Category Archives: Vegetarian Dish

Leek and Brie Soup En Croute

Soups make a greater part of our week night’s meal in the winter months. It is easy to whip up some soup and toast some bread to dip when you don’t want to prepare an elaborate menu in the cold nights. We love to have a warm bowl of soup and watch our favorite television show all snuggled up on the sofa. Sometimes a salad or a grilled chicken or vegetables come as a side but mostly it is soup and toasty bread. So I am always in a hunt for various soup recipes and try the ones which are easy and quick to prepare. I tried my hands in preparing various Chinese, Italian, Indian and American soups to suit our versatile palate. However, when this ‘leek and brie soup en croute’ was served as an appetiser to us at the Holiday party last year, at the very first sip I was bowled over by its creamy smoothness and a mild flavor covered up in a melt in the mouth pastry.

At home I tried to recreate the same remembering the taste and flavor and came up with this recipe. Since then I have prepared it quite a number of times and every time this one is a winner.

Leek is a vegetable from the onion family and so it imparts a mild flavor like onion in the dish. I paired it up with some minced garlic and green onion. Brie is a kind of cheese with a creamy texture and a mild flavor. The rich smooth and creamy texture of the soup comes from this cheese. Sometimes I prepare this as a simple soup and when I am in a mood I cover it up with a homemade pastry .This is my version of preparing the soup.

Leek and Brie Soup En croute

Recipe serves: 2 people

2/3 cup brie rind removed and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups chopped leek
2-3 garlic cloves minced finely
3 stalks of green onion
3 cups vegetable stock
¼ cup cream
2 table spoons flour
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
Salt to taste
Pastry dough
1 egg lightly beaten

For Pastry dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounce cold butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
Ice cold water as needed to make the dough

To make the Pastry Dough

In a big bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add in the butter and oil and mix in with your fingers till it gets coarse sand like texture. Add the ice cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and make dough out of it. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface and wrap in a cling wrap and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the soup.

First to chop the leeks, discard the tuff green leafy portion and the root tips. Now finely chop the lighter green or white portion and rinse it very well in a colander under running water. Leeks have dirt in them so rinsing them thoroughly is very important. Chop the white part of the green onions as well and reserve the green part for garnish. In a heated stock pot add the butter and oil and add the chopped leeks, green onions and minced garlic and sauté. Add the white pepper powder and salt as per taste. Be careful with the salt as the cheese adds to saltiness in the soup. Now add 2 cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the leeks are very tender. Cool and blend the mixture in batches until smooth.

Bring the blended mixture back to the pan. Make a smooth mixture of flour with ½ cup of vegetable stock and add to the leek mixture. Add the remaining stock and the cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Slowly add the chunks of brie and let it melt. Slowly stir the mixture. Cook till the soup is thick and the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning.

Pre heat the oven to 400 F. Ladle the soup between two oven proof soup bowls or casseroles. Divide the pastry sheet into two portions and roll out each portion into a disc about the size of the diameter of the soup bowl. Brush the sides of the bowl with the beaten egg and place the rolled pastry over and press the sides of the rim to seal. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash and if you wish decorate with some cut outs of the pastry trimmings. Brush the cutouts with egg wash as well. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes in the oven or till the pastry is puffed up and lightly golden in color.

After it comes out of the oven let it stand for 5 minutes. Enjoy with some salad as a side.

Tips:

It is very important to clean the leeks in running before cooking. You can use chicken stock to enhance the flavor. The pastry dough stays good for a week in the fridge and for a month in the freezer. You can skip making the pastry dough and use a store bought puff pastry sheet instead. You can even serve the soup as is, without the en croute and garnish with some chopped green onions and serve with toasted French bread.

Sending this warm bowl of creamy soup to Sayantani’s Winter Warmer Recipes where she is also giving away E-Gift Coupon sponsored by couponation to a luck draw winner.

Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash and a hint of Saffron

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When the weather is bright and sunny with a slight chill in the air and you hear faint sound of the jingle bells, you would not like to stay home. With lights everywhere at night, the decorated Christmas trees, the extended store hours announce the holidays are here. I am now in a shopping spree, busy buying gifts for family and friends and for our home. This is the best time for shopping as you have so many choices and deals. We did night long shopping on black Friday; standing in a long queue in a foggy night. It was fun.

Though I am busy in shopping, I am busy at home as well, baking cookies, breads and cakes for the Holidays. Just could not manage to put together everything and blog. So you know the reasons for my hiatus from the blogging world. I have a series of recipes in draft and I will be sharing with you soon, so stay tuned.

Today I would like to share with you an Italian recipe. Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked in a stock or broth to a creamy consistency mostly by using parmesan cheese, butter and onion. It is prepared with special short grain rice called Arborio. The rice has a chewy and creamy texture and has high starch content. It can be prepared using meat or fish but today’s recipe is a complete vegetarian version. Give this recipe a try and I hope you will like it.

Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash and a hint of Saffron

Recipe serves: 2-4 people

1 butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 cup Arborio rice
6 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chopped onions
½ cup white wine (optional)
Few strands of saffron
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Italian parsley for garnishing

At first preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Next in a baking sheet toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper as per taste. Roast it for 25-30 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile in a big saucepan simmer the vegetable stock. Now in a heavy bottom pan melt the butter and sauté the onions in a low flame for 3-4 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and sauté it well so that the grains of rice get well coated in butter. Now add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the wine is absorbed. Now add 2 ladles of vegetable stock and let it simmer for five to ten minutes. Add the saffron, salt and pepper as per taste and stir. When the stock is absorbed continue to add two ladles of stock at a time and stir frequently. Each time add the stock when the mixture seems to be a little dry and continue to cook until the mixture is creamy and the rice is cooked through.

Switch off the heat, add the roasted butternut squash and grated parmesan cheese. Mix in well. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Tips:

The rice needs time to cook and adding two ladles of the stock at a time makes it creamier. You may omit the wine and use stock itself but wine gives a flavor to the dish. The consistency of the final dish should be creamy and not too dry. The saffron adds a subtle color and flavor to the dish.

Eggless Egg Curry : A Special Vegetarian Dish

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First of all I should tell you don’t get confused by the name. It is a very interesting recipe and you will be amazed by the final result.

My mom came up with this recipe long back and surprised her guests at the parties. I am not sure from where she got this recipe, but I would like to give the credit to my mom.

It is an exquisite dish to serve at a party or in any special occasion. The soft and tender balls of paneer with the stuffing, soaked in a creamy sauce, are a real winner at any parties. It is a complete vegetarian dish and may be served with rice or chapattis.

Eggless Egg Curry

Recipe: serves 2-4 people

Recipe source: my mom

For the paneer balls and the stuffing:

4 cups of whole milk
¼ cup lemon juice to curdle the milk and make chhena
1 cup of chana dal or cholar dal soaked overnight in water
1 green chilli
1 inch ginger
2 teaspoons of garam masala
1 teaspoon of nutmeg powder
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons oil to make the stuffing
2 teaspoons of corn flour
Oil for frying the paneer balls

For the gravy

¼ teaspoon whole cumin
1 bay leaf
Whole garam masala (1 clove, 2 green cardamoms, 1 small stick of cinnamon)
1 table spoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon ginger paste
8-10 cashew nuts soaked in warm water and made into a smooth paste
1 cup whisked yogurt
1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
2 teaspoons ghee or clarified butter
Green or red chillies for garnishing

For the paneer balls:

First bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed pan stirring occasionally. When the milk starts boiling add the lemon juice mixed with two tablespoons of water gradually and stir the milk gently. When the milk starts to curdle, switch off the heat. Once the milk fat separates from the whey, drain it on a strainer lined with cheese cloth. Now rinse the chhena or Indian cottage cheese in cold water and squeeze well. Hang it for a while and then place it on the kitchen counter and keep a heavy object over it. You can use a pressure cooker filled with water. Let it sit for some time but make sure that chhena is not too dry. Now take the chhena on a flat plate and add 2 teaspoons of flour and start kneading it with the back of your palm for about two to three minutes until smooth. Add ¼ teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and mix well. Cover the dough with a cling wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for some time.

Drain the chana dal and blend it with a green chilli and ginger. Blend it smooth. In a pan add oil and heat. Add the blended dal and add the spices, salt and sugar into it. Mix in well. Keep on stirring the mixture till it releases from the sides of the pan. The stuffing is ready. Remove from pan and cool.

Take the chhena and divide into 4-6 balls depending on the size.

Divide the stuffing into equal portions and make small balls out of them. Taking one paneer ball at a time, flatten it on your palm and try to make a bowl shape. Insert a stuffing ball into it and cover from all sides. Try and give it an egg like shape. Dust with corn flour and fry until golden in color. Repeat with the rest of the balls and stuffing.

To prepare the gravy,in a wok add oil and when the oil is hot add the whole cumin, bay leaf and the whole garam masala. When the masala starts to pop, add the ginger paste and the dry spices except the garam masala. Add two table spoons of water and stir. When raw smell of the spices is gone add the cashew nut paste and the whisked yogurt. Add water and mix in very well and let it cook for a while. Check for seasoning. Keep stirring and when the gravy is thick add the garam masala and the ghee. Cover and let it stand for five minutes.

Finally cut each paneer ball length wise and serve with the gravy. Garnish with slit chillies.

Tips:

This recipe involves several steps so you can make the paneer and the stuffing days ahead and do the final steps later. While adding the dry spices in the oil I prefer to mix it in a bowl with two table spoons of water. That way the spices do not burn.

Linking this to: Festive Food and Spotlight