Vegetarian Curried Soup

Ok so this one is a made up one but I have seen lots of similar variations out there.

This came from a time when my friend Maia came to stay and we decided to use whatever we had on hand in the fridge to cook something for all of us one night. Vegetable soup it was.

I'm sorry if you want exact measurements. I can't really give those to you as it varies with how much I am making. I'll go for what I normally make though which serves about five large bowls.

The Ingredients

1 leek finely chopped (or one large onion finely chopped)
2 carrots chopped
1 zucchini chopped
2 medium sized potatoes chopped
half(???) a sweet potatoe chopped - perhaps two or three cups worth at a guess
one cup worth of chopped pumpkin.
One large carton of vegetable stock (or chicken if you don't mind that)
Cummin - ground 1/2 teaspoon to a full teaspoon
Coriander - ground - as above
Indian curry powder - 1 teaspoon
Tumeric - ground - 1 teaspoon
Fennel - ground - I/4 teaspoon (but that's because I'm not huge on fennel)
Black mustard seeds - teaspoon or so
2 Fresh red chillies finely chopped or a teaspoon of Chillie flakes (which gives it a greater kick)
Soy Sauce - just a splash or two
Small can of coconut milk or coconut cream depending how naughty you feel.
Crusty bread rolls to serve on the side.

The How To:
Gently fry the leek and then add your spices and fry until the aroma is rich and tickles your nose :-)
Add the vegetables and stir that around for a few minutes. Add the stock and soy sauce, bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are cooked - 10 minutes or so. I like to add my zucchini a few minutes after the other veggies as they take less time to cook.
Grab your stick blender and mush it all up until it's nice and smooth.
Return to a low heat and add the coconut milk. Heat gently. Salt and Pepper to taste. You won't need much salt though if you add the soy sauce. I use quite a decent amount of pepper because that's how we roll here.

The other day, I used korma curry paste that I needed to use up instead of all the other spices and the soy and it was equally as yummy so that is a good alternative. So is adding red lentils to it..though you will need more stock if you're going to do that.

This is one of my most requested soups from the family (except fussy britches Tara who only eats her vegetables raw and when forced to).

The best meatballs you'll ever eat.

I'm not going to retype the recipe as I follow this one as is except for the meat. I use chicken mince rather than veal and pork as we don't do either of those in this house.

I LOVE these meatballs. They are moist, tasty and tender. The sauce is nice too :-)

Taken from Exclusively Food.com.au - the best meatballs ever!

Berry Meringue Smash

I've decided that whilst I often adapt most recipes I come across and use, for the most part I just follow a recipe and therefore I feel a bit awkard about posting them as they are not original. Stuff it. I want to share with you recipes that I love and that I cook often. I'll source where I can and steal pictures too if I can. It's rare for me to take pics myself as they always turn out so awful (chilli fried rice as an example), so a lot of what I'm going to post won't have a picture attached. You just have to trust me, ok that it is GOOD!

Ok..so onto today's recipe. This is a recent one I have discovered. It is so insanely easy and so insanely delicious. Comes from Super Food Ideas and you'll find it on www.taste.com.au

Berry Meringue Smash




The Ingredients:
2 Cups fresh berries (or use frozen either is ok but fresh is best). Use a mix if you can.
150ml Thickened Cream
100g packet Pavlova nests
100g chocolate - the original recipe asks for white chocolate but I much prefer a good quality dark.

The How To:
This recipe is best put together just prior to serving. Otherwise you'll find the pavlova isn't crunchy anymore.
Beat the cream until soft peaks form.
Gently break the pav nests into chunks. Just use your hands but don't break them up too finely.. a bit of fine is fine but not too much ok?
Chop up your chocolate. I don't like mine too chunky so fine is good here :-)
Combine it all very gently with the cream.
Gently mash the berries in a bowl. There is a theme here isn't there...gently gently with it all.
Yep you guessed it, gently add the berries to the cream mixture and fold in. Too much mixing will cause the cream to turn pink, which is ok if this happens. Don't stress too much.

Serve into individual dessert bowls or a fancy martini/wide champagne glasses.

Caramelised Onion and Potato pizza

A few years ago on here I mentioned the deli down the road made an absolutely delicious caramelised onion and potato pizza and that I was going to attempt to replicate it. Well I forgot to mention on here how successful it actually was and it has been something I like to make from time to time. It's easy peasy too and very very delicious.

I won't give specific amounts though as it really depends on the size of your pizza bases. I buy my bases from the deli down the road as they make them beautifully and just how I like them: thin and crispy. Besides, I'm lazy and will cut corners when I can as long as it doesn't affect the outcome of the pizza. So if you have a good recipe base go for it and make your own. Whatever rocks your boat really.

