tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23456590084012763552024-03-18T04:04:17.468+00:00Soup TuesdayNot just soup. Not just on a TuesdayDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-9682168244713421642015-02-03T13:18:00.003+00:002015-02-03T13:18:49.327+00:00Locro da Papa - Ecuadorian Potato and Cheese Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHp_7Vb9470/VNDKhJo-IoI/AAAAAAAACA8/ahHxaVBKTYA/s1600/Locro_de_Papa_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Locro de Papa" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FHp_7Vb9470/VNDKhJo-IoI/AAAAAAAACA8/ahHxaVBKTYA/s1600/Locro_de_Papa_001.jpg" height="360" title="Ecuadorian Potato and Cheese Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Once you get into a serious cookery habit, you very quickly start to accumulate 'stuff'. At last count I had 7 varieties of vinegar, 9 types of rice and 5 kinds of lentils. My spice cupboard gets even more full with each passing trip to the shops and every cuisine I dabble in. Some ingredients are pretty easy to get hold of these days - every supermarket has a pretty good selection of herbs and spices these days, and Asian and Chinese supermarkets will furnish the inquisitive cook with pretty much everything else you will need. Same goes for Eastern European and Caribbean cuisine.<br />
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However, some areas of the culinary globe are (in my neck of the woods anyway) a little harder to reach. And this throws up a dilemma for anyone attempting to make dishes in an authentic a way as possible.<br />
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For example, this South American recipe. Now, unless I'm blind, I haven't seen an Ecuadorian supermarket in my neighbourhood. And this recipe, done authentically, needs some ingredients that it's almost impossible to get without a lot of searching - achiote powder and queso fresco. My version, after some research, swaps the achiote for paprika and the queso fresco for ricotta. Which, after 7 and a half minutes of interweb research appear to be about as good a substitution as I could find. But it still bugs me that I'm not making a 'proper' version of this soup. <br />
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Am I worrying too much? Can anyone recommend a good source of South American ingredients? Does this stuff bother anyone else? Have you found a good supplier for edible Piranhas? Let me know...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nGDbf0H5yTg/VNDKeFFPqeI/AAAAAAAACA0/d5D9asQJ9IM/s1600/Locro_de_Papa_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nGDbf0H5yTg/VNDKeFFPqeI/AAAAAAAACA0/d5D9asQJ9IM/s1600/Locro_de_Papa_002.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>600g Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>250g Ricotta Cheese </b></i><br />
<i><b>25g Butter</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Large Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tbsp Minced Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>2tsp Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Sweet Paprika</b></i><br />
<i><b>900ml Water</b></i><br />
<i><b>150ml Milk</b></i><br />
<i><b>Fresh Coriander</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. In your soup pan, heat the butter. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for a few minutes, until it starts to soften.<br />
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2. Add the minced garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for another 2 minutes.<br />
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3. Add the peeled and cubed potato. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the potatoes start to soften slightly and everything is covered in the spices<br />
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4. Add the water, bring the soup to a simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes start to break up. Remove from the heat<br />
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5. Once the soup has cooled, either blend the sou until smooth or use a potato masher to break up the potatoes. Add the milk and crumbled up cheese, adjust seasoning to taste and reheat.<br />
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6. Serve with fresh coriander, grated cheddar cheese and thinly sliced spring onions. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-62178271901217603672015-01-27T13:46:00.002+00:002015-01-27T14:44:56.767+00:00Quibebe - Brazilian Squash Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-caUI_8-pApI/VMeVKcG_ecI/AAAAAAAACAQ/bsPIv435--I/s1600/Quibebe_Soup_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brazillian Squash Soup" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-caUI_8-pApI/VMeVKcG_ecI/AAAAAAAACAQ/bsPIv435--I/s1600/Quibebe_Soup_001.jpg" height="360" title="Quibebe" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sometimes when I'm looking for soups to make, the most childish things attract me. For instance, when I was researching South American soups (you'll remember that I'm a little excited by them right now) I was drawn to this recipe simply by its name Quibebe. Say it out loud. It's impossible not to smile at that word. It's also impossible not to smile when you taste this soup. Its creamy, a little bit spicy and amazing. Perfect for a winter's evening when there is snow on the ground and the nights are short.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dW3ccMzF6P0/VMeVHymtngI/AAAAAAAACAI/aSYwTnQAnY0/s1600/Sculpture_Park_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dW3ccMzF6P0/VMeVHymtngI/AAAAAAAACAI/aSYwTnQAnY0/s1600/Sculpture_Park_001.jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow. It's pretty, isn't it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In fact, pretty much nothing like what I imagine the weather is like in Brazil, where this recipe comes from. Although I imagine it gets pretty chilly in the Andes. (And yes, I did make a reference to the Andes without a) doing a Chilly/Chile pun, b) an Andes/Hands pun or c) referencing the movie Alive. I must be ill)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDPYFI1Wxlw/VMeWAxF6bdI/AAAAAAAACAk/Z-A6WlNhuh0/s1600/piranha-1978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDPYFI1Wxlw/VMeWAxF6bdI/AAAAAAAACAk/Z-A6WlNhuh0/s1600/piranha-1978.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
Other things that attract me to soup recipes are weird and wonderful ingredients, and whilst this soup contains nothing that you wouldn't find in your local corner shop, I did unearth a recipe for<a href="http://soulbrasileiro.com/main/brazil/drinks-and-food/caldo-de-piranha/caldo-de-piranha/"> Piranha Soup</a>.<br />
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Where does one acquire Piranhas from? Allegedly, the soup has aphrodisiac qualities (presumably derived from the fact it's made from Piranha, much the same way as idiots think Tiger Testicles are an aphrodisiac too) so I'm not sure substituting for any other fish would have the same effect.<br />
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So if your local Aldi does sell Piranha on their fish counter, do let me know and Ill be all over it<br />
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(And whilst we are on the subject of puns, should I do a 'In Brazil the soup eats you' gag here?)<br />
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<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>500g Butternut Squash</b></i><br />
<i><b>100g Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>20g Butter </b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Tomatoes </b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Stalks Celery</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Cloves Garlic </b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Chilli Flakes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/4tsp Light Brown Sugar </b></i><br />
<i><b>1.2l Beef Stock </b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WepNZHTItxQ/VMeVPq1nV0I/AAAAAAAACAY/ACdwNepnCbs/s1600/Squash_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WepNZHTItxQ/VMeVPq1nV0I/AAAAAAAACAY/ACdwNepnCbs/s1600/Squash_001.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> </b><br />
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Peel and de-seed the squash and cut into cubes of about 1cm. Peel the potato and roughly chop that too. Thinly slice the onion and celery. Put the tomatoes in boiling water and leave to soak, then remove the skin, seeds and cut into small bits.<br />
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2. In your soup pan, heat the butter and then gently cook the onion, celery, garlic and chili flakes until the vegetables are soft but not coloured. Add the squash and potato, stir everything round and cook for a few more minutes, before adding the stock and sugar.<br />
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3. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes, until the squash and potatoes are very soft and starting to break up. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lwZp4VcZVao/VMeVEfnLtMI/AAAAAAAACAA/fR-99gsEUks/s1600/Quibebe_Soup_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brazillian Squash Soup" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lwZp4VcZVao/VMeVEfnLtMI/AAAAAAAACAA/fR-99gsEUks/s1600/Quibebe_Soup_002.jpg" height="360" title="Quibebe" width="640" /></a></div>
4. Blend the soup until smooth, then return to the pan, adjust seasoning to taste and reheat. Serve and garnish with parmesan and croutons. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-44398827411221016452015-01-22T14:48:00.002+00:002015-01-22T14:48:54.490+00:00Creamy Sweetcorn Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhazFn-Fvfg/VMENIiDVEsI/AAAAAAAAB_o/IoE0XhhJTrA/s1600/Creamy_Sweetcorn_Soup_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creamy Sweetcorn Soup" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QhazFn-Fvfg/VMENIiDVEsI/AAAAAAAAB_o/IoE0XhhJTrA/s1600/Creamy_Sweetcorn_Soup_001.jpg" height="360" title="Creamy Sweetcorn Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's an age-old debate in soup-making circles - where is the line between Soup and Stew? It is fought over as much as 'What constitutes a<i> proper </i>pie?*' and 'How do you pronounce Scone/Chorizo**'<br />
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The debate mostly seems to centre around the ration of solids to liquids in the soup/stew. As I've been researching South American soups, a lot of them strike me as being much more stew than soup (For instance, check out the <a href="http://soup-tuesday.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/ajiaco-wcfc2014-colombia.html">Aijaco Soup</a> from Colombia I made a while ago. There's barely any liquid in there at all, but who am I to argue with Colombia eh? If they say it's a soup then it is most assuredly a soup. Of course, if you are really worried about where to drag this line, just do what I did with this recipe, which is to blend the heck out of it until it is smooth and silky.<br />
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Now I don't recommend doing this with every soup, too often it just reduces the whole thing to a homogeneous mess with less character than when it started (Can you imagine a Minestrone being improved by being blitzed?), but some soups, usually ones with milk/cream/potatoes in often work so much better when they are creamed, and passed through a sieve just to make sure they are smooth.<br />
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And that is definitely the case with this soup, which was inspired by my dabbling with South American soup recipes (Indeed, you could just not blend it and it would be pretty similar to many recipes from that continent) but as it is really cold at Soup Labs today I thought it would make the whole thing just that little bit more comforting. I think I made the right choice, but feel free to leave yours chunky. I wont judge you. Much<br />
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Also, another great thing about this soup is it's another great cupboard soup - I bet you have everything for this soup in your cupboard / freezer right now. Apart from the cream, which you could substitute milk for if you really wanted. <br />
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* Anything with something else on top of it can be a pie - Shepard's/Fish/Steak and Kidney included, but a double crust pie is one with something completely encased in pastry.<br />
** <i>S-kone </i>and <i>Cho-rit-zo</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WkhjjYFd2QQ/VMENJcQTdcI/AAAAAAAAB_s/T5MnAFGsRWI/s1600/Creamy_Sweetcorn_Soup_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WkhjjYFd2QQ/VMENJcQTdcI/AAAAAAAAB_s/T5MnAFGsRWI/s1600/Creamy_Sweetcorn_Soup_002.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>400g Frozen Sweetcorn</b></i><br />
<i><b>200g Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>20g Butter </b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Stalks Celery</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Cloves of Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/2tsp Red Chilli Flakes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1l Chicken Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>75ml Double Cream</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>Spring Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Black Pepper </b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Peel and chop the onion and potato. Thinly slice the celery stalks. In your soup pan, gently heat the butter and then cook the vegetables until they start to soften<br />
