Category: Soup

No. 570Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Sri Lankan dishes are fresh, vibrant, distinct and a perfect recipe to sample this cuisine is Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry Recipe from Kolamba, Soho NYC. The newest Little Jewel recipe added to the Membership Collection.

LONDON CALLING

Sri Lankan dishes are starting to become known in their own right thanks to a group of restaurants in London. First was Hoppers, which introduced people to the Sri Lankan savory pancake of the same name. Kolamba, is a modern restaurant in the heart of Soho with a more focused approach to authenticity and the dishes cooked and eaten in homes across the island. But when it comes to the food of Sri Lanka, a beautiful island nation just 17 miles off the coast of southern India, a lot of us assume it’s no different to what’s found on the subcontinent. Nothing could be further from the truth. This recipe is adapted from Kolamba in Soho.

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry |Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

SRI LANKAN CUISINE

But what makes Sri Lankan flavors stand out against those found in India? A lot of it comes down to one ingredient: coconut. Despite being a small island it’s the world’s fourth-largest exporter of coconuts, and they are a part of almost every aspect of the national cuisine. ‘We’re always compared to India when it comes to our food, but there are real differences between what we cook and eat compared to the rest of the subcontinent,’ says Eroshan, Kolamba;’s owner, ‘We don’t use any animal fats in our cooking – no ghee, butter, cream or yoghurt – because coconut adds all the rich creaminess we need instead. We go through a couple of hundred coconuts a week here at the restaurant, so it’s the single most important ingredient.’

Sri Lankan food is NOT for the timid eater. Fiery curries, sweet caramelized onion as seen sambal (onion relish), and sour lime pickle are all dominant, powerful flavors that awake the senses dulled by the thick, hot island air. The building blocks of Sri Lankan cuisine are rice, coconut, and native tropical fruits and vegetables. The island grows some 15 varieties of rice (down from 280 just 50 years ago, and 400 in times before that), some of which are used for various types of rice flour pancakes (called hoppers) and rice noodles (called string hoppers).

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

GREEN BEAN CURRY

This simple but flavor forward curry demonstrates the cuisine of Sri Lanka. A simple curry with most ingredients easily found in the supermarket. Curry leaves are the one ingredient that is found in International markets. I am lucky to have a small Indian market by my home where I can get my cooking ingredients, including fresh curry leaves stored in the refrigerated section.  The leaves are used both in the curry and to create the curry oil for garnish. I also can’t leave the market without  Kesar Pista Kufi (Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream) heavenly.

Join Bijouxs and explore the foods of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

No. 548Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl

Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl | Bijouxs Little Jewels

A recipe of simple comfort for trying times. Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl is a fresh and healthy bowl, another Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen Recipe Collection.

POACHED CHICKEN SOUP

Soups feel both cleansing and comforting. A warm bowl that makes the meal, with perhaps a glass of wine?
This soup starts with a chicken in a pot, nothing fancy. Added to flavor the broth are fresh ginger, onion, garlic and carrot –all are left unpeeled and cooked along with the chicken. In about an hour you have delicately poached chicken and a clear and flavorful broth for the soup and more.

COMFORT BOWL

After removing and shredding the chicken, add it back briefly in the stock, in which you have cooked the mushrooms and scallions. The soup is now created. Prepare your serving bowl by placing a scoop of cooked brown rice, top with shredded chicken. Next add the hot stock along with the mushrooms and green onions.

oached Chicken and Mushrooms Bowl | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Add a tablespoon or so of Bragg Liquid Aminos if you want a bit more umami flavor to the soup. Voilà, Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl is served.

 

No. 547Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup

Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Classic French Onion Soup is a perfect candidate for the Instant Pot. The actual soup cooking time is only 5 minutes in the Instant Pot, but the real key is the caramelization of the onions, don’t skip and don’t rush this for a completely authentic French Onion Soup, which is a true little jewel.

CANYON BISTRO’S  FRENCH ONION SOUP

For years I have used Julia Child’s classic recipe for French Onion Soup from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Many times over, with diversions to try other recipes over the years. One diversion was the Canyon Bistro’s French Onion Soup. I sampled the soup at the restaurant back in my LA-life days. The classic white lion’s head bowl was served bubbling and dripping with melted with cheese, really what is not to love?

Perched up at the top of Topanga Canyon, between Malibu and the Palisades, it was a destination restaurant for me.

Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

GROUND THYME

I discovered a reprint of the restaurant recipe online, and I could see what I tasted that had made the soup different. A touch of garlic and ground thyme are both part of the recipe. Ground thyme has NOT been one of my on hand spices, but I now see the value of the ground version of the spice. When added to the soup. it imparts a herbal note, without adding any leaves to the soup. I tried grinding my own, but it was not fine enough. Ground Thyme, what a cooking revelation.

CARMALIZED ONIONS

One important step that cannot be rushed is the caramelization of the onions. The ’sauté’ mode of the Instant Pot works perfectly. It defaults to 30 minutes which is exactly the time it takes to render the onions a dark golden brown. Covering the pot with a tempered glass cover at the beginning of the process softens the onions. Uncover, then it’s on to browning, stirring every couple of minutes. Stay focused on this step and you will be rewarded with golden brown onions, ready for soup.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

The first step after browning the onions is to deglaze the pan with the vermouth, scraping to loosen all the brown bits for the soup. 

Next steps are quick and simple, add the broth, Worcestershire, ground thyme, and white pepper.

Set the pressure lid to ‘seal’ and set pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. It takes a few minutes to come to pressure, then the 5 minute timer will start.  At the end of cooking allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15 minutes. Move the valve to ‘venting’ to check for any remaining steam. 

SOUP’S ON

Preheat the broiler. To serve, ladle hot soup into oven proof bowls leaving about 1/2” from the top. Add 2 slices of toasted baguette and a 2-3 thick slices of Gruyere cheese to each bowl. Place bowls on a sheet pan, broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and running down the sides of the bowls.

Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup | Bijouxs Litle Jewels

Carefully remove from the broiler and allow soup to set for a few minutes before serving. It is nice to present the soup bowl on a plate to catch the running cheese.

French Onion Soup, another little jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.

 

No. 546Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Creamy Asparagus Avocado Soup

 

Creamy Asparagus Avocado Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Simple soups–comfort in a bowl at lunch or dinner, always a little jewel.

SIMPLE SOUPS

The beauty of this soup are the fresh green vegetables blended with avocado into a nourishing bowl of rich, green soup. I have been making simple puréed soups for years. The basic technique is to short cook the vegetables, along with some herbs, add a generous amount of stock and simmer. Once the vegetables are tender allow the soup to cool and puree in the blender. Voila, soup is served.

Creamy Asparagus Avocado Soup |Bijouxs Little Jewels

RECIPE COLLECTION

Here are 5 simple soup recipes from my Recipe Collection Membership, they include Celery & Almond Soup, Spinach & Basil Soup, Spicy Thai Carrot, Potato Leek, and Balthazar Creamy Mushroom Soup. With over 500+ recipes to choose from by joining the Collection Membership it’s a great value to add your everyday cooking. Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen thanks you.

No. 536Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Hart’s Famous Turkey Soup

Hart's Famous Turkey Soup Bijouxs Little Jewels

This simple soup started as a friend’s childhood memory of family summer road trips along the East coast. A search for the recipe ensued and the recipe was found – Hart’s Turkey Soup is a true Little Jewel.

USING LEFTOVER TURKEY

So what happens after the turkey is roasted and carved, what about the bones and all the meat bits still clinging? I had roasted a bone-in turkey breast and made pan gravy for an everyday meal then doubled my meals it by making the leftovers into this soup.

This simple recipe really is a kind of classic bone broth using the leftovers from a roasted turkey. The unique soup additions are finely grated celery and carrots along with some of the leftover gravy. A perfectly flavorful soup is created.

Hart's Famous Turkey Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

NEW ENGLAND STYLE

This recipe is  based on a friend’s family summer memories.  As a personal chef I was cooking the turkey dinner and my client mentioned this soup. Off I went on an internet search and found the restaurant. The soup comes  from Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant a roadside cafe along the New England turnpike. This is a place my friend’s family would stop on the road home from vacations. I was so happy to find this and recreate the soup.

Hart's Famous Turkey Soup Bijouxs Little Jewels

SIMPLE AND UNQIUE

Hart's Famous Turkey Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

This soup recipe is very simple and yet quite unique. The directions are but a few lines, with no real measuring required. Stay true to the ingredients and it will yield a wonderfully flavorful turkey and rice soup that is sure to become one of your family favorites too.

 

 

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