Black Bean Soup With Hot Roast Pepper Cream for #SundaySupper

Nov 4, 2012 by

It’s November and the boots and coats are officially necessary when going outdoors. The weather has been terrible and watching the news has been quite depressing. Hurricane Sandy did some serious damage in the Caribbean as well as the East Coast of The United States and parts of Eastern Canada. My heart goes out to all those affected. While I was making this soup, I thought about my friends/family in Jamaica who went several days without electricity – and some without water. Thankfully, everything is returning to some sort of normal, as life indeed has to go on.

I really like this weeks theme for #SundaySupper. There’s nothing better than a home-made soul warming meal on a wet, cold, gloomy day. I don’t know about you guys, but I feel better when I’m with my family eating a nice soup or stew with the family! I was so impressed with the line up this week,  I encourage you all to check out the wonderful dishes prepared by my fellow food bloggers. This weeks #SundaySupper is being hosted by Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen.

My recipe today comes from a book I bought while I was in Jamaica last year called Caribbean Food Made Easy by Levi Roots. I didn’t have to make many changes at all. Most of the ingredients I already had on hand – whether in my fridge or in my pantry. I’m really thinking about having soup more often. My husband absolutely loved this soup and asked me to kindly note this soup as a definite favourite. Enough said! This soup made about 6-8 servings and I was able to freeze 3 servings for lunch this week.

I should note that I used Scotch Bonnet Pepper in this recipe. I have never been able to fully enjoy spicy food. Seriously. But somehow this soup hit the spot in the best way, because I enjoyed it immensely! I also did an extra step because I’m picky with my gravies and creams. I strained the pepper cream – which was a task because it is rather thick. This step is totally optional, but I do like the smooth creamy texture that resulted in me doing so.

 

Black Bean Soup With Hot Roast Pepper Cream

 

Black Bean Soup With Hot Roast Pepper Cream for #SundaySupper
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A hearty soup, perfect for the fall or winter season. Can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Jamaican
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • For the soup:
  • 1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Large Carrot, finely diced
  • 1 Stick of Celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1½ Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 900ml Carton Chicken Broth (I used no salt added)
  • 3 540ml/19oz Cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
  • Salt & Pepper
  • For the cream:
  • 2 Red Sweet Peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
  • ½ Scotch Bonnet Pepper, seeds removed
  • Olive Oil
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 2 oz Double Cream (I used Whipping Cream)
  • A pinch of Kosher Salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F (roast)
  2. Brush sweet peppers with olive oil (both sides) and roast for 30 minutes
  3. Place the peppers along with any juices into a blender along with the scotch bonnet, lime juice, cream and salt. Blend until smooth.
  4. Optional: strain the pepper cream and store in a jar.
  5. Refrigerate until needed.
  6. In a dutch oven, add the grapeseed oil and butter over medium-low heat.
  7. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
  8. Sautee for a few minutes and then add about 2 tbsp water. Cover for about 15 minutes. Check every few minutes to ensure that the vegetables do not burn.
  9. Add cumin and stir to combine
  10. Add black beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer
  11. Cover for about 20 minutes
  12. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes
  13. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth or a desired consistency is achieved
  14. Reheat the soup, stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  15. Serve hot with a few spoons of the pepper cream on top
Notes
Recipe from Caribbean Food Made Easy by Levi Roots

Black Bean Soup & Hot Roast Pepper Cream

 

I absolutely love the vibrant orange and the creamy texture of the Hot Roast Pepper Cream. For those who love the heat, use a whole scotch bonnet pepper. It’s only a few teaspoons of the cream that gets stirred into each serving of the soup. So the intensity of the pepper does get toned down a little bit.

 

Hot Roast Pepper Cream

 

Scotch Bonnet Peppers! A staple in every Jamaican home (well, almost every Jamaican home).

 

Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper

 

Photography by Lyn of The Lovely Pantry

Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream. A perfect appetizer or main for an autumn or winter night.

 

Here are the soul warming recipes brought to you by the #SundaySupper team! Please share, pin, email, print, make and enjoy!

