Carrot/Ginger Soup With Chile Butter And Cashews

You may not like carrots, but I promise you, you will LOVE this soup. The chile butter and toasted cashews raise this to another level.

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  •  1 1/2 lbs. peeled carrots, cut in 1/4 inch rounds
  •  1 cup chopped white onion
  •  1 medium new potato, peeled and chopped
  •  2 1/2 tbsp. minced peeled ginger
  •  5 cups chicken broth
  •  6-8 tbsp. toasted cashews

Melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, potato and ginger . Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Saute until slightly softened (do not brown) but stir often for about 10 minutes.

Add the broth and bring up to the boil. Simmer now for 20 minutes and then cool slightly.

Puree in small batches until completely smooth. To make sure, press through a sieve. Return to the soup pot, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of chile butter and sprinkle with the cashews.

Chile Butter

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

Mix together in a small bowl. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Toast the cashews in the oven for a few minutes. Chop coarsely.

Now, I ask you…..isn’t this a great way to eat carrots?

Yummy.

Grilled Mahi Mahi With Sweet And Spicy Pineapple

I had a request for a Mahi Mahi recipe and this one is a good one to start with. All the ingredients are fresh and it can be done in less than an hour. It can be a during the week dinner or company fare….the choice is yours.

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  •  2/3 cup shallots, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
  •  3 tbsp. olive oil
  •  1 fresh serrano chile, minced and including the seeds
  •  3/4 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  •  1 tbsp. fish sauce
  •  1 tsp. sugar
  •  pinch of salt
  •  1/3 cup fresh cilantro
  •  6 (1 1/2 inch thick) mahimahi fillets with skin

In a large skillet, cook the garlic and shallots in 2 tbsp. oil, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes. Do not burn the garlic. Add the chile and pineapple and saute over a moderately high heat until the pineapple is softened (about 5 minutes). Add the fish sauce, sugar and salt and saute a further 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature and, if using immediately, add the cilantro. If not, make ahead and keep in the fridge adding the cilantro at the end, just before serving. No more than 4 hours ahead of dining.

If grilling outdoors, preheat grill on high, covered for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Brush the fish all over with the remaining oil and grill, skin side down until the skin is crisp (4 minutes). Turn the fish over and cook a further 5 minutes.

Remove, plate and serve with the pineapple mixture spooned over the top.

Add a lemon flavoured rice (using fresh lemons) or a Limoncello risotto and a green salad. Yummy!

Oh, did I forget? A glass of perfectly chilled white wine would be a great addition.