May 30, 2007

VERY SOUPY WEEK!!

Hi Y'all!! Hope you all had a great long weekend and paid respect for the fallen soldiers. We went to see the local Veterans parade, then drove to to Raleigh and nearby towns to visit a wonderful South Indian restaurant for lunch and a Indian grocery store too. I bought lot of Indian veggies there (no big deal for some of you but I bought Snake gourd ,green Mango and Ridge gourd after a looong time!:D)and ordered a brand new Sumeet Mixer too.I also made some delicious soups (soups in Spring and yes, I wear white after labor day too!;D), Irish Soda bread,went to a movie (Pirates of the Caribbean), did a BBQ on Monday evening and enjoyed the Sunshine and breeze on the deck! PHEW!! :)

Anali , my good, hardworking, beautiful fellow blogger friend nominated my blog "Foodie's Hope" as the "Best food blog" this weekend , a pleasant surprise for me! Thank you Anali, I really appreciate it. My best ever reward for my hardworking blog (and for me as a foodie of course! :D) is all of you my friends, who show up to say hello to me with so much affection every week! Thank you and hugs to all of you! I can't ask for more!

Menu this week:
Delicious Irish Soda Bread,
Leeks,Celery and Carrot soup with Turkey meatballs,
Thai Lentil,Coconut and Peanutty soup,
and my best Roasted Garlic and Portobello Mushroom Soup!!

Irish Soda Bread:
Here is a recipe for an easy and wonderful dipper bread for all your delicious soups.This is not sweet or soft like other breads but a crusty outside and a tender inside country bread,great tasting just out of the oven and as sliced next day.Enjoy the 8" round loaf which will be ready in about 50-60mins.Legend says that an X cut on top of the bread to evade the evil eye!!OOOH!!;D


You Need: 4 cups Plain four or 2 cups each of Wheat flour(Not chapati flour/atta but regular wheat flour) and 2 cups Plain flour,1 1/2 tsp salt,1 tbsp sugar,1 tsp baking soda,about 2 cups Butter milk(no need to add all of 2 cups).
How to bake the loaf:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.Spray a baking cookie sheet lightly,keep aside.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients by hand or wooden spoon well.
3. Now add the buttermilk 1/2 cup at time (do not have to use all the buttermilk unless you need it all) and mix it to to make soft dough like a Chapati dough.
4. On a lightly floured counter,knead the dough gently for not more than 12 times to make big round loaf(take out 2 tennis ball size lumps to make garlic sticks and spiced buns/rolls if you want to),place on the sheet,flatten gently up to 2" thickness.
5. Cut an X 1/4" deep on top of the loaf and bake for 40-50mins.When it sounds hollow when tapped,it's ready.
6. Don't let it brown,should be slightly golden.Cool completely on a rack before you store in a Zip lock bag.
7. Serve torn into chunks or sliced.Tastes great buttered too.
Note:You can add 1/2 cup of Raisins,1 egg to make it sweet and tender bread.For variations: Make shapes with lumps you saved as above to bread sticks and add spices to the balls and bake them along with the bread.You might have to take them out little earlier from oven though.You can halve the recipe to make a loaf just enough for 4 servings.Dough should be soft but not sticky or very stiff.Enjoy.

Leek,Celery and Carrot soup with Turkey meat balls:Serves 4
Vegetarians,skip the Turkey balls and make this hearty and healthy soup.Use a blender carefully or hand held blender which can be used directly in the pan for easy and safer to cream the soup.Enjoy.


You Need: 3-4 celery sticks trimmed and sliced,3 leeks, sliced, 1 small potato peeled and cubed(optional), 1 small onion chopped, 1 bay leaf, fresh parsley and Tarragon, about 2 carrots sliced, 1 tbsp butter,2/3 cup stock OR 2/3 cup dry white wine,2 tsp of poultry seasoning(store bought or a mix of Thyme,Sage,Marjoram,Rosemary,pepper and Nutmeg),salt and pepper to taste. About 8 Turkey (or Chicken)meatballs made from 1 lb ground turkey.
To Garnish: 2 tbsp bacon bits, few slices of celery and leeks.

Turkey Meat balls:


To make turkey balls:
Mix 1 lb ground turkey with 3 tbsp bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp dry minced onion OR 1/2 fresh minced onion,1 tbsp fresh or dry parsley,chilli flakes, salt and pepper to taste, and 1 tsp of any dry spices of your liking.Mix everything to a semi-soft mixture and make balls about 2x2 inches thickness. Bake them at 350 F for 35 minutes or until golden on top. Your lean Turkey balls are ready.Cool and keep them aside.


To make the soup:
1. Heat butter in the pan, saute onions until soft, add the leeks, celery, carrots and potatoes, stir them for 5 minutes.
2. Add all the other ingredients, and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
3. Season well, and blend them coarsely or smoothly to a thick soup,adjust the seasoning.
4. Garnish them with bacon bits, celery, leek pieces, and serve with cheese sticks.
To make cheese sticks:
Cut the Irish bread sticks into half lengthwise, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and grill it at high heat until it melts and colored golden to serve with the soup.