Main Entrees: 

Chili/Stews:

Soups:

Desserts/Beverages:

Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

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Quinoa Brownies

Oct 18, 2012 by

Today, I’m doing a guest post for Kimberly over at Badger Girl Learns To Cook! Kimberly has a weekly feature called Healthy Blogger Thursdays and I was fortunate enough to be invited! I’m really happy to be a part of such a wonderful network of food bloggers. We truly support each other and get introduced to new bloggers regularly. Check out Kimberly’s blog and follow her culinary journey focusing on clean eating and using whole foods in her diet. You’ll also be introduced to such amazing health conscious bloggers that inspire with wonderful recipes, health tips, and other health related topics.

Todays recipe is just so simple. I’m going to call it healthy because my favourite superfood is included and you probably wouldn’t even know. I rave about Quinoa all the time because of its wonderful benefits and versatility. I adapted this recipe from Donna Hay’s cookbook “Fast, Fresh, Simple”. The original title is “Standby Brownies” since cocoa powder is used instead of melting chocolate. Please visit Kimberly’s blog for the full recipe and my very first guest post 🙂

Quinoa Brownies

 

Sometimes you just really need a chocolate fix. I do, all the time! Quinoa Brownies certainly hit the spot ~ especially with a glass of really cold Almond Milk.

 

Quinoa Brownies

 

I just love Kimberly’s “can-do” attitude towards eliminating processed foods and learning how to cook! It’s both refreshing and inspiring! Thank you Kimberly for including me as part of your Healthy Blogger Series!

 

~Lyn

 

 

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Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup for #SundaySupper

Oct 7, 2012 by

Its Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and my family and I are having a great time celebrating family, birthdays and friendships. We have so much to be thankful for!

Earlier this week while I was preparing for the weekend meals, I picked up some pumpkin…without knowing what I was going to make with it. I came across this recipe and I was sold! I don’t make soup very often but I surprised myself with this one. It was simple, awesome and perfect for #SundaySupper. This weeks #SundaySupper theme is All Things Orange, showcasing some wonderful Autumn recipes from some of our fabulous food bloggers. Look out for a wonderful selection of recipes using ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, to name a few. I’m so excited to see all the wonderful creations! This is my first season actually cooking with pumpkin so I know I’m going to be inspired. This is truly my favourite season!

This weeks host is Pam from The Meltaways! As always, please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day for #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favourite recipes featuring our favourite fall colour. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat. We’d also love to feature your recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

I hope my Mother is reading this post. She will be pleasantly surprised to know that I actually cut up and roasted pumpkin. *gasp* Ok so I didn’t do all the work. I bought a piece of pumpkin weighing about a kilogram. I removed the skin, chopped it into cubes, then roasted it. Originally, I was going to use the canned pumpkin puree but I really wanted to cook with the real thing. It may have taken me a few minutes longer to prepare, but I believe it was worth it. The flavour says it all!

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup for #SundaySupper
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A healthy soup that's comforting, filling and dairy free. A perfect starter or main.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup, Starter, Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • ½ Tsp Cinnamon
  • ½ Tsp chilli powder
  • ½ Tsp cumin
  • ½ Tsp nutmeg
  • ½ Tsp thyme
  • 3 Cups Low Sodium chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 3 Cups Pumpkin Puree (I chose to roast 1Kg/2LB of pumpkin)
  • 1 Cup coconut milk
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a rimmed baking sheet, add diced pumpkin and sprinkle with olive oil
  2. Roast for 40 minutes in a 375F oven
  3. In a medium saucepan, heat oil on medium high heat
  4. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes
  5. Add spices and cook for about a minute, stirring until combined
  6. Add broth and pumpkin, combine using an immersion blender until a smooth consistency is achieved (about a minute)
  7. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes
  8. Stir in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper
  9. Remove from heat. Serve with warm, buttered crusty bread
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Best Of Clean Eating 2, Page 93

 

I picked up this piece of pumpkin at the Asian supermarket. It happened to be labelled “Jamaican Pumpkin” so that I would pick it up. I prefer buying pumpkin pre-cut anyway. Less chance of me wasting it. This portion was just right for what I needed it for.

Jamaican Pumpkin

 

I liked the simplicity of this recipe. I loved the use of coconut oil as well as coconut milk. This soup is just bursting with goodness. I really missed the presence of chicken or even yellow yams and dumplings in my soup. Perhaps that addition will be made after my next visit to the Asian supermarket.

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

 

This could be the perfect appetizer for an Autumn dinner, and a great choice for entertaining.

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

 

A warm crusty bread, like Ciabatta is a lovely compliment to this soup.