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2. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, then the sweetcorn and stock. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and soft. Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool.<br />
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3. Put the tomatoes in boiled water, leave for 10 minutes, then peel and de-seed them, keep for garnishing the soup.<br />
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4. Blend the soup until smooth, pass through a sieve to remove all the bits amd then return to the pan. Add the double cream and re heat. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve. Garnish with the chopped tomatoes and thinly sliced spring onions. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-60718661934508289582015-01-20T13:47:00.000+00:002015-01-20T13:47:43.864+00:00Chupe de Maní - Ecuadorian Peanut Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZefCQEIafE/VL5brKbqAoI/AAAAAAAAB_I/Iv7IqwGsqfo/s1600/Chupe_de_Mani_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chupe de Maní - Ecuadorian Peanut Soup" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZefCQEIafE/VL5brKbqAoI/AAAAAAAAB_I/Iv7IqwGsqfo/s1600/Chupe_de_Mani_001.jpg" height="360" title="Chupe de Maní - Ecuadorian Peanut Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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Waaaay back last year, when everyone was talking about ball kicking tournaments, I was part of a small group of dedicated bloggers who took part in the World Cup Food Challenge. This (I'm sure you remember) was a blog based challenge to cook between us, dishes from every country involved in said real-life-subbuteo competition.<br />
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In this challenge, I made a number of dishes (and some soups) from South American countries, and I fell in love with the cuisine of that continent. Fast forward to Christmas, and as I tore open my presents from under the tree, I found that Santa had brought me not one but two recipe books on South America (along with 5 more on other things. I'm so easy to buy for at Christmas - either cook books or Star Wars merchandise*) <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMiHpaV_19w/VL5bvY7ineI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/RRC9guFexhs/s1600/Peanuts_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMiHpaV_19w/VL5bvY7ineI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/RRC9guFexhs/s1600/Peanuts_001.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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So I thought that I would do a few South American soups on the blog. Starting with this one, from Ecuador. You could use peanut butter for this recipe instead of grinding up your own peanuts, but I think the flavour is more intense doing it this way. It's thick and creamy and satisfying and a great start to my South American soup adventure. Let's see if my prediction made last summer - that South American cuisine would be the next big thing - comes true this year. It totally should if this soup is anything to go by...<br />
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* Incidentally, I will be making at least on Star Wars inspired soup recipe in the run up to The Force Awakens being released, but that's not until December, so I have plenty of time. And yes, I am aware <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Star_Wars_Cookbook:_Wookiee_Cookies_and_Other_Galactic_Recipes">this</a> exists... and I probably won't be making <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bloodsoup">Bloodsoup</a>, as I'm not a Sith Lord. Until I do get round to making my own Star Wars soup, why not try this recipe for Bantha Steak Soup that I found<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cube 1 thick bantha steak; trim fat, pat dry. Saute <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Meat" title="Meat">meat</a> in <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bantha_butter" title="Bantha butter">bantha butter</a> until brown. Core, seed, and chop 2 large <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ootoowerg" title="Ootoowerg">ootoowergs</a>, 3 ripe <a class="new" href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Drope?action=edit&redlink=1" title="Drope (page does not exist)">dropes</a>, 1 small <a class="new" href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Koba_%28food%29?action=edit&redlink=1" title="Koba (food) (page does not exist)">koba</a> if available. Add <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Vegetable" title="Vegetable">vegetables</a> to cooked meat, cook til heated through. Put all in pot of boiling <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Water" title="Water">water</a>. Cover, simmer at low heat for 3 days. Add <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Roosha" title="Roosha">roosha</a> to taste. Serve 1-2.</span></i></blockquote>
Now, where can I get some ootoowergs from? I'm thinking Lidl? <br />
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And for anyone else wanting to try Star Wars soups, <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Special:Search?search=soup&fulltext=Search">here</a> is a list of some that exist in the Star Wars universe, courtesy of the ever-helpful Wookiepedia. Although sadly Gungan bouillabaisse is made *by* Gungans, not *of* them. Mmmm, Cream of Jar Jar soup...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oVbZ90oNUQ0/VL5bxxYzG4I/AAAAAAAAB_Y/meJgGFcyt3k/s1600/Chupe_de_Mani_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chupe de Maní - Ecuadorian Peanut Soup" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oVbZ90oNUQ0/VL5bxxYzG4I/AAAAAAAAB_Y/meJgGFcyt3k/s1600/Chupe_de_Mani_002.jpg" height="360" title="Chupe de Maní - Ecuadorian Peanut Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>200g Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>150g Peanuts</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Large Tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Stalks Celery</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Red Chilli</b></i><br />
<i><b>Fresh Coriander</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>1.2l Beef Stock</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method.</b><br />
1. Heat to oven to 160ºc. Spread the peanuts out on a baking tray. Put them in the oven and roast them for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Put them in a food processor and blend into a fine powder<br />
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2. Peel and chop the onion and potato then slice the celery. Heat some oil in your soup pan and gently cook the vegetables for a few minutes until they start to soften.<br />
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3. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan, along with the cumin, chilli and stock. Then add the peanuts, bring the soup to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the head and allow to cool.<br />
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4. Blend the soup until smooth, adjust seasoning to taste, reheat and serve. Garnish with more crushed peanuts, fresh coriander and thinly sliced red chillies. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-79450774407883395812015-01-15T10:28:00.002+00:002015-01-15T11:55:00.732+00:00Green Bean and Almond Soup<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9n4t2DEwTY/VLeVKn-hKYI/AAAAAAAAB-k/PITAfTyO7D0/s1600/Green_Bean_Almond_Soup_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Bean and Almond Soup" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9n4t2DEwTY/VLeVKn-hKYI/AAAAAAAAB-k/PITAfTyO7D0/s1600/Green_Bean_Almond_Soup_002.jpg" height="360" title="Green Bean and Almond Soup" width="640" /></a><br />
The inspiration for this soup came from nothing more than "I have green beans, I don't need them for anything else. Can I turn them into soup?" From there my mind went to 'green beans and... erm... what goes with green beans?' Then I remembered green beans with almonds, which in my mind was always a side dish to a Thanksgiving dinner in America, possibly alongside a weird salad that has marshmallows in it. I have to admit that I have absolutely no idea where this assumption comes from, apart from that I possibly saw it in an episode of Friends (The one where Joey gets the Turkey stuck on his head I assume...)<br />
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And then I googled Green Bean and Almond soup, and lo and behold, it is a thing. When does a soup become 'a thing'? As in an accepted soup variety? Does it ever? Is that the beauty of soup, that it can have literally any combination of meat, vegetables, herbs and spices and still be an acceptable thing? This is just another reason why I love the stuff...<br />
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Anyway, this is a tasty and sweet soup, thickened by the ground almonds, and although you don't <i>have</i> to put the white wine in, it <i>will</i> improve the flavour of the soup by 237% if you do...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7EUN0-m1Ok/VLeWKKL1E5I/AAAAAAAAB-4/K0WmrVh32fc/s1600/Green_Bean_Almond_Soup_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Bean and Almond Soup" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7EUN0-m1Ok/VLeWKKL1E5I/AAAAAAAAB-4/K0WmrVh32fc/s1600/Green_Bean_Almond_Soup_001.jpg" height="360" title="Green Bean and Almond Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>400g Green Beans</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Carrots</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>75g Ground Almonds</b></i><br />
<i><b>25g Butter </b></i><br />
<i><b>3 Cloves of Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>Slivered Almonds</b></i><br />
<i><b>900ml Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>200ml White Wine</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method.</b><br />
1. Peel and roughly chop the carrot, garlic and onion. Heat the butter in your soup pan and then gently fry the vegetables until they start to soften<br />
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2. Cut the ends off the green beans and then slice the remaining beans in half. To the onions and carrot add the beans, stock, wine and ground almonds. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool and then blend until smooth.<br />
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3. Adjust seasoning to taste and then reheat. Serve and garnish with slivers of almond. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-21675754097316434202015-01-13T11:04:00.000+00:002015-01-13T11:04:21.161+00:00Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tqBa_yz7LRc/VLT7CXbxN4I/AAAAAAAAB-E/fLHlmtUlU2c/s1600/Carrot_Pepper_Soup001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Soup" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tqBa_yz7LRc/VLT7CXbxN4I/AAAAAAAAB-E/fLHlmtUlU2c/s1600/Carrot_Pepper_Soup001.jpg" height="360" title="Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just realised that all the soups I've blogged so far this year have been vegetarian recipes (assuming you use veggie stock, although I sometimes cheat and use chicken just to give it that extra bit of flavour) This wasn't an intentional thing, so far this year I've made soups based purely on what is lurking in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Although I'm *still* not sure what that green slimy stuff is - possibly lettuce left over from last summer. Best not dwell on that too much hey?<br />
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Today's soup is a variation on one of the ll time classics - carrot and coriander. Although we are dropping the coriander and adding some red peppers. When these bits are roasted in a bit of oil, they are transformed from a vaguely uninspiring bunch of brightly coloured veggies into a fragrant, tasty, sweet and delicious sensation. Yes, the humble carrot, that thing you are bound to have a few of lurking in your kitchen right now, looking forlorn and lonely. So my advice to you would be to grab a few, get some peppers in and start making this soup right now! You won't regret it...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vgcFsqAZRo/VLT7DhqokkI/AAAAAAAAB-M/dmM9yhwydjY/s1600/Carrot_Pepper_Soup002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Soup" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vgcFsqAZRo/VLT7DhqokkI/AAAAAAAAB-M/dmM9yhwydjY/s1600/Carrot_Pepper_Soup002.jpg" height="360" title="Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b>350g Carrots</b><br />
<b>3 Red Peppers</b><br />
<b>2 Onions</b><br />
<b>1 Chilli Pepper</b><br />
<b>2 Garlic Cloves</b><br />
<b>900ml Vegetable Stock</b><br />
<b>Oil</b><br />
<b>Salt and Pepper</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method.</b><br />
1. Heat the over to 200ºc. Peel and roughly chop the carrots. De-seed the peppers and cut into strips then peel and slice the onion.<br />
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2. Place the vegetables in a roasting dish, toss in vegetable oil until they are covered, then place in the oven. Roast the vegetables for 45 minutes. They should be starting to go golden and brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool<br />
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3. Put the vegetables in your soup pan, add the garlic and chilli - both finely chopped - and the stock. Bring the soup to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.<br />