Thai-style Lentil-Coconut-Peanutty Soup:
Thai vegetarian soup is wonderful tasting,lightly spiced soup with Masoor dal.Since red lentils becomes naturally mashed when cooked soft,no need to cream it in the blender unless you want a smooth textured soup.A wonderful soup to eat with chunks of bread or with a cup of rice!

You Need:
2 tbsp oil, 2 small red onions, (finely chopped),1 Thai chili (sliced), 2 garlic cloves (chopped),2" fresh lemon grass (sliced),1 cup red lentils (masoor dal) (cooked),2 tsp coriander powder,1/2 paprika,about 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, 2 tbsp chunky or smooth peanut butter, salt and pepper to taste.1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste(optional)
To Garnish:Lemon slices, 3 green onions (chopped), cilantro.
How to make it:
1. Heat the oil in a pan, saute onions,chilly,garlic and lemon grass until soft but not browned.
2. Add the lentils and the spices.Simmer and add coconut milk and 2 cups of water if needed to thin the soup.
3. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Squeeze in the lemon juice, scallions, and cilantro.
5. Serve with a chunk of Irish soda bread OR a cup of rice OR with egg noodles.You can add chicken or fish to this soup as well.

Roasted Garlic and Portobello Mushroom Soup:
Now this is my best soup made with both of my favorite flavors.I love roasted garlic and Portobello(canned is okay)taste wise and the aroma.I grill the whole pods of garlic with Olive oil and salt drizzled on it.You will have to try it yourself to taste it!:))


You Need:
3 big pods (or more if you like)of garlic,1 cup Portobello mushrooms chopped(canned),1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp butter, 1 small onion (finely chopped),2 tbsp plain flour, 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar,3 cups or less veg or chicken stock.
How to make the soup:
1. cut the top of the whole garlic pod, drizzle olive oil and little salt, grill until browned and garlic cloves are soft.Cool them.
2. Squeeze out the soft garlic out of the pods and keep it aside.
3. Heat the butter in a pan,add onions, saute until soft, but not browned.
4. Sprinkle the plain flour, stir with a wooden spoon to make roux, until reddish.
5. Stir in the Garlic, mushrooms, white wine vinegar, 3cups of stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.Blend coarsely or smoothly as you like the soup in a blender.
6. Serve garnished with some Chives or scallions along with spiced Irish soda buns/rolls OR chunks of Irish soda bread.

That's it! We had three days of different soups for Dinner and enjoyed them all.Hope you try the easy Irish Soda bread with one of these soups.All these soups are inspired by the book "The ultimate Soup Bible" by Barnes and Noble.I changed the recipes quite a bit to suit my taste,so I am not going to give the book full credit!!;D

Would you like some dessert?!



Have a low fat ,tangy Strawberry-Yogurt Pie I made last week.It tastes like baked Strawberry Shrikhand!Try it:)





Have a great weekend.I am still thinking about the dishes and cooking for RCI. I am still not ready yet for that, so don't know what's coming next! All I can say is "NO SOUP FOR YOU" next week as that soup guy says in 'Jerry Seinfeld'!:D

117 comments:

Sia said...

now this is my kind of food. love soups and i have bookmarked all 3 soups... yesterday we had green pepper soup which was very delicious. we need all warm soups coz its still gloomy and cloudy here and long weekend was no exception:(
liked irish bread but why it is called as soda bread? first i thought there will be some drinking plain soda used to knead the dough;) he he he... i usully buy it from bakery. didn't know it is this simple to make. got to try it someday...
gr8 recipes ashakka and i wont complain about too many soupy things;)

TNL said...

Soups Galore.......but i am liking that Irish Soda bread....love its shape, and the taste, I just love that good Ol' Irish bread with some Irish butter on top of it....have you tried Irish butter?? its "proper" butter,according to my Irish friends here.....and it really is good.
Sounds like you had a good week....all that shopping and the Pirates movie added in! I have yet to see it....gonna go see "Shrek3"..the kids are beggin'...

Congrats on being voted....you indeed deserve it...your enthusiasm and dedication is something we can ALL learn from.
Hugs,
trupti

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,

It's a " souper " menu.It looks very appetising with the bread to go with it.

Love the strawberry yogurt pie. It looks delicious.I tried your palkova yesterday.It was very tasty.Thanks for the recipe.

Love & Regards,
Kate.

Sneha said...

Yummy yummy yummy! I love soups! so healthy AND tasty. everyone's happy :) Well, I haven't gone beyond tomato soup (heehee) and those packaged instant soup powders so I think I ought to try out something new! Is there any substiture for the veg/chicken stock? I have no clue how to go about making some of THAT! i mean i DO know WHAT it is, but don't know if I can or should make it (what to do with the remaining veggies?? It's such abother to cut all those veggies, too :S) (yea, i AM lazy). anyway, the dessert looks yum, as always :)

Beccy said...

I eat a lot of soup in the winter Asha and your look delicious. Definintely ones to try out.

Coffee said...

