Classic Carrot and Coriander Soup

It's become a bit of a soup week!

Today I made carrot and coriander soup, and here's how you can too:

You need:

1 onion

1 500g bag of carrots

2 medium potatoes

oil

1 hand full of fresh coriander

2 litres of good quality stock (again, I'm loving knorr/continental stock pot)

pepper

First you need to wash your carrots and potatoes and chop the carrots into slices and the potatoes into 1cm cubes.

Now peel and chop your onion into smallish pieces. Put your onion, carrot and potato into a large saucepan with a splash of olive oil over a low - medium heat.

Chop your coriander into fairly small pieces and add to the pan. Put the kettle on to boil.

Cook slowly until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally then add your stock.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are very soft, season with pepper to taste and blend until smooth.

Serve with a sprig of coriander on top with crusty bread and butter. Perfect for a chilly evening!

Serves 4-6. 

P.S. if you live in London, or know someone who does, check out my catering services at http://m.gumtree.com/p/business-services/greenwich-tea-time-catering-perfect-for-your-next-party-bonbonnierewedding-favour-jams-available/1032432267

Super Simple Leek and Potato Soup

Hello! and welcome back to me...

Today it's raining in London (no surprise) so there's nothing better than a yummy hot soup to put a smile on your dial :)

I love to make soup because it's cheap, quick, good for you and you pretty much can't get it wrong!

So to make a Super Simple Leek and Potato Soup for 4 you need:

2 medium leeks
2-3 medium potatoes
olive oil
1 litre good quality stock (I recently discovered Knorr/Continental stockpots - like little tubs of stock jelly! Very authentic.)
pepper
bread to serve - sour dough is a great match for soup

To make, simply chop of the dark green leafy part off the leek and discard. Now slice the light green part in half lengthways and carefully wash it.

Slice the two halves as thinly as you can (5mm would be ideal) and place in a large saucepan with a good glug of olive oil.

Wash your potatoes, slice into 1cm cubes (with the peel on) and add to the pan. Put the kettle on for the stock.

Put the pan over a low - medium heat to slowly soften the leeks, around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the leeks are soft and sweet add your stock and pepper (no salt - as the stock is salty enough) and turn down to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.

Now blend until smooth and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese, a twist of freshly ground black pepper and some buttered toast... Cosy!

Hot Apple Cider, Perfect for Autumn Evenings!

This recipe came from one of my favourite blogs - A Sweet Pea Chef www.asweetpeachef.com/

It's very simple, you need:

2 liters good quality apple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 apple, unpeeled and halved
1 small navel orange, sliced into 1 cm slices
2 tsp. whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice

Serves 6-8

All you need to do it put your apple juice in a large pan over a medium heat to heat up.

While it's heating, stick your cloves into the flesh of the apple halves inside and out (like in the picture from Lacey's blog).

Once your apple juice is hot, stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves.
Now add your clove studded apple, orange slices and spices. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Strain your cider and serve hot in mugs or punch glasses.

This is a great one for parties and if you want to make the cider go further you can get away with adding a little boiling water as it's quite sweet. Do so to taste.

Bacon and Egg Cups

I saw this yesterday on the Martha Stewart site and just had to try it! Mine doesn't look as pretty but it was fairly delicious! This recipe us perfect for having a nice breakfast on a work/school day as you can pop it on and go and get ready. 

The concept is simple -  you need per person:

1 slice of bread

1/2 tablespoon butter - melted

1 slice of bacon

1 egg 

You can make as many as you like in one go using either a muffin tin or ramekins - just grease them and put the oven info 180 degrees c to preheat. 

Martha Stewart says to cut circles out of the bread and overlap 2 of them - and if you have time/can be bothered please feel free to. But I'm lazy/time poor so I just cut the bread in half and sort if squeezed it in trying not to allow gaps and making as much of a cup shape as possible. 

Now melt the butter and spread/pour/brush it onto the bread cup. 

Put your bread cups into the oven and put your bacon in a pan. Cook the bacon until just done (it will cook more in the oven) and lay one slice on top of each bread cup. 

Crack an egg into the cup on top of the bacon and put back in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the white has just set. 

Remove bread cups from tin/ramekin with a spoon and serve immediately with your favourite breakfast condiment! 

What's your work morning breakfast option?

