Soups One Thin. One Thick- Perfect for Lunch

Its that time of the week again. Lunch at Juice TV.
Soup is proving very popular. I decided to do some research and find something new. I have always admired Nick Nairn and he has a cookbook called New Scottish Cookery.
This may seem like an Oxymoron, given The Scots are responsible for The Deep Fried Mars Bar.
BUT there is always an exception.
Anyway I loved the look of his Soups. In fact the whole book is great.
I picked two.

Both of these soups are on http://gillisnetdiary.blogspot.com
The Calories have been counted

First I made a Spicy Fish Soup
I have made a few changes to his recipe, so I guess it’s mine now.
I decided to steam bake the fish first, till just cooked, then flaked it and added to the stock.
I have remade this soup and used Monk Fish. It was divine
That's the fish to sue I reckon

1 tablespoon Rice Bran Oil
2.5 cm piece of root ginger cut into tiny matchsticks (julienne)
2 large cloves of Garlic sliced into slivers
1 large red mild chili sliced finely
1 birds eye chili chopped finely (This add that extra heat)
1 stick lemon grass bashed
2 Kaffir Lime leaves finely sliced
1200 mls chicken stock (I used Massels Chicken stock powder)
3 tablespoons Fish Stock
1 tablespoon Gluten Free Soy Sauce
Juice of 1 lime
I tablespoon  Palm sugar or brown sugar
4 spring onions finely shredded
200 gms sliced mushrooms
10 cherry tomatoes halved

500 gms of a meaty fish (I used Ling, it is cheap and worked well)
Oil spray
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50 mls white wine
1/2 spring onion finely sliced


Spray of oil
Garnish
3 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan
Add ginger, garlic, chillies and lemon grass
Cook over a low heat until just softened about 8 minutes
Add stock, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, kaffir lime leaves and lime juice
Bring to the boil
Add mushrooms and spring onions,
Simmer about 10 minutes
Add tomatoes

Meanwhile, lightly oil a gratin dish
add the fish
Season with a little salt, freshly ground black pepper
Pour over white wine
Spray with a little oil just to moisten it.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes

Take the fish out of the dish.
Keep the stock for further use
Flake and add to the pan
Just bring back to a simmer
Garnish with coriander and freshly ground black pepper

Serve
To accompany this soup I made a Potage.
One thin soup, one thick. Nice mix I think

Parsnip, Parmesan and Chili Soup
Another great choice.

50 gms butter
200 gms onions sliced
900 gms parsnips, peeled and finely sliced
1 red chili finely sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt or Vegeta  which is great seasoning
1 litre Hot water

50 gms Parmesan
Snipped Spring Onions tops or chives to garnish

Melt the butter in a large pan
Add onions and sweat till just soft BUT not brown
Takes about 8 minutes
Add Parsnips, Chili and seasoning
Toss vege together
Add hot water bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes
Stir Grated Parmesan into the soup
Into the blender whiz till smooth
Check and adjust seasoning if necessary

Serve with snipped  Spring Onions/Chives          

Gilli's Chilli Soup

I got an idea from my Friend Rex, who was telling me about a great Chilli Bean Soup he has been making. He is going to give me the recipe.
Meanwhile I decided, I would borrow this idea and make up a soup from my Pantry and Fridge
I had some Leftover Meat sauce and a tin of Black Beans,
I can make Chilli soup from this.
It was really good.
When you are eating chili and you need to blow your nose, there is a nice after burn… but the food is not searingly hot I think you have the spice mix, just right.
If you go across to Gillis Net Diary I have calculated the calories. Filling, healthy and Lo-Cal
So here we go
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Med Onion finely chopped
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
1 med Carrot chopped into cubes
1 stalk Celery chopped

180 Meat sauce
700 Water
1 can Cherry Tomatoes.
1 can Black beans drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon Sugar


1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Celery salt
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Oregano
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a pot
Add onions
Season with Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper and sauté till tender
Add garlic continue to cook another 3-4 minutes
Add carrots, celery and Black beans
Season with the spices
Chili Powder. Celery salt. Cumin and Oregano

Gently cook about 5 minutes to cook out the raw taste of the spices.