The lentil soup and mushroom soup both are excellent!!! After eating all the sweets for MBP I think we can do with this. ;) I love soda bread...... its one of my favourite!!! Thanks for these wonderful recipes asha..... Thats for my dinner next two days. :)

Richa said...

love the Irish soda bread, my colleague used to bake it & I always enjoyed it a lot, though never baked it myself. I like the one with raisins :) wud like to try sometime.
the carrot/leek soup looks enticing! btw do save a couple of ridge gourds, i'll be posting a neat recipe with it soon, u will like it, i think :)

Shobana senthilkumar said...

Hi asha,
soup looks good and the presentation is very rich..

Shah cooks said...

its hot and u have soups on the menu..? yummy JF dishes. i have to try some now.

Sana said...

Hi Asha,

Have you tried the Irish bread with whole wheat flour ? Does it become hard/chewy ? I am asking coz your bread looks so wonderful, but, I do not have bread flour.

-Sana

bee said...

ash, each of those dishes is ouotstanding. i esp love the soda bread. the nomination is well deserved. i'm gonna vote now.

Jyothi said...

Hi Asha, here lovely Irish Soda Bread. yummy soup, such a beautiful photos too. Thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes.

Seena said...

Asha,I was on the way to visit here,saw your comment abt soup..How did u reach there?? Your soup pictures are great!! Love it Asha..Here its very very hot..so no soups for long..

FH said...

Sia,thanks you madam.I knew you would love these soups!:D Red bell pepper soup is a classic soup too.
Most breads are made of either yeast or baking pd with baking soda.Real Irish soda bread is made only using just soda,so the name.It's quick,hope you try at home.You can throw in some Raisins too.

Trupti,I don't think I have seen Irish butter here girl.I will look next time.We have Wisconsin butter which is the best here.
Shrek 3 was sold out for the whole day here ,can you believe it?Whoa!My kids wanted to see the Pirates and counting the days until Monday.It was good.Thanks about the Nom!;)

Hello dear Kate,thanks.We enjoyed them too.It was a long weekend!
Glad you enjoyed the Palkova.Try the Pie,it's yummy too.

Sneha,if you don't have stock,add plain water.No problem with that because you are using many veggies in the soup anyway.
For stock,just boil veggies until soft and squeeze the juice out, throw away the vegs since all the nutrition is in the stock anyway.But just add water,that's quite okay too.Enjoy the pie too:))

FH said...

Beccy,it's true warm soups taste great in winter.I should have added some cold soup like Gazpacho here too,may be next time.Hope Irish Soda bread was authentic Beccy!I loved the simplicity and was so easy to bake!:))

You are welcome Coffee! I know.I am tired eating sweets too,guess who did that to all of us!!;D
Enjoy the soups.Skip meatballs and make the Leeks soup,it's great too with all those veggies.

Richa,thanks.Irish bread is so easy,you can make it within an hr.Try it for sure with raisins and little more sugar too for sweeter bread.
Post Ridge gourd ASAP,I don't think they will last for next few days!:))

Hi P!! Thank you so much,hope you try.We loved them all,kids prefer these kinds than to any Indian food!;D

FH said...

Hi Shaheen,soup goes well anytime in my house!!Kids are not fussing to eat and keeps everybody happy!!;D
Glad you liked JF dishes.

Sana,you don't need bread flour,but just the regular Wheat flour will do.Mix half of each plain and wheat,it will be fine.It comes out well too.Just using all wheat flour might make it little hard though.

Hi Bee,thanks girl.Hope you try Irish Bread,you might have baked it already.You are a good baker!:))
Enjoy.

Thanks Jyoti,hope you try some of these,specially the bread!Have a great week!:)

Seena,we crossed paths,did we?!;D
Yeah,it's getting very hot here too.3 days of soups, I think enough for this month!!:))

Arts said...

Love the lentil soup and Irish soda bread! :)
Waiting for ur RCI treat! :)

Pavani said...

Great soups-comforting, cozy and nutritious. Soda bread looks yummy.. Will try it soon. Btw did you guys like Pirates or did you think it was too long. To me after watching umpteen number of loooong Indian movies (remember LOC-Kargil), no movie seems to be long enough :-)

Lisa Johnson said...

Everything looks wonderful! I thought that I was the only weird one who still likes soup even after it gets warm. I've been feeling like making some, but haven't because I feel like I should be waiting for Fall. I might just make some soup! Thanks Asha!

USHA said...

Hi Ashaji,

Irish bread looks awesome,OMG!!!freshly home baked...nothing can near it..

I love soupd verymuch, just now had mixed veg.soup...

So, had a nice time with kids on logn weekend.How was the movie?Yet to watch...BBQ :))))huh hooh!!

Anonymous said...

almost everything is new to me.
irish bread looks so crisp
dont ask me abt those meat balls n mushrooms
luv the color of thai soup and it looks simple too :)
how do u manage to do so many different cusines?

Seema Bhat said...

