Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with White Truffle Oil

Just before the holidays I made my weekend trip to the Farmer's Market and came across something that was completely new to me - Jerusalem Artichokes, to be exact. Earth-toned in color, knobby and covered in dirt (the way REAL food should be!), it was definitely not the prettiest vegetable I'd ever seen. Curiosity (as usual) got the best of me as I approached the farmer selling them to ask my 21 questions (What are these!? How long is the season for them? How do you like to cook them and what do you like to eat with them!?). If I can give you one tip, it's to never be afraid to talk to the farmers and ask them any questions you have about their products (okay maybe don't actually ask them 21 questions as I'm sure they are tired enough from getting up at 5am to load their trucks and get to the market on time!). Guaranteed though, they'll be more than happy to answer your questions. Their product is like their art - hard work, time and skill brought together to produce something that they're so proud of.

So as the farmer’s telling me how he likes to eat them (raw!) the lady standing next to me was shovelling 2 lbs worth of jerusalem artichokes into her bag and enthusiastically said to us "I like to scrub em, leave the skins on and roast them with salt and pepper, they're delicious!" Somebody that excited about a tuber? That's all I needed to know. Also known as sunchokes they are a good source of iron, phosphorus and potassium. In its raw state I found them similar in texture to water chestnuts and potatoes. When cooked they have an incredible flavour I can't even describe with hints of sweetness and nuttiness. I thought anise type flavours would pair well with them so I incorporated fresh fennel and tarragon into my recipe.

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with White Truffle Oil
Makes 3 litres

1 1/2 pounds Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled and sliced
1 cup leeks, small diced
l large shallot (1/4 cup), small diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup fennel, small diced (reserve fennel fronds for garnish)
¼ cup butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1L vegetable stock
1L chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
sea salt t.t (to taste)
fresh cracked black pepper t.t (to taste)
1 cup cream (optional)
white truffle oil to finish (optional)

1. Melt butter in a large pot, add olive oil.
2. Add leeks and shallot and sweat until softened (do not allow to color/caramelize).
3. Add garlic and sweat until softened. Add jerusalem artichokes and cover with vegetable stock and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then simmer until jerusalem artichokes are
soft. Add tarragon.
4. Using a hand blender puree until smooth or puree in a blender in small batches.
5. If using cream, add, return to a boil and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
6. Ladle soup into bowls, add a few drops of truffle oil and a sprig of tarragon or fennel fronds to garnish.

*Tip* Before serving, pour hot water into bowls to warm, it makes all the difference!

Carrot and Chickpea Soup w/ Crispy Pancetta and Truffled Honey Popcorn

Okay here goes, I’m about to tell you how my brain works when I come up with new ideas! It’s definitely soup season here and I’ve been meaning to make a carrot soup, of course not just any ol carrot soup! Actually the more I think about it I know exactly how this particular dish evolved…it started this afternoon when I was eating roasted vegetable hummus and thought chickpeas, that would be good with carrots! I thought it would add some body to the soup as well as a bit of creaminess without having to add cream. Later I was at the gym doing my cardio while watching the food network (It’s extremely tragic that I don’t have cable at the moment, so this is the only chance I get to watch my food tv!) and was watching caramel popcorn being made when I thought popcorn…that could definitely work as a garnish! It would add some crunch to the creamy soup, as well visual appeal. Thinking about popcorn reminded me of this time I had popcorn drizzled with truffle oil. (This is where the wheels really started turning) and I remembered I had some truffled honey that I brought back from Italy and both truffles and honey would work nicely with carrots. I needed something to hold the popcorn garnish so it wouldn't get all soggy and melt into the soup, when I thought of pancetta, which would add a nice saltiness and crispy texture to the smooth soup as well. Visualizing how I would serve it, I realized it needed a bit more color then the orange soup, red pancetta and white popcorn which made me think of dill, which goes great with carrots and would add a nice touch of green. Soo that is my thought process! Sometimes I think it's a great concern how much I think about food...! Above is a pic of the delicious truffled honey which I drizzled on the popcorn. I could eat this stuff by the spoonfuls!
Carrot and Chickpea Soup w/ Crispy Pancetta and Truffled Honey Popcorn
8 local carrots, small diced
1 white onion, small diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk of celery, small diced
2 cups cooked chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse)
8 cups chicken stock (I used organic veg stock this time)
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped, reserve some for garnish
honey to taste (regular honey, optional depending on how sweet your carrots are)
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Garnishes:
pancetta, pan fried (or baked) till crispy
popcorn
truffled honey (or regular honey)
fresh dill
*another option is to finish the soup with truffle oil or fresh truffles if you can get your hands on them*

1. Heat oil in a big pot and sweat off onions, then carrot and celery, then garlic and ginger until soft. Add in chickpeas
2. Add stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Use a hand blender, regular blender or food processor, puree until smooth.
3. Season to taste and finish with dill.

