Sweet Potato Carrot Bisque, after Cocktails
What a novelty! Tonight I think I’ll actually post what I had for dinner.
I couldn’t possibly relay the food that I’ve consumed over the past several days at the JPL-suffice to say it has been superb and in excess. Dinner tonight started with Sweet Potato Carrot Bisque, poured over crispy fried red onions (which were already in the soup bowls), then chicken stuffed with Fairwinds farm goat cheese and roasted fingerling potatoes, and white chocolate mousse with berry sauce for dessert. I figured the soup recipe was easy to share; plus it’s delicious. (I apologize for the nasty photo – it was dark, and the wine rendered me not as steady as I’d have liked.)
And also – I had gone to Shoana’s most excellent (say like in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure – am I dating myself?) mixology class in the afternoon, at which I tested no fewer than 7 cocktails – for research purposes, you understand. I think she may have convinced me to buy a martini shaker. Or dig out the one I bought at a garage sale a few years ago.
Yet another great thing about Christmas in November is that you get to take home a book full of recipes – everything you ate in the dining room, as well as all the recipes from the presenters.
Sweet Potato Carrot Bisque
This was served over crispy fried red onions which had already been placed in the soup bowls; to do this, thinly slice the onions and cook in oil until crispy.
2 cups chopped carrots
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 L (32 oz.) chicken broth
1 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurtIn a large pot simmer the carrots and sweet potato in the stock for 20 minutes, or until tender, adding more water if you need to to keep the vegetables covered. Meanwhile, saute the onion in the butter until translucent. Add them to the pot of veggies. Add the sugar, curry, nutmeg and salt and puree with a hand-held immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender in batches) until smooth. Add the lemon juice and yogurt and heat through. If you like, serve over crispy fried onions. Serves 4.
Chocolate Martini
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. crème de cacao
2 oz. milk (optional)
ice
chocolate shavings or finely crushed candy canes (optional)Rim your martini glass by running a wedge of lime around the rim and dipping it into a shallow bowl of chocolate shavings or crushed candy canes. Shake everything else up (lots of ice) in a martini shaker and strain into the glass. Drink.
November 11 2009 12:03 am | beverages and soup
Donna on 11 Nov 2009 at 1:18 am #
Julie – thanks for the wonderful blogs and recipes.
Was there some liquid added to the carrot / sweet potato bisque before the “more water”? (maybe the stock ?)
Best wishes – enjoy your remaining time at JPL.
Lauren on 11 Nov 2009 at 3:23 pm #
Mmmm. Yes please!
Barb on 11 Nov 2009 at 4:22 pm #
The drinks even look beautiful.
Mixing Bowl Mama on 11 Nov 2009 at 6:46 pm #
Mmm…love the idea of a chocolate martini..how seasonally appropriate is that? And that soup sounds so yummy (the chicken does too!).
Erica B. on 11 Nov 2009 at 8:53 pm #
Party time! Excellent! lol ‘k now I’m dating myself
Looks like Christmas in November was a lot of fun. Thanks for giving us a peek
Carol SB on 11 Nov 2009 at 9:36 pm #
Oh, that soup looks marvelous. Reminded me of something… oh yeah,
http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2008/04/21/day-112-curried-ginger-carrot-soup-to-go/
…which I promptly made tonight. Again. Something about this combination of flavours works so well. So, in anticipation of a busy day/evening tomorrow, a portable, sippable soup for rush-hour traffic is just the ticket.
Thanks, Julie.
Again.
Natalie from Ottawa on 12 Nov 2009 at 8:07 am #
Here’s a mix that you can add to your list of “gotta-try” drinks over the holidays:
Candy-Cane Martini:
1 oz Peppermint Shnapps
1 oz Khalua
1 oz Crème de Cacao
Mix in a shaker with ice, serve in a small glass, with a mini candy-cane. And drink very slowly! This drink goes straight to your head!