Oh Asha, thanks for posting all the recipes ...special thanks for the yummy soups. I am surely gonna try each of them. We are both soup lovers and am always in hunt of good soup recipes. Thai lentil soup and garlic mushroom soup Ah!!!! gotto get hold of those good old mushrooms. Asha...Many many wishes and congratulations to you on being voted as best food blog. You are indeed the best and you deserve the best for coming up with wonderful recipes each week plus for participating in so many events without taking a break ever. Hats off to you girl.
Hugs
Seema

sra said...

Guess what? Sumeet's no longer available in India! Make sure yours is really coming!

TheCooker said...

All the soups look gorgeous. Love the soda bread.
Congrats on the nomination!

FH said...

Arts,thanks girl.RCI is coming in 2 weeks,not cooked anything since you are posting every one out there!:D
Nah,I just don't have time this week,will see.

Pavani,movie was looong,got bored after the first 1 1/2 hrs and then it got interesting again in the end.Movie is not bad,very entertaining specially for the older kids like mine.Arvind slept 1/3rd of the movie!!Hahaha!
Try the soups,winter or spring ,who cares!:)

Anali,who makes all these rules,I ask!!;D Make some soup and enjoy and wear white after Labor day,it's fun!In India,soups are loved and we don't have winter and Fall there,just 9mnts of hot summer and 3mnts of Monsoon.We enjoy soup anytime we like!:)

Usha,we love them too.Try Garlic soup,it's yummy.Movie was very entertaining,kids loved it.It is a bit like Hindi movie,looong!:D
BBQ was great,cooler in the evening,was fun.

FH said...

Anusha,thanks.You can skip the meat and Mushrooms and make it vegetarian too.When you have kids born and raised here,we moms have to experiment a lot to please them.I make Indian food just 3-4 days a week!:D

Seema,thank you so much.I try my best to post something good here for all of you.I would rather have you here saying hi,than getting any award!:))
Garlic soup was great Seema,try it.I think of taking a break many times and then some or other event starts again and I can't no to friends,so it's all over again!:D

Sra,REALLY?!Strange bcos here in US,it's most popular mixer.We have dealers all over,specially Atlanta.
I had bought Sumeet about 9yrs ago from Canada,loved it and then the clips broke and bought Preethi mixer which is so loud and crappy.I ordered new and improved Sumeet from dealers from Canada last Sunday.They are plenty available here.Wonder what's popular in India now? We have so many brands here,to me Sumeet is the best.

Thanks TC! Try the bread,it's so easy and quick to make too,best for soups unless you add raisins.Hope you do!:))

Bharathy said...

Gosh,where do you get all the energy from...lined up recipes...perfect participation in Events
and what surprses me is your...regular visits and comments in almost on BLOGS!!!!!!!!!!
BORN TO BE A PERFECT FOOD BLOGGER..Hats offfffffffffff!
(J is for jealous):)

archana said...

Loved the soups and the Irish bread Asha. You do come up with exotic recipes. I look forward for your recipes each week. Congrats for being voted the Best Food Blog :)

Suganya said...

The Thai-style lentil soup sounds interesting. Such a wonderful combo! Bookmarked!

Little Miss Muffet said...

wow..that's a nice array of soups and bread :) u had a busy weekend too!

Little Miss Muffet said...

oh and i forgot to mention that i tried ur plantain curry..FIL liked it a lot...i made one addition though..added a little jaggery to give it a sweet touch coz i had made it a little too spicy..i just cannot live without that sweet taste!

FH said...

Bharathy,it's not easy to all these and some,believe me!!:D But I enjoy everything,so good to make so many friends you know.Other than this blog,life is so routine,I get bored.Thanks girl:))

Thanks Archana.Gets boring sometimes to cook the same food day in and day out, I try different things.Kids love them,so it's easy:)

Thanks Suganya.Good choice! Thai ingredients are almost like Indian too,so tastes good to us.They add fish sauce too,but I don't like that fishy smell:)

Hi M! Thanks.More dishes for you to try,huh?!:))
You know, I add little sugar to practically everything but never remember to write there!:D
Whenever I cook with Tomatoes,I must add sugar to it.Glad your FIL liked it.Your brownie points are going up with in laws girl!;D
We had fun weekend,not as fun as your's though:)

Chickoo said...

Wow,nange soups andre istano ista. When I was dieting i would live only on soups and salads. Nim recipes anthu nodtha idre abbabba bayalle neero neeru!

FH said...

Lookey who is back!!;D
Hello Chickoo,hope you had a great weekend.Well..did you lose some weight on soup diet or what?Sometimes soups can fatty too.These are not,so you can try.
Halasinakai palya and Halasina hannu dose post madidde hoda vaara. Maadi nodu Jackfruit sikkidre alli.Tumba ruchiyagittu!:))

VINI said...

Hey Asha,glad you had a good weekend. We visited Lake Tahoe. Had a great time! Your Irish bread looks perfect. Amazing presentation...am a big fan :). By the way thanks for ur comment on my sauteed red chard.

Sreelu said...

Asha,

Love your bread and thai coconut soup.My kids love soup I should try this.
Boy looks like you had one good of weekend.

Anonymous said...

asha, your blog should be renamed. one stop for food lovers:)) every week you come up with a new and diff. set of combinations. keep going!!!

hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Neelam said...

