Broccoli cheddar chowder (Serves 2)

Broccoli and cheese are to soup what peanut butter and jelly are to sandwiches. Adding potato gives this hearty winter soup a creamy texture. This soup is perfect for those lazy, cuddly winter days for that extra nutritional punch..

Ingredients

1. Broccoli florets 1 cup, cleaned
2. Yukon gold potato 1 small, cubed
3. White onions 1 small, finely chopped
4.All purpose flour 2 TBSPs
5. Vegetable broth/water 2 cups
6. Whole milk 1/2 cup
7. Shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup
8. Salt & Pepper to season
9. Extra virgin olive oil 1 TBSP

Directions

Heat olive oil in a deep pan and saute onions until soft, for about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the all purpose flour and stir continuously for few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour the vegetable broth and whole milk. Mix well to incorporate and allow to boil. Once boiling, reduce flame and add the cubed potato and broccoli florets and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cheese and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from flame and serve warm with toast or enjoy as itself.

Notes: Sprinkle more grated cheese for some extra flavor while serving.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days, slowly reheat over medium-low or microwave for 2 minutes.

Featured on Novermber 2014 Malayali magazine..

Cheers!!!
Suji

Vegetable Gumbo (Serves 4)

Okra and chickpea Gumbo

It's Mardi Gras time in the Cajun Country and we are celebrating this carnival season with the gulf coast's very own "Gumbo". Gumbo is a stew or soup which originated in south Louisiana and is one of the signature dishes that arguably earned Louisiana the title of the culinary capital of the US. Traditionally it consists primarily of a strong stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers, and onion. The two main  varieties of gumbo are the creole gumbo generally containing shellfish, tomatoes, and a thickener and Cajun gumbo which is generally based on a dark roux and is spicier, with either shellfish or fowl. Here we are presenting the third variety namely the meatless gumbo z'herbes is essentially a gumbo of slow-cooked greens sometimes thickened with roux. The recipe follows...

Olive oil 1 tsp
All purpose flour ½ TBSP
Red onion 1 medium, chopped
Celery  1 stalk, chopped
Green bell pepper 1 small, chopped
Vegetable broth/water 1 cup + 1 cup
Tomato 2 medium, chopped
Chickpeas 1 cup, cooked (or canned)
Okra, cut to chunks (rounds) 1 cup (fresh or frozen)
Black pepper powder ½ tsp
Bay leaf 1 no
Red chilly powder ¼ tsp
Tabasco pepper sauce or hot sauce ½ TBSP
Garlic 1 pod, finely chopped
Additional broth or water 1 cup

Preparation

In a microwave safe bowl add the chopped tomato with 1 cup water. Cook this in the microwave for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a deep bottomed pot at medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté garlic, chopped onions, green bell peppers and celery. Cook these until the onions turn translucent. Then add the flour and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes or until flour is browned (this is to make the roux). Next add the cooked tomato along with the water, the other 1 cup broth or water stirring well to combine. Now add all the remaining ingredients starting from chickpeas, okra, pepper powder, bay leaf, red chilly powder, hot sauce and salt. MIX WELL.

Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 30 minutes, so that all flavors are infused into the gumbo. Switch off flame and serve over white rice. You can also serve rice mixed in gumbo, the way I like to eat it ..

Notes: The gumbo should have a chunky soup consistency, so add more water or broth if needed.

Cheers!!!
Suji

Chilled avocado and cilantro soup (Serves 4)

Good news for avocado lovers!!!Here is a very different Mexican soup with avocado and cilantro and a tinge of lemon and hot sauce. This is rich in taste and can be prepared in no time. This nutritious soup is quite refreshing, and I hope you all will enjoy this chilled soup …

Ripe avocados 4 nos
Shallot/ scallions 2 nos, finely chopped
Vegetable broth/chicken stock 3 ½ cups
Sour cream 2/3 cup, plus extra to serve
Tomato paste 2 TBSP
Hot sauce/Tabasco sauce  1 tsp
Juice of one lime, or to taste 
Fresh cilantro 1 TBSP, plus extra to garnish
Salt and Pepper powder

Preparation

Peel and coarsely chop the avocados. Now add the chopped avocado, shallots/scallions, stock/broth, sour cream, tomato paste, hot sauce, lime juice, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper into a food processor and blend until smooth. Give a taste test and add more hot sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper accordingly, if needed.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled. Divide the soup between four serving bowls and serve. Can be topped with a spoonful of sour cream, salt and pepper. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro.

I used Vegetable broth and hence the yellow color to the soup. You can alternate with vegetable stock or chicken stock which imparts a green color to the soup.

Cheers!!!
Chitra