Day 10: A Winter's Tale

So I had a bad case of a 24 hour stomach bug yesterday, hence no blog post, despite the yummy homemade garlic-chicken soup my sister made for me (she cooks too!). All is not lost though. For those of you literary lovers who actually relish in tackling a Shakespeare play, I'm unfortunately not one of them. That's not to say that I don't enjoy seeing a Shakespeare play or a movie loosely based on it such as the amazing Shakespeare in Love and other quirky teen dramas like 10 Things I Hate About You, She's the Man, and finally the Disney adaption of Hamlet in The Lion King. However, on this cold cold night...actually in New York City, it doesn't really feel like winter yet, but in other parts of the country, snow has finally come, especially in the Pacific Northwest right now according to my trusted weather.com site. So I'll leave you with a winter stew that you can make with ingredients you may have in your pantry, freezer and in my case refrigerator since I was trying to clean it out tonight to prevent some produce from spoiling while I'm home in Syracuse starting tomorrow.

*Disclaimer: I will be posting some recipes from Syracuse, so be on the lookout for my some gluten-free chocolate cupcakes from The Cupcake Project (adapted with my healthier ingredients), my mom's Shabbat dinner friday night, and some gluten-free macarons! AND let's not forget my dad's infamous kosher Chinese dinner at my synagogue on Saturday night--I will be posting the menu online, so be prepared to salivate...

French-Indian Spiced Shrimp and Veggie Bisque

Makes 4 servings

2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves (*Note: can use frozen spinach or any other frozen leafy veggie like collard greens)

2-3 handfuls of kale with stalks removed

3 stalks of Swiss chard

1- 15oz. can of pumpkin

2 dozen frozen raw or cooked shrimp

1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp margarine

1/2 15oz. can of chickpeas

1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk

3/4 c. of water

1 tsp seafood seasoning (again, I used La Flor brand)

2 tsp Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp lime juice

1 1/2 tbsp agave nectar (a low-glycemic natural sweetener from the cactus plant)

1/2 tsp. ginger paste

2 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash's Fiesta Lime seasoning

Indian Spice Mix:

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

My Garnishes:

1/8 c. tomato-basil sauce

1 tbsp part-skim ricotta

1 tsp. chopped chives

My Sister's Garnishes:

1/2 c. grated Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar or McAdam Mild Cheddar (both are lactose free cheeses)

1) Heat a large skillet on medium heat and throw in 1 tbsp margarine

2) Spoon in 1/2 a can of chickpeas with the Parmesan cheese, fiesta lime seasoning and black pepper.

3) Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the chickpeas soak up the spices and cheese and mash them with a fork in the skillet afterwards. Set aside.

4) In a medium sized pot, dump in pumpkin, lime juice, Balsamic vinegar, agave nectar, 2 remaining tbsp margarine, unsweetened almond, and veggies and stir on high heat until veggies are saturated in broth. Let simmer on a lower heat while preparing the rest of the stew.

5) Heat up shrimp in a small bowl the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high. 

6) Add cold water to the bowl to cool down the shrimp and discard the skins with your fingers.

7) Dump shrimp and their juices into the soup along with the mashed chickpeas and stir for a few minutes, raising the heat a little. Once the stew is boiling slightly, turn off the heat.

8) My sister can't have acidic vegetables/fruits, so I garnished my bowl with the tomato-basil soup and ricotta, and then garnished hers with grated lactose-free cheese.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!