectly ripe pears with a glaze of maple syrup and an oatmeal/brown sugar crumbly topping.

Crystallized ginger complements the pears nicely and adds an extra zing of flavor. And it’s so easy–peel pears, slice, mix with filling ingredients, pour into pan. Mix up the topping, sprinkle on top. Then, bake and enjoy. I think I recommend ice cream as an accompaniment to many desserts on here but it is especially good with this… the whole hot/cold thing.

Pear Crisp with Crystallized Ginger

Adapted from Eating Well

Topping:

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup whole-wheat or all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 tablespoons canola oil

Filling: 

3 1/2 pounds ripe but firm Anjou pears, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup raisins

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To prepare topping: Combine oats, walnuts, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Drizzle with oil and stir until evenly moist.

To prepare filling: Combine pears, maple syrup, raisins, flour, lemon juice and ginger in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the pears.

Bake the crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

This was so good, about 4/5 of it was eaten within the first night. Think I’m lying? This picture was snapped before the second helpings were taken…

Just imagine this: Cooked, tender pears… bursts of sweetness from the raisins… a thick maple glaze/sauce… kicks of ginger flavor… all enveloped within toasted oats plus brown sugar, walnuts and spices. I’m off to go grab my 3rd helping… if there’s any left.

Aloo Gobi Mattar (Cauliflower, Pea and Potato Curry) and Garam Masala

I tried Indian food in the city, and it was so delicious I had to try to make it at home. I had aloo gobi, which is potatoes and cauliflower and ginger all cooked up in a steaming hot vat of onion and spices.

So I found a recipe for aloo gobi mattar, which is basically the same thing except with the addition of peas. I mean, why not? Add some color, extra vitamins…

It was good! Not quite the same as what I had from Tadka Indian Cuisine on East 53rd but delicious in its own homemade way.

Aloo Gobi Mattar

Adapted from this recipe

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 large onions, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

5 cloves minced garlic

2 tablespoons peeled, minced ginger

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 tablespoon garam masala (recipe follows)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 -3/4 inch chunks

8 oz vegetable stock

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets

2 tablespoons peeled, grated ginger + juice

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 cup frozen peas

Heat oil in a large wok. Add onion and cumin seeds and cook until onions are translucent and soft. Add garlic and minced ginger.  Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add all of the remaining spices and salt. Stir well.

Add potato and stir until the potatoes are covered in oil and spices. Turn heat down to medium and sauté potato for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add vegetable stock, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add cauliflower, grated ginger and lemon juice, stir, and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add frozen peas, stir, cover & simmer 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Add some salt if desired to taste.

Garam Masala

Adapted from this recipe

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)

Put the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat (careful if it’s a hot burner; lower the heat to medium or medium-low if so). Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they turn several shades darker and give off a sweet smoky aroma, about 10 minutes. Do not raise the heat to quicken the process, or the spices will brown prematurely, leaving the insides undercooked. Cool completely.

Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Yield: Makes about 1/2 cup

This was pretty delicious, considering I didn’t have all of the ingredients in the original recipe (such as cilantro, fenugreek seeds, fresh ginger) and was constantly comparing it with the aloo gobi from Tadka. I also have a confession — I used the remains of a very old jar of minced ginger. If I had used fresh ginger, it probably would have been a lot more flavorful. I made a double recipe of the above, meaning 10 cloves of garlic total, and couldn’t taste it at all. Also, it was a little bit too brothy for me–I was hoping for a thicker sauce. Note: it is thicker and better the next day!

The recipe needs some tweaks. I think next time I might roast the cauliflower, leave the skins on the potato, use fresh ginger, and maybe use a store-bought garam masala (I couldn’t find cardamom and I think I burnt the seeds and cinnamon stick while toasting).

Paired with some freshly toasted na’an, this was a filling and yummy meal. I would make it again with the above tweaks.

Also, I think I am addicted to na’an. Or just carbs in general. I am finding carbs in all forms delicious lately.

Mango Chutney

I wanted chutney.

I don’t know why.

It had to be mango.

Have I ever had chutney–any chutney?

I’m not even sure. (Well, now I have.)

Mango Chutney

Adapted from this recipe

2 large mangoes

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root

2 teaspoons curry powder

Juice of one lime, freshly squeezed (no limes, I used 1/2 a lemon, it was good)

½ teaspoon salt

dash cayenne pepper

To cut the mango: Cut either sides of the mango, feeling for the pit, and leave it in the middle. Slice in a criss-cross fashion in the mango slice, very small dice, and then pop it inside-out, so it’s concave, and carefully slice all the little squares of mango off (see the photo below). Give the other bits of mango and the pit to your dad to eat all of the leftover mango off, he’ll appreciate it. Put aside.

