Follow the Light

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12

Don’t walk in the darkness. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. Ephesians 5:6-13. Paul wrote to the people of Ephesus about light and darkness. Don’t be deceived. Jesus was proclaiming Himself to be the one who reveals purity in the world—the way we are meant to be. Choose to follow Christ and not to be left behind in the dark.

RSVP: Jesus is telling us that He is the one who brings light and purity to the earth and is inviting us to follow Him. This means to not only believe in Jesus, but to willingly follow Him. How will you respond to His call today?

Prayer~ Lord, help me to be obedient to Your truth. Let Your light shine in me, purifying my soul with a sincere love of the brethren, that I may fervently loving others from my heart….1 Peter 1:22

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

The Local Ocean Seafoods restaurant in Newport, Oregon serves the most amazing garlic crab soup. It is now at the top of my favorite soup list—so I searched to find the recipe. This recipe is adapted from one printed in The Oregonian, May 10, 2011.

Roasted Garlic and Dungeness Crab Soup                                           Makes 8 servings

3 large heads garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

1 tablespoon heaping, minced shallot

1 tablespoon heaping, minced green onion

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup rice flour (Bob’s Red Mill, available at most grocery stores) or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

8 ¼ cups water (use 4 Cups water plus 1 box Vegetable stock if you don’t find the lobster base)

1 tablespoon clam base (or use ½ cup clam broth)

1¾ teaspoons lobster base

¼ cup dry white wine

1½ cups half-and-half

½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Salt

1 pound fresh crab meat, picked over to remove shell and cartilage

Fennel sprigs for garnish 

Pull the papery outer layers from the garlic heads and trim the top 1/2 inch off of each head, place in a slow cooker, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast the garlic in the slow cooker for about 4-6 hours on low heat. Or to roast in the oven, drizzle with oil and wrap in a large sheet of aluminum foil, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast for about 1 hour or until the garlic is soft in the center. Let cool and then squeeze the roasted garlic out of each clove. Measure out 1/2 cup of roasted garlic and set aside. Place the remaining garlic in a mini-food processor or blender and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil with the shallot and green onion; blend until a paste forms. Set aside. 

Make a roux by melting the butter in a small saucepan and whisking in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a large saucepan combine the water, clam base/juice and lobster base (or additional vegetable broth). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add the white wine, reserved roasted garlic and half-and-half. Simmer for 5 minutes and then whisk in the reserved roux and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Return to a simmer and continue simmering for 30 to 45 minutes or until reduced to about 6 or 7 cups. Taste and add salt if needed. [Note: if serving this soup with dinner to anyone allergic to shellfish, omit the clam and lobster base at this point, using only vegetable broth and water. Set aside an aliquot for the non-shellfish person(s), and proceed with their portion below. Then add the clam/lobster base for the seafood eaters, heat and proceed with the recipe.] 

To serve, divide the crab among 8 soup bowls [or less if there is shellfish intolerance]. Top each bowl with a large pinch of parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the reserved garlic-shallot paste. Pour 3/4 cup of hot soup into each bowl [using the non-seafood aliquot as necessary] and top with a sprig of fennel. Serve immediately with a chunk of sour dough bread. Enjoy.

 

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.