Creamy Squash Soup

served over corn grits and sprinkled with chili pepper flakes

I've always loved pumpkin soup. i order it every time i see it in the menu. so far, the Cafe Andessa version is the one that pleasantly sticks to memory. it is creamy and rich but not cloying. of course, i tried to replicate it. i did not quite succeed at their version but this one is not bad either. try it. for best results, serve during cold, rainy nights.

don't ask me where i got the recipe, i copied it from somewhere i don't remember. and yes, i tweaked it a little, okay, a lot. =P

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 of an onion
2 whole cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 of a whole squash, chopped
salt and pepper

put all of the above in a pot, cover with water or broth, boil until pieces are soft and easily fall apart. add the following

a pinch of cinnamon
3 tablespoons coconut milk
3 tablespoons all purpose cream

mix and bring to a boil, puree with an immersion blender. you may add a drop or 2 of EVOO upon serving.

Almondigas Wannabe

i used to order this all the time at pancake house. the strange name was what enticed me to try it. i thought that the meatballs might have almonds in it, he he. Until now i have no idea what almondigas means except that it is a Spanish word [anyone care to enlighten me?] but i have come to love this light but hearty and very comforting soup.
i decided to try my hand in recreating this soup from memory and of course with some revisions due to pantry constraints. it turned out not quite like the one pancake house serves but not bad either.

Ingredients:

ground meat
1 egg
soy sauce or salt
patis (fish sauce)
freshly ground pepper
flour
oil
4 cloves garlic - minced
2 small onions - 1 finely chopped, 1 sliced thinly
1 carrot - chopped [optional]
soup stock [I used shrimp stock]
2 bunches of vermicelli noodles [you're supposed to use misua]
scallions – chopped [I didn’t have any]

1. Mix ground meat [ i used pork], egg, half of the minced garlic, chopped onion, most of the chopped carrots in a bowl. season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper, to bind add some flour. form into meat balls make them dance a little on a hot frying pan with a little oil just enough to get that golden brown color, set aside. [note: in the original recipe, you don't fry the meat balls but drop them into the boiling soup, they come out pale]

2. In a pot heat oil and saute remaining garlic and sliced onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Add the remaining chopped carrots and pour in shrimp stock and bring to boil.

3. Add meatballs to the soup to fully cook them and season with fish sauce, bring to a boil again, lower heat and simmer until meatballs are cooked, add vermicelli and cook for about 2 minutes.

4. Serve hot with lemon and soy sauce or patis (fish sauce).

hearty chicken soup with tomatoes and barley

this is the second time i've prepared this dish. i got it from Yummy Magazine but as usual, i tweaked it to suit my cooking style. I think it's perfect for cool late night dinners or as an 'in-between-mea'l treat for grumbling tummies! here's how i did it, feel free to modify it and make it your own:

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breasts with bones
2 small white onions, 1 chopped, the other halved
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tspns. dried thyme
2 tbspns olive oil
6 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes [immerse in water]
3 small carrots, cut up like the potatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes [i used capri brand]
1 large can whole corn kernels [i used delmonte]
1/2 cup barley
salt and pepper to taste

1. rub the chicken with salt
2. in a large pot, bring to a boil 2 liters of water, put in chicken, halved onion, and some of the garlic, when the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the broth and let it cool.
3. transfer chicken broth into a bowl. using the same pot, saute chopped onions, remaining garlic, and thyme in olive oil
4. when softened, pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil, add crushed tomatoes, corn, and barley. continuously simmer and stir occasionally for around 30 minutes [for barley to cook thoroughly]
5. while waiting, debone chicken breasts and cut into chunks or shred into strands [whichever you prefer] and set aside.
5. add potatoes, carrots, simmer for another 15 minutes or until veggies are tender. add chicken chunks or strands, season soup with salt and pepper

serve it hot with toasted bread and garlic butter.

some tips:
- i added cubed chorizo bilbao, this second time to make it more yummy
- don't worry if the soup seems thin at first, the barley and the potatoes will soak it up and thicken the soup
- this dish tastes better the longer you keep it, so you can prepare it even a day before you intend to serve it.
- add a few drops of tabasco for that extra kick
- top it with freshly grated parmesan, if you like cheese. =P