Creamy Greens Soup

I have an ARC of Quick-Fix Veganby Robin Robertson, and will be trying a few recipes from it to aid my review of the cookbook for NetGalley.

I expected it to be great. Robin Robertson is my favorite vegan cookbook guru, consistently creating recipes that are tasty even to people who haven't gone without meat for a long time. This recipe was no exception. I used all kale for the greens, and doubled up on the garlic, the greens, and the broth, but kept the coconut milk and onion the same. So it is *almost* the recipe from the book (this happened on accident... I added more greens than I was supposed to and then had to fix it). I also added a cup and a half of cooked cannellini beans that were indicated as an option in the recipe for a heartier, meal-type soup. This recipe scared me halfway through when I tasted it, right after adding the coconut milk and the greens had just finished cooking - it had a weird sweetness and I was worried, but the last simmer brought all the flavors together, and it was delicious.

This is a great recipe for people who have more greens than they know what to do with! I can't get enough greens. I'd love to try this recipe again with radish greens, which just happen to be my favorite.

Summer Tapas

Sometimes on the weekend I get these crazy ideas and just go for it. Spending a few hours in the kitchen can be so really invigorating. I knew we would be going to the farmer's market downtown, and that we wanted to try seafood from a place that has local catches. The last time we were there they had shrimp, so that figured into this. I also had been talking to a friend about tinto de verano, a combination of tembranillo and gaseosa that is often served at lunch in Spain, and is mixed by each person at the table to their own proportions.


One recipe I've been intrigued by for a long time, in several different manifestations, is the idea of using potato chips in a tortilla, a traditional Spanish egg dish that can be served warm or at room temperature. The idea is often credited to Ferran Adria (and that is the recipe I used, but I remember something similar in Around My French Tableby Dorie Greenspan. So... while I bought potatoes home, thinking I might try it the traditional way, the overwhelming idea of making four dishes including the very work-intensive tortilla won me over to the cheater way.


I've never had a traditional tortilla, so I don't know how this compares, but I thought this was delicious. I carmelized a thin (Spanish! ha) onion earlier in the day and mixed it in with the egg-soaked chips before baking, and that did add a lot of flavor. But can you tell you are looking at potato chips? They aren't crunchy any longer at this point anyway.

We will have leftovers for a week, but with the sultry weather and the local ingredients, this was a fantastic meal.

Recipes I used:

Potato Chip Tortilla
Gambas al ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic)
Queso de Cabra con Tomate (Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce) (Actually I just throw stuff together for this one)
Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce from Olives and Oranges