Spring Vegetable Soup and Whole Wheat Buns

I'm here to summon spring to come as quickly as possible.  The cherry trees around my neighborhood should have been blooming outrageously by now.  But those pinkish fairies still haven't shown up yet. I am hoping that through cooking, I can make it look like spring is here.

This vegetable soup is delightful and refreshing.  By taking a further step in making the broth first with some basic ingredients and herbs and then straining the broth, the sweetness of the vegetables infiltrate the broth thoroughly without the mushy vegetables messing up the clearness of the soup. After making the broth, you can freeze it for later use.  The time taking to make the soup is short, depending on the vegetables you use.

Receipe: Spring Vegetable Soup

Adapted and modified from Cook's Illustrated May 1, 2001 

Ingredients:

Broth

1            medium carrot, minced

1            rib celery, minced

1-1/2     medium onions, minced

1            medium leek, white and light green parts only, rinsed thoroughly and minced 

3            cloves of garlic, unpeeled and crushed

1            Tbsp of olive oil

4            cups home made chicken broth*

3            cups water*

1/4         tsp whole black peppercorns, crushed

1            bay leaf

1            tsp dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh

5            parsley with stems

Soup

1           rib celery, chopped

1           medium carrots, cut into 1/4" thick rounds

2           medium leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" strips, rinsed thoroughly,         

6          small red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2" cubes

1          medium head broccoli, cut into small florets

2          cups baby spinach, if using regular spinach, remove the stems

Directions:

1. Broth:
• Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium heat.  Add carrot, celery, onions, leek and garlic. Cover and cook vegetables, stir occasionally, until veggies are softened, about 5 to 7 mins. 
• Add broth and water, black peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme and parsley.  Turn up the heat and bring it to a boil and turn it back down to simmer. Simmer until the broth is flavorful, about 20 to 30 mins. 
• Strain the broth, squeeze out juice from veggies and then discard the veggies.
2. Soup
• Bring broth to simmer over medium heat.  Add celery, carrots, leeks, potatoes. Simmer for 6 mins.  Add broccoli, simmer for another 3 mins or until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Stir in spinach.  Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

*Kitchen note: 

• The original recipe asks for store-bought chicken broth and 7 cups of the broth without water.  Since I was using home-made broth and I didn't like the chicken flavor to be too strong, I diluted it with water.
• You can try cooking with other ingredients.  Such as putting some diced tomatoes in and replacing potatoes with mini pasta; adding green peas in is also a very nice touch.

These whole wheat buns are soft and light in texture.  The original recipe is to make a loaf with raisin mixed in the dough and sugar sprinkle on top. The instruction below is simplified. If you are familiar with the no knead method of Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, same steps are taken in this recipe.  If you are not, please refer to my post on Light Whole Wheat Bread or their book for further details.

Recipe: Milk and Honey Whole Wheat Buns

Adapted from Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day

Ingredients:

4-3/4     cups whole wheat flour

4-1/2     cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1-1/2     Tbsp yeast, or 2 packets

1            Tbsp kosher salt

1/4         cup vital wheat gluten

2            cups milk

2            cups lukewarm water

1/3         cup honey

2            large egg

Extra milk for brushing the top

Directions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in the standing mixer with a dough hook attachment.  Whisk the wet ingredients together.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once. Stir all ingredients together in the mixer until all combined. No kneading is necessary.  
2. Put the dough into a 5 quart plastic container.  Cover with the lid ajar. Let it rest for 2 hours.
3. Close the lid (not air tight) and put in the fridge. Dough can be used over the next 10 days.
4. On baking day, cut up the dough and quickly shape it into ball shape with a wet hand. Each ball should be a size of a small orange. Put the dough on the baking sheet lied with parchment or silpat. Let the dough rest for an hour.
5. 30 mins before baking time, preheat oven to 375F. Position tray into middle of the oven. Just before baking, brush to top of the dough with milk.  Bake the dough for 25 mins, or until internal temperature reaches 200 - 210F.
6. Cool the buns before serving.

Zucchini two ways: Saute Zucchini with Corn, Zucchini with Dill

I did not hate vegetables when I was a kid. But I was not really fond of them either. I just did not have any special feeling about them.  They were just there in every meals, as an essential dish in a traditional Chinese meal. And the ways that they were cooked by my mom were very similar; stir-fry plain by itself or with some meats, adding some soy sauce or oyster for seasoning, or adding salt only. Sometimes, my mom also liked to boil, not steam, the vegetables in some flavored broth or salted water. When they were tendered, just poured some soy sauce or oyster sauce on top. That is the quickest and easiest way to make cooked veggies Chinese style. 

Not until the time that I lived by myself in Canada because my parents sometimes went back to their homeland to stay for an extended period of time that I started to cook for myself.  I was so busy and lazy at that time that I skipped the veggie dish sometimes. But I found out very quickly that there was something missing in my diet. I felt that I did not have a full meal.  When I started to make vegetable dish again, I realized how important it was.  The natural sweetness from the juice of the vegetables are magical. They help me to feel refreshed and revitalized my body. From then on, I hardly ever skipped my vegetable dish again.  

Even though I like almost all types of vegetables, zucchini is never my favorite kind.  I do not like to eat them raw as salad and if making stir-fry with it, the flavor get buried with all the sauce and the meats. They are never the star of the dish. But once I explored outside Asian cooking, I began to like it more and more.  The followings are two of my favorite zucchini recipes. Simple but delicious, with zucchini as the star of the dish.