Mango (or Raspberry) Cream Pastry Stack

This dessert is simpler than you think. Perfect for wowing guests or taking to a BBQ (when the sun comes out of hibernation!)


Serves 9

1 cup milk
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
25g plain flour
300ml Thickened Cream, lightly whipped
2 sheets of pre-rolled puff pastry
3 mangos, sliced. (this would also work with Raspberries - fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped

• Preheat oven to 210°C or 190°C fan. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
• Heat milk on low, until just simmering. 
• Using an electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Add flour and mix to combine. 
• Pour egg and flour mixture over hot milk and mix well. 
• Transfer this to a clean saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. 
• Transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. 
• Fold through 1/2 cup whipped cream.
• Place your pastry sheets on prepared trays. Bake for 15-20 mins, until puffed and golden. Set aside to cool completely.
• Lightly press one of the pastry squares to flatten slightly. Split the remaining pastry in half, lengthways, between the puffed layers. 
• Spread half of custard mixture along the flattened piece of pastry. Top with one third of the mango slices and a piece of pastry. (this gets messy!)
• Spread over remaining custard mixture and half the remaining mango slices. Top with remaining pastry. 
• Spread over remaining whipped cream and top with remaining mango slices and pistachios. 

Serve on it's own or with pouring cream. YUM! Looking forward to summer already!

Cheat's Carbonara - No Cream, Low Fat

I created this recipe on a day when dinner didn't work out and I had to make something from the odds and ends I had. I found some bacon in the freezer and spaghetti in the cupboard, and we always have eggs so I thought "I'll make carbonara!" then remembered you need cream, which I never have unless we have guests :( I was a little bit stuck for ideas so I decided to just 'fake' a carbonara, and this is how.

Serves 2

You need:
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup cheese (this is cheat's carbonara so use what you have, Parmesan is best though)
1/2 cup chopped bacon pieces/diced bacon
250g spaghetti (or whatever pasta you have)

• Put a saucepan of water on to boil with a pinch of salt
• Once your water is boiling add your pasta
• Heat your butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
• When the butter is completely melted, add your flour and stir until a paste forms.
• Now slowly add your milk, a bit at a time, whisking well before adding the next part.
• Once you have added all your milk, stir in your cup of cheese. The sauce should now be nice and thick (add more milk if it is too thick).
• In a small frying pan, fry up your bacon pieces until they are crispy and stir into the cheese sauce.
• When your pasta is soft, drain it and return it to the pan. Pour over the cheese and bacon sauce and serve!

Serve with freshly ground black pepper and grated cheese.

What's your dinner back up plan?

Italian Meatballs the Nigella Way!

I have to confess, I totally stole this concept from Nigella Lawson, so credit to her for the great idea! I saw it  on the Nigelissma show and to be honest I didn't take the whole recipe just the fact that she squeezed the meat out of Italian Sausages and turned them into meatballs - YUM!

So here is my recipe for Italian style meatballs with spaghetti.

Serves 6

You need:

1 pack of Italian pork sausages (500g-600g)
2 x glug olive oil
2 cloves of garlic - crushed or sliced
1 onion, diced
3-5 fresh basil leaves
2-3 stalks thyme
3-5 fresh oregano leaves
3 400g tins diced tomato
300g mozzarella cheese (approx.)
500g dry spaghetti

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
• Prepare a large deep baking dish with a glug of olive oil
• First you need to get the meat out of the sausages, this can be a little fiddly and to be honest gross - but persevere, it's worth it! Once you have a bowl of sausage meat, roll into small balls about this size of a walnut and place in your prepared baking dish. Put in the oven to brown
• Now put your water onto boil for the spaghetti.
• Gently heat another glug of oil in a large saucepan over a low heat and add your garlic, after the garlic has softened slightly add your chopped onion and fry gently until soft. Try not to colour them too much.
• As your onions are cooking, add in your herbs, chopped into medium pieces, and stir to spread the flavour.
• Add the spaghetti to the water when it is boiled.
• Once your onions and garlic are nice and soft add your 3 cans of tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
• By this time, your meatballs should be nicely browned. Take them out of the oven and pour your tomato sauce over them and sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese.
• Put back in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

Serve with spaghetti and garlic or herb bread. Molto delizioso!