Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp grated, ginger
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 6 or 7 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 can chicken stock
• 2 cans water
• salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium, add onions and let soften until translucent.
2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add carrots and sweet potato and roast for 5 minutes.
4. Add stock and water, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.
5. Remove from heat and puree in a blender until smooth.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Top with croutons (optional).

Braised Pork Top Loin, Take 2

Ingredients:

3 lb pork top loin

2 tbsp Worcestershire

1 head pressed garlic

1 tbsp ginger, grated

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper 

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp chipotle pepper

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, diced

1 green apple, diced

2 cups mixed potatoes, diced

2 pints "light" beer

olive oil

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 250F.  In a small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, parsley, salt, all peppers and Worcestershire sauce.  Rub loin with mixture.  Coat bottom of brasier with olive oil, set pork with fat side up and cover

2. cook pork for 6 hours in preheated oven

3. remove pork from pan, leaving juices behind, let rest, increase oven temp to 300F

4. in pan with juices, caramelize onions, add other veggies

5. remove fat from pork and slice thinly

6. return pork to pan, pour beer over dish, cover with lid and cook for 1.5 hours

Mushroom Topping

Ingredients:

1 portabella mushroom cap

4 pearl onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 tsp sesame seed oil

2 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium

Directions:

1. chop up the mushrooms into thin strips, about two inches long

2. heat oil in a pan over medium heat and saute onions until soft and lightly browned

3. add garlic and saute for a minute or until flavor is incorporated throughout

4. add mushrooms to the pan and cover, cook until mushrooms are soft

5. add soy sauce and cook for a minute or until flavor is incorporated throughout

6. remove from heat and serve