Me and Earth Day...Hmmm??!!!

So I dont believe in celebrating Earth Day...

Now, wait a minute...you are probably thinking...she is a selfish grinch who does not want to give back to Mother Earth!Like the storied Grinch who stole Christmas...am i about to steal Earth Day??

Well, before you label me like that, let me get on my soap-box and start my rant...my fave thing to do! I dont believe Earth Day should be a Single day of celebration...in my opinion, Earth Day should be more of a mind-set and a year-round celebration! What do I  mean?

Well, I believe that the best way to get our future generations to believe in the precious-ness(if that is a word) of nature is by slowly adopting a lifestyle where we Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in little ways...the other thing to  do...that is practical, would be to use more natural, simple ingredients as opposed to refined, highly-processed ingredients in our lifestyle, like say, in our cooking style(Hullo...Healthful Decadence!). Also, I dont mean throw out everything that is refined, artificial or processed...I believe in Moderation with everything in life...so I am making changes only where it is practically possible...with two kids, jobs and busy lifestyles, it is just not possible to eat all raw food, wear bark and leaves and go live in the heart of nature and extreme things like that, I think:))

What do you all think??? I would love to know!

So, here is to a more Earthy Lifestyle!!!

Now, here is a  recipe for moderation...mostly natural ingredients and one or two store-bought ones(what, I never said I am a tree-hugger:))

In this soup, I did not use any stock...just lots of Black-eyed Peas to give the soup some thickness...so this goes to MLLA # 22 hosted by RuchikaCooks and started by Susan.

Recipe for Southwestern Style Asparagus  and Black-eyed Pea Soup:

Serves: 2 or 3

Prep/cook time: 30mins - 35 mins.

Ingredients:

Black eyed Peas - 1 cup pressure-cooked till soft(takes about 3 or 4 whistles on my pressure cooker)

Asparagus - 1 bunch chopped

Green Bell Pepper - 1 chopped

Garlic and Ginger Paste - 2 tsp(or more if you like a garlicky taste, like me)

Tomato - 1 chopped

Cummin powder (jeera powder)- 2 tsp

Cooking oil - 1 or 2 tsp

For seasoning: salt, pepper, cilantro, thick yoghurt - 1 or 2 tsp per person and cilantro(tomato salsa would also be a good soup topper)

Method:

In a pan, add the oil and the ginger-garlic paste...let it cook for a minute or so.

Then, add the chopped vegs. and let it saute for a few minutes till the vegs. turn soft(takes 7 or 8 minutes)

Now, add the cooked black-eyed peas and all the seasonings except yoghurt and cilantro. Let cook for a couple of minutes and take off the heat and let cool for a few minuttes.

Finally, blend everything to a fine soupy consistency. If the soup seems too thick add a little water and let simmer again for few minutes.Serve warm or at room temperature topped with black pepper, cilantro, a few dollops of thick yoghurt(I like Greek Yoghurt here) and maybe, some tomato salsa.

This would be great served with some hearty bread, pasta or even as a dipper for tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Comfort Foods Series #2 - Winter Delight Clear Orange Soup

I seem to be in a soup mode, currently...this is my second posting for a soup recipe in the last week. However, there is a reason to this (soup)obsession. We have been seeing a steady stretch of rains here in the Bay Area for the last couple of weeks. Nothing like "snowmageddon" in the East Coast, of course and our East Coast friends envy us Californians for that. But, be that as it may be...we still get some chilly 40 degree evenings:)) and that makes us turn to soups for our evening meal.

The inspiration for this soup comes from a friend who served it as an appetiser, that was much appreciated by all at a dinner she hosted. The cook  time is less than 10 minutes and the only real prep work is to juice the oranges needed for the soup. Of course, the key lies in choosing the oranges that yield the maximum amount of juice. For this, the tip I have found useful for selecting juicy varieties is that the thicker the skin, the more juice it yields and also, the stronger the scent that it has, the greater the quantity of juice yielded. Here in California, I have used both the Navel Oranges and Valencia Oranges with equal success for this recipe.

This soup I have here, is not a one-pot meal like most other soups I  make - lentils soups or veggie soups or pasta soups...it is actually more of a warm appetiser, perrrrfect for a chilly evening...so here is wishing warm and toasty evenings for our friends in colder climes.


This soup recipe goes to the Healthy Inspirations Event - Soups  hosted by Usha of  Veg Inspirations.

Recipe for Winter Delight Clear Orange Soup:
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Serves - 4
Prep time - 10 minutes
Cook time - 7 to 10 minutes


Ingredients:


Oranges - 8 to 10 (I have used both the Valencia and Navel Orange varieties with equal success for the quantity of juice)
Cummin(jeera) powder - 1tsp
Green chillies - 2 (cut in small pieces or slit in half, according to taste)
For seasoning: salt, black pepper,  cummin seeds(jeera) - 1tsp, cilantro(coriander) leaves, ghee(clarified butter) - 1tsp, sugar(optional)




Method:


Extract juice from the oranges(some pulp is okay in the recipe) and keep aside.


In a pan, add the ghee(clarified butter) and when it is heated, add the green chillies, cummin seeds and all the seasonings except cilantro(coriander leaves).


When the cummin seeds start to crackle, add the freshly squeezed orange juice.


Let the mixture boil for a few minutes till the soup starts to foam, just for 5 minutes or so.


Once the raw smell of the juice disappears, take the pan off the heat(do not overboil, since the soup may then turn bitter).


If the juice of the oranges is not very sweet, a little sugar would help.


Once off the heat, add the cilantro(coriander) leaves for garnish.


Serve piping hot.


This recipe is an easy - fix and the many health benefits of oranges( like the fact that they are loaded with Vitamin C - 116% DV, dietary fiber, folate and Vitamin B) are an added bonus, I guess.