 Meanwhile put the leftover Meat Sauce in a blender with the water
Whiz
Add to pot
Place the tomatoes in the blender, just a quick whiz just to break it down
Into the pot
Add sugar
Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes
You need the carrots to be tender
Taste and adjust the seasoning it will probably need a little more salt

Just before you serve Add lime juice and Parsley

So nice for a cold Winter's Day

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup- Lets have Onion Bread and Carrot Cake

Lunch day at Juice TV
I have posted this soup before, but it's winter and we all need more tasty soups people. to keep us warm. This is great, cheap and makes heaps. Just lightly spiced I thought it was great.
To accompany it, I made my Basic white bread and added some spicy caramelised onions.
AND a delicious  Carrot Cake. The cake I got from the Everyday Baking Programme on Food TV.
It was easy and quick.

Spiced Carrot Cake ( In My Net Diary Everyday Baking Carrot Cake)

1/4 cup vegetable oil,  plus more for pan
1 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour,
plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 cup finely shredded packed (about 2 medium) carrots

Quick Glaze
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 170C
Brush an 8-inch round cake pan with oil.
Place a round of waxed or parchment paper in the bottom;
brush with oil, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cardamom, and salt; 
set aside. 
In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sugars, yogurt, and oil until smooth.
Gently mix egg mixture into dry ingredients until moistened; mix in carrots. 
Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes
(if browning too quickly, tent cake with aluminum foil).
Cool in pan, 15 minutes.
Turn out of pan, remove paper, and cool completely on a rack, right side up.
Apply glaze, or dust with confectioners' sugar.

Quick Glaze
In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
until a smooth but thick glaze forms (too thin a glaze will be absorbed by the cake).
Place a piece of waxed paper under cooling rack for easy cleanup.
Spoon glaze back and forth over cake, forming a pattern.
Keep cake on cooling rack until glaze is set, 15 to 20 minutes.

Onion Bread
2 cups white flour  
1 tsp salt                
1 tsp sugar              
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 packet yeast (8gms)  
230 mls hand hot water

Put yeast and sugar in 200 mls of hand hot water
Stir
Leave about 5 minutes to activate the yeast
put the other ingredients into the food processor
Let it whiz not too fast
If it is not forming into a ball slowly add more water until it does

Turn out onto bench and start kneading by pulling edges into the middle
like a little parcel
Place in a greased bowl for about 1 hour to rise

Meanwhile
Finely slice a peeled red onion
Saute in 1 tablespoon olive oil
Add 1 tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander

Sea salt
Freshly brown black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon finely cut fresh coriander roots and stalks
Cook till soft and turning brown
Set aside and Cool
Take out the bread lay on the lightly floured bench and cover with the onion mixture

Push all the edges in and knead with till it forms a smooth ball
Back into greased bowl and cover for another 30 minutes

 When it has doubled

Take this lovely doungh and press down to a rectangle on a greased and floured tray

Bake at 205C about 20 minutes
Remove. it should sound hollow when you tap it
If not back in the oven about 5 more minutes

Looking good.
Now onto the main event
Red Lentil and Carrot Soup  (In My Net Diary look under Gillis Carrot and Lentil Soup)

I used the food processor to chop the vegetables and it was brilliant
You may notice Vegeta. WE discovered this in Croatia they put it in everything. You can buy it here. It is a Vegetable Stock powder. Gluten free Great flavour. A must for the pantry


55 gm unsalted butter      
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger 
1/2 tsp ground allspice     
1/2 tsp ground cumin     
1/2 tsp ground ginger     
and 1/2 tsp ground chili powder  
1tsp curry powder 
1 tsp ground coriander 
300 gms onions finely chopped   
143 gm parsnip      
100 gms chopped celery
1 k g sliced carrots    
200 gms swede peeled and chopped  

