I bless the rains down in Africa...

The peanut or groundnut, is a species in the legume or "bean" family. It is said that the peanut was probably first domesticated (meaning that it has two sets of chromosomes from two different species that combined in the wild) and cultivated in the valleys of Paraguay or Bolivia. Many pre-Colombian cultures depicted peanuts in their art. The peanut was discovered by Spanish conquistadors in the marketplace of Mexico City. The plant was later spread worldwide by European traders. It is speculated that the peanut made it to the southern United States through the slave trade. To this day peanuts are still a large part of many African cultures as a source of high protein. I roasted raw peanuts for my African inspired soup (I recommend making your own peanut butter for this recipe). While peanuts are the show-stopper; tomatoes, cilantro, nutmeg, cardamom and cayenne all play valuable roles. These elements marry to transform the groundnut into an earthy, hearty and satisfying soup. 

African Peanut Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

½  bell pepper, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼  cup minced cilantro

3 cups vegetable broth

8 ounces cooked chickpeas

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree

½ cup uncooked rice

1 teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1 cup freshly made roasted peanut butter

Diced roasted peanuts for a garnish

Saute the bell pepper and onion with the oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat until softened. Stir in garlic and cilantro.

Blend the chickpeas with the broth in blender and then pour into pot (or place in pot and use immersion blender). Add in all remaining ingredients except peanut butter and peanuts. Simmer on stovetop for about 20 minutes, or until rice is done. Add water if necessary to desired consistency.

Stir in peanut butter and serve garnished with peanuts and cilantro.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Leaves of brown they fall to the ground...

The first installment, a fall classic, butternut squash. This pumpkin like vegetable is hearty, sweet and delivers the warmth we all seek on the first fall evenings. The highlights in my butternut soup are curry, ginger, and a splash of coconut water. A cool dollop of Greek yogurt is the finishing touch. This soup is genuinely easy to prepare, and may also be served cold. So now we have officially commenced our soup undertaking.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash (cubed)

4 oz coconut water

4 cups vegetable stock

1 T curry powder

1/2 T coriander

1 t garam masala

1 t cayenne

1/2 t cardamom

1 inch ginger, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Boil cubed squash in water until tender, drain. Return squash to pot, add stock and coconut water. At this point I pureed with an immersion blender, you could also use a regular blender and do this in batches. Bring pureed squash to a simmer, add spices and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with Greek yogurt and or cilantro. You may also roast the seeds from the inside of the squash for additional garnish.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Setting Sail...

My apologies for my recent absence, but I am pleased to unveil my new project. Dignifying the basics while exploring the idea of a modern day soup kitchen. I consider my generation, "The Generation of Lost Nutrition". Since when did the 99 cent menu become the go-to standard? Perhaps, since the economy tanked, and we are a society fueled by government subsidized crops promoting and accepting corn syrup, preservatives, GMO's, and hormones as satisfactory. Now, is the time to look deep into our nations values in order to shape a positive sustainable healthy future by simply returning to the beginning. I feel we have lowered standards of intelligence by the availability and convenience of "garbage" food. By taking creativity out of the equation we are folding to a molded culture without diversity. My goal in the next few weeks is to bring you a series of soup recipes that  utilize local products, and may be prepared on a budget while also researching soup kitchens (I might throw some bread in here and there). I am challenging you take on this soup proposition with me, and I will be awaiting your input. Look for my first soup recipe tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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