Tag: dill

Small Batch Tomato Dill Soup

Cold weather calls for soup! And since it’s chilly and blustery, a recipe for a small batch of tomato dill soup is just the thing. It’s rich, easy to make, and is ready in about an hour.

I’ve adapted this from The Silver Palate Cookbook (one of my favorites). However, I did make a few changes. The original recipe was for 8 to 10 portions (way too much). It also called for blending the soup in a food processor or food mill. First, I have neither. Second, we now have stick blenders! But then I realized I had an even better idea. Use crushed tomatoes instead of whole canned ones. I mean, why buy whole tomatoes if you are just going to crush them anyway? Right? Right.

The other thing about this small batch tomato dill soup: it requires very little time or fussing. Hardly any chopping required, and not a lot of ingredients either. But, there’s still lots of rich tomato and dill flavor, topped with a dollop of sour cream and more dill.

Note that the original recipe also called for fresh dill (as a must). But fresh dill is not all that fresh in the north this time of year. The good news, you can freeze it (which is what I had done). All you have to do is wash the dill, pat it dry, roll it in a paper towel, and then put it in a freezer proof storage bag or jar (I use empty Talenti gelato jars). Then you have dill ready to use any time you want.

More Soup Recipes

pasta e fagioli soupPasta e Fagioli Soup (Small Batch)

Lots of veggies, tomatoes, and beans, simmered slowly for a rich and satisfying soup. It’s practically a meal all by itself.

 

moroccan chicken soupMoroccan Chicken and Lentil Soup

Yes, this is a Jewish soup (no matzo balls in sight).  It does have chicken, but it’s flavored with sweet tomatoes, spicy/warm ginger, and turmeric.

 

mulligatawny soupMulligatawny Soup Recipe

An early example of food fusion. The British brought the meat and the Tamils added the spicy kick.

 

Dill Caper Potato Salad

Nothing really says summer like potato salad (at least in America). It’s a staple of barbecues, picnics, and outdoor parties. This dill caper potato salad recipe comes via Smitten Kitchen via Bon Appetit via Rosanne Cash (daughter of Johnny).

I modified it a bit (OK, maybe a lot), but the essence of it is, I think, the same. First, I substituted yellow potatoes for red.  Second, I used capers rather than pickles. Third, I left out the hard boiled egg (because I was low on eggs and wanted them for something else). And finally, I swapped yellow onion for red.

The key here is the crunchy sour/sweet flavor of the capers paired with the starchy potatoes and the lemony, sweet dill.

And, since I don’t like that much dressing, I cut that too (even Deb said it was a bit much the original way).

The odd thing is, I was writing up the recipe, and I realized I hadn’t written down the reduced measurements (duh). So, I went back to the original to see what the amounts should be (planning to divide by 8).  Then I noticed she’d said that the dressing was enough for 150% of the original quantity of potatoes.

Since my brain balked at calculating how to get 150% down to whatever fraction is appropriate, I winged it and wrote down what I thought would work.
At the end, there was another note to use half the dressing and then only add more if you felt it needed it. Seems that amount of dressing would have worked for twice as many potatoes, as well as 150%. Then I thought, wait, better divide by 16 then just to make sure.

I started to do that, and found my “guessestimates” were exactly accurate. The only thing that was off was the capers, which I had consciously and deliberately reduced a bit.

Anyway, on to the recipe!




Dill Caper Potato Salad Substitutions and Variations

  • add a hard boiled egg
  • use red onion
  • if you use pickles, incorporate some of the pickle juice into the dressing
  • try white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar
  • cut the mayo with some yogurt or sour cream

More Potato Recipes

dijon mustard vinaigrette potato saladFrench Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Delicious potato salad without the heavy mayo dressing. Get your starch fix here! Good warm or chilled.

 

mixed greens egg potato chicken saladMixed Greens Egg Potato and Chicken Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

A great way to get your veggies and clean out the fridge. All you have to cook is an egg, and add leftover chicken.  Or skip the chicken and make it vegetarian.

roasted paprika potatoesRoasted Paprika Potatoes

Think extra-thick French fries.  These are crispy outside, fluffy inside. Great comfort food, which my grandma used to make me.

 

skin on garlic mashed potatoesSkin On Garlic Mashed Potatoes

No peeling! No kidding. These mashed potatoes are rich, creamy, and super-easy.  The garlic mellows out and sweetens as you cook it.

 




Turkish Lamb Burgers

These Turkish lamb burgers are flavorful, filling, and just a little bit messy, so keep plenty of napkins handy. It’s worth the mess though. The burgers are rich from lamb, slightly salty from the feta and spicy/warm from cumin and garlic. Adding mint to both the burgers and the yogurt cucumber sauce adds a fresh, cool flavor to balance out the spices.

I adapted this recipe from one I found online so long ago I can’t remember where I found it. It does require a bit of pre-planning, since the meat mixture has to sit for a while for the flavors to blend. So, it’s probably best for a weekend, rather than a Tuesday dinner. However, once that’s done, the rest of the recipe comes together pretty quickly. And, it’s practically a meal all by itself.

Make the meat mixture for the burgers first, let it sit overnight or a few hours in the fridge, and then make the cucumber yogurt sauce while the burgers are cooking.

I did make this for two servings, rather than one, because half an egg isn’t so bad, but a quarter of an egg is ridiculous, even for me. 

How to get half an egg, you ask? What you do is break the egg, beat it lightly, and then pour half of it out into a separate container.  You should end up with about 3  T of egg total.  Use half that for the burgers, or approximately 1 1/2 T (4 1/2 teaspoons). Save the rest of the egg to make a cherry tomato basil frittata or a spinach and feta omelette in a day or two.  Don’t worry if it’s not exact, we’re not baking!

I broiled the burgers in my toaster oven, and put the pita on top for a minute or so to warm it up.  If you have a grill, you could use that instead.

Serve the burgers in pita bread topped with the yogurt dill sauce.




Turkish Lamb Burgers Substitutions and Variations

  • Garnish with some extra crumbled feta cheese
  • Top with thinly sliced red onions
  • Add sliced tomatoes and extra chopped cucumber on top of your lamb burger
  • Make the burgers with half lamb and half ground turkey (use dark meat if you can find it); or if you don’t like lamb, just use the turkey




 

More Lamb Recipes

Lmab keema with potatoes and broccoliLamb Keema with Potatoes and Broccoli

Familiar with shepherd’s pie? Think that, but gone to Pakistan and picked up a whole new set of spices, like curry, cumin, ginger, and turmeric.

 

moussaka without bechamelMoussaka Without Bechamel Sauce Recipe

No heavy sauce to make, and fewer steps, but still delicious. This Turkish version only requires one pan, but still piles on plenty of flavor from spicy/warm cinnamon and nutmeg, the bite of garlic and onion, tender eggplant, ground lamb, and tomatoes.

lamb kofta meatballsLamb Kofta Meatballs

Flavored with toasted nuts, sweet/minty cardamom and earthy lamb. This dish is a feast for your eyes as well as your taste buds.  It’s also eggless and bread-free.

 

spinach lamb meatballsSpinach Lamb Meatballs

Rich with lamb, tangy vinegar, and earthy spinach. Red wine vinegar stands up to the lamb’s bold flavor, while cumin lends a warm, slightly spicy bite. The spinach adds color, and those all important vitamins and iron too.