85 gms split red lentils     
25 gms long rain rice     
1 . 75 litres water
Vegeta 3 tablespoon    
400 ml can lite coconut cream  
2  tablespoons fresh lime juice 

MethodMelt the butter in a heavy based pan and
Add ginger, allspice, cumin, chilli powder
and Curry powder and coriander

Cook over a low heat for about 3 minutes stirring constantly
Add the vegetables and Vegeta
Stir to combine and cook about 8 minutes
Stir in lentils and rice
Then the water

 Bring to boil and simmer around 30 minutes till the vege are tender and the lentils break up

Into the blender
Bring back to boil
Add coconut milk and lime juice
Taste and adjust if necessary

Dont boil again just reheat
Just add Fresh coriander and serve

Grandma's Basic Beef Stew

This Thursday at Grandmas, I decided to make Beef Stew and Dumplings for the Grand-kids.
Its winter now don't you know and basic stick to the ribs food is necessary.
I wasn't sure how it would go but they loved it and second helpings all around
except of course for the littlest.
I used Rachel Allen's Dumpling Recipe, which is basically Irish Soda Bread.
The dumplings were very tasty but need to be eaten pretty soon after cooking. By the time I got to my dinner they were a bit heavy. I think I might try one of my scone recipes next time, could be lighter.
BUT the Stew was a Triumph and it is so basic and so tasty. I chopped the Mushrooms very fine as I know the kids are not wrapped on them. Make it small and hide, I say.


840 gms Blade Steak
3 tablespoons seasoned Flour
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 medium  Onions chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large Carrot chopped
1 stalk Celery chopped
150 gms finely chopped Mushrooms
1 medium Courgette grated
50 mls white wine

2 Massel Beef Stock cubes
2 litres Hot Water
2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup

Cut beef into cubes and dust with seasoned flour
Put 2 tablespoons olive oil into a med hot pan
Drop in the beef and brown.
Don't overcrowd the pan, you want a nice crust on the beef, for that extra flavour
Pop the cooked beef into your casserole dish
Add onions cook gently till soft
Season with little salt and pepper
Add celery, carrot and continue to cook till soft
Add to casserole

Add 1 more tablespoon oil to pan and add mushrooms
Season and after about 2 minutes, add courgettes
Continue ot saute about another 3 minutes
Add white wine and reduce down
Place in the casserole
dissolve the stock cubes in hot water
Use a little to get any scraps from the pan
All into the casserole along with the tomato ketchup
Stir well, Make sure everything is just covered.

Into 160C oven
Cook for about 2 hours
The aroma filled the kitchen.
Yum

While I was cooking the kids were cooking too
They love to make flower soup

Last week they were so enthusiastic, they completely denuded my Purple Pansies
Well I guess they needed de-heading
It made beautiful Purple Flower soup though

The Dumplings
Pre heat the oven to 230C

350gms plain flour
3/4 level tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
300 mls buttermilk

Mix with claw hand till it blends  together
Onto floured board
Press out to 2-3 cms thick
Cut into small scones

Place on top of stew not too close together

Brush with beaten egg and a little water

230C for 10 minutes
200C for 20 minutes

The kids love my Broccoli
I just break it into florets
Blanch in boiling salted water, for about 3 minutes
Drain and run cold water over it, to stop cooking and keep green

When you are ready to serve
Heat a pan to medium
Add 1 tablespoom olive
and 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Just cook for a couple of minutes be careful not to brown
It could become bitter
Toss the Broccoli in the oil and cook for a couple of minutes till they heat up
Grind some black pepper on top
And a good squeeze of lemon juice.


For pudding Banana Fritters
Pieces of Bananas dipped in Batter
Fried and then rolled in cinnamon and suge
Eaten in the hand with cream and molten Nutella

Ms Mia did a lovely presentation of hers