Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup

I just made this soup, and as I think about it, the following comes to mind: Perfect for a cold day where you just want to sit on the couch under a blanket with a warm mug of soup in your hand, watching the leaves fall outside (and preferably near a roaring fire). That is how I feel about this soup that I made yesterday. I don't normally make creamy soups, but this one is worth the decadence and extra calories. Oh, I will be making this one again for sure. Perfect with a thick piece of artisan bread or  served in a bread bowl. This soup is rich, filling, full of flavor, and oh so comforting. Quite possibly one of the very best soups I've ever made. One more bonus-this is so easy to make, especially if you use leftover rotisserie chicken.

Note: If you don't like wild rice, this is also perfect as a cream of chicken and mushroom soup. That is how mine started out, but I loved the addition of wild rice and it also gives a more filling soup that goes further. Or, if you dislike mushrooms, this would also make for a delicious chicken and wild rice soup.

Chicken, mushroom, and wild rice soup

adapted from a recipe from Simple Suppers for Busy Moms

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice, prepared.

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 8 oz. packages of sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken broth, or 2 cups water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes (what I used)

3 cups half & half, (I used 1 cup whole milk and 2 cups cream, because that is what I had on hand)

1-2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken (this is the perfect place for leftover rotisserie chicken meat...that's what I used)

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

D I R E C T I O N S :

In a medium sauce pan, prepare wild rice and set aside, keeping warm.

Meanwhile, saute mushrooms and onion in butter in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Add white wine, then broth, cream/milk, chicken, prepared rice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook 20 minutes, or until thickened, on med-low heat, stirring as needed. 

Baked dry-rubbed spareribs

I think I had my first pork ribs on the banks of the Danube in Vienna some 15 years ago. I was touring Austria with my parents and my sister, in one of the very rare organized trips we ever took. We had hotel reservations for two weeks all around the country, but our days were unplanned and we visited whatever interested us on our own. No guided tours. But as we crossed the same travelers every evening at the hotel, and sometimes randomly during the day if we happened to be visiting the same attractions, we started building bonds. That evening in Vienna was one of our last before the end of the trip, and we decided to all have dinner together. The 12-or-so of us sat at a long and narrow rectangular table, the kind you see in movies where an idealized Italian family has lunch al fresco on the patio of a beautiful country house in Tuscany. Except that the table was on a river bank, a few yards from water on the majestic Danube. Not bad either. It was a really festive and joyful, warm summer evening. The kind of evenings you remember with nostalgia, I guess, and that brings back so many other memories of stunning Tyrolian landscapes, sumptuous castles and gardens (those of the famous Empress Sisi), beautiful streets and hidden plazas in Vienna, cute villages, music, old stones... Can you tell I miss Europe?

I can't think of ribs without going back to Vienna in thoughts. The power of food on my little mind... If I remember correctly the ribs were served as a whole rack, and must have been barbecued or grilled. The recipe I'm about to give you is more of Southern US inspiration, but if you know how Austrians prepare pork ribs, please share!

This dry rub is an adaptation of Joy of Cooking's Southern Barbecue Dry-Rub recipe. I didn't have all the spices at hand when I tried it the first time, but it turned out really well. I made a few changes the second time around and the ribs tasted even better. So here's my version:

Serves 3–4 people
Preparation: 10 minutes, 12–24 hours in advance
Baking: 1 hour

• 1 rack spareribs (around 3–3.5 lbs)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1–1 1/2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp white peppercorn, crushed in a mortar
• 1 Tbsp cumin seed, also crushed
• 1/2 Tbsp ground Cayenne pepper

The night before (or in the morning):

1. Pour all the ingredients of the dry rub in a 1-gallon freezing bag. Shake well to mix the spices.
2. Insert the sparerib rack in the bag, close, and shake well to cover with spices evenly. Rub the spices into the meat through the plastic bag.
3. Place in the refrigerator overnight (or from morning to evening).

1 hour before dinner:

1. Take the sparerib rack out of the bag and place in a large enough oven-safe dish. Pour the juices and spices left in the bag onto the ribs.
2. Bake for 1 hour at 375ºF (about 190ºC).
3. Cut the rack into individual ribs and serve immediately.

Practical note: the sugary juices that fall on the dish around the ribs will likely burn... This doesn't affect the taste of the meat, which doesn't burn, but it makes it harder to clean the dish. Soaking the dish overnight seems to help a lot in cleaning out the burnt juices.

Mulled cider in a crockpot

I had a girls' night at my house last Friday, and made this delicious mulled cider. It was the perfect drink for a cool, fall Friday night. 