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup with Ciabatta Bread

 

 

Here’s the lineup for this weeks #SundaySupper:

 

Sunrise  (Breakfast and Brunch)

 

High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)

 

Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)

 

By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)

 

 

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Rice and Crunchy Baked Chicken with Vegetables, Guest Post by Sandra of Sandra’s Easy Cooking

Aug 10, 2012 by

Today I have a very special guest post by Sandra of Sandra’s Easy Cooking. Sandra was one of the first food bloggers that I came across shortly after joining Foodbuzz a year ago. Ever since, I have been enjoying Sandra’s recipes, stories and photographs. Sandra is one of the nicest foodies that I have come across and I’m so glad I met her. Please check out her blog and see the healthy meals that she creates. She’s a woman with my own heart! We eat to live and take great care in what we put into our bodies! A few of my favourites from Sandra are: Caribbean Chicken Curry With Rice, Dinner Frittata, and Thai Green Chicken Curry, as well as Banana and Apple Nut Muffins! Guys, if you don’t know of Sandra, please go to her blog and get to know her! 

Sandra, thank you for taking time from your busy schedule in order to contribute to The Lovely Pantry! I understand the limited time we mothers have when we have little ones, so please know how much I appreciate you!

Enjoy today’s post by Sandra: Rice & Crunchy Chicken with Vegetables.

***

My name is Sandra from Sandra’s Easy Cooking. I am honored and grateful that Lyn asked me to guest post here on her beautiful blog while she is on vacation. I enjoy spending time here looking at her amazing pictures as my mouth is watering every time I visit.

I have great meal for you all today. It is nutritious and delicious like my eldest son would say.

My blog is full of balanced meals and I try to keep it that way in hope that my readers can have and find an idea what to make for their next meal. I tend to try always something new and experiment with other cuisines so this particular recipe have a lot of Asian influences. Since I am cooking at least twice a week Asian based meals, I wanted to share this recipe with Lyn’s readers too. 

Now let me show you how I made this delicious and pretty easy dish.

 

Rice and Crunchy Chicken with Vegetables. Photography by Sandra of Sandra’s Easy Cooking

 

 

5.0 from 5 reviews
Rice and Crunchy Chicken with Vegetables, Guest Post by Sandra of Sandra's Easy Cooking
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp. Oil
  • 1 head of Broccoli, cut the florets
  • 1 head of Gai Choy {bok choy or savoy cabbage if neither is available}
  • 1 red Bell Pepper
  • 2 large Carrots
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1 tbs. Soy Sauce
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Marinate:
  • 1 tbs. Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbs. Honey
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • ¼ tbs sea salt
  • ¼ cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  • Sprinkle of Crushed Red pepper
  • For chicken you will need:
  • 4 Chicken fillets
  • 2 eggs, beat
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 2 cups of Bread Crumbs
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper
  • Rice:
  • 3 cups of short grain Rice
  • 4 cups of water
  • Pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Chicken
  2. Mix the ingredients for the marinate and add chicken fillets; it can marinate for few hours or over night in a bag or airtight container {refrigerate}. Mix the eggs, and in other 2 bowls add in each all-purpose flour and Bread crumbs. Season the bread crumbs with pinch of salt and pepper. Preheat the oven on 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip the chicken starting first with flour, than egg, flour, egg and finally bread crumbs. Chicken fill be completely coded. On a baking sheet line parchment paper and place the chicken on it. Bake for 20-25 minutes; if the fillets are thicker allow it to bake for up to 35 minutes.
  3. Rice:
  4. Put the rice in a large bowl and wash it with cold water. Repeat washing until the water becomes almost clear; drain. Place the rice in the pot and double the amount of water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Turn the heat down to low and cook about 20 minutes, or until the water is almost gone. Stop the heat and let it steam for about 15 minutes before opening the lid. Fluff the rice with rice spatula
  5. Vegetables:
  6. Boil the salted water and drop the gai choy. Let it cook for 2 minutes in a boiling water; drain and set aside.
  7. Put a Wok or large skillet and heat over medium high temperature, add oil and vegetables. Stir fry for few minutes and sprinkle with crushed red peppers and pinch of sea salt. Pour Chicken or Vegetables stock to enhance the flavor; Continue to stir fry until the vegetables are tender yet crisp {2-3 minutes}. In a last few seconds add splash of Soy sauce, stir and serve.

