Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

"Sweet potato soup is made Asian style with coconut milk and curry paste. This soup is easy to make and unbelievably good!" The thin slices of ginger cook in the broth, becoming soft enough to eat... so tasty. Introduced to me by friend Rayme, at a Book Group dinner.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon red curry paste 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the sweet potatoes directly on the rack and bake until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and heat for 1 minute, then whisk in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. 3. Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and cut into smallish bite size chunks. Add to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes so they can soak up the flavor. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a little bit of cilantro. I add about 1-2 tsp. toasted sesame oil directly to the soup, along with the cilantro and then drizzle and garnish with a bit more.

1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 3 cups vegetable broth 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Very Easy No Knead Bread

  
This fun recipe came to me by way of book group friend, Kathleen. It is remarkably easy and very forgiving. I just realized as I was typing this that the first 3 times I made this bread I put in only 1 1/2 cups of water, never adding the additional 2 Tbsp, and it was delicious all 3 times. Also, the rising times are very flexible, I have gone with as few as 12 hours on the first rising or as long as 17. The second rising can really be anywhere from 2-3 hours. Now I'm ready to start some experimentation with salted crust or adding rosemary or walnuts.

3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (you can use either but the bread flour does a little better job)
1/4 tsp instant yeast (such as Fleischmann's RapidRise or Red Star)—and that is truly all you need
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp tepid water

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended, the dough will be shaggy and very sticky.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 12 hours, or up to 18, at room temperature, about 70°. Dough is ready when dotted with bubbles.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle dough with a little more flour, and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to your work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously dust a cotton (NOT terry cloth) kitchen towel with flour and put the dough seam side down on the towel. Dust with more flour and cover with another cotton kitchen towel and let rise for 2-3 hours (3 is good but not necessary). When it is ready, dough will be more than double in volume and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450° and put a heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic, Kathleen uses her All Clad Dutch oven, I use the cast iron pan in the photo with high sides) in the oven (with lid) as the oven heats. This part is important.

When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven and try NOT to burn yourself, put it on a stove burner or trivet... it is VERY hot! Slide your hand under the towel and turn dough over into the pot, seam side up; it will look messy but that's OK. The towel will probably stick, so just pull the dough away from it. After putting dough in pan, shake the pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed. It will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with the lid and bake at 450° for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake another 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the pot you use and your oven. My cast iron pot cooks really fast so I do 30 minutes with the lid and only 5-10 without. Loaf should be nicely, evenly browned. Slip it out of the pan and cool on a rack.

Pots de Creme

 “Po de Krehm”
This is an extremely easy version of the French classic. If you find yourself without the special lidded pots de creme cups you can use small ramekins, demitasse cups, sherry glasses, anything small and attractive. If you have tiny demitasse spoons use those, too.

12 oz. weight semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 whole eggs at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla (or cognac, Grand Marner, etc)
1 pinch salt
8 oz. strong hot coffee (I use decaf to cut down on the amount of caffeine).

First thing to do is take your eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time and let them come to room temperature before starting.

When eggs are at room temperature you can begin by placing the chocolate chips into a blender. Follow this with the eggs and the vanilla (or liqueur). Add the pinch of salt, turn on blender.

While it is blending, remove the circular disk from the blender lid and very slowly pour in 8ozof strong, VERY HOT coffee. It is essential that your coffee be extremely hot in order for the final product to be the right consistency and texture. Blend for a minute or so until mixture is smooth and fairly free of visible bits of chocolate.

If the eggs are not at room temperature or the coffee is not really hot the chocolate will not melt properly and you'll have lumpy pots de creme... which isn't awful but disappointing.

Pour the mixture into your serving glasses or cups, leaving plenty of room to add a heap of whipped cream later.

Place in refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours so the mixture has a chance to set. Garnish with lightly whipped whipping cream or creme fraiche and maybe a chocolate curl or two.

Makes about 8 small servings, it is very rich!

Sausage Souffle

I first had this when a clever friend brought it all prepared and frozen, ready to pop in the oven, on a Tahoe ski trip, years ago. I have since served it time and again, at home and away. Thank you, Wynne! It's also good substituting half the sausage with sauteéd mushroom pieces.

8 slices firm white bread, crusts removed, cut in 1" cubes
3/4 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. little sausages, browned and cut in 1" pieces (I like to use the fresh ones, not in a casing, but with seasonings)

4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups milk (1 or 2%)
salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard

1 can cream of mushroom soup
paprika


Butter a 9x12" dish. Spread bread cubes on bottom, then the grated cheese, then the browned sausages. Mix eggs, milk, salt and mustard and pour over the first three. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Spread soup on top and sprinkle with paprika. Freeze or bake at 325° for one hour.

Serves 8-10