The first one is a Mexican flavored Zucchini and Corn Saute.  The cumin and cilantro greatly enhance the flavor of the zucchini, accompanying by sweet corns, every bite is filled with the sweetness and juiciness of these two vegetables.  You can use frozen corns if you want to make it quicker.  But fresh corn really makes a difference in the taste of this dish.
 
Recipe:  Corn and Zucchini Saute
Adapted from Gourmet, September 2004


Ingredients:
2       Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4    cup sliced shallots (you can replaced it with scallions or onion)
1/2     tsp minced garlic
2       cups corn *
2        medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4" thick pieces
1/4     tsp ground cumin
1/8     tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat oil in a 12" heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.  Add shallots, stir and cook until softened, about 3 mins. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec.Add zucchini and 1/4 tsp salt, stir and cook until zucchini is half cooked,  about 4 mins, Add corn, cumin and cayenne, stir and continue to cook until zucchini are softened to a degree that you prefer, about 1 to 2 mins longer. Stir in cilantro.  Adjust taste with salt and pepper. 

*If using fresh corn, you can rinse the corn with water and wrap them in saran wrap. Microwave for 2 to 3 mins. Then cut out the corn.

The second dish is even more easier.  It is a great side dish for meat or fish. The recipe is originally from Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine but I forgot which issue it is. As with lots of other recipes in this magazine, you follow the instruction once and then do not need the recipe anymore. Here is my adaptation of the recipe. 

Recipe:  Zucchini and Dill
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Ingredients:
1  Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1   medium zucchini, cut crosswise into 2 halves; cut lengthwise into strips of about 1/2" wide
1   Tbsp lemon juice 
2   tsp or more fresh dills, chopped

Directions:
Heat oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat.  Add zucchini strips and a pinch of salt, cook until golden brown on all sides, flip occasionally, about 6 to 8 mins. Add lemon juice and fresh dills, toss a cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I usually add quite a bit of salt to balance the lemony taste.

 

Green Beans with Cumin and Fennel

I like learning how to make Indian dishes because I like playing around with spices.  I feel like a witch using magic ingredients to make potion. This simple vegetable dish is very similar to Chinese stir-fry.  You put the aromatics in, then the veggies, then the seasoning, some liquids, cover and wait, and then there it is, a magic potion for me to revitalize my day.  I need veggies everyday.

Kitchen notes:  I did not change much about the recipe since this is such a simple one.  I did increase the turmeric by a small amount because I like the smell of it. I also substituted parsley with cilantro because I did not have cilantro on hand.  But please do use cilantro. It gives a nice touch to the dish.

magic ingredients

Recipes:  Green Beans with Cumin and Fennel

Adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

Ingredients:

3     Tbsp canola oil

1     tsp whole cumin seeds

1     tsp whole fennel seeds

2     good-sized shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and cut into fine slices

1     garlic clove, peeled and cut into fine slices

1    1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very fine slivers

1    lb green beans, cut into 1" pieces

1    tsp ground coriander

1    tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup water

3/4 tsp salt

1    small tomato, chopped

3    Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the whole cumin and fennel seeds.  Stir for a few seconds and then add the shallots, garlic and ginger.  Stir for a minute or until lightly browned.
2. Add the beans and stir for another 2 mins.
3. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and stir for a few seconds.
4. Add water and salt and bring it to simmer. Stir and cover.  Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 5 mins.
5. Add the tomato and cilantro. Stir and cover.  Cook for another 4 to 5 mins oruntil the green beans are tender.

Stir Fried Celery and Carrots with Dried Tofu

Spring is on its way.  Pretty soon, the grass will be greener, the cherry blossom will be blooming; the dog will be happier since we will take him out more with nicer weather. This is just an anticipation.  The gloomy sky out there says nothing about spring.  To keep my hope alive, I need some spring colors.  Here is a simple stir-fry dish with lovely colors.

Kitchen notes:  

• The dried tofu is an extra firm tofu without much moisture. They usually come with different flavors and five spice is one of the most popular flavors. There are usually 4 pieces in a package. You can get it from most of the Chinese grocers. 
• To remove the strings of the celery, place the inside (the hollow side) of the celery stalk upward.  Cut the bottom white part close to the root slightly, not all the way through. Then bend the cut portion outward and pull towards the top of the stalk with the strings.  

Recipe:  Stir Fried Celery and Carrots with Dried Tofu

Serves 2 (double the recipe to serve more)

Ingredients:
1     Tbsp canola oil 
2     ribs of celery, cut into matchstick, around 1 1/2" long
1     small carrot, cut into match stick, around 1 1/2" long 
1     piece of five spice dried tofu, cut into match stick, around 1 1/2" long
1     Tbsp chicken or vegetable stock or water
1/4  Tsp salt
1     Tsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)
1     Tsp sesame oil

Directions: 

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Add the celery, stir fry for 2 mins.  Add the carrots, chicken stock and salt.  The moisture from the stock help the veggies to cook faster.  But too much moisture may steam the veggies instead. So avoid putting too much in. Stir fry until the veges start to soften, about 2 more mins.  Add the dried tofu and the cooking wine (optional). Toss everything together and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 mins or until the vegetables are tender.  You can add a little bit more chicken stock, one Tbsp at a time, if the pan is too dry and the veges start to brown. To finish off, add the sesame oil and stir fry for a few second.  Serve immediately.