Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

Minoo kicked start the Caring Place Community Kitchen with two dishes. The first dish is Roasted Sweet Potato soup with orange and ginger. You may make this dish with yam, pumpkin or other winter squashes.

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This Roasted Sweet Potato Soup is a creamy soup flavoured with orange zest and grated ginger. It is best served warm. The creaminess of the soup comes from the sour cream. However, you may substitute the sour cream with a couple tablespoons of peanut butter and it’s equally good.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups peeled, cubed yams or sweet potatoes (about 3 large ones)
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 5 cups low-fat chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon each grated orange zest and gingerroot
  • 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
  • Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnishing

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Vinegar and Oil Tasting

Karen brought a couple of her vinegar and oil for us to taste as she did not have to prepare much for the community meal the next day. Basically, she’ll made the Chili in Indian Sauce for the community meal entree and salad for the sides. We helped Karen to wash and chop two big boxes of greens to be used for salad the next day. The food bank also donated two large platters of cookies for the community meal and that takes care of the dessert.

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Karen brought a couple of oil and vinegar for us to taste and she also shared a few vinagrette dressing recipes with us. Here are what we tasted:

A sherry vinegar which has quite a strong sour taste. A lemon infused olive oil which has a very nice lemon flavour. A balsamic vinegar which is mellow and smooth, not too sour. The grape seed oil does not have any flavour in it which is very good for cooking because of its neutral taste.

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We also compares the oil with an ordinary olive. We did the tasting with some bread. Bing a typical Chinese who do not serve salad at home, I have very little knowledge of vinegar and oil. When I walk into a gourmet store with racks of vinegar and oil, I’m just lost. Anyway, it is a good experience to taste some of these vinegar and oil which I have never used before. So, what is your favourite vinegar and oil?

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Chili in Indian Sauce

Karen made a Chili using some Indian Sauce she got from the food bank. It is a good way to introduce new flavour to your family to expand their culinary experience. This is a vegetarian dish. Karen served the chili with basmati rice and salad greens on the side.

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The Chili in Indian Sauce is so simple and quick to prepare. The sauce is sold in microwaveable pouch which is ready to eat.

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The sauce Karen used is Baingan Bharta which is roasted aubergines in a tangy sauce infused with rich Indian spices. The sauce is not too spicy. (more…)

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Roast Pork Rice Paper Roll

Vanessa also made some Roast Pork Rice Paper Rolls to serve with the Pineapple Fried Rice. The roast pork is bought from the best roast pork stall at Parker Place in Richmond.

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The Roast Pork Rice Paper Roll is best served warm, unlike the Vietnamese Shrimp Rice Roll which is served cold.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb roast pork, cubed
  • 1 package of rice paper
  • 3 carrots, peel and cut into match sticks
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 bag of bean sprouts
  • Hoisin Sauce to taste

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Click on the link below for the instructions.

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Pineapple Fried Rice

Vanessa kicked start the the South Arm Community Kitchen with two of her favourite dishes. The first dish is Pineapple Fried Rice. Many Chinese made fried rice at home. It’s a good way to use left over rice and meat. Nanzaro often asks me to cook extra rice so that he can fry rice for supper or breakfast by himself.

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Vanessa kicked it up a notch by using the pineapple shell to plate the Pineapple Fried Rice. This is just like what we get at high end restaurant which comes pricey. Vanessa showed us how to make this from our own kitchen.

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We simply love the presentation of this Pineapple Fried Rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole pineapple, not too ripe.
  • 4 cups cooked rice. preferably overnight left over rice
  • 4 slices Cooked ham
  • 4 eggs
  • a bunch of green beans
  • Soy Sauce
  • Salt to taste

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Click on the link below for the instructions.

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U-Pick Strawberries

June is the season for strawberries in Vancouver. Nothing beats freshly picked strawberries from the farm. Arkensen loves strawberries and who can resist such sweet and juicy berries.

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Strawberry is small plant of the rose family. Strawberries are not really “berries” or fruit in the botanical sense. The real fruit of the strawberry is the strawberry seeds on the outside of the strawberry or properly called “achenes”. The berry is actually the enlarged receptacle and is not reproductive material. That’s why strawberry has to be picked at full ripeness because they cant ripen once picked.

We live very near to some farm lands and the sign for U-Pick Strawberries was up last week.

Here is a list of U-Pick Strawberries farms in Richmond and other parts of Lower Mainland:

Farm Address Phone Notes
G.J. Farms 11300 No.4 Road 604-272-4033
Bob Featherstone Farm #4 Road south of Steveston Hwy 604-594-9518
W&A Farms 17771 Westminster Hwy 604-278-5667 www.wafarms.ca
Birak Berry Farm 4200 No. 6 Road 604-339-9335 bcstrawberries.com
Krause Berry Farm 6179 248 St. Langley 604-856-5757 http://krauseberryfarms.com
Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association www.bcstrawberries.com

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