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4. Blend the soup until smooth, reheat, adjust seasoning to taste and serve with a swirl of fresh yoghurt. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-34952619709726208862015-01-09T11:19:00.000+00:002015-01-13T11:04:46.277+00:00Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1PdsZ5ZMcs/VKvyLYS0R1I/AAAAAAAAB9U/hdicrvPamIg/s1600/Leek_potato_cheese_soup002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1PdsZ5ZMcs/VKvyLYS0R1I/AAAAAAAAB9U/hdicrvPamIg/s1600/Leek_potato_cheese_soup002.jpg" height="360" title="Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cheese. It's a serious business. And we here at Soup Manors eat more cheese at Christmas than at any other time of the year. Mainly because we do nothing but sit around watching all 6 Lord of the Rings movies, drinking enormous quantities of red wine and eating biscuits. And nothing accompanies those things better than a nice bit of cheese (I think any hobbits reading this would agree wholeheartedly)<br />
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And this year, much to my surprise, when the hangovers cleared and Frodo had sailed to the Grey Havens, I found that we still had a big hunk of blue cheese left which needed something doing with (as we had decided to get all healthy and didn't really want to be sitting around in our hobbit holes when there was a whole outside world to be getting exercise in) so what better fate for a cheese than to be turned into a soup. And what better soup to use said cheese in than a Leek, Potato and Cheese soup?<br />
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Because I'm being super (soup-er? Geddit?) organised this year I actually got round to making this soup a whole day before I got round to consuming it, so I thought I'd try something that I heard a while ago, which is soup made a day in advance, especially a milky/cheesy soup has its flavour intensified by being kept in the fridge for a day beforehand. And what do you know, it really works - the soup had a much richer, deeper flavour than other sups of this kind I've made before. So if you have the time, I highly recommend making your soup in advance. Its ace...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_QhGusbqgs4/VKvyJZyuvcI/AAAAAAAAB9M/7tH5jloNKEM/s1600/Leek_potato_cheese_soup001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_QhGusbqgs4/VKvyJZyuvcI/AAAAAAAAB9M/7tH5jloNKEM/s1600/Leek_potato_cheese_soup001.jpg" height="360" title="Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I<b>ngredients</b><br />
<i><b>2 Leeks</b></i><br />
<i><b>300g Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>100g Cambazola Cheese</b></i><br />
<i><b>30g Butter </b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Bay Leaf</b></i><br />
<i><b>600ml Vegetable Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>400ml Milk</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Peel and chop the potato, leek, onion and garlic. Heat the butter in your soup pan. Add the garlic, onion and leek and cook for a few minutes with the lid on until everything is soft. Add the potato and cook for a few more minutes.<br />
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2. Add the stock, bay leaf and thyme. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and just starting to break up.<br />
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3. Crumble up the blue cheese and add to the soup, along with the milk. Cook over a gentle heat until everything has cooked through and the cheese has melted into the soup. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-86798441282961322152015-01-07T17:59:00.000+00:002015-01-13T11:05:26.422+00:00Roasted Beetroot, Garlic and Goats Cheese Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uN80kaKNl_8/VKvy0HS1LxI/AAAAAAAAB9s/j0uwnQmKqGU/s1600/Roasted_beetroot_garlic_soup001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roasted Beetroot, Garlic and Goats Cheese Soup" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uN80kaKNl_8/VKvy0HS1LxI/AAAAAAAAB9s/j0uwnQmKqGU/s1600/Roasted_beetroot_garlic_soup001.jpg" height="360" title="Roasted Beetroot, Garlic and Goats Cheese Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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Beetroot. You can just tell that anything that brightly coloured has GOT to be packed full of goodness, vitamins and E numbers. No wait, I'm pretty sure that one of those isn't true*<br />
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*Actually, Betanin, or E162 is an red glycosidic food dye extracted from beetroot. So there. Don't say you don't learn anything from this blog. Other beetroot facts are* : <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Beetroot is an excellent source of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folate" title="Folate">folate</a> and a good source of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese" title="Manganese">manganese</a>,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup> and contains <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betaine" title="Betaine">betaines</a> which may function to reduce the concentration of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homocysteine" title="Homocysteine">homocysteine</a>,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup> a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homology_%28chemistry%29" title="Homology (chemistry)">homolog</a> of the naturally occurring amino acid <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cysteine" title="Cysteine">cysteine</a>. High circulating levels of homocysteine may be harmful to blood vessels and thus contribute to the development of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_disease" title="Heart disease">heart disease</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke" title="Stroke">stroke</a>, or <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_artery_occlusive_disease" title="Peripheral artery occlusive disease">peripheral vascular disease</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-umaryland_11-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot#cite_note-umaryland-11">[11]</a></sup>
This hypothesis is controversial as it has not yet been established
whether homocysteine itself is harmful or is just an indicator of
increased risk for heart disease.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-umaryland_11-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot#cite_note-umaryland-11">[11]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Potter_12-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot#cite_note-Potter-12">[12]</a></sup></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The red colour compound <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betanin" title="Betanin">betanin</a>
is not broken down in the body, and in higher concentrations may
temporarily cause urine and stool to assume a reddish colour; in the
case of urine this is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeturia" title="Beeturia">beeturia</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup> This effect may cause distress and concern due to the visual similarity to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematuria" title="Hematuria">hematuria</a> (blood in the urine) or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_in_stool" title="Blood in stool">blood in the stool</a>, but is completely harmless and will subside once the food is out of the system.</i></span></blockquote>
Last year, I abandoned 2 blog posts as, after making the soups, I looked back through the blog and realised that I'd already written the same or very similar soups before. I really should plan my posts better. Regular readers (you know who you are! Hello Mum!) will probably know that I've done at least 3 beetroot soups before, but I thought, why the heck not do another one. This one is slighly different, and who has the time to wade through old blog posts anyway. This is 2015 dammit, we're all in a hurry, we want our soups right now...<br />
<br />
Although this soup *will* take a bit of time, as you need to roast the beetroot first to release all those sugars and other goodies that make the little purple blighters taste even better, and make that addition of lemon juice a nice counterpoint. I also used hard goats cheese, as it melts and goes all gooey when you put it in the bowl, covered in soup. Which is perfect at this time of year, when it's cold and you want tasty comforting foods.<br />
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*Isn't Wikipedia amazing...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPAdOTA2Hbw/VKvy1PIs_LI/AAAAAAAAB90/-d_GBCSZIZ8/s1600/Roasted_beetroot_garlic_soup002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roasted Beetroot, Garlic and Goats Cheese Soup" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPAdOTA2Hbw/VKvy1PIs_LI/AAAAAAAAB90/-d_GBCSZIZ8/s1600/Roasted_beetroot_garlic_soup002.jpg" height="360" title="Roasted Beetroot, Garlic and Goats Cheese Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>350g Beetroot</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Stalks Celery</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>6 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>900ml Vegetable Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>30g Butter</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Lemon</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Thyme</b></i><br />
<i><b>100g Hard Goats Cheese</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Heat the oven to 180ºc. Peel the beetroot with a potato peeler. Wrap them up in some kitchen foil, with some salt and a splash of olive oil. Then place in the oven, leaving them to roast for 45 minutes. Set them aside to cool.<br />
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2. In your soup pan, heat the butter. Finely chop the onion, garlic and celery then fry them for a few minutes until everything starts to soften.<br />
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3. Cut the roasted beetroot up into smaller pieces, then add to the pan, along with the stock, thyme and lemon juice. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.<br />
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4. Blend the soup until smooth and then reheat. Adhust seasoning to taste then serve. Garnish with some cubed bits of hard goats cheese. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-7245982445355529912015-01-06T19:29:00.000+00:002015-01-13T11:05:50.682+00:00Butternut Squash, Ginger and Orange Soup<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oW5qnD0iSAM/VKvyj-yLovI/AAAAAAAAB9k/VTjZpkSyJS4/s1600/Squash_ornage_ginger_soup002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Butternut Squash, Ginger and Orange Soup" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oW5qnD0iSAM/VKvyj-yLovI/AAAAAAAAB9k/VTjZpkSyJS4/s1600/Squash_ornage_ginger_soup002.jpg" height="360" title="Butternut Squash, Ginger and Orange Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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Disease and illness have been stalking the Soup household for weeks now. Every room in the house is strewn with discarded boxes of potions pills and medicines. Enough cough sweets have been bought to make the pharmacist think that I may be making crystal meth in my kitchen. Far from that, I have in fact been labouring to produce the perfect vitamin laden soups to aid in cold-recovery.<br />
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As we hit the new year, everyone's thought turn to feeling and eating a little more healthy. And that's where it is soup's turn to shine. Just think - pretty much every bowl of soup is just a whole heaping pan full of vegetables, with added garlic, ginger, turmeric and other things that science may or may not have decided are good for you. And even if they don't possess any actual medical or restorative qualities, they certainly make you feel like they do, when served in a bowl of soup.<br />
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So the first soup I made in this bright and shiny year of our lord 2015 was this healthy and tasty butternut squash soup. Its a perfect combination of vegetables, sweet and spicy bits. To be honest, you could make a brilliant soup by cooking pretty much any vegetables, adding some chilli and coconut milk (except sprouts) but then if you all did that, there would be no reason to come back and visit this blog, would there.<br />
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So remember, freestyling soup is dangerous. Only attempt to make soup recipes that have been prepared by a soup professional. You have been warned...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YP15GXSYRes/VKvyh5k8-EI/AAAAAAAAB9c/f1waIO1fXJE/s1600/Squash_orange_ginger_soup001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Butternut Squash, Ginger and Orange Soup" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YP15GXSYRes/VKvyh5k8-EI/AAAAAAAAB9c/f1waIO1fXJE/s1600/Squash_orange_ginger_soup001.jpg" height="360" title="Butternut Squash, Ginger and Orange Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>1 Butternut Squash</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Stalks Celery</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Orange </b></i><br />
<i><b>1tbsp Ginger Puree</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tbsp Garlic Puree</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Chili Flakes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>750ml Vegetable Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>250ml Coconut Milk</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
