A Soup and a Shake

Helloooooo people!
So by now you're not holding your breath waiting for me to update, I gather. Just taking what you get, right? My kind of people.

So, the summer in Denmark has been a bit like summer in Denmark. Everyone's bitching and moaning about it, but one is that it's often like this, and I think the globalized Dane is just starting to demand some southern European style sun or they're off to Crete as fast as you can say "airline bankruptcy", and two, at least the crops here aren't failing miserably like in the States right now because of global warming. So, yeah, count your blessings.

So - where was I? We're all going to die. Oh, that wasn't it, sorry. Yes! So, the other day, when it was miserably grey and wet (and by the way, I thank the weather gods for coordinating with the thesis writing gods, because staring at a blank Word document just isn't as fun when it's glaring outside), I thought soup would be nice. In July, yes. I'd also just found an Irish Country House Cooking cookbook on the freecycling shelf by my building's dumpsters. With a soup recipe that sounded really good. Not in the least Irish, but still really good. I decided to give it a whirl. Very pleased, very pleased indeed. Creamy, healthy even, and with a nice subtle flavor that made it a great starter on the day it was made, but also a great main course with some buttered bread for leftovers day. Enjoy.

Broad bean and coriander soup

2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, sliced
250 g. shelled broad beans aka fava beans (I used dried lima beans, soaked overnight)
600 ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp dry sherry (didn't have this, so I used a nice sweet balsamico)
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
salt and pepper

Melt the butter and sauté the onions gently.
Add beans and stock, simmer until beans are soft.
Remove from heat, allow to cool a bit.
Purée in a blender or with a hand held blender, in the pot.
Add sherry, yoghurt, coriander, salt and pepper.
Blend again until completely smooth.
Reheat gently, and serve with bread if that's your thing.

Next up, and slightly more summery than soup - the date shake. Anyone who's been to southern California has surely had one at Hadley's, yes? It's a rich tasting concoction, a small is more than enough, but make it at home, and you can tweak it to be a little less...cloying. Here's my take on it, with a twist. Pardon the photo fuzzies, it's been awhile, mkay?

Date Shake

1 banana
4-5 dates, pitted
milk to cover
5 fresh basil leaves
a few tsp flaxseed oil - need those omega 3s!
1 tbsp crushed chia seeds
(those last two are optional btw, I just like to disguise the yuckiest of the healthy stuff in yummy stuff for the kids)
Optional - ice cubes, for those extra hot summer days, this might be a good idea.

BLEND.
It doesn't taste like basil really, the basil just helps cut through the extreme richness of the dates. I added an extra splash of milk at the end too, when I saw it was really thick. Super delicious flavor, really.

See y'all later - around Christmas? ;)