Spicy Tortilla Soup & Spelt Cornbread with Jalapeno Honey Butter

I had a version of this soup at this modern Mexican restaurant the other night and have been wanting to try my own rendition of it since. It also gave me a reason to make one of my favorite sides that I thought would go nicely along with it, cornbread! I absolutely love cornbread and wanted to do a healthier version then my usual recipe, this time using whole grain spelt flour and a touch of Robin Hood nutri blend flour (a mix of white flour and ground wheat bran). I also used less white sugar and some agave syrup as well. (Honey or maple syrup would work well too). The base for this soup is so simple yet so tasty but I think the real highlight is all the garnishes, fresh farmers market tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, crispy oven baked tortilla strips, shredded chicken and a squeeze of lime. This is one soup I can eat in the summertime!

Spicy Tortilla Soup
8 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 28 oz can San marzano tomatoes
1 white onion, fine diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, fine diced
1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp sugar
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Garnishes
4 skinless chicken thighs (or 2 cups cooked roasted chicken, shredded)
2 avocados, cut in half
2 limes, cut in wedges
1 bunch cilantro
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 soft tortilla shells
oil,cumin, chipotle chili powder, salt

1. If using raw chicken thighs: In a stock pot bring chicken stock to a simmer and place chicken thighs in it. Poach until done. Remove chicken thighs, let cool and shred. Remove excess fat from chicken stock.
2. In another pot add a little oil and saute onion and garlic just until soft. Add 1/2 the can of tomatoes, chicken stock, sugar and spices in. Using a hand blender puree until smooth. Add the rest of the tomatoes in and the shredded chicken
3. While soup is simmering pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut tortillas into strips, toss with oil and spices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake in oven until crispy approx 5-10 min
4. To serve place half an avocado in the bottom of the bowl, ladle soup on top, place tortilla strips into the avocado, and cherry tomatoes and cilantro in the middle, serve with lime wedges.

Spelt Cornbread
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup Robin Hood nutri blend flour (or use 1/4 white flour and 1/4 whole
wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixer blend egg, oil, sugar, agave nectar, vanilla and buttermilk together. In a separate bowl combine flours, salt and baking powder.
2. Slowly add dry mixture into the wet mixture. Add in cornmeal
3. Place in a greased 9" square pan and bake for 35 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

Jalapeno Honey Butter
1 cup softened salted butter
1 jalapeno, fine diced, reserve a sprinkle for the top
2 tbsp honey

1. Combine all ingredients together. Sprinkle extra jalapeno on top and a drizzle of honey

Cravin a feel good meal: Crunchy Walnut Lentil Burgers & Roasted Red Bell Pepper Tomato Soup

After going to the gym today I was craving something healthy and satisfying and it came to me, lentil burgers! I know I know, it doesn't sound that exciting but I have been wanting to do my own spin on a good ol veggie burger for awhile now. Now by no means am I vegetarian! I love my meat but sometimes this can be just as satisfying! I've also been wanting to make more homemade soups, I don't have that hand blender for nothing and on those rainy Vancouver days sometimes that's all you want! So I headed down to my local produce store, known by everyone in the area as the cheapest produce in town. It's tiny and always packed and you literally have to shove your way through and have your wallet ready to pay because those cashiers are so damn quick! No giving exact change here, they seem to get a little peeved if you try and scrummage in your change purse...so anyways here it is! Lentil burgers my way: with a healthier take on basil aioli using thick Greek yogurt, garlic and fresh basil, and a roasted red bell pepper and tomato basil soup.

Crunchy Walnut Lentil Burgers with Basil Aioli

4 whole grain buns

1 handful mixed field greens

2 cups cooked lentils

1 1/2 cups uncooked yam, grated

1 cup zucchini, grated

1/2 small onion, fine dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp cumin

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1.Saute onion, garlic and grated yam just until slightly soft.

2.In a food processor blend 1 1/2 cups of the lentils.

3. In a bowl mix together everything. Shape into patties and pan fry until crispy on both sides.

Basil Aioli

1 cup thick Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt, strained)

1 handful fresh basil

1/2 clove garlic

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pinch of sugar

1. Place everything in a food processor and mix until yogurt turns green.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Basil Soup

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

5 red bell peppers

4 small tomatoes

1 small onion, small diced

1 carrot, small diced

1 celery stalk, small diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 handful fresh basil

1 tsp chili pepper flakes

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2 tsp sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, place bell peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the outer skin looks charred. When done, place in a bowl, covering it with saran wrap for 5 minutes. Remove skin and seeds, chop into chunks

2. To remove tomato skin make an x with the tip of your knife on the bottom of the tomato and place into boiling water for 10 seconds, take out and place in ice water, remove skin and seeds, chop into chunks

3. In a big pot saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic till soft. Add bell peppers and tomato, add stock, fresh basil and chili pepper flakes. Using a blender or hand mixer puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. (Sugar will off balance the bitterness bell peppers can have).