<i><b>Chili Oil</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method. </b><br />
1. Heat the oven to 180ºc. Peel and de-seed them squash, then cut into chunks. Put the chunks in an oven proof dish and toss in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then put in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, until the squash is soft and the edges are starting to go a golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside<br />
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2. Finely chop the onion and celery. In your soup pan, heat some oil and add the onion and celery, Gently fry until the onion is soft and staring to brown.<br />
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3. Add the Ginger and garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Then add the cumin, chili and roasted butternut. Stir it round so the spices cover everything then add the stock and juice of the orange. Bring the soup to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 20 minutes.<br />
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4. Remove the soup from the heat, let cool and blend until smooth. Add the coconut milk, adjust seasoning to taste and re-heat, then serve with a swirl of chilli oil. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-33843801269577739182014-10-30T16:07:00.002+00:002014-10-30T16:12:51.337+00:00Sopa de Ajo<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JMwOIZs5DIM/VFJhYfusCmI/AAAAAAAAB8w/Y-kGxoEXl8k/s1600/Sopa_de_Ajo001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="roasted garlic and chorizo soup" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JMwOIZs5DIM/VFJhYfusCmI/AAAAAAAAB8w/Y-kGxoEXl8k/s1600/Sopa_de_Ajo001.jpg" height="360" title="sopa de ajo" width="640" /></a></div>
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Inspiration for soups comes from many places. For this one it was as simple as Mrs Soup telling me that she fancied a soup with eggs poached in it. So off I went to the interwebs to do a bit of research and that's where I came across this amazingly tasty and simple little number. I've always been taken with the idea of roasting whole bulbs of garlic, as it smells and tastes wonderful - a flavour that I've never experienced with anything you can buy in the shops. And rather brilliantly, roasting the garlic until it's caramelized takes away the garlic-y smell and the harshness of raw garlic flavour, leaving a deep and savoury taste that's perfect in soups.<br />
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Add to the garlic flavour some poached eggs - I used a chef's ring to stop the egg from spreading everywhere and it came out just perfectly - and some chorizo and I found this soup to be one of the tastiest that I've blogged for a good while.<br />
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And whilst we are on the subject of chorizo, do you pronounce it 'cho-ritz-oh' or 'chore-ee-tho'? For some reason the latter makes any non-spanish person sound like a pretentious hipster. And before you start telling me off for pronouncing foreign words incorrectly, bare in mind that English people still can't settle on a correct pronunciation of the word 'scone' (It rhymes with <i>bone</i>, not <i>gone</i> as any fool knows) So, if any actual Spanish people care to weigh in, I'll totally respect their decision, but still pronounce it my 'chor-itz-oh' when no-one's listening.<br />
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Also, is it pronounced 'see-a-bata' or 'chee-a-bata'? <br />
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Also, this has totally reminded me of Moss from the IT Crowd - "It's pronounced tay-pass"<br />
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Anyway, on to the soup...<b> </b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v8iO8G1hoC4/VFJhVd1phrI/AAAAAAAAB8g/Tl5fC6_IQFU/s1600/Sopa-de_Ajo002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v8iO8G1hoC4/VFJhVd1phrI/AAAAAAAAB8g/Tl5fC6_IQFU/s1600/Sopa-de_Ajo002.jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>3 Bulbs of Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>70g Chorizo</b></i><br />
<i><b>1l Chicken Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>100ml Dry Sherry</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Ciabatta Rolls</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Eggs</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tbsp Sweet Paprika</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/2tbsp Smoked Paprika</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Fresh Thyme</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Heat the oven to 200ºc. Peel the outer layers of the garlic bulbs and then slice the top off, so you can see the tops of all the individual cloves. Place the bulbs in an oven proof dish and pour a glug of olive oil over the top.<br />
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2. Put the garlic bulbs in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, until they are golden brown and caramelized on the top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Squeeze the cooked garlic from its skins into a dish. This can get pretty messy...<br />
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3. In your soup pan, heat some more olive oil. Cut the chorizo up into small chunks and gently fry for 3-5 minutes, then add the garlic puree, paprika and thyme. Cook for another 2 minutes and then add the sherry. Allow the liquid to reduce slightly, then add the chicken stock. Bring the pan to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes<br />
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4. Cut the ciabatta into slices and toast until golden, then place a few slices in each soup bowl<br />
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5. Poach the eggs gently in the soup for 4 minutes, then place one in each soup bowl, then ladle the soup over the top. Serve and enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-9274839405695988502014-10-29T10:31:00.000+00:002014-10-29T10:31:46.478+00:00Kale Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amD7K4-LfEE/VFDBKzkyRtI/AAAAAAAAB74/dV7Q38Iqd60/s1600/Kale_Soup001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amD7K4-LfEE/VFDBKzkyRtI/AAAAAAAAB74/dV7Q38Iqd60/s1600/Kale_Soup001.jpg" height="360" title="Kale Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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After my last blogpost I had a few comments about my maligning of kale (although it's funny, people seem quite happy to cast disparaging words against offal and few raise their voices to come to its aid...) so I thought that I'd have a go at making a kale soup recipe to come to terms with my dislike of said vegetable.<br />
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Before we start, I should point out that I have nothing really against kale itself, but just that it seems to be the poster vegetable for the whole healthier-than-thou/no-fun strain of diets and recipes, and it really does look like swamp water when it's blended to make a soup or (ugh) smoothie (why? why would you do that to yourself?) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veg, fruit, steak, eggs and buns! </td></tr>
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Every few weeks we here at Soup Labs get a rather brilliant veg box, delivered to our door (along with amazing steaks and cream buns) by the wonderful <a href="http://marketdelivered.co.uk/">Market Delivered</a>* and it nearly always has a bunch of kale in it. As Mother Soup didn't bring me up to waste food (or be late for anything. Ever) I keep trying to find fun things to do with it. This soup recipe is one of the fruits of my labours. It turned out pretty nice actually, athough the addition of some bacon or maybe blue cheese/cream would have tipped it towards brilliance. It still looks like something from the Planet Dagobah though...<br />
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*Check their website to see if they deliver to your neighbourhood - especially if you're in Leeds. Cream buns! Steaks! Delivered to your door, from local shops! Brilliant! Running out of exclamation marks!!!!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>150g Kale</b></i><br />
<i><b>150g Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>3 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>25g Butter</b></i><br />
<i><b>900ml Chicken Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>200ml Milk</b></i><br />
<i><b>150ml White Wine</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Peel the onion and potato, then cut into small chunks.<br />
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2. Heat the butter in your soup pan. Cook the vegetables until they start to soften. Add the finely chopped garlic cloves and cook for another couple of minutes<br />
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3. Add the stock and wine, bring the soup to a simmer. Remove the tough stalks from the kale and shred the leaves. Add these to the soup and cover, cooking for 20 minutes. <br />
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4. Once the soup is cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool, then purée using a stick blender.<br />
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5. Reheat the soup, add the milk and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve and enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-61006970638189494312014-10-23T14:37:00.001+01:002014-10-23T14:37:57.416+01:00Indian Lambs Liver Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAxrfPSQzIA/VEkEEokLstI/AAAAAAAAB7g/vhjPAIUxSnw/s1600/Lambs_liver_Soup002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAxrfPSQzIA/VEkEEokLstI/AAAAAAAAB7g/vhjPAIUxSnw/s1600/Lambs_liver_Soup002.jpg" height="360" title="Indian Lambs Liver Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love offal. Two of my favourite meals of all time are Steak and Kidney Pie and Liver & Onions (Is this the diet of an old man?). If I'm in a restaurant and there's a dish containing any form of offal at all, I'm all over it. Of course, I'm aware that I'm in a minority in this love, but there it is.<br />
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For me, the question isn't 'why would you eat that?' but rather 'Why WOULDN"T you eat that'? Offal - and all those other overlooked bits like tongue and cheek - are tasty, unusual and cheap. In a world where people are going crazy over such boring fare as pulled pork and gourmet burgers, I'd rather have a bit of Lamb's Liver or Ox Heart Ragu any day. In fact, could there be a market for an offal-based fast food outlet on every high street? I'd eat there, for sure. Although I may be one of the only ones.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What am I, chopped liver?</td></tr>
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Despite this love of all things offal, I haven't done too many soup recipes that show this off - there was Menudo, a tripe soup, that I blogged a while ago, and while I've had quite a few in my <i>to-soup </i>list for a while, I haven't gotten round to making them. Until I found this little gem of an Indian soup recipe. Like the Beetroot Rasam that I blogged recently, it should be cooked in a pressure cooker, but as I <i>still</i> haven't extended the kitchen, I made this in a pan. Many of the recipes I found for this soup used just water, not stock, but I found that just a little bland, and if there's one thing I can't abide it's a bland soup...<br />
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If anyone has any other suggestions for soup recipes containing offal of any kind, I'd love to hear them, and maybe put them on the blog for the rest of the world to enjoy. Also, if you think you don't like offal, dig out a cool sounding recipe and give it another go, you might be surprised!<br />
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<b>Ingredients </b><br />
<i><b>350g Lambs Liver<br />2 Onions<br />4 Tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1.2l Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>2tsp Ground Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>2tsp Ground Coriander</b></i><br />
<i><b><i><b>1tsp Ground Black Pepper</b></i></b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Turmeric Powder<br />1tsp Red Chilli Flakes<br />2tsp Garlic Purée<br />1tsp Ginger Purée<br />1/2tsp Garam Masala<br />Coriander Leaves</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes, then remove the skins, de-seed and finely chop them<br />
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2. Heat some oil in your soup pan. Peel and finely chop the onions. Gently fry them for 5 minutes, until they start to colour.<br />
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3. Wash and thinly slice the lamb's liver. <br />
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4. Add the chopped tomatoes, liver, garlic and ginger puree and fry for another 5 minutes<br />
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5. Add the stock, bring the soup to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the liver is soft<br />
