Corn and Caramelized Onion Soup

Two simple ingredients plus a handful of spices are all that are need to make this creamy non-fat,vegan corn and caramelized onion soup.  Perfect for a dinner party starter, travels well to pot luck parties, and freezes well for a quick weekday supper paired with a big salad and crusty bread. Grab the last of the fresh New England corn and a few onions at the farmers market this week and make this soup!

Corn and Caramelized Onion Soup
12 fresh ears of corn
2 large onions
cooking spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf

Corn Stock
Remove husks and silk from corn
Slice the kernels off of the cobs and place the cobs in a large kettle
Reserve 6 cups of corn kernels for soup and 1 cup of kernels for garnish (skip garnish if freezing)
Pour 16 cups of water over the cobs and add salt, pepper, coriander seeds, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook for about one hour
Remove cobs and discard (compost if possible)
Strain through a sieve

Caramelized Onions
Slice the onions as thin as possible
Coat the bottom of a large skillet generously with cooking spray or olive oil
spread the onions out in the pan and toss to coat with spray or oil
cook over medium low heat adding a little water if needed and adjusting the heat so onions cook slowly and do not brown or crisp.  Cook for about 30 minutes until onions are very soft, add sugar and cook another 10-15 minutes until onions are soft brown color and very tender.

Soup
Place 6 cups of corn kernels in food processor or blender
Add 1 cup of the caramelized onions
1 cup of corn stock
Process until a thick paste
Strain through a coarse sieve to remove solids
Pour into a large pot and heat for a few minutes
Slowly pour in 6 cups of stock and stir (remaining stock can be frozen and used for other recipes)
Boil gently for about 10 minutes
Place some corn kernels and caramelized onions in each bowl
ladle hot soup into each bowl

Give Me A Break!

Rich, warm, creamy flavors are holiday standards.  This is the time of year when even Scrooge can’t resist indulging in a cheese filled or bacon-wrapped little something.   Layer upon layer of indulgent foods can become tiring unless there is something simple with a bit of bite to break them up.  A green salad is a classic option but some beautiful scarlet salad turnips I found at the farmers market made a unique accompaniment to a traditional holiday meal.  This dish is also great for pot luck parties and buffets as it provides a nice option for raw food and vegan food fans. 

1 large scarlet salad turnip
1 medium tart apple
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp raw, unfiltered honey (or more to taste)
1 tsp caraway seeds

Shred turnip and apple on mandolin or food processor
Blend in cider vinegar and honey
Sprinkle in caraway seeds and toss
Chill until ready to serve

Kale and White Bean Soup

There are lots of hearty soup and stew recipes for a cold winter night but what if you are looking to warm up a friend on a vegan diet.  What if that vegan friend also needs to watch their salt and keep their food nearly fat-free? No Problem!

The individual flavors of the winter vegetables sing through this soup which is elegant in its simplicity.

Kale and White Bean Soup
Broth
10 cups water
1 1/2 cups rough chopped celery including leaves
2 cups carrots cut into rounds
1 cup parsnips cup into rounds
1/2 turnip cut into  1″ cubes
1 large onion rough sliced
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
handful of flat leaf parsley, thyme sprigs, dill
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste (salt is optional)

Kale and Beans
4 cups of chopped kale
1 16 oz can of Cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cloves of roasted garlic or roasted garlic paste
1/4 tsp smoked paprika or more to taste
cooking spray or few tablespoons olive oil

Combine all the broth ingredients except tomato puree in a large pot
Heat to a simmer and then add the tomato puree
While the vegetable are cooking , spray garlic cloves with cooking spray and wrap in foil.  Roast in the oven at 375 degrees until soft (about 20 minutes)
When the vegetables in the broth begin to get tender, saute the shallots in a large shallow pan using cooking spray or olive oil. As soon as the shallots get soft, add the kale and turn the heat to high, pour in the wine and cook for a few minutes.
Add the kale, roasted garlic, beans, and paprika to the broth and cook for 15 minutes or more.

Thank You Joanne Chang!

I was surprised to find that Joanne Chang’s Flour Cookbook http://flourbakery.com/ has a recipe for Vegan Low Fat Chocolate Cake.  I expected to try out some of her delicious rich deserts that I have sampled at the bakery but instead I baked a treat for my hubby, Mark.  Mark lives in a house where the heady scent of butter partners with melted chocolate, sweet fruit, and vanilla to dance an ongoing tango around our kitchen.  This would not be a problem for most people but Mark is working hard to maintain a restrictive low-fat diet for health reasons.

Until now creating a real devil’s food cake for him without artificial goop seemed impossible.   It is not!   This cake was simple to make and is full of chocolate and coffee flavor.  The texture was dense, moist, and crumbly and reminded Mark of his favorite childhood snack cake.  Thanks Joanne for including this recipe in your cookbook.  It is a winner in this house. 
Note: picture above shows the cake with powdered sugar and candied cranberries sprinkled on top