January means Soups

Although we have soup for lunch most days, the winter is the best time to enjoy a warming bowl of broth, and here are some of my favourite soup recipes.  

Although these are some of my favourite recipes, most soups we have are mixtures: vegetables from the previous meal, together with stock, either vegetable, chicken or ham, along with lentils, split peas or other additions.  One of our mantras at dinner every evening is ' if we don't eat these vegetables tonight they'll go into the soup!'.


Chilli Bean Soup

2 Onions
2 oz butter/olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp chilli
2 x 14oz cans Kidney Beans, drained
1.5 pints stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
s&p

1. Chop onions, fry in butter/oil, along with the oil.
2. Add spices.
3. Add kidney beans and stock, cook for 20 mins.
4. Add tomato puree and s&p

Variation: could serve with meat balls to make a hearty supper:

Meat balls: Process 1/2 lb mince with half an onion, add 1/2 tsp chilli powder.  Fry teaspoons of mixture in a some oil.  Put on top of soup to serve.  (It's probably worth making double this amount, so save having half an onion left over, and freezing the meat balls  for next time)


Carrot & Coriander Soup


Fresh Coriander
1.5 lb peeled thinly sliced Carrots
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
1 oz Butter/olive oil
1.5 pints Vegetable Stock
(Single Cream - or milk)

1. Gently cook onion and chopped coriander stems in butter/oil.
2. Add carrots, cover and cook on low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Blend, add chopped coriander leaves and stir through, season to taste.
5. Serve with a little single cream if liked, and garnish with a few coriander leaves.

When younger daughter was little we went out for a walk one Sunday afternoon into nearby woods.  At one point she wandered ahead, then came running back to us - 'mind the lentils! mind the lentils!'.  Mystified, we followed her to an enormous patch of nettles, which they've been called in the family ever since.  Here's a favourite soup involving the famous 'lentils'  (hint: must also find a recipe using nettles).

Spicy Carrot Soup (easy)

I found this recipe a little sweet, so on second making added a grated clover of garlic, a stick of celery (sliced) and a potato (sliced)

600g carrots, sliced

140g split red lentils

1 tsp cumin

a pinch of chilli powder

1 litre vegetable stock

125 ml milk or soya milk

1 tbsp oil

1. Put oil in pan, add carrots, cumin and chilli powder and cook a little.
2. Add rest of ingredients and simmer until lentils are cooked.
3. Whizz, and enjoy.

Green Pea Soup

2 Onions, chopped
2 Potatoes, chopped
cumin, coriander, s&p, paprika
1.5 lb Peas
Single Cream

1. Boil onions, potatoes and spices, 'til cooked (or could fry onions and spices gently, then add the potatos and water and cook)
2. Add peas and cook a little.
3. Whizz.
4. Add cream to serve.

Note: 18/4/2016 - I made this soup and added a few leaves spinach which were left over from yesterday's salad and it was really nice as it took away some of the sweetness.

Chestnut Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tin chestnut puree
1 oz oil/butter
1 pt chicken soup
some cream

1. Cook vegetables in the oil for a few minutes. 
2. Add chestnut puree and stock, season.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Liquidise, then reheat.

Spinach and
 watercress soup
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
325g potatoes, diced
600 ml chicken or vegetable stock
250g fresh/frozen spinach
75g watercress
300ml soya milk
s&p

1. Cook onion in oil for a few minutes.
2. Add potatoes and stock and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add spinach, watercress and soya milk and simmer five minutes.
4. Season and then puree, reheat to serve.

Alternative: today I didn't have enough spinach so put in some courgette instead.

Leek & Potato Soup
3 medium Leeks, washed and sliced.
1 large Potato, sliced
1 oz butter/olive oil
1 - 2 slices Bread
1/2 pint Milk
1 pt Stock
s&p, bay leaf*, oil

1. Melt butter/oil add leeks then potatoes.
2. Cover pan and cook slowly for 10 minutes.
3. Add stock and milk and bring to the boil, turn down the heat.
4. Add salt and bay leaf and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Remember to remove bay leaf! 
6. Puree the mixture.
7. Return mixture to the pan, bring to boil and serve immediately with fried bread croutons.
8. Serves 4

*Variation: omit Bay Leaf and add some Tarragon before serving.