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6. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with some chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy<br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-11604111216337764442014-10-14T13:10:00.000+01:002014-10-14T18:51:52.440+01:00Beetroot Rasam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WIsLX0vhMTE/VD0SM-3b9II/AAAAAAAAB7I/3j4KvDBJ_VM/s1600/Beetroot_Rasam001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WIsLX0vhMTE/VD0SM-3b9II/AAAAAAAAB7I/3j4KvDBJ_VM/s1600/Beetroot_Rasam001.jpg" height="360" title="Beetroot Rasam" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with beetroot. On one hand, beetroot risotto is one of the greatest things ever, on the other is that lingering taste that can only be described as earthy. Or to be less charitable, I made a beetroot and chocolate cake, and despite using half a tonne of chocolate and cream, it still tasted of soil.<br />
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It is the kind of vegetable that, to my mind, is healthy but dull - the twin of kale in being a joyless thing that healthy eating advocates bang on about, but I really can't stand, Or at least it takes a fair bit of effort to make it palatable. Of course, it's entirely possible that beetroot has the same effect on me that sprouts have on others - a chemical that renders if awful tasting to me whilst others don't suffer. (Scientists are telling me that this theory could be what they describe as 'utter tripe')<br />
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And yet, and yet, here I am, attempting the fourth soup recipe involving beetroot (and reading the old entries, I see I have rather belaboured the point about beetroot's eccentricities, so I won't malign the poor purple vegetable any more) but suffice to say that this Indian soup recipe, through some subtle alchemy of spices tastes amazing, and not a hint of the evil 'soil taste'*<br />
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So here at Soup HQ we have a rather small kitchen, mostly consisting of jars of spices of one kind or another, and it's a huge decision every time we think about investing in another kitchen gadget. "There's no room!" goes the cry. Which is why I<i> still</i> don't have a deep fat fryer despite recently discovering the joys of making my own chips. Another gadget that I still crave is a pressure cooker. If you have one, it would be prefect for this recipe, as it would cook the lentils and beetroot amazingly, but alas, until I open the West Wing of my kitchen and have room for more gadgets, I'll have to do this the old fashioned way - just boiling the heck out of the beetroot.<br />
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Also, be careful when blending the soup. It went everywhere when I deployed my stick blender and made the kitchen look like Halloween had arrived early...<br />
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Also, beware the side effects of eating too many beets...<br />
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*Some of you may be wondering, if I have such strong feelings about beetroot, why am I eating it? Well the simple answer is that we got some as part of our veg box delivery and I'll be damned if I'm going to let any vegetables go to waste. Apart from Kale...<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>500g Beetroot</b></i><br />
<i><b>100g Yellow Lentils</b></i><br />
<i><b>50g Tamarind Paste </b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Red Chili Flakes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Coriander Seeds</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Cumin Seeds</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Fenugreek Seeds</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Mustard Seeds</b></i><br />
<i><b>Pinch of Asafoetida</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt</b></i><br />
<i><b>Oil</b></i><br />
<b> <br />Method.</b><br />
1. Soak the lentils in water for 30 minutes. Roughly chop the Tamarind and put ina small bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes too<br />
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2. Heat some oil in your soup pan. Add the Coriander Fenugreek and Cumin Seeds and Chili flakes, and fry gently for a minute or so, until they flavour the oil.<br />
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3. Wash and strain the soaked lentils and add these to the pan, along with the peeled and chopped beetroot and the peeled garlic cloves.<br />
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4. Remove the pulp from the tamarind and add the flavoured water to the pan <br />
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5. Add 1.2 litres of water, bring the soup to the boil and simmer on a high heat, covered, for 30 minutes, until the beetroot is cooked and softened. Remove the pan from the heat<br />
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6. Blend the soup until smooth. Return to the pan, reheat gently and adjust seasoning to taste<br />
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7. In another pan, heat 3tbsp of oil. Add the Asafoetida and mustard seeds and heat until the seeds start to pop. Stir the flaovoured oil into the soup and serve. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-88927765128080407282014-10-07T17:59:00.001+01:002014-10-07T17:59:14.873+01:00Parsnip and Sweet Potato Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's October! Where did the summer go? Still, now it's time to pack up your shorts and pull out those woolly jumpers, that can only mean one thing - it's soup season again (aka The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year)<br />
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I was in two minds about starting up the soup blog again; after all, there must be a finite number of soups a man can cook, right? So yesterday, I was opening a carton of soup for my lunch and two things struck me - firstly that I feel guilty every time I buy soup rather than making it, especially as cooking soup is as easy as falling off a log, but less painful, and secondly, that most shop bought soups are usually hugely disappointing. As if to prove my point, the Goan Spicy Lentil and Chicken soup that I eat was slightly bitter tasting, had woody vegetables and left me feeling sad rather than being a hug in a bowl, like all good soups should be<br />
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To ease myself back into blogging (and soup making) I set myself the challenge of opening up the vegetable drawer of the fridge, grabbing the first few things that I could lay my hands on and tuning them into a tasty soup. Just to get myself back into the swing of things.<br />
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The first things I pulled out were a can of beer, a bottle of vodka and a lime. Which would make an awesomely demented cocktail, but not really good for soup. The next dive into the fridge yielded sweet potatoes and parsnips. This, I thought to myself, I can work with...<br />
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So some quick thinking, a look in the spice cupboard and viola, a simple, rich and tasty soup that took about 5 minutes to make, 30 minutes to simmer and then was ready for lunch.<br />
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Can't say easier than that, can you? So shut up and make some soup...<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>2 Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Parsnips</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Sweet Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Cloves of Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>2tsp Finely chopped Ginger</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tbsp Lemon Juice</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Turmeric</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Chili Flakes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Salt</b></i><br />
<i><b>1.2l Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>Yoghurt</b></i><br />
<i><b>Fresh Coriander</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Chop the onions and fry fry gently until golden<br />
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2. Peel and chop the sweet potato and parsnip. Add these to the onions and sweat gently for a few minutes until the start to soften<br />
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3. Add the stock, ginger, garlic and spices. Bring the soup to the boil then cover and simmer for 30 minute, or until all the vegetables have softened<br />
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4. Using a stick blender, purée the soup until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.<br />
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5. Garnish each bowl of soup with yoghurt and fresh coriander. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-45391294406498538952014-07-08T19:14:00.001+01:002014-07-08T19:14:27.521+01:00Papas Rellenas Colombianas - WCFC2014 : Colombia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is my last entry for the World Cup Food Challenge of 2014, and at least one of my teams got through to the quarter finals - Colombia. Over the (admittedly brief) course of this challenge, during my research and cooking the dishes, I've fallen a little bit in love with South American food. There are some amazing recipes out there and I feel like it is the undiscovered continent of food.<br />
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Of course, probably come this time next week we'll all be eating Arepas Colombianas from street food vendors like the hipsters we are and the secret will be out, but until then, I highly recommend tracking down some South American recipes and giving them a go yourself, there's a (fifth of a) world of taste excitement out there waiting for you...<br />
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On to the recipe though. When I was a kid, I remember going to my Nana's house and there, on the stove top was a huuuuuge black pan that she used to fry chips in (my Nana had two methods of cooking - boiling for hours or deep frying) and I used to love her chips. As a student, one of my favourite meals was Crispy Pancakes and potato waffles, all chucked in the deep fat fryer and served with mushy peas and drowned in so much vinegar it made my eyes water (Yes, I've come a long way since then...)<br />
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Over the years, deep fat frying has gotten a bit of a reputation as being unhealthy but as I've learned during this food challenge, it still seems to be big in Colombia, and this dish is a fine example - deep fried mashed potato stuffed with beef and eggs - whats not to like? Its like a Shepard's Pie drowned in hot fat, and then served with a spicy fresh salsa called an Aji.<br />
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So until the next world cup, Olympic games or other excuse for a blogging food challenge, its back to soup for me...<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>1kg Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>250g Minced Beef </b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Hard Boiled Eggs</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Spring Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Garlic Salt</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/2tsp Paprika</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt</b></i><br />
<i><b>Pepper</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>1 Egg</b></i><br />
<i><b>30g Plain Flour</b></i><br />
<i><b>60ml Milk</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/2tsp Paprika</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>2 Tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Spring Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Red Chili</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Lime (Juice Only) </b></i><br />
<i><b>50ml White Wine Vinegar</b></i><br />
<i><b>50ml Olive Oil</b></i><br />
<i><b>25ml Water</b></i><br />
<i><b> Handful Fresh Coriander</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Caster Sugar</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt</b></i><br />
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<b>Method.</b><br />
1. Peel and cube the potatoes. In a pan, cover with water, add a some salt and boil until they are cooked (10-15mins) and the drain, set aside to cool<br />
<br />
2. In a frying pan, heat some oil and then add finely chopped onion and spring onion, plus the garlic. Fry for 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Then add the minced beef and continue to cook until the beef is broken up and browned.<br />
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3. Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes, along with the cumin, garlic salt, paprika, salt and black pepper. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Roughly chop the hard boiled eggs and add these to the mixture<br />
<br />
4. Put the ingredients for the Aji in a food processor and blend roughly. Pour into a bowl and put in the fridge until it's time to serve.<br />
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5. In a large bowl, mix the batter ingredients, whisking until smooth. <br />
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6. Mash the cooled potatoes and then split into roughly 8 balls. Roll them out until they are about 8mm thick and spoon some of the filling into each one, carefully shaping into a ball.<br />
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7. In a heavy pan, heat your oil to 180ºc and then carefully put the batter covered balls in, frying them for 4 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and place on some kitchen towel to remove any excess oil.<br />