Hi Asha, loved your great menu!
My daughter loves soups,thanks for sharing all the soupy stuff!

indosungod said...

Soupy week indeed, soups all look lovely and tasty. The bread looks crusty and yum. Lentil-Coconut-Peanutty Soup, you added peanut butter, did it make it sweet?
Strawberry yogurt pie looks delicious. Just the sweet after all the soups.

Anonymous said...

wow ben...great recipes yet again...I do love the soup...looks great...I have never baked soda bread before...have to try it...and I do like the strawberry dessert...hmmmm...thanks for sharing ben

FH said...

Vini,we have been to Lake Tahoe when we visited Las Vegas,it it beautiful.Lucky you!:))
Thanks girl,give it a try,bread is easy to make.Swiss chard was great.

Sreelu,we did.Usually Arvind is always on call when there is a 3 day holiday,this time he was free for all 3d days!:))It was fun.Enjoy the soup.

Reena,that new title is too long girl!;D Thanks.I did have a great weekend.Hope you did too:)

FH said...

Neelam,you are welcome.There are more soups in my old posts if your kid likes them.Go to recipe index.Thanks,enjoy them:)

Hi Indo,thank you.Just adding 2 tbsp peanut butter for 4 cups of soup doesn't make it that sweet.Thai curry paste (if you add it),is quite spicy.So Peanut butter balances it.You can cut down to 1tbsp as well.Hope you try the pie too:))

Hello Dilipbhai,how are you? Don't work too hard!:))
Thanks.Try the pie when you have time,it's delicious.I loved your vadas.YUM!

starry said...

Asha I just love the bread and the thai soup.OH I almost forgot the dessert too:). Is the sumeet mixer good.do you use it to grind dosai and idli batter.

FH said...

Hi Lalitha.Bread is excellent,make sure you try this girl.You will love the pie if you like tangy taste!:)
Sumeet is the best.I had one for 9yrs,blasts the heck out of Urad dal for Idli and dosa batter which is the toughest grain to grind.Then the clips broke,I bought Preethi Echo Chef,it is horrible and noisy.Now they have new and improved Sumeet which doesn't have clips and I ordered it.
Go to www.sumeet.com and check it out.They are in Canada and also $25-30 cheaper than other sites and shipping is free.They have 3 types,I bought one with 3 jars.For me,Sumeet is the best,last longer too.

Revathi said...

Awesome spread as always.. very nice.. especially the turkey ball soup looks awesome

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Asha nice soups and bread recipes :)

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

Very soupy indeed! I love the thai lentil soup and the bread looks deliciously simple! Thanks for such great recipes Asha :)

Keshi said...

ahhh SOUP my fav! Altho I need 2 portions to satisfy me LOL!

U can even make bread? How cool r ya Asha!

Keshi.

Viji said...

The soup is delicious Asha. Especially the pie, as you said, so nice to have it for a change to our regular sweets. Tks for sharing the recipes. Viji

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Oh now this is awesome. I love the soups Asha, especially the garlic mushroom one.
Congrats on the nomination!

Priya said...

Just love that soup and meat ball Asha. Instead of turkey can we also use chicken/mutton for a change?

I said...

Can you tag recipes as Veg and Non-veg :) .. !

Or is it already there .. and I missed it.. !

Roopa said...

oh my Asha wish i was at your place. i really need some soup but no mood to cook. i have bookmarked these will check out this weekend. hope my flu gets better byu then. bye :)

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

I'd never complain at too much soup! It's perfect comfort food and these recipes sound perfect too as does the Irish Soda Bread.

FH said...

Good to see you Ravathy.Turkey ball soup was lot leaner than other soups.Hope you try.Thanks:)

Thank you Jeena.Give them a try:)

You are welcome Roopa.Thai soup is a great combo with salt bread.Enjoy:)

Kesh,these recipes are 4 ppl,so you can have it for lunch and Dinner!;D
Soda Bread is almost like making Chapati dough,very easy.Try it at home.

Viji,hope you make the pie.We loved it.It's a perfect dessert for adutls,kids may not like it bcos it has tangy taste!:D

FH said...

Thank you Meeta.Soups were great,had them for 3 days in a row for 3 day long weekend.No more!!:D
Irish bread is the one I intend to bake again and again.

Priya,absolutely!You can use any meat to make meat balls.Tastes better than Turkey balls.You can also add just cubed Lamb or Mutton instead of making balls too,less work.Enjoy:)

Bharath,it's there! Go to Recipe Index and find Non-veg catagory.Lunch and dinner catagory has both veg and non-veg.Cakes and desserts are separate too!Enjoy:)

Roopa,take it easy.You just have to thru' the week with cold,can't help it with any medicine.Make soups when you feel okay,no hurry.Hugs and take care:))

Amanda,you are right!What are these rules about having soups only in Winter? We don't have winter in India anyway!;D
Enjoy the soups and bread,ultimate comfort food indeed:)

Kavitha said...

