Recipe: Potato and Leek Soup

Recently we had some potatoes lyin' around our kitchen that needed to be used up, quick! I thought the perfect solution would be a nice potato-leek soup, because I love the savory deliciousness of leeks balanced by a nice hearty potato base.
My favorite way to make vegetable soups is to let the veggies speak for themselves and not dilute their flavor with a lot of cream or cheese, and this recipe is no different. It's aaaall about the natural flavor of the yummy veggies! And it's really simple and quick, to boot.

What you need:
*olive oil
*1 large onion, diced
*1 garlic clove, minced fine
*1 lb potatoes, diced
*3-4 large leeks, sliced
*couple cups vegetable or chicken broth
*salt and pepper to taste
optional:
*couple pinches cayenne pepper
*finely chopped parsley
*couple drops of your favorite hot sauce

What you do:
Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onions and sautee. Add the garlic and sautee until fragrant. Add the leeks and cook for a couple minutes, stirring intermittently. Add the potatoes and cook with the occasional stir. When the potatoes begin to brown, add broth to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 30 mins or until soup is at desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy. I prefer not to puree, I like my soups chunky :)
If you, like I, like a little kick in your soup, add cayenne pepper liberally to taste. It's also nice with some chopped fresh parsley stirred in, and I always add some hot sauce to my bowl to get some real heat going.
Bon Apppetit!

Recipe: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This fresh, light salad was a huge hit at the last supper club! Courtesy of myrecipes.com.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings

What you need:
* 4 ounces manchego cheese, chopped [we left this out]
* 1 (10.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
* 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves, coarsely chopped [we stirred in some mint suace instead]
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* Zest of 1 lemon (1 1/2 tsp.)
* Salt and pepper
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, each cut into quarters (8 oz.)
* 2 bunches arugula or 1 (5 oz.) box baby arugula, cleaned and patted dry [we used feldsalat]

What you do:
Toss cheese, chickpeas, mint, olive oil, garlic and lemon zest together in a medium bowl; season with salt to taste. Set mixture aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate in refrigerator overnight. [we did not marinate overnight, but made it and served it fresh on the night]
Add lemon juice and tomatoes to cheese-chickpea mixture and toss to coat thoroughly.
Divide arugula among 4 individual serving plates and spoon marinated cheese mixture on top. Grind freshly cracked black pepper directly over each salad. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Recipe: Mary's Pumpkin-Fig Soup

What you need:
1 medium/large hokkaido pumpkin, peeled & diced
1 lg onion, diced
2 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp diced fresh ginger
2 fresh or 3 dried figs
1 can coconut milk
1 scant Tbsp lemon juice
3 c. vegetable broth
salt to taste
blender or blender wand

What you do:
Saute onion & curry powder in oil until transparent. Add pumpkin, fig, ginger, broth, lemon juice. Boil until pumpkin is soft. Puree with blender wand. Salt to taste.

Recipe: Mango Salsa

Much like my guac, my mango salsa is improvised and not closely measured.
What you need:
*mangoes
*onions
*cilantro
*lime juice
What you do:
Cut the mango into chunks and combine in a bowl with finely chopped cilantro and onion. Squeeze a couple limes over the mixture and stir. Voila, there you have it. A delicious side, condiment, or dip. The lime juice brings out the mango flavor and the cilantro and onion give it a kick to match the sweetness. Mmmm!

Recipe: California Guacamole

The proportions in this recipe are not precise. In the California hippy tradition, I just go by what feels right, haha.
What you need:
*avocados
*tomatoes
*onions
*cilantro
*salt&pepper
*lime juice
What you do:
Cut the avocado and tomato into smallish chunks and chop the onion finely (you should have more avocado than tomato and onion, though anything goes really). Combine in a bowl with finely chopped cilantro. Add lime juice and salt&pepper to taste. And it's that simple!
You can mash the mixture if you prefer a smoother guac, but for my part I find that a good stirring usually gives my preferred consistency, especially if the avos are ripe enough.

Recipe: Lime-Spiked Black Bean Dip

Courtesy of myrecipes.com.

Ingredients:
* 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 cup grated carrot
* 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
* 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preparation:
Place beans in a food processor, and pulse until almost smooth [we used a potato masher]. Combine the beans, carrot, and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until well blended. Let stand 30 minutes. Serve with baked tortilla chips [we used whole wheat pita].

Mmm delicious!