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8. Serve with the Aji. Enjoy! <br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-14739497035682887402014-06-27T18:10:00.002+01:002014-06-27T18:10:54.157+01:00Avgolemono -WCFC2014 : Greece<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TNdVPE8axO4/U6G06DcnWNI/AAAAAAAAB4I/Ecj7l2MQswg/s1600/Break-in-football-boots+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TNdVPE8axO4/U6G06DcnWNI/AAAAAAAAB4I/Ecj7l2MQswg/s1600/Break-in-football-boots+copy.jpg" height="192" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The second country that made it through to round 2 from Group C is Greece (Not The Ivory Coast, which is both a shame - as I'd bought the ingredients for an Ivorian soup as it looked like they would get through and I'd done my research, and a blessing as it was a gaspacho soup style made with avocados, and as we all know from yesterday, I really don't like avocados) and as this is the Soup Round, we're having a Greek soup.<br />
<br />
A while ago, I made a Turkish dish - it's name escapes me right now - but it was basically lamb meatballs in lemony custard. This soup is very similar and I would say it's kind of an acquired taste. It's a standard chicken soup but it's thickened with an egg and lemon mixture that resembles a custard as it's cooked. It was, ummm, interesting, but worth a try as it was also quite a summery taste<br />
<br />
Also, if you can't get orzo (rice pasta) you could just use ordinary white rice, and cook it for a little longer than you would pasta <br />
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<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>4 Chicken Breasts</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Carrots</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Celery Stalks</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>60g Orzo Pasta</b></i><br />
<i><b>3 Eggs</b></i><br />
<i><b>Zest of 1 Lemon</b></i><br />
<i><b>Juice of 2 Lemons </b></i><br />
<i><b>Bay Leaf</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Black Pepper</b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Put 1.5 litres of water into a large pan, then add the chicken, finely chopped carrot, onion and celery. Bring the water to the boil and cook for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. Remove any foam that forms on top of the pan.<br />
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2. Remove the meat and vegetables, shred the chicken and set aside.<br />
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3. Add the orzo pasta to the stock and simmer for 10 minute, until the pasta is cooked.<br />
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4. While this is cooking, in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until they are fluffy, and then add the juice and zest of the lemon, mixing thoroughly.<br />
<br />
5. Take about 2 cups of the stock and slowly add them to the egg and lemon mixture, whisking constantly to stop the eggs from curdling or separating<br />
<br />
6. Return the egg mixture to the pan, along with the vegetables and chicken, taste and adjust seasoning as you like, then simmer over a low heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes<br />
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7. Garnish with some fresh parsley and then serve. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-40008492540481922632014-06-26T11:40:00.000+01:002014-06-26T12:15:11.065+01:00Ajiaco - WCFC2014 : Colombia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OagB5rpf9vU/U5bo9YL6VMI/AAAAAAAAB0o/cwzyrdq-BFg/s1600/Break-in-football-boots+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OagB5rpf9vU/U5bo9YL6VMI/AAAAAAAAB0o/cwzyrdq-BFg/s1600/Break-in-football-boots+copy.jpg" height="192" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
And so Team Soup head into the second round with our heads held high, unlike *some* teams I could mention, where the two qualifying teams get a second crack of the whip. And because we are Team Soup, this 2nd round will henceforth be known as The Soup Round, where, you guessed it, I'll be making soups from the Group C qualifying countries.<br />
<br />
First on the list is Colombia. Much like the huge Colombian fry-up that I made for round 1, this soup is an 'everything and the kitchen sink' type of soup, which skirts closely to being a stew (but remember, it's not a stew unless it has dumplings in it, and even then that distinction is blurred) Many versions of this recipe call for not two, but three types of potato, but that seems like it might be over-egging the pudding (over potato-ing the soup doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?)<br />
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Also, it's been ironic that pretty much every Colombian dish I've looked at involves avocado in some way, either as a main ingredient or as a garnish, when it's just about the only fruit that I don't really like. I find its texture unpleasant, and the taste vaguely awful too, yet here I am, manfully preparing dishes and then eating them, piled high with avocado. The life of a food blogger isn't as easy as you think it is, I suffer for my 'art' sometimes too... <br />
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<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>3 Chicken Breasts</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Ears of Corn</b></i><br />
<i><b>400g Red Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>400g White Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Large Carrot</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>3 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>Chicken Stock Cube </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>3 Spring Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Tomato</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Red Chillies</b></i><br />
<i><b>3Tbsp White Wine Vinegar</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Sour Cream</b></i><br />
<i><b>Avocado</b></i><br />
<i><b>Capers</b></i><br />
<i><b>Coriander</b></i><br />
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Method<br />
1. Cut the corn in half, peel and cube the potatoes, slice the carrot and onion and chop the garlic<br />
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2. Put 1.2l of water in a pan and add the chicken, veg and stock cube, then bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are just starting to break up.<br />
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3. Put the spring onions, tomato, chilies and vinegar in an blender and puree until smooth<br />
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4. Once the soup is cooked, shred the meat and then put into a bowl, put some of the purée over the top and garnish with sour cream, avocados, capers and freshly chopped coriander. Enjoy! <br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-51063914245400593212014-06-18T17:17:00.000+01:002014-06-18T21:51:14.116+01:00Kedjenou - WCFC2014 : Cote D'Ivoire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today's dish in the World Cup Food Challenge is from the Ivory Coast, and is the last of the first round dishes I'll be cooking. Whichever teams go through to the next round will get another dish, those who go home, well... I'm never eating anything from their country again.<br />
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Before we get to the food, let's hit up some Cote D'Ivoire facts, for your edification and mine...<br />
1. The Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer of cocoa beans <br />
2. You've heard of the Nobel Peace Prize, but have you heard of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize? Named after the first President of the Ivory Coast, amongst its recipients was Nelson Mandela<br />
3. The national motto of The Ivory Coast is Unity, Discipline, Labour. Which, whilst being inspirational, is also a bit dull<br />
<br />
One of the fun things about the World Cup Food Challenge, as well as compiling my fun facts, is researching the recipes, finding out what fun and unusual ingredients I might need for a dish and where to find them. Some of these things are relatively easy to find - Plantains are found in most supermarkets, if you're lucky, Cassava in good markets, duck tongues in any Chinese food suppliers, but then some things are almost impossible to find. <br />
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When I googled Ivory Coast cuisine, I found that giant land snails were an ingredient that is eaten in that country, which peaked my culinary curiosity, but alas, no giant land snails were to be found anywhere (and I didn't want your common or garden <i>small</i> snails. Where's the fun in that?) <br />
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I finally found a dish that sounded fun - a stew called Kedjenou, traditionally cooked in the embers of a fire, but seeing as there are court orders preventing me from setting fire to things (not really) I decided to do mine in the oven - of which more later. Kedjenou can be made with a variety of meats - beef and chicken seem to be most common, but then I can across Kedjenou avec Agouti. Ooooh, what can that be, I thought and promptly searched for it, only to be greeted with... this<br />
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A Cane rat. I giggled. Where the heck could I get a cane rat from? I checked, I asked twitter, I considered stealing the next door neighbour's Guinea Pigs (But their grandkids would be heartbroken) but sadly, my search was frustratingly drawing a blank. So in the end, I had to settle for chicken. Bah! I feel defeated. Still, the kedjenou was delicious, but it just goes to illustrate that even in the days of being able to get most things from Amazon, it's still a struggle to make some dishes authentically<br />
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<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>4 Chicken Thighs (or 1 Cane Rat, quartered)</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Large Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Aubergine</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Red Pepper</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Green Pepper</b></i><br />
<i><b>3 Tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Cloves of Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>2tbsp Chopped Ginger</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Thyme</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
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Method<br />
1. In a large heavy pan, add a little oil, heat and brown the chicken pieces.<br />
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2. Add the vegetables, chopped and seasonings then cover the pan with silver foil before putting the lid on, to create as near to an airtight seal as possible.<br />
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3. Put the pan in the oven at 150ºc for 90 minutes, shaking the pan regularly to ensure that the ingredients don't stick. You don't need to add any more liquid, the vegetables should provide enough to cook everything properly and make a sauce.<br />
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4. Serve with cous cous or white rice. Enjoy<br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-50471472299256308462014-06-17T15:28:00.000+01:002014-06-17T15:28:01.019+01:00Souvlaki - WCFC2014 : Greece<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Our trip round the great (and not so great) footballing nations of the world has reached number 3 in Group C, and as is customary, we'll start with some fun facts about Greece<br />
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1. Greek citizens are required by law to vote in elections. This is presumably because they invented the whole democracy thing...<br />
2. Greece is the world's leading producer of Sea Sponges<br />
3. Football is the national sport of Greece. They must be good at it then (checks results. Hmmm hold that thought)<br />
<br />
And that brings us, in a roundabout way, to the dish I've chosen for Greece, souvlaki (Which has nothing at all to do with the Slowdive album of the same name, 90's shoe-gazing indie fans...) but it a fast food that is popular in Greece.<br />
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One of the things I hate is watching a TV chef lecturing me about how, instead of eating a burger, kebab or other fast food, it's really easy and healthy to make your own. Whilst this may be perfectly true, it's kind of missing the point. When I want a greasy kebab, I'm usually drunk, on the way home from the pub and in no fit state to have a crack at anything more elaborate than opening a bag of crisps. Therefore takeaway food is the perfect solution and all those multi-millionaire TV cooks so 'do one' in the parlance of the youth. <br />
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The same thing goes for any restaurant that advertises 'dirty' burgers. No, sir, your burger is prepared with the finest ingredients, served on a clean plate that I sit in your tastefully decorated establishment to eat with a knife and fork. There is nothing 'dirty' about it. 'Dirty' is a burger from a pizza/kebab/fried chicken/burger shop at 2am that drips with grease and assorted and unidentifiable other sauces. Anything else is simply for people with too much money and too little sense trying to relive their student days in the safety of a street food vendors. (takes deep breath and thinks about meat to calm down...)<br />
