Soup, Bread, Salad

On the grey winter days in Feburary, when the temperatures were prone to drop below 75˚F, the hearty meals of European peasants were calling to me. Also, I decided a couple weeks ago to "detox" in prep for spring (which actually started here on 15 Feb.), and my regimen called for lots of fresh veggies, preferrably in pureed form. So I (Christa) found a simple carrot soup that's really all you need to feel happiness. We have qualitative data to support this statement.

The ingredients are a simple list of seven:

• 3 small onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 kg carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups+ broth or water (we made chicken broth with bouillon)
• 1 teasp fresh grated ginger
• 1 lemon (and salt & pepper to taste)

Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent, then add the carrots and add the broth about a minute later. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the carrots are soft. Turn off fire and allow to cool for a few minutes. Add the fresh ginger, then puree the mixture in a blender to the desired consistency (This will be quick). Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt and lemon to taste. Add enough salt to make the carrot flavor "pop," and enough lemon to give the soup a full body. Enjoy the soup with salad or bread (or both!)... see some options below.

I love beets. I've never met a roastead beet salad or sandwich I didn't like. To roast beets, buy them whole (and not too big), wash them well, and place them on tin foil. Preheat the oven to around 357˚F. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Fold them into a tin foil package (for even roasting) and cook in the oven for about an hour, or until a fork can pierce the beet with relative ease. After the beets have cooled enough to handle them, peel them. Chop them whenever you decide to use them.

For my beet salad, I cut the beets into half moons, placed them on a bed of lettuce, sprinkled the salad with roasted sesame seeds, and made the following easy but perfect dressing: sauté olive oil with some minced garlic, then mix in a small bowl with juice from a lemon, and salt & (fresh ground) pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the beet salad.

Finally, my favorite bread recipe of all time:

This appeared in the NY Times a few years ago, but my family came to know it as "Rusty's no-knead bread" because a family friend named Rusty Japikse passed it on to us. It's the perfect crusty loaf for any bread lover.

In a bowl, mix:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (in Bangladesh we use moida; I usually use 1 c. whole wheat along with 3 cups regular)
• 3/8 teasp. yeast
• 2 teasp. salt
• 2 cups luke warm water

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, then with a damp towel, and leave to rise for 12 - 24 hours.

The next day, preheat oven to 450˚F (with a large casserole dish, or large metal pot, but preferably Dutch Oven inside the oven while it's preheating). Dump the dough onto parchment paper. Fold the paper over the dough, then transfer the dough-filled paper to the hot pot in the oven, and cover it with a snug fitting lid. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid. Bake for 15 more minutes, to perfect the crusty crust.

Eat when it's hot... with butter, or cheese, or jam, or honey, or olive oil, or plain.... mmmm. It's great the next morning too, toasted with butter and jam.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

One of my favorite dessert discoveries has been chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake. It's as devilish as it sounds, and so incredibly amazing. You can find the wonderful recipe at Lovin' From the Oven, one of my favorite baking blogs.

As for my own version, here's a picture!

I've made a few substitutions to accommodate Bangladeshi resources. Instead of graham crackers, I used plain toast biscuits (very cheap, easily found at any store). Also, instead of 10 ounces of cream cheese, I've used eight. If you're wondering where to find cream cheese in Bangladesh, try Kulshi Mart.

Chocolate chip cookies!

Here in Chittagong, we tend to ration our chocolate chips. To this day, I have not found chocolate chips in a grocery store in Chittagong. So, when we're lucky enough to have some, we use them carefully.

A couple of nights ago, I baked some chocolate chip cookies. They flattened out much more than cookies I've made in the past, but were absolutely exceptional. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

•   1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons of regular granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups of flour (all purpose)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1.25 cups of semisweet chocolate chip
  

Directions:

1.  Mix together the sugars and butter until smooth
2. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix together
3. Add in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) and mix together to get the cookie dough
4. Mix in the chocolate chips
5. Use spoons to form rough balls of cookie dough and drop them on to a baking sheet, leave around 2 inches of space between them
6. Bake 10-13 minutes at 350F. I find that baking time varies with the oven, so I would check back after 10 minutes or so, once they look slightly golden brown they are good to go. If you like crunchier cookies, leave it in for longer.

They are most delicious when warm!

Burgers!

The other night we decided to give our new grill a try. Of course, what better on the grill than some all-American cheeseburgers?

The recipe is the simplest you could possibly make

Ingredients:

• 1kg ground beef
• 2 large onions, diced
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar 

Directions:

1. Mix ground beef, onions, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar together in a large bowl. 
2. Shape into patties
3. Grill!

Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, tomatoes, and condiments of choice.

James.