Community Magazine November 2019

CHESHVAN 5780 NOVEMBER 2019 63 Now...Dress It Up A soup may be delicious, but some soups can look pretty dull on their own, including this one. Here are two ideas on how to take that soup (or any soup) to the next level: The Elegant Soup Stick This beautiful garnish will add some oomph to any soup. We love how simple it is to prepare and how you can customize the toppings according to your needs and the flavors of the soup. You will need: • Large wheat wraps (each wrap will give you 3 soup sticks) • Garnishes of your choice like: thinly sliced radishes, julienned vegetables, chopped chives, herbs, sliced peppers, thinly sliced cucumbers, or pretty colored cherry tomatoes. 1. Preheat oven to 350 ⁰ F. 2. Using a sharp knife, cut out 3 long sticks (about 1 ¼ inch wide) at the center of each wrap. Cut out as many as you need. 3. Spray the sticks with cooking spray and bake for about 8 minutes, or until browned and cracker-like. You can prepare these in advance and either freeze or store in an airtight container. 4. When plating, place one cracker on each soup and top with garnish of your choice. The Parsley Garlic Bread on a Skewer I love this soup garnish because besides for adding a wow element, it’s delicious in its own right. This pairs really well with any blended soup. You will need: • Long wood skewers (make sure they are long enough to rest on both extremities of the soup bowl) • 4 mini baguettes (I like to use the par baked ones, and bake them fresh, as needed) • 4 cubes frozen chopped parsley • 2-3 cubes frozen minced garlic • About 4 tablespoons olive oil • Dash of salt 1. Preheat the oven to 400 ⁰ F. 2. Cut the mini baguettes lengthwise. One at a time, and making sure to stay centered, thread a skewer through the baguette (see image above). The more you center the skewer the better the chances of the baguette lying flat on the soup. Place prepared baguettes on a baking sheet. 3. Mix parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl. With a spoon, divide this mixture between the 8 baguette halves. Make sure to spread the mixture all over the bread. Bake for 10-15 minutes until browned a bit at the edges and fragrant. Carefully place over any soup that works well with the bread. Note: To prepare in advance, prepare the baguette halves but underbake them by a few minutes. Freeze them until ready to use. Before serving: thaw completely and then rewarm them well until crispy and fragrant once again.