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That being said... if I could get my hands on some awesome souvlaki at 2am, I would die a happy happy, drunk man. Its a tasty, meaty, sloppy delight and would work just as well for a family BBQ as a tasty snack. Still, I'm not trying to claim it will replace your takeaway treat, I'd never be that much of a hypocrite...<br />
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<b>Ingredients (Makes 4)</b><br />
<br />
<b>For the Souvlaki </b><br />
<i><b>500g Shoulder of Pork</b></i><br />
<i><b>30ml Lemon Juice</b></i><br />
<i><b>3tbsp Olive Oil</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Oregano</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Mint</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Chili Flakes</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
<br />
<b>For the Peppers</b><br />
<i><b>3 Peppers</b></i><br />
<br />
<b>For the Flatbreads</b><br />
<i><b>200g Self Raising Flour</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/2 tsp Baking Powder</b></i><br />
<i><b>200g Greek Yogurt</b></i><br />
<br />
<b>For the Tzatziki</b><br />
<i><b>1/2 Cucumber</b></i><br />
<i><b>200ml Greek Yoghurt</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Dried Mint</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>2tbsp Lemon Juice</b></i><br />
<br />
Method<br />
1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade and cover the meat. Put in the fridge overnight. At the same time, soak 4 wooden skewers to stop them from burning when you grill/BBQ the meat<br />
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2. Grate the cucumber, then squeeze as much of the liquid out of it as you can. Add this to the yoghurt along with the mint, crushed garlic and lemon juice. Mix well and refrigerate until needed<br />
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3. Heat your grill to maximum and put the peppers under it. Keep turning them until the skins are charred and black on all sides. Remove from the heat and put into a bowl, then cover with cling film and allow to cool. Then remove the skin, seeds and stalk and cut into strips. Put aside until needed.<br />
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4. Make the dough for the flatbreads by combining all the ingredients and kneeding for 3 minutes. Then cut into 4 chunks and roll into flat circles about 15cm in diameter.<br />
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5. Put the meat on the skewers and then put under a hot grill (or BBQ) until they are cooked through - about 10-15 minuted, depending on the size of the chunks. <br />
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6. Heat a griddle pan and cook the flatbreads for about 2 minutes per side<br />
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7. Assemble the dish - put some tzatziki on the flatbread then peppers and finally chucks of pork. Eat them with your hands, not knife and fork, and from a polystyrene carton for that '2am takeaway' feeling, or possibly overlooking a sunny Mediterranean beach for that authentic Greek feel<br />
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<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-26223254849424096272014-06-16T16:41:00.000+01:002014-06-16T16:41:10.170+01:00Japanese Feast - WCFC2014 : Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mrs Soup is a bit of a Japan-o-phile, so I turned over responsibility to her for this dish. I was good and didn't even hang round in the kitchen, fussing and 'helping' like I often do when someone else is cooking for me. What I got in return was a rather magnificent feast.<br />
<br />
First a bit about Japan, which, it turns out has never been attacked by Godzilla. <br />
<br />
1. Japan has the worlds largest population of robots! Over 800,000 of them live and work in the country, although none of them play for the national football team (as far as I know)<br />
2. Japan has the world's oldest national anthem - Kimigayo - which dates back to 1880, but is based on a <i>waka</i> poem from the Heian period (794–1185) but it doesn't feature any lines about pouring gifts on people, like the British nation anthem does. (This is why it's considered bad form to give the Queen a present of soup)<br />
3. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro">My Neighbour Totoro</a>, a Japanese animated film directed by Hayao Miyazake is THE BEST FILM EVER MADE<br />
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So, anyway - now that you know more about Japan then 97% of the people who actually live there, on with the food. Rather than cook a single meal, Mrs Soup opted for a number of small dishes served at the same time.<br />
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All the recipes came from a book called Hashi by Reiko Hashimoto, which is a brilliant introduction to Japanese cuisine, I can't recommend it enough and I'm totally hooked on it.<br />
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Amongst the dishes were Tamago-yaki, which are slices of sweet omelettes with ham, sweetened with sugar and mirin, then sliced thinly and served cold. Like most Japanese dishes, everything is served sliced on the plate to make them easier to eat with chopsticks (although I opted for a knife and fork as I lack the co-ordination for chopsticks, or walking in a straight line for more than 4 meters)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xp8JU1bSbEw/U58Ee4xmsRI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/Lv9lYpjTtJA/s1600/JPN002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xp8JU1bSbEw/U58Ee4xmsRI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/Lv9lYpjTtJA/s1600/JPN002.jpg" height="149" width="320" /></a>Next up was Spinach with Gomadare Sesame Sauce, which was blanched spinach leaves again served cold accompanied with a sauce made of tahini, caster sugar, mirin and sesame seeds. This sauce definitely had umami coming out the wazoo, so to speak. This is a brilliant way to make spinach a tasty dish without actually doing much to it. </div>
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And finally (unless you count the aubergine and miso dish which was somehow left in the oven and burnt to a rather exciting purple crisp, but we wont mention that...) we had prawn and vegetable tempura with ponzu sauce. 2 things I learned watching Mr Soup prepare this dish was that </div>
1) Chopsticks are a brilliant utensils to aid in the deep frying process, great for making sure the food doesn't stick together and perfect for grabbing things from the hot oil<br /><br />
2) Ponzu is a sauce, not an elaborate insurance scam, made with lime juice, soy and dashi.<br />
<br />
Also, being a Northerner experiencing oriental food, I was excited to find that tempura comes with scraps like you used to get from the chippy. Well, maybe it isn't actually meant to be part of the dish in the strictest terms, but the light golden and crunchy batter was so amazing that I couldn't help just eat it on its own....<br />
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Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-51850875269434617672014-06-13T10:37:00.002+01:002014-06-13T10:37:22.973+01:00Bandeja Paisa - WCFC2014 : Colombia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xu54ek2qqG4/U5m1GB25FjI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/UjKZkH9WFzQ/s1600/Break-in-football-boots+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xu54ek2qqG4/U5m1GB25FjI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/UjKZkH9WFzQ/s1600/Break-in-football-boots+copy.jpg" height="192" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aaaaaand they're off. Oh, wait, that's horse racing isn't it? Well, the World Cup is under way and love it or loath it, you can't escape from it. My plan is to lock myself in the kitchen and cook so much food I can't even see a telly, much less a football match. But there's a challenge to be undertaken that is football related, and I shall rise to it...<br />
<br />
First out of the hat is Colombia. I know nothing about the prowess of Colombia's football team, so here are some facts to distract you from my shocking lack of soccer knowledge (and why I suck at the sports rounds in all pub quizzes, although these facts may aid you should your pub quiz have a round about Colombia in it...)<br />
<br />
1. Colombia is where 95% of the world's emeralds are mined<br />
2. Women were first allowed to vote in Colombia in 1957<br />
3. Colombia's national animal is the majestic Condor.<br />
<br />
First port of call for me when I'm researching a country's cuisine is to find out what it's national dish is, closely followed by what gross or weird ingredients do they cook with. In Colombia's case, the national dish is Bandeja Paisa, which, rather brilliantly is basically a huge fry-up, so that's the first dish I cooked in the World Cup Food Challenge.<br />
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Much like the English fry-up, there seems to be a few opinions in what goes in a good Bandeja Paisa, so I picked a few components that seemed to go together. Other things you could add are steak, arepa (Colombian Cornbread) or black pudding. The main philosophy of a good Bandeja Paisa seems to be <i>More is better</i> so if you're trying it at home, pile as much on the plate as is humanly possible (I didn't for the pictures because I don't want you all to think I'm a fatty, but as soon as I'd finished snapping, I doubled the quantity that you see here...) <br />
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<br />
<b>Carne en Polvo - Powdered Beef</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>450g Braising Steak</b></i><br />
<i><b>5 Spring Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
<br />
Cut the steak into cubes and rub with the cumin, salt and plenty of black pepper, finely cut your onions and then put everything in the fridge to marinade for 30 minutes.<br />
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Remove from the fridge and put in a pan, then cover with water. Bring the pan to the boil and simmer for 45 minute to an hour, until the meat is cooked and starting to break up. Remove from the heat, take the meat out of the liquid and leave to dry and cool thoroughly<br />
<br />
Once it is dry and cold, put the meat in a food blender and process until it's a fine, powdery consistency.<br />
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<b>Chicharron - Fried Pork</b><br />
<br />
<i><b>300g Belly Pork Slices</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/2 tsp Baking Powder</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Salt</b></i><br />
<br />
Rub the pork slices in the salt and baking powder, and then fry gently for 10-15 minutes, until its golden and crispy on the outside<br />
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<b>Frijoles Paisas _ Colombian Style Beans</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>200g Dried Pinto Beans</b><br />
<b>1 Large Onion</b><br />
<b>1Carrot</b><br />
<b>50g Bacon</b><br />
<b>3 Cloves Garlic </b><br />
<b>1tsp Cumin</b><br />
<b>1tsp Salt</b><br />
<b>1tsp Baking Soda</b><br />
<br />
Soak the Pinto Beans overnight (or use tinned if you are totally lazy) in water with the baking soda to help the beans soften<br />
<br />
Drain the beans and rinse, then add to a pan with some water, the bacon, cumin, chopped onion and carrot garlic and salt. Bring the pan to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes, until the beans are softened and cooked through. Drain if some of the liquid if you don't like it too runny and then serve<br />
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<b>Hogao</b><br />
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<i><b>1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>5 Spring Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>3 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Tbsp White Vinegar </b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Tsp Cumin</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
<br />
Chop the onion and fry gently. Add the tomatoes, garlic, vinegar and cumin, then simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste<br />
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Serve the meal with Fried Plantains, Chorizo Sausage, white rice, avocado and a fried egg. Enjoy! This meal also works well as a breakfast to chase away a hangover caused my drinking too much during a game, or drinking too much trying to avoid a game...<br />
<br />Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-86192252979216308462014-06-10T12:18:00.000+01:002014-06-10T12:18:50.994+01:00World Cup Food Challenge 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Are we all excited about the World Cup? Who doesn't love a ball kicking festival?<br />
<br />
Well we here at Soup Tuesday HQ are, if we're honest Football ambivalent. I do enjoy the odd match but I don't go into mourning my team lose. Mainly because I don't have a favourite team. But there's one thing I do love, and that's food (although you may be forgiven for thinking I'd stopped eating given the lackadaisical attitude to blogging I've shown over the last few months)<br />
<br />
Anyway, after the success of The Olympic Food Challenge from a while ago, the lovely Ewan from <a href="http://tonights-menu.blogspot.co.uk/">Tonight's Menu</a> has organised a new challenge - The World Cup Food Challenge, and guess what, Im taking part. You can follow the exploits of my fellow participants on the <a href="http://worldcupfoodchallenge2014.blogspot.co.uk/">WCFC2014 blog</a> and I'll be posting recipes from the coutries in my group here too (also, if you're on twitter, the official hastag is #WCFC2014 cos we're super high tech here at Soup Tuesday)<br />
