Carrot Celery Soup (Gluten Free)

Carrot Celery Soup with Brown Rice Pasta

Soup makes a great one pot meal, when you make it chunky and thick. This soup can be made thick or thin. I was cleaning up my fridge to buy some new veggies so these were waiting to cooked.

1 Bunch Celery (the long one)

I Small Bag of baby carrots  (which we forgot to snack on during the week)

4 Large Carrots

2 small red Radish (which somehow escaped when I made radish sambar)

A small bunch of Spring onion (bottom to fry along with the onion and top to garnish)

So I set out to make the soup.

Prep time - to cut veggies about 10 minutes
Cooking Time - Saute - 10 Minutes Pressure Cook 15 mins blend and Garnish 5 mins

You will need

Celery - Chopped in 1/2 finger long lengths

Carrots - chopped in big pieces (No need to chop the baby carrots)

Spring Onion Onion - 1 (Chopped in big pieces)

Garlic - 1 (in cloves)

Oil - 1 Tablespoon

Cilantro to Garnish

Cumin - 1 Tsp

Salt - 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon

Vegetable Broth or Water  - 1 Quart 

Butter 1/4 Teaspoon

Cayenne Pepper Powder - 1/8 Teaspoon

All Spice Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon

If you don't have these on hand, you can substitute any other spice that you like.

I feel Cayenne Pepper adds a different kind of spiciness to the soup rather than regular chilly powder.

I forgot to take a picture after adding the carrots, the  last pic was taken after the veggies were cooked in the pressure cooker, while blending them.

Method
--->In a Pan, on a medium flame, add the oil. When it starts to get hot, add the cumin, saute it till it slowly starts sizzling, add the garlic cloves, then the onion  and spring onion, and saute it till it all starts coming together.
--->Now add the celery, mix once
--->Add the carrots, mix once. Add Salt
--->Transfer the contents to a Pressure Cooker and give it 3 whistles.
--->After the pressure comes down, take a hand blender and blend it all well.
--->In the pan you sauteed the veggies, add the butter and when it melts add the spice powders and mix well, now add the blended contents  and the broth to this. Mix well. Taste for Salt
---->Garnish with the Chopped (top part) Spring Onions and Cilantro

To make this thick and make it a one pot meal, I cooked some brown rice pasta  and served it together.

Fried Rice with Veggies and Tofu

                                                                            Fried Rice

 I've always wanted to make the perfect fried rice, and one of the main things you need for that is cold, cooked rice. I usually don't have any leftover rice, so could never make it instantly. So I made the rice a day ahead of time, a first for me. I have used half brown rice and half Sona Masoori Rice. You can use any kind of rice, as long as you cook the grains separate. I mixed both the rices, and used 1:2 water ratio. I cooked it in a pressure cooker and after taking the rice out, let it cool in a tray for an hour and then put it in a container and put it in the fridge.

Fried Rice for 4 to 5 

Rice 1 and 1/2 Cups (Half Brown and Half Sona Masoori)
Tofu - 14oz  (Drained and cut in to square pieces)
Potato - 1 Large cut in to Strips
Cabbage - Cut in thin Strips
Red Bell Pepper -  Cut in thin Strips
Carrots -  Cut in thin Strips
Spring Onion - 1 Bunch (Cut in pieces, but reserve the top half separately for garnish)
Garlic - 7 to 8 Cloves Chopped in little pieces

Prep Work

 Oil - 5 Teaspoons
Soy Sauce - 2 Tablespoons
Ketchup - 2 Teaspoons
Black Pepper  1 Teaspoon (roasted and ground)
Salt to taste

Steps

---> (Medium flame)In a Pan, add 1 Tsp oil, and spread it evenly on the pan. Add the tofu pieces and sprinkle a bit of salt on them, and cook  them till they turn slightly brown.

Get all your items ready and be prepared to be at the stove for the next 12 to 15 minutes, for stirring the veggies, without leaving its side. Also you have to add a bit of salt each time you add every vegetable.
These times are given for the measurements given above, if you want to double the ingredients to feed a larger crowd, please remember to give the items a little extra time so all the veggies can cook perfectly.

---> In a thick bottomed pan, (Medium High Flame) Add the rest of the oil, add the garlic, roast them till they turn a little brown, add the spring onions, fry them for about 2 mins, add the potatoes, fry for about 3 to 4 mins, keep stirring, add the cabbage, and give it for about 3 mins, and then add the carrots and the bell pepper, and stir, and dont foget to add the salt each time you add a vegetable.

---> Check the veggies to see if they have cooked, especially the potato, and the rest can be a bit crunchy.

----> Once you have made sure the veggies have cooked, switch of the stove, and add the rice. When you add the rice, add by hand and kind of try to make the grains separate. They might be a little squishy since it was kept in the fridge. Add the Tofu, Black Pepper Powder, the soy sauce, the ketchup and salt for the rice.

----> Mix the rice, tofu, veggies and the sauces together. And start the stove again, and on a medium flame close the pan and let the items bled together for about 3 to 5 mins.

---> Garnish with the top half of the chopped Spring onions and serve.

Greeeeen Salsa!!!

Going Greeen with Salsa.....

I got this recipe from my friend Mina. It tastes absolutely wonderful and soooooooooooooo easy to make. The base of this is Tomatillos. They are vailable almost year round in the markets.

They are different from Green Tomatoes. It comes wrapped in a green dry covering. It is very sticky. You have to wash it well after you peel the covering.

You need

A Food Processor

Tomatillos - 6 to 7 Big ones (chopped in 4s)

Green Bell Pepper - 2

Spring Onions - 10

Cilantro - 2 handfuls

Garlic Cloves - 5 to 6

Vinegar - 1/2 cup

Salt as needed

Jalapeno- 2 (1 seeded, and I un seeded)

(Your choice, depending on how spicy you want you can increase the amount or decrease it or choose to de seed both also)

Method

--->After washing all the veggies, just add everything except the spring onions in to the food processor and run it until it becomes a soggy paste.

--->chop the spring onions and add them to the soggy paste and run it once more.

--->Remember to add salt :)

--->Enjoy with some crispy Tortilla Chips. We had it with both blue corn tortillas and White Corn Tortilla....

My husband uses this as a spread for his breakfast bread and also as a topping for his salad.