Cedar planks, not just for salmon anymore. Really.
Our last guest came with the spring and with that, sparks the BBQ. It might still be a bit early to eat outside, but who can resist the flame that is the official call of nicer weather?

Having grilled on cedar planks before, I’m already fond of the fantastic smell and extra flavour it lends to food. They seem to be gaining in popularity so finding a board isn’t nearly as difficult anymore asmost grocery stores with a fish department tend to carry them.

The idea for the smoked asparagus soup came a little haphazardly. I was planning on grilling the asparagus with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil but as it was the first grill of the season the flames were uneven and the safest place not to char my freshly picked spears was up on the board.

The flavour was subtle and amazing, a perfect enhancement for an already pretty great vegetable. The soup came from the left overs of the greedy three bunches that I decided to cook up for a dinner of four. After tasting it, I’m not only going to be trying this asparagus in other things like quiche, but with other vegetables too!

SMOKED ASPARAGUS SOUP

1 Bunch of Asparagus, 20-25 medium sized stalks, trimmed
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
2 Leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and finely diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
4 Cups Vegetable stock
1 Medium Yukon Gold or Russet Potato, peeled and diced
scant 1/4 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice or to taste, optional

Submerge your cedar plank in water anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the thickness and your timing.
Preheat the grill over a medium high heat.
Trim asparagus and lay in aluminium foil.
Drizzle over balsamic vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil; wrapping the foil to cover.
Place the asparagus package on the cedar plank, reduce the flame and close the lid of the bbq.
Grill for about 10 – 15 minutes, checking intermittently until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large stockpot to sweat the leeks and garlic until soft and translucent but not browned; about 3 – 5 minutes.
Add the diced potato and cover with the stock.
Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are softened.
Remove the best spear tips from the asparagus and reserve for garnish.
Roughly chop the remaining smoky asparagus, add to the simmering soup.
Continue for another 3 – 5 minutes to cook through to merge flavours.
Transfer soup to a food processor or using a immersion blender, combine until smooth.
Season to taste with salt .
Top each serving with reserved asparagus tips and drizzle over extra virgin olive, basil or leek oil.

I am one of those people who like cilantro. Cilantro is a love it or hate it kind of thing. Thankfully the herby leaf it offers to 50% of the population who enjoy it, also comes with a seed. Coriander, which the seed more commonly goes by, lends a refreshing and slightly citrusy flavour. Blended with other spices, coriander is perfect and essential for milder curry combinations.

Common yellow curry is the key to this soup. Spices like coriander, along with tumeric, cumin, mustard seed, cloves, red pepper and fennel might seem like a lot but the complexities of each spice together make for a wonderful flavour combination added to so many dishes, including the humble winter carrot.

Earthy and dense, these bright reminders of a summer past wait anxiously in the root cellar to come alive again. Flavour packed and vitamin rich carrots along with the zip of curry does us a great justice to blasting the February blahs.

My father in law is a master at soup and a farmer’s market frequenter. With a constant variety of seasonal vegetables, he has shown me tons about eating locally. This is an adaptation of the soup I’d recently devoured at his home.

CURRIED CARROT SOUP

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Stalks Celery
8 cups of Water or Vegetable Stock
3 Lbs Carrots, about 6 large ones, grated
1 Tablespoon Yellow Curry Powder
1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seed, ground with a mortar pestle
1/4 teaspoon Ground Red Chilies, or to taste
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 Lemon

Heat the oil in a large stock pot.
Sauté the onion and garlic over medium-high heat until soft, taking care not to scorch the garlic.
Roughly chop the celery stalks into thirds and add to the onions along with the grated carrots.
Pour over the water, bring to boil.
Add the curry powder, ground fennel, chilies, salt and pepper.
Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
Purée using a immersion or traditional blender, in batches until smooth.
Stir in the lemon juice and readjust salt and pepper, if necessary.
Top with chopped cilantro. (If you like it.)

As I sat, thinking what the ultimate food for Sunday would be, it actually took me a bit to come to the chili conclusion.
Crazy, yes, I am aware of this.

Coming from an advertising background, I have to honestly admit that the majority of my Superbowl viewing experience takes place during half time.

Perfect for cooking for a crowd, the chili is a dash of this and a can of that – and then you leave it.
So quick and easy, you won’t even miss the commercials.

BLACK BEAN & PUMPKIN CHILI

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Onion, finely diced
2 Medium Carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 Stalk Celery, finely diced
1 small, dried red chili pepper
3 Cups Any Basic Tomato Sauce
3 Cups Fresh Tomatoes, skinned and chopped or 1 – 28oz can diced tomatoes
2 – 19oz Cans Black Beans, drained and well rinsed
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Crack of Black Pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme, scant
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander Seed
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1 Cup Dice Pumpkin, roasted

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Clean and cube half a Jarrahdale or other good baking pumpkin.
Using about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil lightly cover the pumpkin, tossing to coat.
Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender.
Heat the remaining oil in a large stockpot and add the diced onion, carrots and celery.
Sauté the vegetables until slightly softened and the onions are transparent.
Add the chopped tomatoes, sauce and spices then bring everything to a simmer.
Stir in drained, rinsed beans and continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
Remove the chili pepper and add the cubed pumpkin.

Serve it up with a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of cheddar (or smoked gouda) along with tortilia chips or a loaf of fresh crusty bread.

For a more “traditional” chili, switch the beans to red kidney, omit the pumpkin and thyme then add a package of veggie ground round, if you want it “meaty”.

My ever problem solving daughter is always creating new suggestions for dinner and desserts; favourites like Mialita, Chuchetta and the like. Her recipes, with the addition of marshmallows, ketchup and eggs kind of remind me of that show that aired around here in the 80′s I always wanted to go on, “Just Like Mom” But this morning, when I rolled out of bed complaining of still feeling under the weather from the night before, she suggested Magic Soup.

Magic soup is something that we’ve made before and she will eat it. All of it, as if it were well, like, magic.

First she’ll tell me onion, then a carrot, some tomatoes maybe a little celery if she’s daring and somehow this soup is normal… soothing and delicious, kind of like Minestrone.

Although my barren stomach felt it couldn’t handle much more than the thought of dry toast, her idea of this to make me better was just what I needed.

Like the kiss on the forehead you’d get from your mom when you were sick, I got one from my five year old and her bowl of soup.

KITCHEN SINK MINESTRONE

Really, the soup should be named clean out the fridge soup, but I thought everything and the kitchen sink sounded a little, dare I say, tastier. Beyond an onion, carrot, stalk of celery and a few tomatoes this soup is great with just about any vegetables you have kicking around in the crisper.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Carrot, finely diced
1 Stalk Celery
1/2 Sweet Potato, diced (optional)
1 White Turnip, peeled and finely diced (optional)
1 Bunch Baby Spinach, well rinsed and roughly chopped
1 Zucchini, peeled and diced (optional)
1/2 Cup Frozen Green Peas (optional)
1 – 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Pearl Barley
1 Potato, peeled and diced (optional)
12 Cups Water
1 teaspoon Rosemary, ground
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Coriander, ground
1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
4 Black Peppecorns, or to taste
2 Bay Leaves

Peel and dice the onion, carrot, turnip, sweet potato, zucchini and potato.
Heat the oil in a large stockpot.
Sauté the onion, carrot and minced garlic.
Chop the celery into thirds, keeping it easy to remove later.
Once the onion has softened, about 3 minutes, add the harder vegetables; sweet potato, turnip and potato along with the barley.
Cover with water and bring to a rolling simmer.
Using a mortar pestle, grind the coriander, rosemary and peppercorns.
Add the ground spices, bay leaves, thyme and salt to the soup.
Once the carrots are fork tender, add the softer vegetables; green beans.
Add the tomatoes and continue to simmer for about another 5 minutes, then add the softest vegetables; zucchini, peas.
Adjust seasoning, remove the celery and roughly chop the spinach and add to the soup.