Wow Asha!!!! amazed as always.
cant believe u even made the meatballs from scratch... i wouldve just used the ones from Trader Joe's. Ohhh I miss trader joe's. do u have them around where u live?

Nee said...

I LOVE your soups - the potato-sour-cream and broccoli-cheddar have become staples in this home! Quick, nutritious food.

Where/how does one vote for you in that Best food blog thing?

*Hugs*
Nee

Surya Hith said...

Soda bread looks wonderful Ashaji.I had tried many yeast breads but not this one.Thanks for the nice recipes of soups.

FH said...

Hi SL,I always make Meatballs at home when I buy ground meat,they are easy.No,i don't have Trader Joe's here,we do get good meatballs frozen ones.I prefer baking at home.Hope you are having a great time there girl.Keep it cool:))

Hi Nee,try the Thai and Garlic soup,you will the taste.Glad you are enjoying the other soups too.
Nah,forget about voting.I don't care much about that.I just blog for pure pleasure of it.There are millions of other bloggers there too!;P
As long as you come and say hello to me,I have already won!!:))Hugs.

You are welcome Surya.You know,this bread is so quick to make,you will never bake another yeast bread after this!!! Add more sugar and Raisins or dried fruit,you have great breakfast slices in the morning:))

DEEPA said...

Wow!!!!congrats asha ji on being voted.I love your strawberry yogurt pie..yummy it is ...

FH said...

Thank you Deepa.Give the pie a try this weekend!:))

Rachna said...

Asha, wow, yur garlic mushroom soup turned out amazing for supper here in the cold african winter... i made it with galic bread... will try the other two soups too and let yu know, congrats on the nomination! so very deserving!!

FH said...

Dumela,you already tried it!:))
That is so good to hear,glad you enjoyed it.Thai soup is great too for winter.We love it anytime here.Thank you so much for the feedback.Visit again to say hi!Enjoy:))

Cyberkitty said...

Oh the soups look so delicious...i wish someone would make them for me. I have such a bad cold. I remember - Sumeet mixie was the first mixie my mom used. Gifted to her by my fathers brother.

starry said...

Asha..thanks for all that info on the sumeet mixer.I have to check it out.

Bong Mom said...

That Thai soup seems to be great. I love Thai soups.
You had a great weekend it seems

FH said...

Hi CK,hope you are feeling little better now.EVERYBODY seems to be having cold these days except me!!:D
I love Sumeet,I had one before I moved out of India.With the frequest power cuts in B'lore,I hardly got to use it!;D

You are welcome Lalitha.Check it out and see if you like it.It's a powerful 550Watts machine:))
BlendTec mixer has 1500Watts but very expensive!!

Hi Sandepa,I did have a great weekend and enjoyed it.Enjoy the soup:))
I will post one for June Theme at DMC tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha, your soupfest looks fantastic! Soup is defintely one of my favorites, and I love your twists. Esp love the roasty garlic and mushroom, and the peanuty thai with masoor dal, yum! Irish soda bread looks great too. You make that bread-making look so easy! Glad you had a nice long weekend, too :)

FH said...

Hi Linda,good to see you!:))
Thanks.Soda bread is no brainer at all,very easy and quick too,hope you try.Soups and soda bread are excellent together.
Hope you had some work done too in the weekend.I bought some Amaranth seeds online and sowed them last week.They are already sprouting!YAY!:)
Have a great day Linda.

Cynthia said...

Dear Sweet Asha, we must thank you too for feeding us so well with every post you make.

The food this week is again, outstanding. You sound as if you had a really packed and enjoyable weekend. Good for you and the family.

I am going to try your soda bread recipe. I tried one that I'd seen at New York Times but I did not like the taste... oh well, I'll give yours a go and see what happens.

Thanks for taking such good care of us.

swapna susarla said...

Hi ashaji
the bread is looking so tasty!!the dessert part is the loved one.

Mallika said...

Oh my goodness i have yeast allergy so can't have anything but Irish Soda Bread. I've never seen the recipe anywhere before. Thanks soooooooo much. This one is a must try!!

FH said...

Cynthia,thank you so much! You are a sweetheart.Irish Soda bread is indeed bland compared to other sweet breads.Add Raisins and little more sugar,I am sure you will like it.Enjoy:))

Hi Swapna,good to see you girl.Hope you are having fun there.Thanks.Try the dessert,it's not that hard:)

Mallika,many blogs do have Irish soda bread recipe.I tried one of those,didn't come out so well.After many trials of my own experiments,this was the best recipe.Try it and let me know:))

Prema Sundar said...

A parade of soups... lovely recipes Asha.. I just want to say this again .. wish I stay somewhere in ur neighborhood.
Happy that ur blog is nominated in best food blog list.u really deserve it ..

ChrisB said...

Asha Irish soda bread is lovely and as I make soup most weeks it's lovely to have some new recipes to try and I know I will love them. Congratulations on your nomination it's well deserved. I haven't seen Pirates but Beccy and co. went and so did my niece and her children; I would like to see it as I've seen the others and this is supposed to be the last one.

Me said...

Do you take all your own pictures of the food you cook?

FH said...