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My group from the draw was Group C which consists of the following countries<br />
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Colombia<br />
Greece<br />
Cote D'Ivoir<br />
Japan<br />
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I'll be cooking one dish from each country and then additional dishes from countries that proceed through to subsequent rounds. It's an interesting mix of countries and hopefully I'll have some good dishes coming up. Don't forget to check back for more, and also check out the rest of the blogs in the challenge. Oh, also, remember to watch some footie, if that's your bag...Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-91088094578171680782014-04-08T15:41:00.001+01:002014-04-08T15:41:58.864+01:00Wild Garlic Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AYVFMHP8tNk/U0QJjm4jsaI/AAAAAAAABzo/AY-NkbqjJo8/s1600/DSC_0039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wild Garlic Soup" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AYVFMHP8tNk/U0QJjm4jsaI/AAAAAAAABzo/AY-NkbqjJo8/s1600/DSC_0039.jpg" height="360" title="Wild Garlic Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's springtime! The sun is (sometimes) in the sky and everywhere, nature is erupting from its winter slumber like an, erm, volcano of green things. And one of the greatest things about this time of year is wild garlic!<br />
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I've done a few soups with wild garlic before, but out of every one I've tried, this is by far the best and the most simple. On Sunday afternoon, we had guests for a roast dinner, so I served this soup as a starter, which meant a quick walk down the the canal, following my nose until I smelled the unmistakable smell of the wild garlic, grabbed a carrier bag full of the stuff, headed home and an hour later the soup was on the table - how's that for 'straight from nature'?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUTf1IyfY0I/U0QJfUQ-JUI/AAAAAAAABzg/jOuHMW5jdSQ/s1600/DSC_0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wild Garlic" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUTf1IyfY0I/U0QJfUQ-JUI/AAAAAAAABzg/jOuHMW5jdSQ/s1600/DSC_0034.jpg" height="360" title="Wild Garlic" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Garlic, yesterday, in a secret location</td></tr>
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Of course, it goes without saying, if you are going to pick wild garlic, make sure that you know what it is first, no picking deadly poisons and then trying to sue me, okay? Secondly, wash it thoroughly - there are lots of dogs and dog walkers around where I pick mine, so it needs to be cleaned properly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L4b9Wt_cvUk/U0QJl9KdfbI/AAAAAAAABzw/tMjfvX1vCUM/s1600/DSC_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wild Garlic" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L4b9Wt_cvUk/U0QJl9KdfbI/AAAAAAAABzw/tMjfvX1vCUM/s1600/DSC_0036.jpg" height="360" title="Wild Garlic" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even more wild garlic. Surely no-one will miss a few kilos for soup purposes, right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bearing that in mind, wild garlic is about the easiest thing in the world to forage for, and its a brilliant ingredient that you never see in the shops, for reasons I can only guess at. Anyway, the addition of some cream, black pudding slices and croutons will make this a quick, easy and tasty soup.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-icuuKYYiFds/U0QJnq4PslI/AAAAAAAABz4/m9dnz4pKDGw/s1600/DSC_0042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wild Garlic Soup" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-icuuKYYiFds/U0QJnq4PslI/AAAAAAAABz4/m9dnz4pKDGw/s1600/DSC_0042.jpg" height="360" title="Wild Garlic Soup" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>150g Wild Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Large Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Large Potato</b></i><br />
<i><b>40g Butter</b></i><br />
<i><b>900ml Vegetable Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>100ml White Wine</b></i><br />
<i><b>Juice of half a lemon</b></i><br />
<i><b>Double Cream</b></i><br />
<i><b>Black Pudding Slices</b></i><br />
<i><b>Salt and Pepper</b></i><br />
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<b>Method</b><br />
1. Peel and chop the onion and potato. In a large pan, heat the butter and then gently fry the onion and potato until they start to soften.<br />
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2. Wash the garlic and remove any tough stems. Add to the pan and allow to wilt. <br />
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3. Add the stock, lemon juice and white wine, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minute. Take off the heat and allow to cool<br />
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4. Blend the soup until smooth, passing through a sieve to remove any lumps, then return to the pan and reheat gently, adjusting seasoning to taste<br />
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5. Fry some slices of black pudding<br />
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6. Serve with a swirl of cream, some black pudding slices and a few crunchy croutons. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-15481627427907275742014-03-05T12:11:00.002+00:002014-03-06T12:47:31.010+00:00Budae Jjigae (Army Base Soup) - Korean Spam and Kimchi Soup<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--C-wzYK-ks4/UxcTmgdYMnI/AAAAAAAABy8/hqJtTFGy4pU/s1600/Budae+Jjigae_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Budae Jjigae" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--C-wzYK-ks4/UxcTmgdYMnI/AAAAAAAABy8/hqJtTFGy4pU/s1600/Budae+Jjigae_001.jpg" height="360" title="Budae Jjigae" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here it is. The pinnacle of my soup making career to date! If you could create a recipe that combines my love of soups of the world with my love of unloved ingredients, combine something I've never tried before and sprinkle a bit of military history on top (yes, I'm a history geek as well as a soup geek) it would look something like this unholy but delicious dish.<br />
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The story behind this soup goes as follows... A few weeks ago, I got a craving for Spam - I have no idea where it came from except that when I was a kid, every Friday in the summertime we had a salad that featured either Spam or Pek pork, nestled alonside limp lettuce, pickled beetroot and sliced boiled eggs. Maybe I was feeling nostalgic for those days, or maybe I'd just been watching Monty Python, but regardless, my recipe seeking brain went in search of things to make and do with Spam, and it eventually lead me to South Asia...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Budae Jjigae" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qoa32d-SLpQ/UxcTpqeq7PI/AAAAAAAABzE/jAaA4pCCiwo/s1600/Budae+Jjigae_002.jpg" height="360" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Budae Jjigae" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East Meets West. It's like an episode of M*A*S*H in tinned form</td></tr>
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After the Second World War (and the Korean War too) food in Japan, Korea and the Pacific Islands - recently devastated by a harrowing but highly cinematic conflict - was in short supply. Indeed, the only regular supply of it was often to be begged, borrowed or stolen from the American GIs who were still around. And one thing they had plenty of was Spam. And since then it has become something of a delicacy in the region, even appearing as Spam Musubi (a form of sushi featuring Spam)<br />
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This soup (or stew) is made entirely of ingredients that could be scrounged from GIs, hence the name Army Base Soup, but its the sort of thing I would have eaten as a student, if I'd had access to kimchi. It might now exactly be fine dining, but I'm guessing it's as authentic as any recipe from any cook book on your shelves, and doesn't it deserve some look as much as the pulled porks, confit potatoes, cronuts and quinoa stuffed, organically sourced alpaca steaks of this world?<br />
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If you can get Korean hot pepper paste, that is more accurate than the chilli powder that I used, and the instant noodles should be added without their soup powder mix!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Dd_w3LGD6U/UxcTsN6rZOI/AAAAAAAABzM/b-3hLvQST8k/s1600/Budae+Jjigae_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Budae Jjigae" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Dd_w3LGD6U/UxcTsN6rZOI/AAAAAAAABzM/b-3hLvQST8k/s1600/Budae+Jjigae_003.jpg" height="360" title="Budae Jjigae" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>200g Spam</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 Hot Dog Sausages</b></i><br />
<i><b>100g Mushrooms</b></i><br />
<i><b>100g Kimchi</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Small Tin Baked Beans</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Large Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>Spring Onions</b></i><br />
<i><b>Red Chilli Pepper</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Packet Instant Noodles </b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Sesame Oil</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tbsp Minced Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tbsp Rice Wine</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Chilli Powder</b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Fish Sauce </b></i><br />
<i><b>900ml Chicken Stock </b></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Method</b><br />
1. Bring the stock to the boil, add the sesame oil, garlic, rice wine, chilli powder and fish sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes and then remove from the heat and set aside for later<br />
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2. Cut the hot dog sausages into small pieces, slice the spam, wash and halve the button mushrooms, peel and finely slice the onion. Place the ingredients in a pan, along with the baked beans and then add the stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minute.<br />
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3. Add the instant noodles and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the noodles are soft.<br />
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4. Garnish the soup with thinly sliced spring onions and red chillies. Enjoy!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345659008401276355.post-30674962233912468712014-02-06T11:49:00.000+00:002014-03-05T12:12:09.629+00:00Potato and Caraway Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow! This is my 200th post! Who knew I'd still be doing this thing (oh, wait, I said this all when I did my 100th soup recipe didn't I? Anyway, thanks for sticking with me, and there are still so many exciting soups to come, I promise...) <br />
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Due to circumstances beyond my control I couldn't make the polish soup I'd planned this week (again) and I needed to throw together a quick 'cupboard' soup. I can't think of any other kind of food where you can just throw random things into a pot and out comes a tasty result - that's why soups are so brilliant, but I wanted to also have something that had a bit of character, not just a random veggie thing.<br />
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I had a look in the cupboards where vegetables lurk and found a few things that would go well together, then added some caraway (I'm still addicted to the stuff in a way that's probably unhealthy) and some sausage to add a little meaty savoury taste to the whole thing, and voilà - a tasty soup was born...<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i><b>600g Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Leek</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 Large Onion</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Stalks Celery</b></i><br />
<i><b>40g Butter </b></i><br />
<i><b>3 Cloves Garlic</b></i><br />
<i><b>2tsp Caraway Seeds </b></i><br />
<i><b>1tsp Marjoram</b></i><br />
<i><b>1.2l Chicken Stock</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 Polish Sausages</b></i><br />
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<b>Method</b><br />
1. Finely chop the leek, garlic, celery and onion, Heat the butter in your soup pan then gently fry the vegetables until the start to soften<br />
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2. Peel and cube the potatoes, then add them to the pan, letting them soften slightly too.<br />
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3. Add the stock, marjoram and caraway seed, then bring the soup to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are just starting to break up.<br />
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4. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree it, then return it to the pan (or alternatively, just use a potato masher - this soup works best with a few lumps in it)<br />
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5. Slice the sausage and then fry it in a little oil<br />
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6. Serve the soup with slices of sausage as a garnish. EnjoyDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117577061820981021noreply@blogger.com1