Friday, October 3, 2008

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

The origional recipe off of All recipe.com or what they did.....
INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 pounds sugar pumpkin
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 dash ground nutmeg
4 cups seasoned croutons
My folders:

DIRECTIONS
Cut the top off of the pumpkin and remove the seeds and strings. Carve out the flesh of the pumpkin until the shell is about 1/2 inch thick. Be careful not to make any holes in the skin - the pumpkin is the serving bowl. Steam the pumpkin flesh in a saucepan with an inch of water, over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside to cool slightly.
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the chicken broth until warm. Puree the pumpkin flesh and gradually stir into the pumpkin broth. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Mix in the cream then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Pour soup into the pumpkin shell and garnish with croutons. Top with the pumpkin cap.


What I did.....
put in the crock pot set on 4 hours high
2 quarts of pumpkin (canned pumpkin or squash will work too. See what looks good at the market)
32 oz box of low sodium chicken stock
1 heaping tablespoon of chicken boullion

when finished cooking, it will look a little darker and translucent.
Zip with stickblender until smooth and add 1.5-2 cups half & half.
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of Morroccan Seasoning ( or more or less to taste)

Caldo Verde or Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup

by John VillaPico, NYCRecipe adapted by Irene SaxServes 6 to 8

Considered by many to be Portugal's national dish, caldo verde is found everywhere — in the dining rooms of Lisbon's most luxurious hotels to the humblest of country homes. It's a versatile dish: Serve it as a one-course meal at lunch or as a light supper in the evening. What's crucial when preparing it is that the kale is cut into extremely fine slices; that's what creates the soup's distinctive character.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large Spanish/yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
18 ounces sausage (unless you can find chourico), diced
5 lbs peeled and diced
8 cups cold water
1 pound kale or collard greens, cut into very fine julienne

Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and half the chouriço and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover everything with the water, bring to a boil and lower the heat, simmering until the potatoes are almost done, about 15 minutes.

2. When the soup is cool enough to handle, purée it in the food processor and return to the pot. Add the greens, bring everything back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining cubes of chouriço.