parsnip and apple soup

1 T butter
1 lb. parsnips, sliced thin
1 lb. apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 med. onion, chopped

Melt the butter; when foaming, add parsnips, apples, and onion. Cook until softened, but not browned. Add

2 t curry powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t cardamon seeds
1 large garlic clove

Cook for about two minutes, stirring consistently. Add

5 c chicken stock

Cover and let simmer for about thirty minutes, or until the parsnips are very soft. Puree the mixture and add more stock or water if it seems to thick. Return to soup pot, add

1 qt. cream

and heat until soup is hot, but not boiling.

Read the tangentially related post that goes with the recipe here.

samosas

These are wonderful fried treats I used to buy from street vendors when I lived in Kenya. I was reminded of them in a post at Africakid and the World. My recipe is an adaptation of one found in Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook.

Pastry:

2 c flour
1/2 t salt
2/3 c water
1 T oil

The dough should be slightly moist. Knead for 3-5 minutes, until smooth; cover with damp closth and set aside.

If you don't want to make the pastry, you can use egg roll wrappers or Goya makes a frozen empanada dough which comes in rounds. Thaw, cut the rounds in half, put the filling on one side and fold over into a triangle (my personal choice). If you make the pastry, cut it into rounds and follow the above instructions.

Filling:
Samosas don't just have one filling, but the one I remember was ground beef, peas, and spices. Some recipes also add diced potatoes.

1 med. onion, finely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. ground beef

Saute in a little bit of oil and then add:

ground ginger
ground coriander
ground cumin
curry powder
(I'm lousy at giving amounts on spices because different people like it different ways. Start with 1/4 t and go from there; put in at least a T of curry powder).

Continue to simmer meat mixture and add

1 can peas
1 small diced potato (optional)
1/4 c raisins (also optional, though I like them)

Simmer for a total of about ten minutes, until flavors are mixed well; drain.

Cut the pastry round in half. Place a rounded spoonful of filling on one side and then fold the other side over to make a triangle. You can seal it by painting the edge with water before you fold it over and then crimping the edge to make it stick. Heat about two inches of oil in a pot or deep skillet until a small piece of pastry begins to cook when it hits the oil. Cook the samosas, turning once, until browned on each side.

Good stuff, Maynard. Read my accompanying post here.

Peace,
Milton