 

Vegetables. Photography by Sandra of Sandra’s Easy Cooking

 

Rice and Crunchy Chicken with Vegetables. Photography by Sandra of Sandra’s Easy Cooking

 

Rice and Vegetables. Photography by Sandra of Sandra’s Easy Cooking

 

I made two versions, one for meat lovers and the other for vegetarians. So use your imagination and add your twist on this dish.

 

Serve it HOT and Enjoy!

 

Thank you Lyn for inviting me today to be your guest, and thank you all for reading!

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Mixed Mashed Roots, Guest Post by Sofie of The German Foodie

Jul 10, 2012 by

Hi friends! Its been a little while since my last post – and I have an awesome excuse! I am in beautiful Jamaica spending some time with my loved ones. I really needed a break and I’m embracing my time here completely. I’ve had a weeks worth of rest so far and look forward to getting out and about, to experience my most favourite foods and places. I’ll be sure to have fun with my friends, take lots of photographs, collect Jamaican Cook Books and  most important of all – get some sand between my toes! Time with my family and friends is something I treasure deeply. It’s really good to be home!

While I’m away, I have some fantastic friends who have been so kind to guest post for me. I can’t tell you enough how excited I am to have a few of my favourite food bloggers share great healthy meals right here at The Lovely Pantry!

To kick things off, Sofie is going to share her own personal family recipe – Mixed Mashed Roots. Brilliant! Why didn’t I think of doing this? For those who don’t know Sofie, she’s this really smart and cool lady that loves to cook and bake. Sofie inspires me with her German recipes and gorgeous food photography. We are regular participants in #SundaySupper and members of the Food Bloggers NetworkPlease visit her blog called The German Foodie. I want to try EVERY recipe on her blog. A few of my favourites are: Strawberry Shortcake, Sofie’s Southern Corn Fritters, and German Cheesecake. Sofie, perhaps now is a great time to tell you that I have made your Corn Fritters about 3 times. The fritters always seem to disappear before I get to take photographs and actually create a post. I will make them again and again!

I’m so glad to have met Sofie. Please enjoy her post today.

***

I am an expat German living in Northeast Ohio, and blogging mostly about authentic German food and my own original recipes inspired by German food. Having grown up in the border region with France in a very cosmopolitan city, even for its size, I am also drawn to all sorts of ethnic recipes.

I have been baking ever since I could hold a spoon, and it is my great passion in life. I have somehow always baked. I love to explore and experiment, to create and yes, eat what I have created. I am not just a consummate baker; I like to cook as well, especially seasonally.

I am thrilled to be guest posting at the Lovely Pantry today, and since Lyn specifically requested something healthy, I decided to pull something out of my cooking hat that’s been a popular side dish in our household for years. It’s also one of the ways I can get my husband to eat potatoes without complaining (he’s not a huge fan of potatoes).

This is a simple dish, and one you can either make in a vegetable mill (moulin à légumes), with a potato masher, or simply in a food processor. I like mine chunky, so whatever the veggie mill produces is fine with me – if you like yours smoother, pass it through a fine-meshed strainer as a last step.

Mashed Roots – Photography by Sofie Dittman of The German Foodie

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Mixed Mashed Roots
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • ¾ lb (350 g) potatoes
  • 2 lb (900 g) yams
  • 1⅓ lb (600 g) carrots
  • 1 – 2 medium onions
  • Olive oil
  • Salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Peel and cut all vegetables into chunks about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length and put in a stockpot (about 8 quart or 7.5 liters capacity).
  2. Add one tablespoon of salt, a little olive oil and enough water to comfortably cover all of the vegetable pieces.
  3. Bring to a boil and then cook until all ROOTS are tender (they should be on the soft side). Strain the broth and save in a bowl.
  4. Mash all of the vegetables until they become creamy and no large chunks are left. If needed, add some broth to achieve the desired consistency.
  5. Add salt and pepper (and more olive oil if desired) to taste.
  6. Serve warm as a side dish.
  7. Serves 4 – 6.

 

Mashed Roots – Photography by Sofie Dittman of The German Foodie

 

Mashed Roots – Photography by Sofie Dittman of The German Foodie

 

Mashed Roots – Photography by Sofie Dittman of The German Foodie

 

 

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