Well, we’re in the second week of Ramadan and the fasts are going well. They are long and it’s been really hot here in Denver but we’re managing. The air conditioning has been turned on, I held on as long as I could because I do enjoy the electric bills when the AC and the heat are off. Alas, when the temperature reached 85F/29C on the thermostat, I decided it was time to turn on the cold air!
The fasting is not terribly difficult, really. I can manage without the food but it’s the no water and heat that does one in. We manage though, the rewards of the month make it all tolerable.
Ramadan isn’t all starvation, crabbiness and hardship, we do enjoy some great evenings where we open our fasts with our friends. Last two weekends we’ve been invited to iftar (breaking of the fast) by our close friends and both evenings were incredibly pleasant with good friends, good conversation and good food. I’ll be having them all over this Friday. I happen to be off this weekend for July 4th so it was a good weekend for me, Though once again, when I have a weekend off from cooking, I’m spending the day cooking for even more people! It’s all good. I’m still working on my menu but it will be either Indian or Middle Eastern.
For the last three weeks, I’ve started a new project with the company for whom I do the cooking and product demos. I’ve started “teaching” cooking classes for specific brands, so clients who have purchased a specific brand and would like to know the use and care of their new appliance, can sign up for these classes. Between me, the sales guys and the appliance reps, we teach use and care and I teach the cooking basics for their new range/oven/cook top and so on.
I’ve done 3 classes so far and they have been quite fun. The clients are appreciative and they really enjoy the food! For me the fun part is creating a menu to tailor to the product they’ve purchased and interested in learning about. It’s not as easy as it sounds! I have 2 hours to get the food ready to eat whilst telling them about oven modes or induction technology or range functions. The rep from the company helps a lot by fielding many of the technical questions while I get the food in the oven. At the end of it, they sit down to enjoy the meal that’s prepared in the appliances they have purchased or will purchase. All in all, it’s been a learning experience for me as well. So far, I have done Thermador, Wolf and Dacor classes. The one last week was one for Wolf SubZero and I had 13 people! It turned out to be quite the party. I prepared a full Moroccan themed meal and the guests were in heaven. They all thoroughly enjoyed the food which made me very happy because, since I was fasting, I cooked the entire meal without tasting!
So, that’s what’s been keeping me busy of late. It does take up my time because all the shopping and prep is done by me and I spend an awful lot of time grocery shopping. Seems like I live at either Whole Foods or Specialty Appliance!
This soup, I know it’s the heat of summer and you must think I’m crazy posting a soup recipe but when you’ve been fasting for 17 hours, soup is a great thing to break the fast with. It’s a complete meal and a very nourishing one. This Kale and Meatball Soup is very hearty and filled with rice, kale, beans, chicken broth and meatballs.
I thoroughly enjoyed my bowl of soup with a side of sourdough toast. Another thing about fasting is that it tends to shrink your stomach so you don’t eat as much. The soup is a perfect, it’s filling but not overly heavy. It’s quite a light meal which is perfect because as soon as we finish eating, we really are almost ready to go to bed (to get up at 3 am to start our fast again),
Hopefully, for my Southern Hemisphere friends, this is an opportune post and also for the Ramadan fasters. For my friends on this side of the world, just book mark this for winter, it’s really good!
Rating
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 10-12 servings
- 1 pound/455g ground beef
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- handful of parsley
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ cup brown rice
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, cubed
- 1 bunch kale, chopped
- 1 15oz tin kidney beans
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- squeeze of lemon
- Oil
- Salt and pepper
- To make the meatballs, mix the finely chopped onions, garlic and parsley together.
- I put all the ingredients for the meatballs in my food processor and whiz until the onion, garlic and parsley are combined with the ground beef, add salt and pepper and mix through.
- Put a thin layer of oil in a fry pan or cast iron pan on medium high heat.
- Drop little balls of meatball mixture into the oil and brown.
- You can shape them in your hands and make them round or just drop rough bits into the oil.
- You can also drop them straight into the broth without frying but I wanted them a little brown so while the soup was simmering I browned up the meatballs.
- Once the meatballs are fried, keep them to the side until the soup is done.
- To make the soup, sauté the onions in a big pot or pressure cooker (the easiest way to make soup)
- in a tablespoon of oil.
- Once the onions are softened, add the garlic and cook a minute.
- Add the tomato paste and cook out the raw taste for a minute.
- Add the rice and coat with the onion tomato mixture.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil.
- If using a pressure cooker, put on the lid and bring up to pressure and cook according to your cooker instructions.
- In my pressure cooker, it takes 15 minutes to cook brown rice, so I set the time for a bit less.
- I cook the rice for 12 minutes and then depressurise and carefully open the cooker.
- I add the turmeric, carrots, celery, potatoes and kale.
- Put the lid back on and bring up to pressure.
- I cook the mixture under pressure for another 4 minutes.
- After 4 minutes, depressurise again and carefully open.
- The vegetables should all be soft.
- If the liquid looks low, add a cup or two of water if needed.
- Add the kidney beans and the meatballs.
- Check for salt and pepper.
- Add a squeeze of lemon to finish.
- If you are not suing a pressure cooker, follow the same order but the brown rice will take about 30 minutes to cook.
- The vegetables will also take another 15 minutes to soften.
- Cook the soup for another 5-10 minutes after the addition of the meatballs and kidney beans.
