Nourish! The Azerothian Menu

A Warm Hug on a Cold Day!

After getting caught in a snowstorm in Howling Fjord, I was grateful to stumble across the local Taunka camp. These wonderful people served me some of the best soup I had ever tasted – they called it Winterhoof Squash Soup. It’s delicious, easy to make, and very good for you! Here’s the recipe they shared with me.

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash, halved, seeded
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (dried thyme also works, just in case)
• 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
• 2 shallots, minced
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 5 cups chicken stock, warmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
• Crème fraîche, for garnish

1. Brush each squash half with 1/2 tablespoon EVOO, 1 tablespoon thyme, and some salt. Roast flesh side up at 350 degrees F until tender and colored, for about 50 minutes. Cool just enough to remove flesh from skin.

2. In a saucepan over very low heat, sauté shallots in EVOO until shallots are translucent. Add 2 teaspoons of curry to bloom.

3. Add squash and 4 1/2 cups stock. Bring to boil.

4. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Add remaining stock to thin if desired. OR – you wait until the soup cools, then transfer the soup to a normal countertop blender. Make sure to blend very thouroughly!

5. Add remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set to rest over very low heat. PROTIP: I found that adding about 3-4 tablespoons of cream during the ‘resting phase’ adds a wonderful bit of creaminess to the soup.  Garnish with Italian flat-leaf parsley and a dollop of crème fraîche.

This soup is a slightly modified version of a soup found on Discovery Health.

When I first saw this soup, I actually thought it sounded like watery rabbit food. And cinnamon? In a SOUP? Blech!

I have to say that I was pleasently surprised that this turned out to be so delicious! It’s very cheap and easy to make, and ideal for low-carb diets. Any noodle fans out there can place about a cup of pre-cooked egg noodles (or a pasta of your choice) in there for some extra goodness. Also, the recipe says to add pre-cooked chicken or turkey near the end, but I cut up two chicken breasts, and just cooked them for about ten minutes in the first stages of the soup (celery and onions).  This soup will also cover most of your ‘colour groups’ of vegetables, using easy to find veggies like celery, carrots and red pepper.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion (2 1/2 inches in diameter), chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped carrot (you can use chopped pumpkin, if available)
• 1 heaping Tablespoon sweet paprika
• 3 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cinammon
• 1 bay leaf
• A little hot sauce
• 1 15 oz can tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large leaf of chard, about 1 and 1/2 cups – can use spinach or other dark leafy green – cut into thin strips
• 10 oz frozen green beans (or fresh)
• Salt and pepper
• 5 cups stock or broth (I like vegetable or chicken Better Than Boullion – but watch the saltiness)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a large soup pot, put oil, onion, and celery. Cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

2. Add garlic and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or so and add the peppers and carrots. Cook another minute or two and add the spices. Stir and cook until fragrant — another minute or so.

3. Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add frozen beans and chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked. If adding cooked cubed meat such as chicken or turkey, add at this time.

4. Adjust seasonings.

This recipe was originally from About.com. I just slightly modified it. :3

Shoveltusk sausage, Redridge potatoes, and Westfall greens.

(Based on Shoveltusk Soup – World of Warcraft; original recipe from http://www.wacocityfarm.com/recipes.php)

Submitted by Padlock of the Scarlet Crusade server.

Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 1 Hour.
Makes 4-5 servings.

 Ingredients:

• 12 links spicy pork sausage, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• ½ can chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 russet potatoes, halved and sliced
• 2 cups sliced kale greens
• 1 cup light cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Place sausage links on a baking sheet and bake 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Slice into 1/2 inch slices.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent; add garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Stir in broth, water and potatoes; simmer 15 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low and add sausage, kale and cream; simmer until heated through and serve.
 
Serve with Bacon Bits and/or Shredded Parmesan for extra taste.