Mulled cider in a crock pot

Original recipe here from Tasty Kitchen

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 gallon apple cider

1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tsp. allspice, whole

3 tsp. cloves, whole

4 sticks cinnamon

2 dashes nutmeg (I didn't use)

1 whole orange, cut in half

D I R E C T I O N S:

Pour cider into crock pot. Stir in brown sugar.

In a coffee filter or cheesecloth, place the allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Carefully fold up the coffee filter, making sure none of the spices can fall out. Tie up with butcher's twine and place into the cider. (I used cheesecloth and just tied it with an extra piece of cheese cloth I had cut, because I don't have any kitchen twine).

Slice an orange in half and place sliced side down into the cider. Cover and heat on low for several hours before guests arrive, or can be heated on high for an hour or two until it's hot enough and then turn the heat down to low. 

Keep spice bag and orange halves in the cider the entire time.

Phinda Mountain Lodge , South Africa

Phinda Mountain Lodge , South Africa

Wraparound views of the spectacular Ubombo mountain range and the surrounding Zululand bushveld, Mountain Lodge at &Beyond Phinda is our next safari destination. 

Here we have individual  cottages , each opens onto a deck where there is a shower , a dip pool and deck chairs . As these cottages are slightly elevated , one gets a fantastic feel of the forest . The cottages are cleverly positioned to ensure privacy – and to give a feeling of being in isolation. Each cottage comes with it’s own never ending supply of various wines and spirits , dried fruits and chocolates . Pity I am not drinking on this entire trip !

At  Mountain Lodge our ranger is Giles , who we had casually met when he came to India and visited Kahna at the same time as we did . An email and contact was reestablished. He even asked to be assigned to us which was real nice as I believe he is the best ranger ever born !

The highlight of this evening’s safari was Elephants . We physically tracked a large family herd (which is not strictly by the rules as one is only allowed to track groups of bulls on foot – apparently the mother’s with calves are too dangerous to be near) by getting off our jeep and walking into the thorny bush , following Giles in commando mission fashion. 

Every evening safari has a ‘ cocktail hour ‘ when around 6:30 in the evening just before we head back to base , the jeep pulls over somewhere in the middle of the jungle and a table is pulled out from the jeep and a bar is set up , complete with wines , spirits and munchies  ! It’s a nice touch as this is when we get to interact with the others and our naturalist in a relaxed manner without worrying about having missed sighting some wildlife .

The meals here are good . Lunch was very nice spare ribs , fish cake , salads , quiche and a cheese platter followed by desserts … yes there is booze available at all times at every corner !

6^Th October , 2011

Our safari group is fun to hangout with, we go out every morning and afternoon in an open land cruiser, tracking animals with two other couples , Debra and Sammy from New Jersey and Barbara and Barry from L.A . They are nice company , and our rides together have been relaxed and easy .

We spotted both white and the more endangered black Rhinos and then spent time with a elegant female Cheetah . Throughout the day we kept seeing zebras and giraffes . Giraffes are beautiful and muscular , their markings  vary from orangish browns to shades of tan . Giles tells us that a giraffe calf when born is on its feet within minutes of being born and is fully capable of walking as against lion/leopard and other predator babies that are blind and unable to move around for weeks .

In the evening we tracked lions for 2 hours with no luck . Later around 6 when it was getting dark, Giles sneaked us into the thickets where he suspected the lions were . He had earlier gone into the jungle with our spotter leaving us in the jeep for 30 impatient minutes .

When we edged our way into the jungle we saw 3 young cubs - 2 males and 1 female around a year old . We were within 10 feet of them and sat silently in our jeep giving them time to get comfortable with us around them . Soon it seemed they had become oblivious to our presence so much so that the young female cub hesitatingly walked out of  her secure resting place under a bush and walked past our jeep , looked at us and sat facing us totally at ease .After a while we moved a bit deeper into the jungle . A male cub was so easy with us around that he followed the jeep which was moving at 10km/ph .

It was pitch dark , our only source of light was a red lamp that was in the jeep . Within 20 feet we encountered the rest of the family . A group of 6 including the mother and a very young cub who was playing with her and she was licking it … just like dogs do . We sat watching the lions who had by now become comfortable having us around them  . For those 10 minutes it felt as if we were all one group !

I left behind a beautiful cozy den , taking a memory that will be with me for a long time I am sure . Dinner was in this enclosed area at the mountain lodge called BOMA ( some believe it stands for British Officers Mess Association but its actually the local term for a catle pen) . Nice flare torch lighting , and good food – I got a feel of Indian khana eating the lamb curry and rice and poppadum’s they had prepared !