Also see: 
Jamie -  http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/leek-and-potato-soup/#J4vRCWYoeFPY4Ccx.97
Delia - http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/leek-onion-and-potato-soup.html

23 Feb 2014:  I bought some leeks yesterday to make this soup, they had lots of green tops so the soup is a beautiful colour (looks more like pea soup) but the important variation is that I used soya milk instead of cows milk.  It was no different, so it's a cream soup for your vegan friends to enjoy.  I also didn't have any vegetable stock handy so, made some as follows:

Vegetable stock
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 middle bit of the cabbage
bay leaf, s&p
usually I'd have used bg (bouquet garni) but wanted the flavour of bay leaf in the stock.  The reason was that so often I put a bay leaf into soup when making it, then forget and whizz it, along with the soup.  I thought that by putting it in the stock then it wouldn't be forgotten!

Here's a more fancy vegetable stock: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_vegetable_stock/

Bramborova Polivka (Potato Soup)

1.5 lb potatoes

5 fl oz sour cream

Flour, milk, butter

Black Pepper

Gherkins, hardboiled Eggs, Chives

1. Dice potatoes, then boil in salted water
2. Drain, keeping the potato water.
3. Make a roux with the flour and butter.
4. Add milk and potato water until there's a thick consistency.
5. Add cooked potatoes, sour cream, pepper.
6. To serve add chopped egg, gherkin and chives.

See also: http://www.mamincinyrecepty.cz/polevky/bramborova-polevka-s-koprem

Carrot and Cheese Pasta Bake

4 medium leeks, sliced
1 kg carrots, grated
6 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh basil
8 eggs, lightly beaten
100ml milk
400ml double cream
Seasoning
12 sheets instant pasta (500g pasta shapes)
350g grated cheese, plus 50g Parmesan for the top

• Par boil leeks and garlic.
• Add carrots and cook 20 mins
• Drain, reserving stock.
• Combine cream eggs, pepper, add a little stock.
• Cover base of dish with half pasta, then half mixture, half cheese, rest of pasta, rest of mixture, top with cheese.
• Pour the egg mixture over
• Cook 170C* for about 40 mins
• Serves 10.

Vegetable Lasagne

4 oz butter

 4 oz flour

2 tins tomatoes

1 onion

1 pepper

cucubits 

herbs, pepper

2 tsp mustard

8 oz grated cheese

20 sheets lasagne

Serves 10

* http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_gasmark.htm

Runner Bean Glut

If, like us, we have far, far too many runner beans - then what to do with them is a challenge.



This website had some good ideas: http://everything-runnerbean.com/cooking-and-eating.html# - stir fry, spicy, stew, soup ...


and here's another fun site: http://recycleworks.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/if-your-runner-beans-are-stringy-dont-despair-turn-them-into-yummy-runner-bean-soup/

This amount of beans is not too much, but when this is picked every day ... well ..

And there's a good recipe from:  http://www.cooksister.com/2008/08/runner-bean-soup.html.  From what this site says, unfortunately they haven't had such a good summer up in London.


These recipes seems to have onions, potatoes, carrots and stock. With sherry, thyme, savoury, mint and/or garlic are, so will try this tomorrow...


Am also going to make some yummy Leek and Potato Soup to which I love to add tarragon!


7pm: Well I've made some Leek and Potato Soup and put it in the freezer and have also tried the runner bean soup recipe (the one with potato, rather than with carrot) and it does seem rather a lot of beans. 
Memo: next time weigh the beans before topping, tailing and strimming the sides, then they'll weigh much less. (Incidentally, the beans which were cooked with the soup, and then removed before whizzing the soup, we ate with a meal and they were rather delicious, both hot and cold!)

Baby Courgette - it's too dry to plant it out - we have had no rain for
about 12 months now and none forecast for the next two weeks
(22.5.11)

 I don't know what this is but it is rather pretty and likes shade.