Hi Prema,wish I had all of you living nearby too!:))
Thanks.Hope you try some soups.Award? Nah,I am happy to be blogging my stuff!;D

Hi Chris,you must be missing Beccy so much.So nice of her to say hello to me before she went on vacation!:)
Soda bread is wonderful with soups,try it.Pirates was good although it went on and on forever!:D But we enjoyed it.Yup!! It's the last one,make sure you watch it.

Hi Orhan ,good to see you buddy.Yes Sir,it's all me! :D
I have got a little Sony Cybershot camera and I take the pics and use Picasa to post here.
Hope you having a great time there!:))

Deepak Gopi said...

I nominate your blogs as the best blogs in blogspot.
@deepak-You r right

FH said...

Hi Deepak,thank you so much.You are a good guy!:)))

Mishmash ! said...

Hiii :) feel so nice to be back and see all your lovely creations :)
Well, I had seen some recipes for Irish soda bread earlier but had no idea how it looked like...yours look pretty good. And I have tried a roasted garlic soup sometime back and for me 3 pods was wayyyy too much ......And hey congrats on being nominated....a well deserved one for our 'super-woman' :)

Hugs..enjoy the weekend :)
Shn

FH said...

Hiya shn,thanks.Good to see you back and hear you enjoyed your break.
When you roast the garlic,it looses most of it's smell.I love the roasted taste.Try the soda bread ,it's easy.I experimented about twice to get this recipe,works great.Have a great weekend,hugs:)

ServesYouRight said...

OMG!!! completely amazing array of soups!! Thank you so much for always stopping by my blog - totally makes my day to hear from you :-D

smita

Kribha said...

Dear Asha,
I visited your soups two days back, but i did not post a comment as I was very sick with cold and fever. You don't know how much you made me long for your soups. Looked so so so good. I have book-marked everything. Will try it for sure.

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Asha,

Wonderful recipes! I am going to make the Thai soup for sure! I think my hubby will be impressed with the recipe!!! I had a similar weekend, going to Pirates and buying indian groceries (I don't get nice indian vegetables in AA).

Kanch

sunita said...

You must have had a ball...I love soups...can have them anytime... all the soups look great...

FH said...

Smita,it's a pleasure to stop by your blog.It's always different from the usual foodie blogs and interesting!Enjoy the soups:))

Kribha,thanks for taking time.Rest well dear girl.You have to fly in few days! Cold is never good on the flight,ear ache etc!I will surely miss you,hugs:))

Kanch,story of our lives,innit?!;D I have to drive 100miles to get real good Indian vegs, bummer.For emergencies like dal etc we have a store here locally.
Pirates was sooo long,wasn't it? but good. Well..it's the end of Pirates,guess it's okay. Enjoy the Thai soup:)

Saju said...

Great soup recipes, I am a soup fiend! bread looks delish too

FH said...

Hi Sunita,we did!:))
My kids love soups and don't make any fuss while having those,so it's all good!Try the bread.

LOL @ soup fiend! OOOHHH!!;D
We love soups anytime,doesn't have to be winter and cold to have them.Enjoy.Have a fun weekend:))

FH said...

Foodie said...

Dear Ashaji,
The Irish Soda bread and soups looks delish. And the strawberry yogurt pie looks decadent.
So when are you inviting me for dinner? Clevend is not that far right? just kidding.

FH said...

Hi Foodie,thanks.You had trouble logging at FH too? Don't know why,some can't get in here!I am pasting your here from Aroma.
Sure,start driving now from there,I will keep the soups warm and ready for ya!;D Hope you try the bread and the Pie:))

Anonymous said...

It all looks fantastic, especially that strawberry pie! Yum. And I have to tell you, we finally made Indian food last night - a potato curry with coconut rice - and it actually came out great! I am beyond excited that we can make a couple Indian dishes at home now. Thank you for all the inspiration!

Ari (Baking and Books)

Anonymous said...

Allyour soups look delicious! especially the one with veggies & meatballs - a one dish meal! I dont make soups often,bookmarked your recipes:)
paati

FH said...

Hi Ari,that is wonderful to hear! Watch out,you will get addicted to Indian food once you get the hang of it!:))
Great that you are trying Indian,enjoy.Try the easy ones and go for complicated later like classic Chicken Biryani.You will love it.Try the Pie too,it's yum!

Help Paati,thanks.Good to see you.Meatball soup is great,you can use any meat you like and make the way.Try it and the pie of course!:))

Lotus Reads said...

Hi, Asha!

I can eat soup through the year! Infact, only yesterday I made a zucchini soup and even though it was hot outside and this is a hot soup, we all lapped it up!

I love the look of that Thai soup and the soup with Portobello mushrooms, yum!

Also congrats for being nominated for Best Food Blog, you are so deserving of it, I hope you win!!!

Where can we vote?

FH said...

Hi Lotus,you are my kinda girl!:)
Who says soups in winter and salads in Summer,eh?:D
We love soups anytime too.Zucchini soup sounds great Lotus!
Thank you about the Nom but voting is not necessary really.I have already won to have all of you come and say hello to me every week!!That is more than enough,love blogging just for pleasure of it!:))
Have a great weekend,try the Pie.It's yummy,bet your kids love it.Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

Asha,
I'm going to give your lentil-thai soup and portabella-garlic soup a shot soon. They sound delicious. Thanks for the recipes.

