Here we go. Starting a blog is so much more nerve racking than I expected! I feel so exposed...
For tonight's meal, I wanted to try something loaded with vegetables, and I decided Borscht would be nice- it would go great with the Safeway perigees I've been hoarding in my fridge for the past year. I couldn't find a recipe I actually found appealing for Borchst, so I just decided to wing it. I also couldn't find a pot big enough to make a good amount of soup, so I divvied everything into two pots, which I thought was kind of clever.
Here is my FIRST OFFICIAL recipe for Borscht:
3 beets
2 potatoes
3 carrots
2 celery sticks
a quarter of an onion (fully forgot to put that in, but it would've been nice I bet)
salt
pepper
garlic (minced or just toss in a clove, I minced on and tossed one just because I had no clue which would be better)
and some cabbage… I just tore bits off a head of cabbage because it was REALLY hard to cut!!
Finally, chicken stock. I like the low sodium kind because it makes me feel good about myself.
Since beets are the hardest of these tasty vegetables, they went into the boiling pot of water first. Potatoes are also pretty hard so I tossed them in a few minutes after the beets. etc, etc.
(Okay, how do people have the patience to write step by step instructions for recipes, never mind follow them??)
Of course, all of the vegetables ended up soggy, but the real problem with this Borscht was that it tasted too much like chicken soup and didn't have that wonderful earthy taste beets should give the broth. I don't know why this happened. Did I not let the Beets boil long enough? They tasted over done to me.
Anyway, to try to fix this problem I boiled some beets in a pot of water until they gave some of their beet-y flavour to the H2O. Then I mixed the water and the chicken stock together. This didn't work at all but I thought it was a nifty idea.
In the end I decided I didn't much like the Borscht and didn't want it for dinner so I made this instead. Here is my SECOND official recipe!!
Cheese toast:
- two slices whole wheat toast
-6 slices of cheese
- 4 slices of tomato
-4 slices of spicy salami (genoa is good!)
put the cheese on the toast and pop it in the toaster oven. when the toast inevitably burns before the cheese begins to melt, pop the concoction in the microwave for about 10 seconds so the cheese begins to bubble. Add the other ingredients and voila! dinner is served.
As you can see, I'm in dire need of help. I'm really into food, and those who know me know I'm also a bit obsessed with my health, but I have absolutely no grasp on either of these things. So fellow bloggers, please take some interest in what I've got to say, but more importantly give a cook a hand and help out where you can. Today's questions:
- When making Borchst, how long do you boil the vegetables for, and when is the proper time to start to simmer down?
Cheers, next up is beef stew.
Good job Maiya. Here are some useful tips for you, when making soup: in order to draw out the flavours of the vegetables, sautee first in about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Get yourself a real measuring spoon, because quantity is important. Heat the pan a little, then add the oil over medium hight heat. When the oil is fairly hot (it's been on the heat for about 2 minutes), begin to add the vegetables. You'll know the pan is hot enough because the veggies will sizzle a little when you add them. Always add onion first. Cook onion until the become translucent, (kind of "see-through") but don't let them get brown (if they start to turn brown, just turn down the heat a little). Then add garlic, then celery, then some herbs.... THEN, when everything is starting to smell savoury, add the soup stock (chicken stock in your case). Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer immediately. Then add the larger vegetables like beets and potatoes. (if you just add everything to a pot of water, it will taste like water). You're on your way - BUT I STRONGLY RECOMMEND USING A COOKBOOK.
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