- The soup will turn out the same but the time will be a bit longer.
So, it’s hot and this is soup, but it looks good doesn’t it? It tasted awesome and just what I needed after a long, tiring fast.
I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and are ready for the week ahead.
Have a great one! I’ll be here, fasting and cooking (without tasting 🙂 )
Fasting is not an easy thing to do indeed. The soup looks quite nutritious and tasty, Nazneen! Wishing you all a very fun summer… Hugs to your kids!
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You recently posted..Carrot Spaghetti with Prosciutto and Goat Cheese
This soup looks so comforting! Happy Ramadan! Hope you are feeling well 🙂
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com recently posted..Matcha Superfood Granola
Love this, Nazneen! Comfort and health together!
My dear Nazeen, I’m ashamed to come to visit you after several months…. but, I’m here now! And what a comfort recipe I’ve found over here! I bookmark this recipe for later on, your soup will be the perfect treat for the Canadian autumn!
Margherita@lapetitecasserole recently posted..Buckwheat galette with nectarines and pistachios
This is such a great and fun experience you are having Nazneen, I wish I can come and visit you there one day. Must have been very hard for you too, cooking and seeing people eat while fasting, but you know, really, it is not the food it is lack of water that makes it harder to fast in these days. Although I am not a fan of kale but I’ve liked your recipe, gotta give this a go.
Amira recently posted..Megalgel al lahm
Can’t wait for tonight. You are awesome managing work and home cooking, my goodness. I am so done cooking, but still trudging along. May you have a very blessed Ramadan. Thank you!
Your new responsibilities at work sound so fun! Perfect for a total foodie 🙂 Loving the soup; Ramadan is the perfect time for soup because it really nourishes you after a long days’ fast!
Henna recently posted..Cinnamon Roll Cake and Eid Eats 2015! (and some life updates)
Even under the heat, it looks very very good! I am glad you are managing well for this blessed month. What you get out of even one day of fasting make it worth the struggle.
I think I’ll try the recipe before winter…Love and like frome France Nazneen
marie recently posted..The Best Blogs on the Rocks – The Rocking Stars!
You are so lovely to think of us Southern Hemisphere folks shivering away down here. 🙂 This soup looks absolutely wonderful. 🙂
Krista recently posted..Winter Campfires and Winter Baking
When I think of Ramadan, I always imagine that no drinking water with hot temperature must be very difficult especially for the little ones. Glad to hear it is going well!
I don’t think there is a season for this wondeful soup! I enjoy hot soups in the summer as well and this looks a winner on my book!
This looks so warm and comforting and so good for you!
Mary Frances recently posted..Best Barbecued Ribs Ever! Make them for the 4th of July!
I imagine that it must be very hard fasting and specially not drinking water with this temperatures.
The soup looks wonderful and very comforting.
Ramadan karim, Nazneen!
Daniela recently posted..Istanbul – Where Orient Meets Occident
What a lovely soup. It has so much texture and a wonderful selection of ingredients. And yes, in the Southern Hemisphere we’re really enjoying our soups at the moment. We don’t have air conditioning and yes, sometimes the house does get very warm in summer but our last few summers have been pretty mild so a lack of air-con hasn’t been an issue. I couldn’t do without my gas heater through winter though! xx
Hotly Spiced recently posted..Rock Bar, Ayana Resort, Bali
This goes look like a good soup! We actually enjoy hot soups in the summer, but fewer than what I make during colder weather. This looks like a winner — definitely something we’d like. Glad to hear Ramadan is going well!
John@Kitchen Riffs recently posted..Hungarian-Style Cold Cherry Soup
I am definitely a soup person. Your kale and meatball soup looks very satisfying and delicious, Nanzeen.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Blackberry and Lime Popsicles
Simply damn delicious and comforting veggy &meatball soup!!!
can’t wait to try some…
Great looking soup. I have been known to enjoy a cup of soup during the summer with the air conditioning blasting. Beautiful photos as usual my friend.
Karen Harris recently posted..How to Make the Most of an Unpleasant Task: Blistered Shishito Peppers With Spicy Garlic Soy Dipping Sauce
This soup looks fabulous! I’d eat it in the winter or summer!
mimi recently posted..Berry Cherry Hazelnut Galette
Nazneen – congrats on your new gig!!! So glad to hear you are having fun teaching cooking classes – and only an amazing cook like you could pull off a whole meal with taste-testing it!
I love soup year round-and I am loving all the spices in this hearty and nutritious bowl!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan recently posted..Sri Lankan Fruit Salad with Whipped Vanilla Coconut Topping
I often make this wonderful soup in the colder months but I agree with you, Nazneen, I really could eat it any time. I use cannellini (white kidney) beans and my hubbies spicy sausage. Yum, I want some right now at 7:30 am!
It DOES look good and I’ll be saving that one for the cooler months but I agree soup is always soothing. We are living on gazpacho at the moment and my aircon has been on for about 4 weeks now I’m such a wuss.
Nancy | Plus Ate Six recently posted..Mirin & sesame salad dressing with chicken & lychees
What an amazing bowl of soup! Great for the tummy and for the soul. I can imagine how wonderful it must be teaching cooking to clients and I am pretty sure your clients are impressed by your know-how and skills. Yes, it is a timely post for us on this side of the globe and I can’t wait to give it a try!
Sugar et al. recently posted..Chicken Meatball Stroganoff