Mamatha

Sig said...

Wow, how did I miss this post... I love soups... roasted garlic and portabello soup sounds yummy!

congratulations on the nomination... you absolutely deserve it...

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,
Healthy "Soup" Post. Nice presentation.Love to try your version of soda bread soon. Thanks for sharing.

FH said...

Hi Mamatha,good to see you girl,been busy,hah?:)
Thai and Garlic sou both are good,but I prefer Roasted Garlic.It was yum!Try them and enjoy:)

Sig,you didn't miss,it's just 2 day old post!:))
Thanks about the nom.I have already won!;D Try the soup,and don't forget the bread.It's easy and great to dip in the soups.Have a great Sunday buddy.

Hello Mt.Thank madam.Bake that bread and add raisins to it make it breakfast bread too.Enjoy:))

Shilpa said...

OMG, is that Thai soup your original concoction? Sounds like a great way to use some lentils!! :) Missed you, and hope to be able to visit regularly no wthat I'm back! muaks! i have to vote for you, too!

FH said...

Hi Shilpa,so good to see you here darling:)) Glad you are back.
Thai soup was in the "Soup Bible" book with fish sauce etc.I skipped that,but rest of it is similar to that recipe.Tasted great.Try the bread too:))
Busy cooking Sunday lunch right now,will see you all tomorrow in your blogs.Hugs.Have a great Sunday.
Thanks about the nom!;D

Dr. Soumya Bhat said...

Hi Asha,
Now this is somewhat different from your regular post.As usual i loved them all.Lovely soups.am a soup lover.Love soups in any for.well they are helatrhy too.those breads look awesome.Enjoyed reading the recipe.

Shionge said...

Asha my Pal...You are always so delightful and full of life in presenting all the wonderful dishes to us :D

I want to know if I can't get Turkey meat can I replace it with minced chicken instead? I didn't know there is dried onion are these fried first?

I've printed the strawberry yoghurt pie and see if me & my D can attempt this over the weekend...can I replace it with foil pie tin?

Thank you and love you! :D

Anonymous said...

I'm a bread girl through and through. That soda bread sounds perfect to go with the wonderful soup you made.

FH said...

Sowmya,thanks.Yup,I got tired of cooking Indian all the time.Glad you liked them:)

Hi Shi,thanks buddy.Yes,you an replace any meat including Sea food if you with Turkey.
We get just white dried onions and fried and dried onions too here,but you can use fresh onions and sauteed in little oil too.
Pie tastes great,hope you try.I guess you can make it with foil pie plate as well,it will be easier slice.Try it.I have never tried it.Hope yu had a great weekend:)

Hi Kristen,saltish soda bread is perfect for soups as a dipper indeed.Try it.Thank you:))

J said...

Swimming in soup, huh?? :) Congrats on the nomination!

sallywrites said...

Well done on your nomination Asha!! Very well deserved too!! You write an excellent food blog.

Love the peanut and mushroom soup recipe. Looks delicious. I lvoe those flavours. I make irish soda bread too sometimes. It's great because it's so quick and easy to make - but tastes divine, especially with soup!

FH said...

Hi J,good to see you.Thanks.Yeah,we had soups galore!:D
What's happening with your event,didn't hear or saw any entries so far.I haven't done it yet.

Hi Sally.Irish bread is indeed great with soups,loved it.I will bake with raisins next time.
Thank you about the Nom.I am happier to see all of you here than receiving any award!:))

Anonymous said...

I love soups. These look awesome Asha. There was one time when I used to make soups daily, ofcourse they were thin soups like the ones we get in India. Now I don't find time for it :(. The first time I tasted soup here in US, I was shocked. It was very thick and I had never seen such soups back home. Now I am used to them :). Thanks for sharing these, I will try some of these soon.

FH said...

Hi Shilpa,good to see you:))
Here in the west,they have soups only in cold winter.So they make them thick and with meat to keep warm.For us in India,there are no winters,so anything goes!:D
Try these sometimes,you will love it.I make soups anytime,it doesn't have to be winter!:)

ushaprashanth said...

Hi Asha!
Those breads are looking lovely...
soups.....hmmm .. delicious looking!!!!!

FH said...

Thank you Usha.Try the bread,it's so easy:))

Srivalli said...

Now when I came down to check out the comments link I saw your granny's sinister look ...so how can I go without giving a line out...heheh..

jokes apart, you have a simply rocking site Asha, am wondering how I missed this out till now...will come back to check out everything...thanks for your encouragement.

FH said...

Hahaha!! Good that Granny is effective on you!!Thank you.Visit again,I post every Wednesday!:))

Reeta Skeeter said...

OMG i hv missed so much.. visitng ur blog after long today... soupy delights! wow!
Cheers!

FH said...

Cheers to you too Reeta.Where have you been? Hope you are doing well there girl!:))