7th October , 2011

By now we are very tired . Hectic travelling and then 8 hours  a day in the jeeps has taken it’s toll somewhere . Having said that , all aches and pains are forgotten once we head out into the jungle .

This morning we saw this huge herd of Cape buffalo ,which was a first for us .So in a sense we can check off the big five (if the dead leopard counts). En route we passed this pool with the trees on its banks festooned with weaver bird nests overhanging a basking croc. Beautiful flashes of vivid yellow as the male weavers flapped their wings, poised upside down at the entrance to the still green grass cups – inviting the females in. In another part of the water we saw a group of submerged hippos. 

We then did a bush walk passing giraffe, wildebeest, warthogs and our second herd of buffalo. To see them Giles made us trek 30 minutes in the sun through all kinds of thorny undergrowth - the sighting was brief as they had sensed our approach and bolted away in a flurry of thundering hooves  !

The evening safari was very exciting . We tracked a cheetah for quite a while . She walked past our vehicle not more than 10 feet away giving us the slightest casual glance , intent on getting at the herd of  impala that were gathered in an opening not far away . She was all set to stalk them when she was spotted and this gave the antelope enough reason to break into a run and escape .

We stayed with this cheetah for a good half hour. Eventually leaving her sitting in the middle of  the road we went looking for lions that were sighted earlier .

Giles left us in the jeep while he and the spotter , rifle in hand, went into the bushes looking for the lions . They spotted them alright , but returned saying that the lions were too deep in the jungle . We started to move out when Chin spotted this year old cub – who had followed Giles and the spotter back to the jeep – both unaware of this beautiful large cub just behind them ! He looked dramatic standing against the black of a burnt part of the forest .

A bit later we drove into the jungle – all hush hush as we weren’t supposed to be there , and this time found ourselves very close to ( about 15-20 feet ) a family of 9 lions ! 

Again they were at ease with us being in their midst sitting in our jeep. There was an air of calmness – very peaceful ! It felt as though we were all sitting together in a family room ! Their acceptance of us was almost unconditional . I don’t think any of us too were scared . Unfortunately this social visit had to be cut short as some other jeeps were heading this way and would have seen us below in the jungle where we weren’t supposed to be .

By now it was sunset . Driving us back to the camp we stopped at this isolated spot where a bar had been set up in the middle of nowhere . Champagne on ice and some ( by now cold ) warm canapés awaited us ! Good time spent hanging about chatting . Our group is great fun , and very easy to be with . Feels like we have known them for a long time .

Tomorrow morning we leave Phinda and head to Ngala Safari Lodge , Mpumalangs . We will have to break journey en route as the total drive is around 9 hours . Phinda , our first African Safari experience has been fantastic and beyond my expectations  , as I am sure the next 2 parks will be .

We received the sad news from home that our darling doggie Nina had died after a short illness . She lived a good life and was 13 . Very special to both Chin and me , Nina you will always live in our hearts …we love you .

Chicken & Broccoli Supreme

I had been wanting to make this recipe from the first time I saw it on Pinterest. Something about it just told me it would be delicious! So, last week when we had some dinner guests, I thought I would try it out. I am so glad I did, because it is so good! In fact, I'm making it again tomorrow because we liked it so much. My husband liked it so much that he even wanted it over the Pioneer Woman's chicken pot pie I was offering to make!

I made a few changes, so this is an adapted version and here is the original recipe. Because we were having guests, I used a little more chicken and broccoli, and it fed 6 adults and 1 toddler generously. This is a wonderful casserole dish to make. Everyone liked it and it goes great with some rice, a salad, and crescent rolls. It's easy to make, too! If you do not have time to make the sauce from scratch, simply substitute 1 1/2-2 cans of cream of chicken soup-I won't judge! I'm doing that tomorrow ;).

Broccoli Chicken Supreme
Adapted from this recipe.

