Broccoli and Green Pea Soup
Chef Harish Rao- 100 g broccoli florets stalks peeled; finely chopped
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 quart water or chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh green peas
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups half and half or evaporated low fat or skimmed milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Snipped chives for garnish
Simmer the broccoli and a half onion in the water or stock for 15 minutes or until tender. Add the peas and simmer for 5 minutes longer just to cook through. (As you are simmering, be sure to keep the level of the water constant so that it does not evaporate too much.) When the vegetables are tender, puree the mixture (vegetables and liquid) through a food mill or blender. (If you puree it with a food processor or a blender, pass the puree through a sieve to remove any tough bits.)
In a clean saucepan heat the butter. Add the remaining onion and cook for 5 minutes, over low heat or until very tender but not brown. Add the flour and cook for a few seconds. Whisk in the strained puree, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring on occasion to make sure the flour does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Gradually add the half and half or evaporated milk and adjust it to the texture you like. Bring the liquid to just to under a boil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle out and garnish with chives if you wish.
Zucchini and Chicken Salad
Chef Harish Rao- 150 g boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bunch spinach chopped
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup chopped peppers
- 1/4 cup cucumber
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking Chicken
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 50 g Zucchini thinly sliced
1. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini; toss to coat, and let marinate while cooking chicken.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown and opaque throughout, about 7 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, and slice thinly.
3. Toss chicken with zucchini mixture, spinach, onion and cucumber.
Pumpkin and Ginger Soup
Chef Harish Rao- 1 large shallot about 50g, peeled, cut in half
- 1 long red chilli about 10g, cut in half
- 8 cm-piece fresh ginger about 30g, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 limes zested and juiced separated
- 1/2 fresh coriander about 8g, leaves and stems separated
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 medium carrots peeled, sliced
- 900 g Kent pumpkin peeled, seeded, cut into 3cm pieces
- 5 cups chicken stock or water
- 400 ml can coconut milk
Blend the shallot, chilli, ginger, garlic, lime zest and coriander stems in a food processor to form a paste-like mixture.
Heat a medium heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and paste and cook for 2 mins or until mixture is fragrant. Add the carrots, pumpkin, stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 mins or until vegetables are tender.
Using a blender, and working in batches, puree the soup with 2 tablespoons of lime juice until smooth and creamy. Season with salt. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with remaining coconut milk and coriander leaves.
Broccoli Salad
Chef Harish Rao- 1 cup blanched quartered mushrooms
- 1 cup blanched broccoli florets
- 1 cup lettuce torn into pieces
- 1/4 cup paneer
- 1 cup blanched baby corn cubes
- To Be Mixed Into A Vinaigrette Dressing
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp Mustard powder
- 1/4 cup fresh cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Blanch the mushrooms, broccoli and baby corn
Sear the paneer in the olive oil
Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a bowl and mix well.
Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
Serve immediately
Tomato And Red Pepper Soup
Chef Harish Rao- SOUP
- 2 large red bell peppers left whole
- 1 cup can crushed or peeled tomatoes in juices
- 1 cup can tomato paste
- 1 cup water sub up to half with extra coconut milk for creamier soup
- 1 cup can light coconut milk use full fat for creamier soup
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dried dill or sub 3 Tbsp (5 g minced fresh dill per 1 1/2 Tbsp dried)
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil or sub 2 tsp minced fresh basil per 1 tsp dried
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- 3-4 Tbsp coconut sugar or stevia to taste
- 1 pinch red pepper flake optional // for heat
- FOR SERVING optional
- Croutons
- Sliced tomatoes
- Fresh dill
- Full-fat coconut milk
- Nutritional yeast or Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Black pepper
Roast red peppers in a 500 °F (260 °C) oven (on a foil-lined baking sheet) or over an open flame on a grill or gas stovetop until tender and charred on all sides - about 10-15 minutes in the oven, or 5 minutes over an open flame. Then wrap in foil to steam for a few minutes.
In the meantime, add remaining soup ingredients to large pot and bring to a simmer. Then unwrap red peppers, let cool to the touch, and remove charred outer skin seeds and stems. Add to soup
Transfer to blender to purée soup. Then transfer back to saucepan/pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more coconut sugar or stevia to sweeten, red pepper flake for heat, basil or dill for earthiness, garlic powder for overall flavor, or salt for saltiness. I added a bit more of each. Go for big flavor!
Let simmer on low for at least 10 more minutes. The longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor develops.
Serve as is or top with desired toppings, such as croutons, fresh dill or basil, tomatoes and/black pepper.