Serve with fresh bread and freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, if desired.

Needless to say we all like soup in this house. Nothing beats a warm bowl on a cold day. Well, maybe that warm bowl with some of that fresh bread I’ve finally been able to be baking…

Red peppers, to me, are one of those amazing vegetables. You see, I absolutely, without a doubt hate it’s cousin the green pepper, but a red one, especially a freshly roasted one? I will put in and on just about everything.

Roasting the peppers take about as long as the soup, so it’s a quick and delicious lunch…. So quick, I was very glad to have photographed it first, since the pot did not last.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Shallots, finely chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
3 Red Bell Peppers, roasted*, peeled and chopped
1 Potato, peeled and diced
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Stalk Celery
2 Tomatoes, Peeled and chopped, 1 – 8oz can
4 Cups Vegetable Broth
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Dried Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

* To roast the peppers, lay them directly over an open flame of a gas cooktop, BBQ or under the broiler, turning often to evenly blacken – but not scorch. Cool in a large enough bowl to hold them, tightly covered with plastic wrap. Once cool enough to handle, peel and rub away the loose, blackened skin.

Peel and dice the shallots, carrots and potato.
Heat the oil in a large stockpot and add the diced vegetables and garlic to sweat and soften.
Seed and slice the peeled, roasted peppers.
Add the peppers and celery stalk along with the broth to the vegetables.
Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes and carrots are soft.
Add thyme, salt and pepper.
Remove celery stalk and discard.
Add the chopped tomatoes and heat through.
Purée with a hand immersion blender until smooth.
Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Serve with toasted fresh bread or arugula pesto or garlic seasoned croutons.

It’s unseasonably warm but damp today. Crazily enough, once winter takes it’s hold, at least for me, I just wish it would put us into it’s full throws. Cold, crisp, freeze your the inside of your nose, crunchy snow kind of winter. I find it a little easier warming up from the cold rather than the damp which is why today, I needed a little extra help.

Quick, satisfying, revive you to your toes help, like potato leek soup.

Potato leek is virtually the premise for most vegan “cream” soups, which is what makes it so perfect.
The simplicity leaves for the attention to details like the perfect potato, consistency, herb combination and finishing drizzles of infused oils and the like. It’s a free pallet that’s open for individual taste, but no matter what your preference, the satisfaction is all there.

I choose to keep my soup fairly au natural as possible then jazzing it up with some little bite sized Walnut Rosemary and Kalamata Madeleines.
Mmmm savoury and delicious.

CREAMLESS POTATO LEEK SOUP

4 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Large Leeks, light green and white parts
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Dry White Wine
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 Sprig Fresh Rosemary, finely minced, about 1/2 teaspoon
2 Bay Leaves
6 Cups Vegetable Stock or Water
1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper or to taste
1 Cup Unflavoured Soy Milk

Rinse the leeks well then thinly slice.
Peel and dice the potatoes.
In a large stockpot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame.
Add the leeks to the oil and sweat until they are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Pour over the wine and sauté for an additional minute.
Add the potatoes and stir well to prevent sticking.
Add the stock, salt, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
Add the pepper and remove the bay leaves and thyme stems.
Then blend with a hand immersion blender or a food processor until smooth.
Once slightly cooled, stir in the soy milk.
Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.
Garnish with truffle oil, chives, smoked gouda or toasted garlic… you name the taste.

From my fractional polish heritage, I was so lucky to have been included in my sister in laws family Christmas Eve tradition.

Once horrified by the memories of beet soup with homogonized milk, that puce nightmare was no comparison to the hard work and detail which had been presented before us to gobble up.

The bright colour and warmth of this simple, smooth broth sets the perfect stage for the celebration ahead. Borscht is may be peasant food, but like it’s counterparts, it is pure comfort. Served as the first course during the Christmas Eve feast with miniature mushroom filled pierogi packages called uszka, this wonderful tradition becomes the delight of the Holiday table.

RED BORSCHT WITH PORCINI MUSHROOM PIEROGIES

4 Beets, trimmed and scrubbed
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, roughly chopped
1 Carrot, roughly chopped
1 Stalk Celery, roughly chopped
2 Cups Shredded Red Cabbage
3 Sprigs Thyme
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper, to taste
9 Cups Water
3/4 Cup Reserved Mushroom Liquid, see below

Trim and scrub the beets, leaving at least 1″ of stem.
Loosely wrap them in foil and roast in a 400ºF oven for 1 hour, or until fork tender.
Once the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the stems and peel. Chop the beets into small cubes.
In a large stockpot, heat the oil and sweat the onion and garlic.
Add the chopped carrot,celery and beets.
Top with the water, thyme sprigs, salt and cabbage.
Bring the pot to a rolling simmer and cook until the carrots are soft; about 40 minutes.
Strain the soup through a sieve into a new stockpot.
Pour the reserved mushroom liquid through a cheesecloth and add along with the fresh pepper, sugar and lemon, adjusting salt and other seasonings if and where necessary.
Keep warm on a low heat until ready to serve.

PORCINI MUSHROOM PIEROGIES

1 Cup Dried Porcini Mushrooms
1 Cup Boiling Water, or enough to cover mushrooms
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Leek, white and light green parts
1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves
1 teaspoon Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Pour the boiling water over the mushrooms to reconstitute. Let them sit for about 30 minutes.
Strain and reserve liquid.
Trim, rinse and finely chop the leeks.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan.
Add the leeks and garlic, sautéing until soft.
Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the leeks along with the thyme, salt and pepper; sauté for 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat and add the parsley.
Cool mixture and make the dough.

PIEROGI DOUGH

2 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
With the motor running, add the oil and drizzle hot water through the feed tube just until the mixture comes together as a dough. (You may not end up using all of the water.)
Cut the dough in half, cover and let it rest for 5 – 10 minutes.
Roll out the first piece of dough about 1/8″ thick.
Cut 2″ rounds and either using a pierog/ravioli press or by hand, add a small amount of the mushroom filling to the center.
Dampen the edges, fold the dough in half and seal tightly.
You may either pinch the two opposite edges together to create the uszka’s “tiny ear” appearance, which also resembles tortellini or leave the edges flat.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
To cook, drop the pierogies into rapidly boiling water for about 3 -4 minutes, removing them once they float.
Add the pierogies to the borscht just before serving.

Here in Toronto, tucked a few blocks over from the mainland China Town is a small but wonderful Japanese store. After refilling my wasabi prescription, I gaze along the long aisles of offerings. Included are various teas, Hello Kitty Pocky sticks, every shade of miso, enoki mushrooms and of course, noodles.

Wheat, rice, green tea, tofu, ramen, udon and soba noodle varieties ready for any dish the Far East has ever created.

How elated was I to discover that soba is the name for buckwheat in Japanese?
For those of you who weren’t sure, like me, buckwheat is neither a grass or related to the wheat family. It’s a flowering plant which produces the seeds for great things like pillows and yes, buckwheat flour.

Asian noodle soup has to be in my top list of most amazing meals. The simplicity of them makes them satisfying and perfect. The noodles and broth create a host bowl for just about any combination imaginable.

SHITAKE + MISO NOODLE BOWL

1 (4g) Bundle Soba or Udon Noodles
1 Tablespoon Light Miso Paste
1/4 Package Extra Firm Tofu, diced into 1/2″ cubes
1 Sheet Nori
1 Scallion, finely diced
6 – 8 Shitake Mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1/4 Cup Red Cabbage, thinly sliced

Drop the noodles in boiling water and cook until tender, 6 – 8 minutes. Drain.
In a large saucepan, heat 4 cups of water and add the miso paste, stirring to dissolve.
Add diced tofu and mushrooms, bringing the soup to a low simmer.
Cook for about 3 minutes.
Break nori into small 1 – 2″ pieces.
Add the cooked noodles to two serving bowls.
Sprinkle over the diced scallions and nori pieces.
Ladle over hot soup and garnish with a topping of red cabbage.

