Attacked by a green monster

Some days ago, I bought a can of "Monster" soda, the "Paradise" taste which comes in a bright green can, for a friend. (I hate that stuff, myself.)

At the checkout, the can suddenly ripped for no reason at all, just the kind of rip that sprays soda everywhere for 30 seconds or more and won't be stopped. The poor cashier and I got absolutely drenched by weird-smelling sticky soda.

And that's how I got attacked by a green monster last week.

Carrot soup with orange juice and candied peanuts

Made it some weeks ago for a brunch.

For 4 people (though not on its own). Note that there's a lot of tolerance for the exact weight of the ingredients. Carrots should make up about half of the total veggies.

Clean and dice 300 grams carrots, one not-to-small (about 150 grams) starchy potato, one parsley root (about 100 grams), and one medium-sized onion (maybe 70 grams). Put 1 tablespoon (about 15 grams) of sugar into a pot large enough for the soup (4 litres should do it), and caramelise slightly. Throw in the onion and a tablespoon of butter (about 20 grams), fry on medium heat without browning, then add the veggies and enough water to barely cover it all. Mix it with a cooking spoon.

Keep it barely boiling for about 30 minutes, stir occasionally. When the veggies are soft, mash or purée it. Add some water if it turns out too thick.

In the meantime, put about 2 tablespoons of salted peanuts and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in a small pan, bring it to boil and wonder when it might caramelise. I suggest you go by smell. Prepare a sheet of oiled greaseproof paper and pour the hot mass on it, spread it a bit (it's sticky) and let it cool. Then chop not too fine with a large knife. It might be a good idea to a) to oil the knife, b) get the mass on a cutting board so you do not chop the paper.

I am not quite sure if I did that thing right, but putting it on a plate in the fridge to cool made it OK to handle, if still a bit sticky.

Season the soup to taste with a splash of orange juice (roughly 50 millilitres?), salt, and black pepper.

When serving, pour the soup in bowls, add a splash of cream, and put the peanuts in the middle.

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To preapare the day before: Put the caramelized peanuts on a plate in the fridge. Do not add water to the soup if the consistency after mashing/pureeing is too solid. Heat the soup the next day, add hot water as needed, and then the orange juice and spices.

Make it simpler:
- skip the parsley root
- put the peanuts uncaramelised at the bottom of the soup bowls and use the maple syrup to season the soup.

Try it out: Caramelising the peanuts in sugar or part-sugar might make them crunchier and less sticky. However, maple syrup fits the soup well, and you do not want to over-sweeten the dish.