Preheat oven to 425.
Remove the outer papery covering of the garlic (leave the inner skin). Slice off the top of each head so most of the cloves are exposed. Place on a square of aluminum foil for easy cleanup, or select the smallest baking dish you have. Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over each head. Fold the foil over the garlic to completely enclose it, or cover the baking dish with foil.
Roast for about 45 minutes, until the garlic is completely soft and lightly browned.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic pulp into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the broth and stir well to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Just before serving, stir in the spinach and simmer until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir vigorously (the garlic has tendency to settle out.)
Serve hot. Serves 2 to 4.
Adapted from "The Roasted Vegetable," by Andrea Chesman (Harvard Common Press, 2002)
Simple and Clean Potato Soup (aka Flu Season Weapon)
6 to 8 big potatoes 2 to 4 large cloves fresh garlic salt to taste water
Wash, peel dice those potatoes. Peel & mince garlic.
Slightly warm the garlic in pan with something oily, just to get it going (don't brown it or the goodness is gone). Add potatoes, add water just to hover over the potatoes. Cover and cook until soft. Salt to taste during process.
Tip: if you work NOT to mash those potatoes when cooking (contrary to the theory of most potato souping) you end up with lovely shimmery broth.
Serves 4
8 c vegetable stock and/or water 1 oz. dried Chinese black mushrooms 3 T dry sherry or rice wine c cider vinegar 2 T soy sauce 1 t salt 1 pound firm tofu, thinly sliced 2 T cornstarch 6 green onions, minced 1 t white pepper sesame oil
In small bowl, pour 2 c boiling water over dried mushrooms. Cover with plate and let sit 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze mushrooms, saving the liquid. De-stem mushrooms, discard stems, and slice caps.
Combine remaining 6 c vegetable stock with mushroom liquid and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer.
Add sherry, soy sauce, salt, and tofu, lower heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
In the bowl, whisk cornstarch into ? c soup until dissolved. Return this liquid to the soup.
Add green onions and pepper, cook another 2-3 minutes, and serve with a few drops of sesame oil on top of each serving.
Optional - If you live with chickens in your backyard and they are still laying eggs you can add 2 eggs, beaten, to the soup just before the green onions and pepper.
6-8 servings Adapted from Molly Katzen's New Moosewood Cookbook.
Subru Uncle's Delicious Spicy South Indian Rasam Curry for Curing Cold Cough Fever or Bad Throat
3 cups water 5 teaspoons salt 6 tablespoons oil 2 medium green chilies, slit 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled,washed and finely chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled,washed and finely chopped 5 tablespoons whole black peppercorns 1 cup of fresh curry leaves, washed and torn 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi) 3 whole red chilies 2 medium tomatoes, washed, peeled and chopped into cubes 1/4 cup water (This is to be added to cook the tomatoes) 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder 2 teaspoons turmeric powder 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder 7 cups water (This is added to prepare the curry for rasam. You can add more or less depending on the consistency) 1/2 cup tamarind pulp 3 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, washed and finely chopped (to garnish) 6 servings
1 hour 50 minutes 50 mins prep
Half a cup wakame or kombu seaweed Three tablespoons miso paste (gen mai) Four shiitake and/or reishi mushrooms (dried or fresh) One and a half cups of chopped vegetables (leek, onion, carrot, cabbage, turnips, potatoes, yam) Half a cup of tofu pieces Four to five cups of water (or vegetable stock or seaweed soaking water) One teaspoom sesame oil One teaspoon ginger, grated One clove of garlic, minced
If you are using dried mushrooms, soak mushrooms in boiling water for one hour, discard the stems and soaking water.
Soak seaweed in water (wakame: 20 min, kombu: 4 min), keep soaking water. Cut seaweed into strips.
Sauté seaweed and vegetables in a pan with a little oil.
Add water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Then add tofu pieces.
Cream miso in a little broth and return to soup. Cook on low heat for a couple of minutes. Do not overheat miso as it will destroy the active lactobacillus (beneficial bacteria).
Garnish (seeds, toasted nori flakes, chives, parsley). Serves four.
Serves 4 Recipe created by Lisa Guy 'Art of Healing'
