tunisian chickpea soup with za'atar ezekiel toast and poached egg

Il fait frette, and all I want to gulp is a bowl of soup or coffee.

Born and raised in Quebec, I can attest I've experienced my fair share of slushy driving conditions and gliding-through-rush-hour-traffic tales....  I've got plenty of winter car stories! I won't forget January 2015, I was on my way home back from work on schedule to get the kiddies from school, and out of nowhere my car went clunk... clunk.. clunk. "No-o-o-o!" That 'clunk' turned into a flat tire that left me stranded downtown in front of Square-Victoria in the World Trade Center's taxi-only zone during rush-hour. Two hours later, road-side assistance came to my rescue; luckily, Starbucks being everywhere,  I spent my time savoring an evening cup of coffee, making back-up plans for my kids, and roaming on my phone - ouch that Fido bill! I slept like a real mama that night only to wake-up to my usual morning routine until I hit a pot-hole, "BAM!" And there I was, stranded on Saint-Jacques Street with yet again, a second flat tire in less than a day. Luckily, I walked over to Tim Hortons for my morning cup of coffee waiting for my road-side assistance (that made it to me within the hour). Sometimes, I just want to get re-married so someone can manage my flat-tire and prep my car for winter driving (lol, just kidding).

Winter driving aside, there is nothing more refreshing than a winter walk, especially during a pleasant snowfall, gazing at an untouched and twinkling snowy landscape.  On a beautiful evening in December last year, my daughters and I opted for an evening walk under the stars at Trudeau Park in Cote Saint-Luc. It wasn't too cold, we had just finished dinner and we were looking forward to get some fresh air 'of some kind'. That night, the only sound that resonated was our laughter echoing in the park while making snow angels, and trailing a trio of boot tracks. We climbed-up to the mini-mountain where we began body sledding over and over and over again, à la queue leu leu and solo, "one more time Mommy!" The girls begged "Ok girls, one more time..." X 10, it was fun. That's what I love about being a mom, these kids spark fun and warmth. 

After the winter outdoors, all one craves is a nice warm bowl of soup. I've been exploring all kinds of soup recipes in the past weeks, and opted for a Tunisian chickpea soup. Whether you are a Sephardi from Tunisia or Morocco, no matter how cold it gets, our traditional foods come in handy 365 days a year. Enjoy this classic!

smokey sweet potato, 'bacon' and maple syrup soup

I had to. I just had. I needed to get a taste of bacon in a kosher kind of way.

While I have no clue what real bacon tastes like, I can only imagine. So when I crossed a bacon sweet potato soup recipe, I totally digged the idea of turning it into my own. I must say, that the challenge was deliciously met using Clubhouse bacon bits. The toppings truly rock the soup with crunch, sweetness and smokin flavor.  So hear it is balabustas, a 'bacon' and maple syrup soup that kosher foodies can enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
 50 minutes | Serves 4

• 2 tbsp of olive oil 
• 4 sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 
• 1 yellow onion, chopped 
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon smoked salt (kosher salt will do if you don't have it) 
• Pepper, to taste 
• 1/3 cup of simulated bacon bits, plus more for garnish - I  used Clubhouse Simulated Bacon Bits
• 2 tbsp of maple syrup, plus more to drizzle on top 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1 cup of milk 
• 4 strands of chive, finely chopped 
• Grated parmesan, to garnish 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a medium heavy pot over medium heat. 
2. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil, and tip and tilt the pot to coat. 
3. Add the onion, sweet potatoes, bacon bits stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for about 4 minutes. 
4. Season with smoked salt and pepper, then stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are softened. 
6. Pour the milk and with an immersion hand blender blend the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, allow the soup to cool and then ladle it in batches into a blender.
7. Whisk in 2 tbsp of maple syrup into the soup and reheat gently over low heat.
8. To serve, pour the soup into bowls, garnish with bacon bits, a drizzle of maple syrup, and chopped chives. You can also top it with grated Parmesan cheese as well. 
9. Slurp,  savor, crunch the bits and enjoy this sweet and smoky soup!

curried butternut squash soup

Curry and my kids just don't get along. Ya, un hun, I don't know whether its the aroma or the karma, my kids just won't touch curry. I've tried it all! The begging "PLEASE...," the dessert barter "you'll get a fudgesicle, a chocolate bar AND a fruit roll-up if you eat it" :-)....... :-( I tried convincing them with a healthy hearty shpiel like "It's good for you, you'll be taller than the boys in your class..." (it didn't work) and finally, with lack of choice, I attempted bribery "I'll give you two tickets to Sugar Sammy's show..." NADA! These kids just don't budge on curry. So if anyone knows great kid-friendly curry recipes to the rescue, please oh please send them my way, you'll alleviate this little Montreal mama. In the meantime, maybe I'll have better luck sharing my curry butternut squash recipes with you, a soup I truly enjoy and a hearty hit to me. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 green onions 
• 1 tbsp of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 whole butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 clove of garlic
• Salt to taste
• Thai curry paste or 1 tsp of mild ginger
• 1/4 cup of  coconut butter (you can also substitute it with 2/3 of cup of coconut milk)
• 3 cups of chicken broth (or the parve kind)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and cock softened, 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant not browned, about 1 minute. 
3. Add the cubed and peeled squash, broth, and bring to a boil. 
4. Reduce heat to cool, ensure the squash is softened. Let cool slightly. 
5. Pour the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until it's nice and creamy.
6. Mix in thoroughly the curry paste or mild curry in along with the coconut milk.
7. Return to pot and heat the soup until it's hot.

And voila! Enjoy a nice bowl of this delish curry soup! 

creamy broccoli soup with mint and ricotta cheese

More snow, more freezing rain, and the only thing I want to do is shop till I drop. I must of walked a total of 5 hours at the mall yesterday, one of the best 'outdoor' winter workouts I've had this season ;) I love the craziness of last minute x-mas shopping. I love heading to Fairview Shopping center, one of my favorite local malls growing up. From those 25 minutes of finding parking (the parking lot holds well over a thousand vehicles), beautifully displayed windows, lineups at the cashes (oy-vey), line-ups at Starbucks (oy, oy vey)  seeing the boxing day signage go-up, overhearing hundreds of people saying, "do I get her this one? Or that one?'... It's a real 2013 marketing\ retail jungle out-there.

So after a day of snow, freezing  rain and shopping in some sort of jungle, the only  thing I want to eat is a warm bowl of creamy broccoli soup, ah... I love this soup because it's delicious, extremely easy-to-make and perfect for unwinding. Enjoy this one guys!

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP WITH MINT AND RICOTTA CHEESE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep 15 min|  Cooking Time 15 min| Total time 30 min | Serves 4 - 6 | DAIRY Adapted from Jamie Oliver
INGREDIENTS	INSTRUCTIONS
2 tbsp of butter 1 onion, chopped 2 celery stalks, cleaned and chopped 1/4 cup of flour 3-4 cups frozen or fresh broccoli 1 tsp of mint 1 cube of parve chicken flavor 3/4 cup of milk 2 1/2 cups of hot water 2 tbsp of mint, rough chopped 1/4 cup of heavy cream, optional Garnish 1 tbsp mint, rough chopped drizzle of olive oil dollop of ricotta cheese Pepper to taste	1.  In a heavy bottom pot, on medium heat, saute the butter, onions, celery,  and mint for 3-4 minutes. 2.  Once softened, mix in the flour. 3.  Add in the broccoli and kosher salt. 4.  Dilute the chicken soup flavor into the hot water and pour it into the broccoli. 5.  Cook for 10 minutes, lower heat a bit 6.  Blitz with a hand blender or, place the soup into a heat prof bowl, in a a bath of ice, allow to cool and pour it in a blender to blitz for 1 minute. 7.  Put the soup back into the pot, add the milk and cook for 4-5 minutes. 7.  Remove from the heat. To serve pour the soup in little bowls, add the ricotta, olive oil, ground pepper, rough chopped mint.

Revised 23-02-2016