A Country Meal

Leek and Potato Herb Soup

Last night, we ate according to the weather. Cool and grey, the humid spring temperature brought the black flies and the mosquitos out of hiding and out into the open, forcing us to abandon any hope of staying outdoors. Scampering inside to avoid the pestering swarm, we contented ourselves with making a delicious home-cooked country meal.

The leek and potato soup required we ‘sweat’ the vegetables (carrots, celery, leeks and onions) in order to extract the flavor for the soup base. Thickening it with cream and potatoes, we finished the dish with salt and pepper and served it with a dash of cayenne pepper for a hint of spicy flavor.

Mixed Californian Spring Salad (Avocado, Orange, Cranberry)

For the salad, we used a spring mix with arugula and added orange slices, sliced avocado, chopped red onions and dried cranberries. The dressing was half a lemon’s worth of juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Simple yet tasty!

Orange-Infused Mediterranean Chicken Stew With Israeli Couscous

The main meal had us sautéing the onions, carrots with added spices of cardamom, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. The chicken slices were done in a similar way with raisins, plums and oranges, later baked in the oven for 60 minutes. The Israeli couscous was boiled and mixed in with the chicken and vegetables. All in all, a great meal! For the next time, I would serve smaller portions of the soup and the main as they are both heavier dishes. The Israeli couscous must be boiled for at least fifteen minutes (don’t treat it like regular couscous – that takes around ten minutes) otherwise the grain comes out a little tougher than most people like.

Good luck and enjoy!