BALSAMIC ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

I don't much care for raw tomatoes, but I love them cooked into sauces, tarts, roasted and tossed into a salad or in sandwiches, or in this soup that I've been making for years. I make it so often, I don't know why I haven't written the recipe here until now.

Anyway, this gorgeous soup is a beautiful colour and so light. It's vegan, gluten-free, low fat and low carb. And since it practically cooks itself in the oven, it's perfect for summer. The high heat roasting really deepens the flavours of all the vegetables including the onion and garlic. And it softens the black pepper so when you blend it, the peppery flavour really gets into the soup. So delicious!

Balsamic Roasted Tomato Soup

makes: 4 large servings

- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 cups water (or vegetable broth), divided
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or regular) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper (Tellicherry pepper works best)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450 F/230 C.
2. Put the tomatoes (and their liquid), sweet potato, onion, garlic and black pepper in a lightly greased, deep oven-proof pan. Mix 1 cup of water, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a bowl and pour the mixture over the vegetables. Push the vegetables into the pan so they are more or less submerged in the liquid. Bake at 450 F/230 C for 50-60 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.
3. Remove the vegetables from the oven and cool. Add to a blender jar along with the olive oil  and blend until smooth, adding the remaining 1 cup water as needed to get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.
4. Serve chilled or warmed on medium heat. Top with freshly ground black pepper and/or a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of cashew cream if desired.

RAW SOUP, OR SAVOURY DINNER SMOOTHIE

I love this mildly earthy raw soup at any time but especially at dinner when I don't want the sweetness of fruits, and need a quick dinner after the gym. 

Raw Soup, or Savoury Dinner Smoothie

makes: 32 oz.

- 1 small beetroot, peeled and cubed

- 1 cup cucumber chunks

- 2 small zucchini, cubed

- 1 capsicum (any colour), trimmed and cut into chunks

- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (or tomato chunks)

- 1 packed cup red amaranth (sometimes also called red spinach) or other greens

- 12-15 sprigs cilantro (or parsley)

- 1 tbsp. fennel seeds (optional)

- 1 lemon, juiced

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 2 - 3 cups water

1. Put all the vegetables, fennel seeds if using, lemon juice, salt, and 1-1/2 cups water into a blender jar. Blend everything till smooth. Add water to adjust consistency and enjoy! This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

HARISSA

Harissa is a North African condiment that's got one of the most addictive flavour profiles! And, it's just at home on a slice of bread as in a complex stew or sauce. That's what makes it so brilliant! So if you like flavour with a punch, look no further! You can use any combination of dried chile types, and adjust the quantity to suit your taste and spice level. 

I have a general obsession with condiments and dips - a few, even one excellent condiment can elevate the simplest of ingredients to another level. I like having various types of condiments like harissa, pestos, salsas, salad dressings, dipping sauces, nut butters etc. around so I can make a quick meal with pretty much any fresh vegetable or fruit, cooked grains, eggs, leftovers, etc. Like this sandwich I made (photo above) with harissa and some leftover lamb meatballs with spicy tomato sauce I'd made for a dinner party (not-so-great photo below).

Harissa

makes: 1 cup

- 8-9 dried chiles de arbol or cayenne

- 2 chile guajillo

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 tsp. salt

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

- 1 lemon, juiced 

- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

- 1/3 cup olive oil

- 1 tsp. coriander

- 1 tsp. cumin

- 1 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)

- 1 tbsp. caraway seeds

1. On medium-low heat, dry-roast the chiles in a skillet without burning them (or they'll taste bitter). Transfer to a bowl filled with enough hot water to submerge the chiles, and add the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside for 10-15 minutes. Drain and remove the chile stalks.
2. In the same skillet, dry-roast the caraway seeds. Let them cool.
3. In a blender jar, add the drained chiles and all other ingredients and blend to a smooth paste.
4. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

SALSA VERDE WITH CHILES DE ARBOL

Chiles de arbol - fresh and dried - are very similar in appearance to cayenne chiles, which are typically used in Indian cooking, although the flavours of both chiles are somewhat different. Chiles de arbol are a bit woodsy and smokier than cayennes.

As a side note, in Gujarati, dried cayenne chiles are referred to as "vaghaar na marcha" - chiles used for tempering. We also pickle fresh cayenne chiles with mustard or lime, or eat them raw with a meal, sometimes dipped in salt before each bite. If you cannot find chiles de arbol in a store near you, you can use cayenne chiles for this salsa.

This spicy salsa is really easy to make and will no doubt become a regular in your fridge! It's great with chips, on tacos and enchiladas, as a simmer sauce, over baked/grilled meat or fish, with poached eggs, and - as shown above - even as a poaching sauce for eggs (thin it a bit with water first).

You can make it as spicy or mild as you want. To make it spicy, leave the seeds in the chile pods. To make it mild, break the chiles in half and shake out the seeds before roasting. Either way, it's a really delicious sauce!

Salsa Verde with Chiles de Arbol

makes: ~2 cups

- 8 - 10 chiles de arbol
- 5 medium tomatillos, husks removed, and washed well
- 1/2 medium onion (don't chop it)
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1/4 bunch cilantro (15 - 20 stalks)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 cups water

1. Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Fill a bowl or lidded container with 1 cup of the water.
2. Remove the stems of the chiles and toast on the skillet, stirring frequently to keep them from burning. Once the chiles smell fragrant and are lightly browned, remove from the heat and transfer to the container of water. Cover and let the chiles soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Put the tomatillos, garlic, and onion (cut side down) in the hot skillet and roast, turning once or twice. Once the tomatillos are charred in spots and soft, the garlic is charred in spots, and the cut side of the onion is somewhat blackened, turn off the heat and leave to cool.
4. Peel the garlic, cut the onion and avocado into 2-3 large pieces, and drain the chiles.
5. Add the chiles, tomatillos, peeled garlic, onion, avocado, cilantro, salt, lime juice, and 1/2 cup water to a blender jar. Blend till you have a thick salsa (if you want a thinner salsa, add the other 1/2 cup water). Taste and adjust salt and lime.
6. Store in the fridge up to 3-4 days.

GREEN GOLD SMOOTHIE

This is one of the most refreshing smoothies ever! The colour is a beautiful bright green thanks to the golden pineapple and mango that soften the deep green from spinach, and the flavour is crisp and refreshing. I'll be making this a lot more.

Flax seeds, like hemp hearts, are a nutritional bazooka. Flax seeds are a complete protein - i.e. they contain all 9 essential amino acids. Most proteins have to be combined with others to make complete protein, but not flax seeds. They can hold their own!

Flax seeds are also one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-9 are the other two types of omega fats - more on those later). Omega-3 fatty acids are the parent molecule for anti-inflammatory hormones in the body and, as with most things, food is the best source rather than supplements.

Ironically, the high omega-3 content of flax seeds makes them highly volatile when pulverised. Flax powder or oil is sold in dark containers to prevent oxidation from exposure to light. Similarly, heat also destroys omega-3 fats and flax seed oil should never be heated. If you're buying flax seed oil, buy organic, cold-pressed oil sold in dark containers.

Flax seeds are also called linseeds. The same linseeds that are pressed to make the linseed oil we all used to mix with paints in art class! In art, linseed oil is used because it dries fast... back to the whole volatility of linseeds thing. Don't go to the nearest Flax or other art store for linseed oil to put in your smoothie though - get food-grade linseed or flax seed oil from the grocery store!

Green Gold Smoothie

makes: 32 oz.

- 1 small cucumber, peeled and quartered

- 1 fresh mango, peeled and cut into chunks (~ 1 cup)

- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks

- 1 Key lime, juiced (or 1 tsp. lime juice)

- 1 lemon, juiced

- 1 in. knob ginger (peeled if not organic)

- 1 tbsp. flax seeds, aka linseeds (or 1 tsp. food-grade flax oil)

- 5 oz. baby spinach

- 1 cup water (or coconut water)

1. In this order put the ingredients in a blender jar: mango, ginger, cucumber, flax seeds, pineapple, lime and lemon juice, ginger, and water. Blend until very smooth.
2. Add more water and pineapple to adjust consistency and sweetness if needed.