Irish Stew

I have been sick... for a while.  This is a soup my grandma used to make for me.  We always called it Irish stew, but it's really a very simple, five ingredient, soup.  I haven't had this dish in years. Start out with about 4-6 medium potatoes and a medium yellow onion.  Peel and chop the potatoes.  They don't need to be perfectly cubed or diced.  Grandma kept them coarsely chopped - kinda rectangular pieces.  Dice the onion fairly finely - no big chunks.

Add them all to a large pan and add water and salt.  The water should cover the ingredients with at least an inch of water.  Start with a modest amount of salt to keep things evenly seasoned.  Boil until the potatoes are fully cooked and tender.

Before serving, be sure to adjust the salt to your preference.  Grandma used to add evaporated milk when serving the soup.  But, that would turn my insides into outsides, so, I use almond milk.

She would serve it with her homemade bread.  This is the type of food I grew up eating; simple, ungarnished, unadorned, comforting food.

Creamy Watercress Soup

This is a quick and easy dish with a St. Patrick's Day hue. Creamy watercress soup!

First, hack up the white bit of 2-3 leeks and one large potato.  It's also fine to use the green part of the leek, but it will result in a slightly darker colour.  Sautee them with a bit of olive oil until the potatoes are tender.  You don't want them to begin to brown since that will result in a darker soup.

Then, add to a blander jar: a couple hand-fulls (about a cup of leaves) of watercress, the cooked leek and potato and a hand-full of macadamia nuts.  I just used regular roasted macadamias.

Blend on medium speed and add water until the mixture is thin enough to puree.  Next, ultra puree the mixture!  It needs to be completely smooth (I used a Vitamix, for the perfect consistency).  When it's very smooth, taste and season it with salt, and if you like, a little squeeze of lemon.

Garnish with a few watercress leaves and a drizzle of macadamia nut oil.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

I love mushroom soup, but not the sloppy congealed type that's extruded from a can.  I like a rich, flavourful and meaty soup with chunks of mushroom.

First, make a broth.  The broth is the canvas on which the soup is painted.  I made a very simple base using: celery, carrots and a seasoning blend [bay, paprika, garlic powder, dehydrated onion and nutritional yeast.

Don't salt the broth because that reduces flexibility of the finished product.  It's best to salt the soup at the end.  Otherwise, it can reduce and become too salty.

In a separate pan, boil a medium chopped potato.  While that's cooking away, rehydrate a selection of your favourite mushrooms.  Now, I always like to use fresh, but finding these unique funghi can be a challenge.  So, I've chosen dehydrated: black trumpet, oyster and porcini.

Simply pour boiling water over them and allow them to reconstitute ~20 minutes, or until tender.  At this stage, the broth should also be ready.

Remove the mushrooms from the water and set aside.  Add the water from the mushrooms to a high speed blender.  *Often there's grit that sinks to the bottom when rehydrating mushrooms.  Be cautions to prevent adding the grit to the mix.*  Then, add into the blender the broth, cooked (drained) potato and most of the mushrooms.  I like to select a few mushrooms for garnish and set them aside.  This provides both texture and aesthetic enhancement.

Pulverize the mix in the blender until velvety and creamy.  Season with salt, to taste, and blend until thoroughly mixed!  Garnish with the reserved mushrooms and serve piping hot.

Roast Cauliflower Onion Soup

Keep warm on these chilly days with this roast cauliflower and onion soup.  I made onion rings as a crispy accent to the soup.  It's all vegan and gluten free!

First, cut apart a head of cauliflower and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with a bit of sea salt and place in a 400˚F oven until slightly browned and tender.

While the cauliflower is roasting, peel, chop and boil a potato.  When the potato is tender, drain the water and add to a blender.  Then, chop a large onion and saute in a bit of olive oil.  To prevent bitterness, don't let the onions brown.  Remove them from the heat when they're just translucent.

Add the cauliflower and onions to the blender and blitz on low.  Slowly add water until the ingredients are suspended and able to blend.  Then, ultra-puree the mixture until smooth.  Season with salt and serve hot, garnished with black sesame seeds and parsley.

I wanted something crunchy to go with the soup.  I used rings of sweet onions and battered them with blended flax meal and xanthan gum.  Then, I covered them with a breading of cornmeal and cornflour (starch), seasoned with a bit of onion powder and sea salt.

Roasted Stacked Potatoes

I saw something similar and decided to try this.  They turned out alright, but it was a lot of work.

First, I used a cutter to create small cylinders of potato and then I ran them through the food processor to slice them thinly.