Serve immediately.
Feeds 2.

Discover some of these photos and others in the CLICK and DMBLGIT galleries.

Who knew that if given the choice, most grown-ups will avoid roasted parsnips and squash if they are served on their own? Made me happy, as I eyed the level of the dish near the end of dinner. I knew where these left over vegetables were going after the Thanksgiving dishes were done.

Funny thing, us people. Sure, presentation is important but so is how we connect with food. Being forced to eat sloppy, bitter, mashed squash as a kid might just hinder the most grown up of grown ups away from rediscovering it through a lifetime of hate. However, have a chilly autumn day and place a warm, satisfying soup in front of that same taster and you just might get an entirely different story.

ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CANNELLI BEANS & THYME

1/2 Baby Blue Hubbard Squash, approx. 1 1/2 Lbs, seeded
3 Carrots, 2 to roast, 1 to dice
1 Sweet Potato
5 Parsnips
1 Onion, Finely diced
1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
6 Cloves garlic
6 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
10 – 12 Cups of Water
1 – 15 oz Can Cannellini or White Kidney Beans

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking dish or a small roasting pan with parchment paper.
Slice the seeded squash into wedges, 1″ thick.
Peel two of the carrots and the parsnips. Cut them into thirds and slice them in half.
Peel the sweet potato. Slice it in half, then cut it into 3/4″ pieces.
Peel the garlic, leaving the cloves whole.
Add prepared vegetables to waiting roasting dish. Drizzle with 2 -3 tablespoons of olive oil, tossing to coat.
Top with 3 sprigs of thyme and cover the dish with foil, just before placing it in the oven.
Roast for about 50 – 60 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
Once the vegetables have roasted and cooled, remove the peel from the squash.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot.
Add the diced onion, celery and last carrot.
Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the roasted vegetables, 2 sprigs of thyme and enough water to cover everything.
Bring to a simmer and reduce to medium heat.
Cook for about 30 minutes or until everything is well softened and incorporated.
Mix with an hand immersion blender.
Purée to your desired consistency, I left mine a bit on the chunky side.
Adjust seasoning as necessary.
Add beans and sprinkle remaining thyme leaves just prior to serving.

VEGAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

2 Tbsp oil
1 Onion diced (red if you can)
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 C Dried porcini or shitake mushrooms
4 C Sliced mushrooms – white, porcini, portabello, shitaki approx. 2 medium portabellos and 6 cremini. (the earthier the mushroom the richer the flavor)
3T Cognac (optional)
1 Potato (peeled and cubed)
2T Flour
1 Sprig of fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
2T Large leaf parsley (finely chopped)
10 C Water
1 C Soy milk
2T Arrowroot powder

Method

In a large bowl cover the dried mushrooms with 6 cups of boiling water. Allow the mushrooms to re-hydrate for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mushrooms with cheesecloth or a clean tea towel to reserve the liquid. Set the mushrooms and the liquid aside.

Prepare the onion and garlic and heat the oil in a large stock pot. Sauté the onions and garlic until they are soft and translucent (about 2 minutes), add the cognac and cook the alcohol down for about 1 minute. Add the raw mushrooms and in batches if necessary not to overcrowd the pot for about another 2 minutes. Listen for a persistent sizzle, stirring occasionally to cook evenly.
Add the re-hydrated mushrooms, salt, pepper and rosemary.
Toss the mushrooms with the flour, stir to coat.
Add the reserved liquid from the mushrooms and the remaining 4 cups of water, scraping any “bits” from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and bring the soup to a rolling simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once the potato is soft, remove and discard the rosemary sprig and reserve about 1 cup of the mushrooms, stir in chopped parsley and set aside.

Purée the soup using a immersion blender or in batches with a food processor.
Dissolve the arrowroot powder in the cold soy milk and drizzle mixture into the hot soup.
Adjust seasoning.

Serve garnished with reserved mushrooms and brushed garlic crustini.