Indian Tomato Chickpea Soup

This is a simple fall favourite and can be made in 30 minutes or less. It freezes well and is great served with a warm piece of naan and a dollop of plain yogurt on top. Cilantro is great too. The recipe is best with fire roasted tomatoes but if you can't find them substitute for regular stewed tomatoes.

Indian Chickpea and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 14oz can chickpeas, drained
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp cardamon, ground
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups veggie or chicken stock
1 28oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup plain yogurt (optional)
warm pita or naan (optional)
chopped cilantro (optional)

Heat a medium pot with olive oil. Add garlic and ginger, cook 2 minutes. Add onions, cook additional 5 minutes til soft. Add spices and seasoning, cook 2 minutes. Stir in stock, tomatoes and chickpeas. Cook 10-15 minutes. Remove 1/2 of soup from the pot and process in the blender (all if you prefer) and then add back to original pot. Cook additional 5 minutes and check seasonings. Serve with a dollop of yogurt on top and sprinkle of cilantro and warm pita on the side.

Caramelized Root Vegetable Goodness

This recipe is being pulled out of my head but no measuring required. Really it is just a mess of yummy root veg, tossed in a yummy sauce and then roasted till all the caramelized goodness does its work!

1 lb nugget potatoes, cut in 1" pieces
3 yam, peeled and diced in 1" pieces
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1" pieces
10 peeled shallots, cut to same size as above
10-12 peeled garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (real)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup franks red hot sauce (adjust accordingly to your heat likeness)

Mix the oil, maple syrup and brown sugar then slowly incorporate hot sauce to your taste. heat will mellow a bit as sugars develop. Toss the recipes. Spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Roast at 425'F for 20 mins or so until veggies are tender and caramelized.

This is yummy one! Seriously make lots.

Pumpkin Pie

I will make this short as I have lots if cooking to do for the store today. But here is my favourite pumpkin pie recipe.

2 cups pumpkin puree
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
3 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup cream
1 9" deep dish pie crust

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 375'C for 45 mins or until pastry is baked and filling is set. Allow to cool before cutting. Serve with whipped cream scented with cinnamon.

Enjoy

Available at the store for Thanksgiving

For those who would like a helping hand for Thanksgiving I am happy to offer the following items. Please call or email your orders by Thursday Oct 8th. Items will be ready for pick up Saturday between 11am - 7pm and Sunday 10am - 12pm.

Store number #604 264 0005
catering@tastetosavour.com

8265 Oak Street at 67th avenue. Parking lot on north side of the building.

Items Available

Garlic mashed potatoes $1.50/person
Maple chili roasted root veggies $2.00/person
Potato and fennel gratin $2.00/person
Individual stuffing, no meat $1.50/each
Individual stuffing, meat $2.00/each
Gravy 16oz $4.95/each
Gravy 32 oz $8.95/each
Cranberry sauce 16oz $6.95/each
Individual 4" pumpkin pies $3.95/each or 4/$12.95
Individual 4" choc/pecan pies $3.95/each or 4/$12.95

Thanksgiving Stuffing

It is almost time to stuff your birds. Creativity can be at is best here. What kind of bread to use? Should I add nuts, dried fruit or sausage meat. Growing up my mom always loaded the stuffing with Italian sausage meat. Personally I don't like turkey very much so for me it is all about the stuffing! Here is my basic recipe and measurements are approximate.

Classic Stuffing
1 loaf bread (white, whole wheat, french) diced
1 onion
3 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
1/4 lb butter
1 cup chicken broth, warm
3 tbsp fresh chopped herbs: thyme, sage and Italian parsley


Place bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Saute onions, celery and garlic in butter. Sweat for 10 minutes till tender. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and simmer 1 additional minute. Pour over bread and gently blend. Toss in fresh herbs. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more chicken stock if too dry. Allow stuffing to completely cool before stuffing bird.

Add On's

Italian sausage meat
Nuts: hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts
Dried cranberries
Artichoke hearts
substitute corn bread for wheat bread

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. My favourite way to eat them is just directly out of the pot! Have fun with them and add some different flavours. I will add some of mine after the recipe. The two key things to perfect mashed potatoes is low starch potatoes, my fav being Yukon golds, and a ricer. A ricer is a kitchen tool that looks like a large garlic press. After boiling the potatoes, they are pressed through the ricer giving them a "rice like" appearance. This guarantees lump free potatoes and not over mixing. Over mixing with develop the starch and cause gluey potatoes.

Basic Mashed Potatoes
serve 4

2/3lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream

Boil potatoes until tender, drain and pass through ricer and place in a bowl. In the pot melt butter, milk and sour cream. Once boiling tun heat off add potatoes in 1/4's and mix well. Season well with sea salt and white pepper.

Additions
horseradish
wasabi
cheddar cheese
chives
roasted or raw garlic

Let your imagination go wild.