Mix together the remaining ingredients, and then add the chopped mango. Refrigerate for an hour or so to chill and allow optimal flavor meldage.

This chutney was so yummy! The cayenne gives it a little kick, so go easy if you aren’t a fan of spicy–I put a little too much, even though I did less than the original 1 teaspoon. It especially goes well with goat cheese atop quinoa black bean burgers… a recipe for which is coming up soon!

Salmon with Sesame and Orange-Ginger Relish

After being home for practically 3 weeks, I realized I had not made a salmon dish!

Quelle horreur. Salmon is one of my favorite foods.

Usually we just broil it with some garlic and lemon juice. But this time I was feeling especially motivated.

It was kind of time consuming, but hey, I’m on summer vacation. I have nothing but time… until June 4th. Then I’ll be swamped. So, making the most of it.

I needed dry white wine. Unfortunately I used up the last bit in the Shrimp Scampi. So, I went on a little wine adventure with my mom to the Franklin Wine Shop and purchased a French wine, from the Alsace region. A Pinot Blanc. I don’t know wine very well but it worked in this recipe, even if I almost spat it out upon tasting it straight up. The wine connoisseur in the Wine Shop was super knowledgeable and really nice, and helped us out a lot in choosing a good wine for this recipe! So, totally go there for all your wine needs.

Also, in reality I did have 4 filets, but only 3 of them fit comfortably on the platter for photographing purposes.

Salmon with Sesame and Orange-Ginger Relish

Adapted from this recipe

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 1/2 tablespoons lite soy sauce

4 small salmon filets (I used thawed Wild Alaskan Salmon from Costco) or one 2.5 lb salmon filet

3 large navel oranges

1/2 cup matchstick-size strips red pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

PAM

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Whisk the dry white wine, soy sauce and orange juice in a bowl and then transfer to a shallow pan large enough to hold the salmon filet(s). Rinse the thawed or fresh salmon filets and place, skin side up, into marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill from 2-4 hours. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

Before cutting the oranges, zest the 2 tablespoons of zest into a medium bowl. Then, using paring knife, peel and segment the orange, catching any juice and all the sections in a small bowl.

Mix red pepper and the next 7 ingredients in that medium bowl with the zest and combine, and then fold in the orange segments plus any juice that accumulated. (Can prepare 1 hr ahead, let stand at room temp.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray generously with pam. Place salmon skin side down on baking sheet and sprinkle with pepper. Bake 10-20 minutes (my small filets took 10 and were perfect). After they are cooked, transfer to a serving platter and spoon the orange relish over the center of the fish. To toast sesame seeds, I spread some out in a tray in the convection oven at 375°F for 2-3 minutes until lightly brown. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.

This was so good. I was afraid I overcooked the salmon because the smoke detector went off (twice) and the edges were really brown. But Costco salmon has never failed me yet and it was cooked perfectly! The orange relish was really bright and colorful, as well as delicious. A perfect summertime dinner.

Yum…

Drool.

Carrot Ginger Apple Soup

Notice my reflection in the spoon... heehee

After seeing variants of this recipe floating around, I decided to try it out too.

Result? Deliciousness that didn’t last for leftovers.

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

Ultimately adapted from Joy the Baker but also seen at Oh She Glows

Some olive oil (a few tablespoons; eyeball)

1 small yellow onion, sliced (I used 1/4 of a huge Costco vidalia onion)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated (I had to use ground ginger. About a tablespoon. It was good but more would not have hurt. Then again I do love ginger.)

1 small apple, peeled and sliced

4 to 5 cups sliced, peeled carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 cups vegetable broth (I used 3 and then thinned it out with water at the end)

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes or until soft.  I mixed the ground ginger with the minced garlic and then added and cooked for about a minute.  Add sliced apples and diced carrots and cook for 3 minutes.

Turn flame to medium-high and add vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce flame to low and simmer, uncovered,  until carrots and apples are softened, about 30 minutes.  Remove pan from the flame and let rest for 10 minutes.

Blend the soup until smooth. My favorite way to do this is to yell, “Hey Dad, want to immersion blend something?” and then he comes running because immersion blending is his favorite thing to do in the kitchen.

Add some water while your dad is immersion blending to thin it out to your desired consistency. I personally like thicker rather than brothy soups.

Add a pinch of nutmeg, salt, pepper to taste.

Serve with a drizzle of quality olive oil, some pepper, and another tiny pinch of nutmeg.

Apparently the soup freezes well but you’d never know… because it shall be devoured. Definitely double this recipe for good sized portions. Wow, that’s a lot of carrots.