Author: wendell

Carrot orange soup

2 medium leeks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 pounds carrot — trimmed, peeled, chopped
1 clove garlic
4 cups broth
2 small oranges
2 tablespoons yogurt — Greek
1 tablespoon chives — chopped for garnish
salt to taste

Trim roots from leeks. Remove tough dark greens. Split leeks lengthwise in half, and rinse well to remove any dirt or grit. Roughly chop the white and light green portion of the leeks. You should have about 2 cups.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped leeks. Cook and stir until leeks are soft but not brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in carrots and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 4 cups broth. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until carrots are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Finely grate orange zest into the soup. Then, squeeze the juice from the oranges and add the juice to the soup. Puree the soup in the pan using an immersion blender. (Alternatively, puree the soup in small batches in a blender. Return the soup to the pot.)

Heat pureed soup to a simmer. Add additional vegetable broth or water to adjust the thickness to the texture of a light cream soup. Season to taste with salt. Serve in warmed bowls topped with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chives.

Serve in warmed bowls topped with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chives.

Carrot Pudding – Gajar ki Kheer

1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups milk
3 cups carrots — peeled and grated
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup almonds — slivered blanched
2 tablespoons oil — or butter

Soak the saffron threads in 1/4 cup hot milk.

Peel and grate the carrots. In a large saucepan, boil the remaining quart of milk, sugar, cardamom, almonds, and butler over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the gated carrots and mix thoroughly, cooking for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the carrots are glazed and sticky. Pour the saffron milk over the mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve warm or cold.

Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese

1/2 pound pasta — ziti or macaroni
1 1/2 cups carrots — diced and cooked
2 cups milk
2 cups gruyere cheese — (about 6 ounces) grated
1 cup parmesan cheese — (about 4 ounces) grated
2 large eggs
3 slices white bread — roughly diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter — plus more for greasing
1 medium onion — diced
1 clove garlic — minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Pinch cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg — freshly grated
Kosher salt
8 ounces ham — thinly sliced deli-boiled or bacon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; toss with 1/4 cup milk.

Meanwhile, combine both cheeses in a bowl. Beat 1/4 cup milk and the eggs in another bowl; fold in the bread and add half of the cheese.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, 2 minutes. Cook the carrots with them. Sprinkle in the flour, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 3/4 cup water and the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk; bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese, then add the pasta and toss.

White-On-White Salad

2 large carrots — grated
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium pear — sliced or canned pears drained
2 cups lettuce — salad greens; boston lettuce is good

In a mixing bowl, combine the carrots, cottage cheese and lemon juice. Set aside.

Cut the pears into quarters and then into eighths.

Add the pear pieces to the carrot mixture and toss carefully to blend. Arrange the mixture on the salad greens and serve at once, sprinkling each serving with a dash of nutmeg.

NOTES : Here’s a tart, tasty salad to whip up and certain to please. Crunchy orange carrots contrast with pale, soft pears and stark, white chewy cheese curs, all blended together with tangy , yellow lemon juice and topped by a dash of perky, brown nutmeg.