Hosta, before attack by slugs

Euphorbia 

Some vegetables harvested in 2010

(Comparatively) Healthy Cakes! - and a Chocolate cake recipe ...

Today at work a (very kind!) colleague brought in a Beetroot and Chocolate Cake for us to share and it was absolutely yummy! and apparently beetroot is incredibly good for us, see: http://len7288.hubpages.com/hub/Health_Benefits_of_Red_Beets  and http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49.
So am now going to try and track down the recipe to share here .....


Well to start with here is Nigel Slater's offering and I always love his recipes (however this one has coffee in, which I can't take, so will keep looking):


Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Creme Fraiche and Poppy Seeds


200g fine dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)

4 tbsp hot espresso

200g butter

135g plain flour

a heaped tsp baking powder

3 tbsp good-quality cocoa powder

5 eggs

190g golden caster sugar

crème fraîche and poppy seeds, to serve

Lightly butter a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment. Set the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Cook the beetroot, whole and unpeeled, in boiling unsalted water. Depending on their size, they will be knifepoint tender within 30 to 40 minutes. Young ones may take slightly less. Drain them, let them cool under running water, then peel them, slice out their stem and root, and blitz to a rough purée.

Melt the chocolate, snapped into small pieces, in a small bowl resting over a pot of simmering water. Don’t stir. When the chocolate looks almost melted, pour the hot coffee over it and stir once. Cut the butter into small pieces – the smaller the better –and add to the melted chocolate. Dip the butter down under the surface of the chocolate with a spoon (as best you can) and leave to soften.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Separate the eggs; put the whites in a mixing bowl. Stir the yolks together.

Now, working quickly but gently, remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and stir until the butter has melted into the chocolate. Leave for a few minutes, then stir in the egg yolks. Do this quickly, mixing firmly so the eggs blend into the mixture. Fold in the beetroot. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold in the sugar. Firmly but tenderly fold the beaten egg whites and sugar into the chocolate mixture. A large metal spoon is what you want; work in a deep, figure-of-eight movement but take care not to over-mix. Fold in the flour and cocoa.

Transfer quickly to the prepared cake tin and put in the oven, turning the heat down immediately to 160C/gas mark 3. Bake for 40 minutes. The rim of the cake will feel spongy, the inner part should still wobble a little when gently shaken.

Leave to cool (it will sink a tad in the centre), loosening it around the edges with a palette knife after half an hour or so. It is not a good idea to remove the cake from its tin until it is completely cold. Serve in thick slices, with crème fraîche and poppy seeds.

Here's Tesco's equivalent: http://www.tescorealfood.com/recipes/beetroot-and-chocolate-cake.html






An idea of what to do with all those carrots you've grown

Carrot Cake

• 75g grated carrot
• 75g sugar
• 50g chopped nuts and seeds
• 75g self raising flour
• 1 tsp tsp cinnamon
• 75 oz oil
• 1 egg

Mix together and then cook at No 4 for 50 mins.

Now we have a surplus of courgettes - they're rather like buses, none for ages and then there's a glut, so a friend recommended

Courgette Cake  
(recipe taken from Reconnect magazine)

18.9.11 - I cooked this cake today and all agreed it was wonderful! There was no way anyone would realise they were eating courgettes!

8 oz courgettes 
(grated - peel if you don't want a green cake (peelings can be put in the soup))
5 oz butter
9 oz sugar
4 eggs
11oz self-raising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon or mixed spice
4 oz seedless raisins
3 oz chopped nuts
2 tsp vanilla essence

• Preheat oven - No 4 / about 180C 
• Grease 2 x 1 lb tins (or trays). They may be lined with greaseproof paper.
• Cream butter and sugar 
• Beat the eggs.
• Add flour alternately with eggs, mixing well.
• Add cinnamon, courgettes, raisins, nuts and vanilla essence.
• Put into oven and cook for about an hour.
• Cool cake when you remove from the oven.
• Gently ease cake out of tin.

