Stracciatella (egg drop soup)

Stracciatella is one of my favourite soups. Oh, who am I kidding, I adore all soups! The broth is the real star of this simple dish, homemade is best and this recipe will give you a quick solution to a flavourful broth in 30 minutes. Yes, it’s another Instant Pot recipe. I usually have homemade chicken stock in the freezer but if I don’t, I definitely have a BBQ’d chicken carcass in the freezer! This easy stock comes together quickly and I dare you to find a difference from the long, slow-cooked stocks of the past. I based this recipe on Frank’s lovely dish. The soup is more filling than you’d think, so limit the servings to the smaller side.

This is the perfect soup for a chilly day.

For the original recipe, please click here.

Makes 1 L of soup

Ingredients for the quick stock:

• A barbecued chicken carcass with most of the meat stripped off.
• 1 onion
• 1 rib celery
• parsley stems
• 15 mL better than bouillon chicken broth

Directions for the quick stock:

1. Combine the ingredients in the instant pot and cover with water. Put the pressure cooker lid on and lock it into place. Set the IP to Pressure on High for 30 minutes making sure the steam release valve is closed (up position).
2. Strain the bones and vegetables from the stock and reserve about 1 liter of stock for this soup, reserve the remaining stock for another recipe.

Ingredients for the Stracciatella:

• 1 L of homemade stock (see above)
• 2 eggs
• 45 g Parmesan, finely grated
• few drops of lemon juice
• pinch of nutmeg

Directions for the Stracciatella:

1. Bring the stock to a slow boil. Combine the eggs and parmesan cheese until it is whisked smooth.
2. Once the stock boils, slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the stock, whisk the stock around in the same direction so the egg doesn’t form one large blob.
3. Allow the soup to continue cooking for a couple of minutes; the egg will turn into beautiful little curds and the broth will clear.
4. Add a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of nutmeg and serve warm.
5. You may add some additional grated parmesan as garnish at the table.

The soup comes together quickly if you already have chicken broth on hand but it only takes about 40 minutes if you make the stock from scratch.

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Quick Phố

We had a long late-summer with beautiful sunny days and warm temperatures. Then it stopped. It always surprises me when temperatures drop so quickly, it’s never a slow incremental decrease, it’s a fast dive to freezing! As soon as the boiler goes on, soups get onto my menu plan. I first saw this beauty on my long-time Chicago friend John’s delicious blog and I’ve been making my rendition ever since. It’s definitely one of my favourites. In our house, it has actually taken over from restaurant Phố as restaurant Phố is far too salty and we’re all trying to cut down.

I start the stock in the morning so the aromatics have time to infuse. You can do it in the Instant Pot pressure cooking function but I like to have the warm aromas wafting through the house as the broth infuses. I usually double the batch of stock and freeze it for an even quicker meal.

An aromatic soup, flavoured with fresh herbs from the garden.

Serves 2 hearty bowls

Ingredients for the stock:

• 2 g fresh ginger, finely minced with a microplane
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 whole cloves
• 250 mL beef broth
• 250 mL chicken stock
• 250 mL water
• salt, to taste

Ingredients for the finished soup:

• 150 g fettuccini rice noodles
• 200 g very thinly sliced raw beef
• fresh cilantro, Thai basil, spring onions for garnish, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• Hoisin sauce, Sriracha sauce

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients for the stock in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 3-4 hours. Alternatively, you may add it to your Instant Pot and pressure cook it for 30 minutes.
2. About 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, bring a pot of water to a boil and remove it from the heat. Add the rice noodles and allow to soak to soften 10-15 minutes.
3. Strain the stock to remove the aromatics and return to the pot to keep warm.
4. Strain the noodles and divide them into two large bowls, top with the thinly sliced beef and ladle the boiling soup over the beef. Garnish with fresh cilantro, Thai basil and spring onions. Serve the hoisin and sriracha sauce at the table to allow each person to garnish their own bowls.

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Super fluffy Keffir Pancakes

We had some dear friends over for brunch in early October and I thought I’d make a “Biggy Breakfast” for us. You know the ones on the menu at your local greasy spoon: eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and pancakes! Overboard, indeed, but it’s the type of breakfast that is easy to share. These pancakes are my favourite, so light and fluffy. I normally make them with buttermilk but I had some unflavoured Keffir on hand so I thought, why not?

Ingredients:

• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 200 mL keffir
• 100 mL water or milk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 30 g sugar
• 10 mL vanilla extract
• 7 g baking powder
• 7 g baking soda
• pinch of cream of tartar
• pinch salt
• 1 nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
2. Beat egg white and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form but not dry.
3. Beat the egg yolk with the sugar until creamy, pale yellow and thick; add the keffir and the water or milk, vanilla and beat until smooth on a slow speed.
4. Fold in the sifted flour mixture gently (don’t over mix as we don’t want the glutens activated).
5. Fold the beaten egg white into the batter and mix together gently, do not over-mix!
6. Spray your skillet with non-stick spray set to medium temperature (or 350°F).
7. Drop about 125 mL of batter on the pan for each pancake and spread out to about 15-20 cm and cook until you see a few bubbles on the surface of the batter. Flip the pancakes and cook for about another 1-2 minutes and the pancake is not too wobbly when you touch the centre with your fingers. Repeat until you have used up all the batter.
8. Keep warm until you have made all the pancakes and serve warm with butter, maple syrup, fruit, and whipped cream!

They are the fluffiest!

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Fall Butternut Squash “Pumpkin” Gnocchi

In early October, we had my brother over for dinner, he was up visiting from the Cayman Islands. I wanted to make a special meal and since it was getting a little nippy, I thought soup would be a great starter. I made butternut squash soup but we didn’t have it all so had some leftovers. We haven’t had gnocchi for ages and when I saw the cutest pumpkin gnocchi come across my Facebook, I knew I had to make it with the leftover butternut squash soup. Unfortunately, I cannot find the video but it was never about the gnocchi recipe, but the cute way the gnocci are shaped…in little pumpkins! It is a bit fussy, but it’s totally worth it. 

Adorable little pumpkins floating in a sea of delicious blue cheese sauce.

Makes about 60 “pumpkin” gnocchi about 10 g each

Ingredients:

• 360 g leftover butternut squash soup (creamed and seasoned)
• 350 g AP flour
• 30 g butter

Directions

• Put the soup and flour into the large bowl of your food processor and process until you achieve a soft but firm ,pliable dough. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• Cut 10 g pieces from the dough. Roll between your palms to make a ball. Set each ball onto a parchment-lined tray. Continue until all of the dough has been shaped.
• Using butcher’s string held tightly just slightly longer than the balls, push the string into the gnocchi ball four times (into fourths then into eigths) to form the pumpkin ribs. Using a toothpick, poke a small hole into the top of the gnocchi where the lines intersect for the greenery.
• Cook gnocchi in boiling water until they float to the top. 
• Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry each gnocchi bottom until lightly golden. Serve with your favourite sauce.

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