I N G R E D I E N T S :

2 pounds of frozen broccoli, steamed or boiled (original recipe calls for 1 lb).
4 cups cooked chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (original recipe calls for 3 cups).
2 tubes ritz crackers
1 stick melted butter
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

for the sauce:
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
1 cup water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese

D I R E C T I O N S :
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 13x9 pan.
Layer broccoli and chicken, then set aside.
If making the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, bouillon cubes, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, continuing stirring until sauce has thickened.
Turn heat down to low and add cheddar cheese.
Stir until melted, and pour over chicken and broccoli.
Melt butter, and add poppy seeds. Stir well. Crush Ritz crackers (I always give them a spin in my food processor), and add to melted butter. Sprinkle over the entire mixture.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Nourishing Scrambled Tofu

It appears the leaves have reached their peak here in Vermont. What a spectrum of colors our eyes feasted on. From yellow to orange, gold and crimson, it was amazing! So with the landscape fading I have decided to do a Post Peak Brunch this coming weekend. I am planning to serve, Polenta with kernels of Corn and Leeks, Sautéed Greens, Apple Cinnamon Muffins and the star of the show, my savory Scrambled Tofu!

To make things simple, upon rising I will measure out and dry roast the Polenta, setting it aside to cook later. Wash and cut all of the vegetables, measure out the ingredients for the Muffins and crumble the Tofu. Then it's off to the Park with our dog Jack, returning home for a shower and begin to orchestrate my symphony of aromas and flavors!

Scrambled Tofu

Serves Six
Ingredients:
2 lb of Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu or any good quality non GMO Organic Tofu that you favor
1 Red Pepper small dice
1/2 Cup of Carrot matchsticks
1 Small Red or Yellow Onion small dice
2 Clove of Garlic crushed and minced fine
2 Handfuls of Baby Spinach
2Tbl Toasted Sesame Oil
2Tbl Wheat Free Low SodiumTamari
1Tbl Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1Tbl Ginger peeled and grated
1 Tbl Kuzu or Arrowroot diluted in 3 Tbl of cold water
                                       

Carrot Matchsticks

Method:
Heat a Large Skillet, add Sesame Oil when hot, toss in Red Pepper, Onion and Garlic
Saute for 2 minutes and add the Carrot Matchsticks sauteing for an additional 2 minutes 
Add Crumbled Tofu, Turmeric and Tamari mixing together to create a golden color
Add in Nutritional Yeast  and Ginger,  mix in
Add Baby Spinach to your Skillet stir and Saute for an additional minute
Add Diluted Arrowroot or Kuzu and stir and cook for 2 minutes

Baby Spinach

I am so looking forward to sitting down with friends this weekend and relaxing into heady conversation, catching up on any missed Summer adventures and laughing up a storm over countless cups of Japanese Twig Tea.
I wish you a lovely Weekend! 









  

Filled bell peppers: gorgeous Mediterranean taste

Do you know how to make some bell peppers filled with cheese and olives? This is a typical Sicilian side-dish and it has definetely got a great Mediterranean taste. There are several fillings for these vegetables, but I like to do a simple one, not long, nor difficult.


Ingredients & preparation for 4 people:
2 bell peppers
80 gr. green pitted olives
150 gr. Sicilian primo sale cheese
4-5 ts breadcrumb
3 ts tomato sauce
e.v. olive oil
oregano
salt


1. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the inside and the seeds and wash them under running water.
2. Switch the oven on at a temperature of about 180° C.
3. In a bowl or a large dish put the breadcrumb and mix it with the olive oil, the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt and the olives cut in halves or even better in slices. Sprinkle with abundant oregano.
4. Now cut the cheese in cubes.
5. In an oven dish, put a drizzle of oil at the bottom and with a spoon start filling the pepperoni one at a time, first with the breadcrumb mix and then topping with the cubes of primo sale cheese (or any other tasty cheese you like).
6) Place them in the oven dish and let them cook for about 30 minutes or so. Better if you check after 20 minutes and see how the cooking is going, the cheese must melt and the bell peppers have to be quite soft.

Serve them when they are getting warm, it will be the perfect moment because you can appreciate the different flavours of the dish without burning your mouth. This is a typical Mediterranean recipe, also perfectly suitable for vegeterians and I really hope you can enjoy it!

Pudalangai Koottu (Snake Gourd Curry)

Many feel that a tasty and mouth watering dish cannot be prepared out of this vegetable. But this is a very commonly used veg in Chettinad. Chettiar ladies make simple and tasty koottu and poriyal with this. In some parts of Tamilnadu they make poricha koottu with this.
This koottu can be mixed with rice and be given to kids who have started taking rice as it is easily digestible. It is good for those recovering from illness and is an excellent dish for the newly delivered moms.