We don't grow apricots or bananas but here are a couple of nice recipes:

No-Sugar Apricot Cake

• 150g dried apricots (I prefer the dark ones)
• 1/2 pint orange juice
• 150g flour
• 1 tsp bicarb
• 6 tbsp oil
• 3 eggs

1. Oil 8" diameter cake tin.
2. Put apricots and orange juice into a saucepan and bring to the boil, leave to soak 4 hours.
3. Drain apricots and liquidise with 6 tbsp liquid.
4. Put flour into bowl, make a well in the middle and add the fruit, eggs and oil.
5. Beat the batter until thick.
6. Put mixture into tin and cook for about 20 mins at No 4.
7. Turn onto wire rack.

We don't grow any bananas on our allotment, but here's a wonderful recipe for Banana Cake, passed on by a friend:

Banana Cake
3 oz butter
2 oz sugar
8 oz SR flour
1 lb mashed bananas (after removal of skins.  Tip: scatter chopped banana skins under roses to give the roses much-needed potassium)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

• Cream butter and sugar
• Add beaten eggs
• Add flour and bananas
• Cook at No 4 in a lined 2 lb tin
• ** Variation - could add some ginger.
• Cook at 190/170C/gas 3/4 for about 25 mins for buns, more for a loaf.

Baked Pudding Antonio 
(no idea why Antonio!)

4 oz margarine
3 oz brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp black treacle
5 oz SR flour
1 tsp mixed spice
2 oz breadcrumbs
2 oz sultanas
2 oz mixed peel
1 oz chopped apple

1. Cream margarine and sugar
2. Add egg and 1 tbsp water and treacle.
3. Fold in rest of ingredients
4. Bake at No 5/375 for 30 mins.

Serve hot as a pudding with custard or cream - or eat cold as a cake

Chocolate Cake

• 250g butter
• 300g light muscovado sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 100g self-raising flour
• 5 eggs
• 300g dark chocolate

Icing

• 200g dark chocolate
• 200ml double cream (or natural yoghurt)

1. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. 
2. Butter and line a 20cm cake tin. 
3. Using an electric whisk, beat together butter and light muscovado sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. 
4. Measure out plain flour and self-raising flour. 
5. Beat in 5 eggs one at a time, adding 1 or 2 tbsp flour if the mixture starts to split. 
6. Pour 300g melted and slightly cooled dark chocolate into the mixture, beating as you do so. 
7. Fold in the rest of the flour. 
8. Spoon into the tin and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes; the cake should be risen with a crust on top. 
9. Cool and then take out of the tin. Split the cake horizontally.
10. To make the icing, gently melt together dark chocolate with double cream. 
11. Cool until thickened slightly. 
12. Fill the cake with icing, then spread the rest over the outside.

However, I read today that putting in cocoa powder instead of actual chocolate makes chocolate cakes lighter - will investigate this!

Almond and Orange Cake (from BBC Good Food, always a good site)

• 250g butter
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 2 oranges , zest and juice
• 4 eggs
• 50g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 250g semolina
• 200g ground almonds
• 120g Greek yogurt
• crème fraîche to serve (optional)

• 2 oranges , zested and juiced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 275g sugar 

1. To make the syrup put all the syrup ingredients in a pan with 500ml water and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and base line a 20cm springform cake tin. Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs then whisk in one at a time.
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold through along with the orange zest, semolina and almonds. Add the orange juice and yogurt and stir gently. Pour into the prepared tin and cook for about 1 hour or until firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
4. Remove the cake from the oven and pierce all over with a skewer. Pour half the hot syrup over the warm cake. Leave to cool.
5. Drizzle the cake with the remaining syrup and serve with a large spoonful of crème fraîche if you like

Finally, I don't know whether a G&T Cake comes into this category (healthy?) but it does sound fun:  (http://www.puddinglaneblog.co.uk/2014/06/gin-and-tonic-cake.html?m=1)

THE INGREDIENTS

4 eggs, weighed in their shells

equal weight of:

butter

caster sugar

self-raising flour

2 lemons

8-10 shots of your favourite gin

dash tonic water (optional)

150g granulated sugar

Hemp Ginger Cake (not tried it yet) http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/12/hemp-ginger-cake-recipe-lepard