In the past week I received a lot of requests for Orange Soup (marak katom), which I mentioned as having been my inspiration for last week’s Purple Soup (marak segol) recipe. So I checked out a whole lot of recipes, and I used those plus the large pot of Orange Soup I made two weeks ago to come up with a version to share here. Please note that you will need an immersion blender to make Orange Soup. And, in case you like words and their derivations, Marak Katom is named for its orange color, which happens, in Hebrew, to be a completely different word (kah-tome) than the fruit (tah-pooz). Continue reading
Category Archives: Soups
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Purple Soup
In Jerusalem, “Orange Soup” (Marak Katom, or מרק כתום), made with a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash, is very popular at this time of year. When I was at the market last week buying ingredients for orange soup, I also noticed some beautiful purple potatoes and, nearby, packages of carrots like jewels, ranging from butter yellow to crimson to dark purple. Prior to the vendor realizing I was buying the ingredients for orange soup, he tried to convince me to buy the purple potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes. He had a recipe in mind, too, and suggested that I consider making mashed purple potatoes. A nearby customer even joined in to say that they are delicious with a little bit of thyme and date syrup. “You won’t regret it!” she said. Once the vendor realized my intention for the sweet potatoes, however, he raised his palms toward me, tipped his head slightly, and said something to the effect of “Oh, well, okay, in that case!” Orange soup is the kind of recipe that everyone makes in their own slightly different way but, at the end of the day, orange soup is orange soup and it’s not to be messed with. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: A Week of Menus and Recipes
I suppose it was inevitable, but last week I entered quarantine in a small apartment in Jerusalem for up to two weeks. Purely a precaution, no worries. Plus, there’s a balcony. And sunshine and wifi, so I am totally fine. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Avocado Soup
In honor of the new Vitamix recently delivered to the home of my son-in-law and daughter, I decided to post one of the most inspired and creative cold soup recipes that I’ve ever seen. I’ve been holding onto this one for a long while for just such an occasion as this.
If you’re bummed because you have most, but not all, of the ingredients in this recipe, as long as you have a ripe avocado I would just go for it. And the garnishes are strictly optional. Avocado soup is total delicious goodness. And if, after recent months, you’re looking for something really satisfying in a cozy, winter lockdown kind of way, but that doesn’t include sugar in the ingredient list, this is a great choice. Maybe it’s the nourishing fats from the avocado, or the heat from the jalapeño, but it’s gonna warm you from the inside out and you’ll be really glad you made it.
Complementary Colors: Nourishing Yourself from the Inside Out (with recipe)
One thing you may not know about me is that one of my casual hobbies is interior decorating. I’ve picked out paint colors for my friends, rearranged their furniture, and weighed in on frame choices, picture positioning, and all kinds of related activities. Have you ever heard of decorating with complementary colors? Have you ever even heard of complementary colors? It’s when you choose two colors from opposite sides of the color wheel, like purple and yellow, orange and blue, or red and green. They usually clash just a little bit, which confers added visual interest. Here are some examples: A pink pillow that makes a pale green couch really SING! Or a wrapped bunch of lavender stalks in a pale yellow vase on a lemon-yellow tablecloth strewn with tiny purple violets. Or a ceramic bowl painted in stripes of turquoise and orange. And that brings me to sweet potatoes and kale. Continue reading
The Best Gift My Mom Ever Received
There is more, of course, to my mom than what I posted last week, so I ask for your forbearance as I continue to share our stories. This is my way of preserving her legacy and keeping her nearby as we (by which I mean my “immediate extended family,” as my sister put it) figure out how to move forward on our own. Today’s post is the story of what I think may have been the best gift my mother ever received. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Greek Lentil and White Bean Soup with Gremolata
This recipe comes to us courtesy of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which has all kinds of great nutrition information for doctors, medical students, scientists, and everyone else who is interested in learning to cook great food with lots of flavor! This recipe caught my eye because I love gremolata! It’s guaranteed to give this soup tons of deliciousness. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Butternut Mulligatawny Soup
No matter what anyone says, spring is not around the corner. More like it’s around a blind curve. It’s 19 degrees, and as cold as winter gets. I can’t even contemplate eating cold food. This soup, with a blend of warm and aromatic spices, should work pretty nicely to warm you up from the inside out.
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Japanese Vegetable Miso Soup
Looking for something warm and nourishing to warm your insides, to help you recover, and to keep you on track on all the mornings, noons, and nights before, after, and in between the excitement and celebrations of the holidays? You’ve come to the right place! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Autumn Sunrise Carrot Soup
These past two weeks my CSA boxes contained some very large bags of carrots, and so I decided to put them to good use before the first bag began to go bad. Because time is often of the essence in my world (and probably yours, too), I decided to do all the prep and cooking in advance so I could finish up the final steps quickly on Friday after I got home from work. It worked great, and the color of the final product reminded me of sunrise — warm, inviting, and full of hope. Continue reading