Sunday, October 08, 2006

Potage Parmentier

More commonly known amongst us Yankees as Potato and Leek soup. This is typically a French soup. Perhaps because in this recipe it calls for leeks and creme fraiche. I was too lazy to make my own, so I just used sour cream. The taste of this soup is similar to eating a baked potato with sour cream and chives on top. Really rich and good for a vegetarian meal when served with salad and, what else.....French bread! This recipe calls for Yukon Gold potatoes. I suppose it would add a nice buttery flavor to the soup. Unfortunately, they don't carry Yukon Golds at the commissary, so I am forced to use ordinary white potatoes. Don't be disheartened....in most cases the soup is usually made with the plain whites.

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
2 large leeks, about 1 1/4 lbs.
1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)

Peel potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Remove roots from leaks adn discard. Trim dark green parts of leeks and set aside. Chop white and lieghter green parts, then rincse thoroughly.
Place potatoes and chopped leeks in a medium pot with 5 cups water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a rapid boil. Lower heat and cover pot. Simmer until vegetables are very soft, about 40 minutes.

Puree soup in bowl of a food processor or blender in several batches. Process until very, very smooth. Return soup to pot and whisk in creme fraiche. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Mince green parts of the leeks and garnish bowls of soup.

The book says it serves 6.....I say 4 -5 if it's for a main course.

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Thursday, October 05, 2006

Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce


OK, so it's not filet mignon but it's a great healthy (and kosher) lunch or light dinner meal. Great for dipping tortillas in. I got this from a fantastic editorial in Women's Health Magazine. If your a reader of this site, you realize that I absolutely love reading magazines. Real Simple and Women's Health are right up there at the top.

This particular editorial in Women's Health was in there most recent issue called: 10 Foods, 40 Recipes. They had some wonderfully simple recipes so good in fact, that I wrote them a letter complementing them on this article. There's a little bit of practice that goes into poaching the eggs but it took me 2-3 times of making this and I had it down. It's a little salty for my taste so I put in half the recommended amount. The spice is just right for me but can be a little spicy for sensitive tongues. Serving size is for 2 people. I usually make it for lunch and then put the other half in the fridge for the next day.

There will be more recipes that reference this article. Toasted Orzo Pilaf, Scallion Pancakes with Dipping sauce, Chicken Orzo Salad, and Shrimp and White Bean Salad are among the recipes that I've tried and enjoyed. Tonight I'm going to try Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken. Wish me Luck!

  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more or less to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp of pre-minced jarred)
  • 2 eggs

1. Place tomatoes and their juice in a blender and pulse to the consistency of chunky sauce. Add red pepper and salt and pulse to blend.

2. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and golden. Add tomato sauce, raise heat to medium high., and bring To a vigorous simmer. Cook 5 minutes, adjust season to taste with additional salt or red pepper flakes, and reduce heat to medium low.

3. Crack one egg into a saucer. Using a spoon, make a small well in tomato sauce on one side of pan and gently slide the egg from the saucer into well. Repeat with the remaining egg.

4. Cover pan and cook until egg whites are fully cooked but yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes. (or 8 minutes if you prefer your yolks fully cooked). Serve each egg with a generous spoonful of tomato sauce.


Per Serving: 165 Calories; 7 g of fat (2 g saturated); 960 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 10 g protein

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