Please note that excess of dhal will lessen the taste of the vegetable

More medicinal value of the vegetable can be had in this link

http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/snake-gourd-glory.htm#ixzz1bKCLYYRg



Ingredients
Snake gourd -1 medium size
Broken green gram (pasi paruppu) -2 to 3 table spoon
Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu)-1 table spoon
Small onion-2 or 3 (1 table spoon of minced big onion)
Green chili-2
Sambar powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
For seasoning
Small jeera-1 teaspoon
Broken urudh dhal-1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little

Procedure
I always prefer cooking green gram in a kadai since I feel that the dhal gets a sticky texture if pressure cooked. Those who are used to cooking the dhal in the cooker please give this a try. Moreover the dhal will get cooked very fast even in a kadai.
In a kadai cook both the dhal together along with the turmeric powder
Once the dhal is cooked well, add the cut snake guard, onion, green chili and sambar powder.
Make sure there is 1 to 1 ½ cups of water in the kadai for the vegetable to get cooked.
In half way stage add the salt needed.
Cook for 10 minutes in medium fire.
Before switching off make sure of the consistency.
If you are going to feed the child with this then the consistency should be little watery else you can have your desired consistency.
This koottu has to be seasoned in the end preferably in ghee. Ghee gives the extra bit of taste and flavor for the curry.

Phinda Forest Lodge .Kwazulu-Natal .

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Phinda Private Game Reserve , night at &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge .

Kwazulu-Natal .

The 'Big Five' refers to Africa's greatest trophy animals – the one’s considered the most challenging and dangerous to hunt - lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.

Forest Lodge

We transited a night in Durban (the supposedly posh northern suburb of  Umhalanga actually) en route to Phinda . Durban was a non descript one night halt . A bit of a crawl through the humungous Gateway mall, a very iffy Chinese dinner and bad sleep sums Durban up !

The 330 odd Km drive from Durban to Phinda was very comfortable . The roads are great as is the discipline – caught myself driving my ‘ India ways ‘ a few time , as did mother hen Chin !

Our lodge is spacious with sit out decks on two ends including a private dip pool and well stocked bar  . The walls are 90 % glass  and gives a feeling of being  up in a tree house .

After a light lunch we set off on our first safari . Initially we saw Nyala , Red Duiker ,Grey Duiker and Impala ( all deer ) , which didn’t excite me too much . Then we saw Wildebeest from upfront which was great . 

The odd crested and helmeted guinea fowl kept crisscrossing our jeep , while from a distance we saw Zebra and Giraffes . We also managed a close viewing of hippopotamus – they look beautiful as did 2 naughty young elephants uprooting the forest .

What was exciting  is how our guide Matt kept trying to track a Cheetah which was spotted from far away .  We drove to the spot where Matt thought the cheetah would eventually work his way to and that’s exactly what the cheetah did  .

 About 20 feet away from our stationary jeep 2 male cheetahs ( brothers ) walked passed –sleek , magnificent and elegant . I was so excited that I didnt take pictures initially , simply feasted my eyes on them .This beautiful cat was hunted into extinction in India by the British officers and the royalty . 

We kept tracking them , and turns out that they were a family of 5 ! We viewed them from close for about 30 minutes . This was our first major spotting and was  spectacular as we could even smell their breath , we were that close for 25-30 minutes .

By now it was dark , the guide stopped the jeep in the middle of the jungle and set up a table with a complete bar and snacks ! A few drinks later everyone was huddled back into the jeep and we slowly made our way back .

Back turned out to be a surprise spot away from came , in the jungle the resort people had set up a fire , and drinks and dinner for 20 odd guests . Good fun and very well done

October 5, 2011

An early morning wake up – 4:45 am  to get set for our early morning safari with Matt . A cold morning saw us huddled in our open air jeep all set to spot wildlife . We  got lucky again , this time with a sighting of a magnificent lion . One of the only two dominant pride lions in Phinda . 

This guy majestically walked past our jeep and didn’t seem to mind our following him 10 feet away . 

We tracked him for quite some distance and then moved away as there was some buzz on the wireless  about a leopard spotting .Matt deftly lead us to the area where the action was , and then he and our spotter set off to look for the leopard .

They returned in a while very excited as they had spotted him fast asleep , satiated after a big meal . Closer examination through the binoculars and Chin discovered that the poor animal was’nt asleep but was dead – apparently killed by an alpha male .

We moved away and headed back to where Matt thought the lion would now be , and there he was sitting on a mound in this beautiful veldt – open grassland with flowering wild bushes - majestically like a sphinx , his mane flying in the wind , something I wont forget in   hurry .

We also spotted some hippopotamus lazily submerged in a pond totally oblivious to all what was happening around them .

A very good morning for spotting animals . Breakfast and a while later we drove off to Phinda’s other camp , Mountain Lodge .