Then, I coated the slices with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.  Stacking them in a cupcake tin, I baked them at 350˚F until they were tender.

Allow the potatoes to cool slightly and pile a few into a stack; garnishing with tomatoes, basil and thyme.

Avocado filled Potatoes

A delicious fusion of carbs and avocado bliss, this dish is energising and filling. The starchy sweetness of the potatoes melds delightfully with the mellow avocado.

First, wash and scrub the potatoes. Boil the potatoes with a bit of salt. Continue boiling until soft, testing for doneness by inserting a knife. When the knife can go through easily, they're ready.  Remove the potatoes from the heat and allow to cool in the cooking water. When they've cooled completely, coat with olive oil, dill and a bit of salt.  Then, halve them and scoop out the insides, leaving at least a quarter inch on the sides.

Mix the scooped potato with a couple avocados, a squeeze of lemon, salt, tarragon and blend in the food processor until creamy.

While it's mixing, warm the hollowed potatoes.  A hot grill, a skillet, the broiler are all perfect methods.  I just used a gas torch... because it's manly.

Quickly place the creamy avocado-potato puree in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.  Fill the warmed, hollow potatoes with the savoury, sweet, tangy and smooth avocado mixture.  Garnish with tarragon, green onion, tomato and finishing salt (Maldon or fleur de sel).

Baked Gruyère Chips

Adding a bit of Swiss cheese makes plain chips a delight.

First, peel and cut the potatoes in batons (chunky sticks).  Place them in salted water and bring to a boil - continue boiling for a couple minutes.  Then drain, drizzle with olive oil and arrange on a parchment lined baking tray.

Place into a cold oven and "preheat" to 350F; continue to bake for about 5 minutes.  Using the preheat setting heats extra hot and quick, adding a crispness to the chips.

You can keep it vegan, but I have a weakness for Gruyère.  Remove from the oven and grate Gruyère over the chips.  Return to the oven and increase the heat to 450F.  Once the oven reaches 450F, the chips should be done, but be sure to test.  They should be tender, yet and crisp on the outside.  Season with fleur de sel or Maldon salt and serve.

Laminated Potato Crisps

These are some of my favourite!  I saw Julia Child make something like this years ago and decided to give it a try.

Start by peeling and thinly slicing potatoes.  I mean really thinly sliced - so thin you can read through it.

Carefully layer one slice of of potato, an herb, a bit of oil and top with another slice of potato.  It helps to roll the herbs (basil, thyme, chives, or green onions) so they're flat and the chips don't warp in the oven.  Bake at 350F until they're golden brown.  Then remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt.  Transfer to paper towels to cool and drain any excess oil.

Bon appetit!

Vichyssoise

It's that time of year where the evenings can be cold or hot. So, why not have a soup that can be served cold or hot?! Vichyssoise is the perfect dish!This soup is kinda French and kinda American. There's a bit of undecidedness regarding the origin, so let's just call it French-American fusion. Regardless of the source, it's a delicious and smooth preparation made of leeks and potatoes.

Start by coarsely hacking up the white bit of leeks, and an equal portion of peeled potatoes. Add the leek, potato, along with a bit of olive oil and salt, to a large pot and gently sautée. Don't allow colour to develop on the veg - the soup should be a glistening creamy white.

Add enough water to cover the veg and just a bit more.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Continue cooling until the potatoes are soft.  Then, transfer the mix to a blender and puree.  I like to use the Vitamix because it makes an ultra smooth soup.

For a hot dish, serve it up right away.  I garnished it with crushed pistachios and olive oil.  For the more traditional soup, refrigerate before serving.  The chilled one I garnished with celery leaves and green onion.

Creme d'asperges [Cream of Asparagus Soup]

This amazingly creamy, yet vegan, soup is the perfect thing for a cold winter's day.

First, remove the woody ends of the asparagus; slice the shallots, the leek and crush the garlic.  Since it's all getting blended, precision isn't essential.  Beth Le Manach, an inspirational chef, shares her secret for ultra creamy soup - a medium-large potato.

Saute the shallots, garlic and leek, giving them a bit of colour.  Then, add in water, the potato and bring to a boil.  After 5 minutes of ferocious boiling, add in the chopped asparagus stems, reserving several of the tips for garnish.  Boil another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and asparagus is completely tender.  Blend it up and flavour with a squeeze of lemon.

I first tested with an immersion blender.  The results were alright.  But, the soup wasn't super creamy until I sent it through the Vitamix.  Afterwords, it was ultra smooth, with a there-has-to-be-heavy-cream-in-this mouth feel: