Month: August 2014

Strawberry, Watermelon & Chia Smoothie

Strawberry, Watermelon & Chia Smoothie

Are you ready for one last hurrah? One last Summer recipe before we turn our attention  to pumpkins and root vegetables?! Here you go! This is a yummy, light smoothie made from strawberries, watermelon, coconut water and chia seeds. It is so refreshing and full 

Spinach & Mushroom Crepes with Balsamic Tomato Jam

Spinach & Mushroom Crepes with Balsamic Tomato Jam

I am leaving for Houston tomorrow. The purpose of this trip is to help my husband move back to home to Michigan now that his assignment is finally wrapped up. Of course by “help” I mean doing no heavy lifting, demanding toilet breaks every hour 

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup- Emma's Little Kitchen

Hello friends! Can you forgive me for my little blog hiatus last week? I spent last weekend with two of my favourite people in the world- my husband and my little sis. Consequently I was having FAR too much fun to cook, let alone photograph. Am I forgiven?! Ok, good.

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup- Emma's Little Kitchen

As you know, my hubby has been living in a different city for the Summer, so seeing him was obviously wonderful. We haven’t seen one another for two months now, and last time I saw him there was barely a bump to speak of, now I’m looking positively rotund…! We also found out that our baby is a he! Very exciting indeed, I feel like I am getting to know him a little more every day and I can’t believe how fast the time is flying.

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup- Emma's Little Kitchen

I saw my little sissie last month when I was in England, but it was lovely to spend some quality time with her in the US. Plus, my pup Dexter adores her, so he was in heaven last week. My sis is on a ridiculously fun road trip across America, her last hurrah before she begins teacher training in the Autumn, I was pretty flattered to be squeezed into her plans! All three of us really wanted to relax, so we resisted the temptation to push ourselves into any kind of heavily scheduled itinerary, instead we ate a lot of food, slept, spent some time at the beach, and just relaxed. It was fab.

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup- Emma's Little Kitchen

I really have no clever segway to take me from my lazy weekend to this Roast Red Pepper & Cashew soup, so I suppose I should just jump in and tell you how marvelous it is. Friends, this soup is to die for! It is creamy, aromatic, and ridiculously abundant in flavour.  There is a little sweetness, a little spice, a little tang, and even a little smokiness. Cashew nuts are blended with water to create a cashew cream, delicious red peppers are roasted to perfection, and both are mixed with tangy tomatoes and spices to make something truly magical. The lemon and parsley, though optional, are highly recommended as they give a little freshness to this otherwise creamy soup. We have been having a pretty cool summer here in Michigan, so a warm bowl of soup is still still very welcome. However, I have frozen a little stash in my freezer for those cool Autumn days just around the corner…

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup- Emma's Little Kitchen

Enjoy!

Roast Red Pepper & Cashew Soup
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into quarters
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 cups raw cashew nuts
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 4 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp dried dill
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp dried cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 14.5oz/410g tin of tomatoes
  • juice of half a lemon (optional)
  • Fresh parsley (optional)
  • salt and pepper (optional)
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C
  2. Toss the quartered red peppers with 2 tbsp of olive oil and lay on a baking sheet
  3. Roast for about 20 minutes until tender, and the edges start to blacken slightly, set aside
  4. Add the cashews and water to a blender, blend until smooth, set aside
  5. Warm remaining tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat
  6. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until softened
  7. Add celery and cook for five more minutes, stirring occasionally so the vegetables don't catch the bottom of the pan
  8. Add the garlic and spices, cook for just a minute
  9. Add the roasted peppers along with all the oil they were roasted in, toss will to give the peppers a good coating of spice
  10. Add the tomatoes and cashew cream to the pan, stir until fully combined
  11. Bring to a simmer for about ten minutes until everything is heated through
  12. Return the soup to the blender, and blend (in batches if necessary) until smooth, or use a hand blender (be careful when blending hot food!!!)
  13. Return the soup to the pan and warm through if eating immediately
  14. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and add a splash more liquid if the soup is looks a little thick
  15. Squeeze in fresh lemon (optional but recommended!) and garnish with fresh parsley

Notes:

Adapted from The Kitchn’s Creamy Vegan Cashew Tomato Soup

I heartily recommend you serve this with some homemade bread!

This soup freezes very well, so double up stock your freezer with an emergency stash!

Quick Seed & Oat Loaf

Quick Seed & Oat Loaf

There are one or two things in life that I am pretty particular about. Coffee (freshly ground, strong black. Please, no Keurigs!), cheese (no kraft singles…ever!), and then there’s bread. I love bread, and if I’m going to eat it, I prefer it to be wholegrain, 

Mirin Glazed Tofu with Bok Choy & Shitake

Mirin Glazed Tofu with Bok Choy & Shitake

I have spoken before about my lifelong quest to make tofu taste really good, and today I want to tell you about another one of my tricks! One of my favourite ways to come up with delicious tofu recipes, is to take inspiration from seafood.