Well I’m back, I have been busy moving, renovating our Rivah house and traveling. We spent a about a month in Cambodia and Vietnam so I wanted to post a few recipes for my readers.  While there I took a cooking class and a street market tour to familiarize myself with the local ingredients.  You can find more about some of the local fruits at this post on our travel blog.

• Chȧ giò Sài Gin (Saigon fried Spring Rolls)
• Goi ngo sen (lotus stems salad with prawns & pork)
• Fresh rice noodles w/ marinated BBQ Pork & raw vegetables

L

Save prep time by peeling and dicing the potatoes while the leeks are cooking in the second step.

You can use either Yukon gold or Russet potatoes for this soup. The Yukon golds will result in a creamier soup.

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large leeks (about 3 cups, chopped)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
• 2 pounds potatoes (Yukon gold or Russet), peeled, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, less or more to taste
• Pinch of dried marjoram
• 1 or 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Sprinkle of Tabasco sauce or other red chili sauce
• White or black pepper to taste

METHOD

1 Clean and cut the leeks: Cut off the roots of the leeks. Cut the leeks lengthwise, fan them open under running water to dislodge any dirt or mud hiding inside. Cut off the tough dark green tops and discard (either compost or freeze for making stock).

Slice the white and light green parts of the leeks crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices in a bowl of cold water and agitate them with your hands to dislodge any remaining dirt. Then scoop out the leeks with a sieve or slotted spoon.

2 Cook leeks in butter to soften: Melt butter on medium heat in a 3 to 4 quart thick-bottomed pot. Add the chopped leeks, stir to coat with the butter.

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are softened. Check to make sure the leeks are not browning.

3 Simmer the soup: Add the broth, diced potatoes, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, and a teaspoon of salt to the pot.

Increase the heat to high to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.

4 Purée the soup: Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Use an immersion blender or standing blender to blend about half of the soup if you want a chunky soup, or all of it if you would like your soup to be more smooth.

Note: if you’re using a standing blender, purée the soup in batches, don’t fill the blender more than a third full at a time, and remember to hold down the lid while the blender is going.

5 Season the soup: Add the parsley, and cook a few minutes more. Add a few dashes of Tabasco to taste.

Add freshly ground pepper and more salt to taste. (Potatoes soak up salt, so you may need to add more salt than you expect.)

THE BEST HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES

6 SERVINGS 

prep time 5 MIN

Cook time 20 MINS 

total time 25 MINS 

Step away from the canned sauce and give these homemade sloppy joes a try! They’re truly the best version of a childhood favorite!INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/3 green bell pepper, minced
• 1/2 large yellow onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• dash of hot sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat butter and oil in large skillet over MED/MED-HIGH heat.  Add beef and brown, breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 5 minutes.  Drain.
2. Add onion and bell pepper to same skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, until soft.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.  Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste.  Stir well.
3. Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper.  Stir well to combine.
4. Cook over MED heat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture has thickened to your liking.  Remove from heat and serve over toasted buns.

• 1(6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup water
• 4(28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• ¹⁄₂cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¹⁄₄cup fresh basil
• salt
• 1 -2 teaspoon sugar as needed

• ONION MIXTURE

• 2 TBLS olive oil (3 onions, chopped fine)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the onion mixture: Heat oil in oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

For the marinara: Add tomato paste to  onion mixture in pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and tomatoes and simmer over low heat until sauce is no longer watery, 45 to 60 minutes. Stir in cheese and basil and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar.

4 servings

1 cup dry green lentils
3 cups of chicken stock
1 tsp sweet curry

Simmer lentils in a saucepan covered until all of the liquid is absorbed into the lentils. This should take between 15-20 minutes, about ½ way through add the curry.  Just before serving add salt to taste, in this recipe I used Himalayan pink salt.

Can be halved.