Ingredients:

1 can of finely chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
herbs - I just use an Italian herb mix
2 medium size pizza bases (I buy three as I always make a different sort - vegetarian with loads of veggies and feta cheese and semi dried tomatoes)
2 small potatoes - peeled and finely sliced
equivalent amount of finely sliced sweet potato..well I like to have more sweet potato.
1 very large brown onion ... or two to three medium sized ones..finely sliced.
Garlic Aioli
Shredded pizza cheese - tasty, parmesan and mozarella all together.

For the sauce:
Use about half the can of tomatoes, finally mince the garlic and mix it all in together. It's probably more than you need. Actually it definitely is..so store the rest for later use.

The toppings and the How To:
Caramelise the onion slowly in some olive oil in a good heavy saucepoon over a low to medium heat until nice and rich and brown. I don't make it ultra caramelised though...just well on it's way if that makes sense.

Cook your potatoes gently in the microwave for a few minutes. Drain.

Spread some sauce over yer bases as thin or thick as you like it. Grab some dollops of aoili and then smooth that around the base too. Top with layers of the sliced potato and top with the onion. Sprinkle with cheese and cook on a pizza tray in a hot oven.

mmmmmmm :-D

My husband who is traditionally a meat pizza lover thinks this is the best pizza he has ever had!

For Dina

So you don't have to see the fried rice recipe!!!! I leave you with this :-)

Fried Rice with chilli and tuna

A twist on the classic fried rice dish. It's easy. It's got zing. It's delicious. Trust me. This is adapted from a recipe in a Delicious mag (2004)

Ingredients:
4 cups of cooked long grain rice
8 bacon rashers (rind removed or rindless) and chopped
1 onion finely diced
1-2 garlic cloves - crushed
1 cup of frozen peas 0r 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels.
210g tuna in chilli oil
1/2 cup spring onions finely sliced
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 long red chilli finely diced
1-2 eggs - cooked omelette style

The how to:
Fry the bacon and onion in a little olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add a little more oil (just a smidge) and add the rice and garlic. Cook for one minute then add the peas, tuna, spring onions, soy sauce and cooked bacon and onion. Heat through. Add the omelette. Serve with extra soy and spring onion if you like.

ps..not the best of pics I know. I don't have a fancy slr and the lighting in my kitchen sucks big time.

Note to self:

When deciding to go on a cleaning rampage in the kitchen and then deciding to put your spices in your new fandangle twirly whirly spice rack, don't blow on the top of the container until after you've put the lid back on. Otherwise you shall inhale a rather sickening amount of ground fennel into your eyes, nose and mouth. I'm hoping it has secret properties that I don't know about yet and will make me gorgeous, young and rich within the hour.

Anvers - Latrobe, Tasmania

Often if we're bored or the weather is reasonable and we need to escape the normal beat of the drum that is life, we hop in the car and drive approximately 50 minutes away to a town called Latrobe: home of the Axeman's Hall of Fame and Anvers Chocolates. mmmmm...Anvers. It's a place that is best visited in the cooler months of the year as they have the fires burning and the hot chocolate pouring. We indulged in our usual fare: Chilli hot chocolate in a large mug for DH and I always keep it simple with a normal hot chocolate served in a chocolatiere. We shared an indulgent piece of Chocolate mousse cake given that it was Father's Day on this side of the world.

I took the pic of the cake with my new camera. It's just a cheapie Canon but it certainly takes a decent enough macro shot if I play with the settings a bit. One day I will be able to afford a dslr. One day.

Cajun chicken pilaf

I'm a fan of the pilaf. I find them easy to do and I like combining different meats with rice and having a relatively one pot meal. This is something I came across on www.taste.com.au. It was absolutely delicious. Both big girl and husband LOVED it. In fact, husband said he loved it so much he wanted to learn how to cook it! Now you have to know my husband to realise just how much of a major statement this truly is! This is a man who does not like to cook (and why would he when he has me for a wife ;-)....his signature dish is chilli con carne and well...chilli con carne. Poor kids when I'm out of action, there is a lot of chilli eaten as well as a LOT of takeaway..blergh. And pilafs, well they are something he can easily do. This one just needs everything to be ready and in front of you before hand. For instance it tells you to grate the orange and squeeze whilst the chicken is cooking...nup...too stressful for me to concentrate on both. Just have that all done before you start cooking if you're like me. Ok..so onto the recipe.

• 3 (200g each) chicken breast fillets, trimmed
• 3 teaspoons cajun seasoning (see note)
• olive oil cooking spray
• 3 oranges
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
• 3 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Method

1. Coat both sides of chicken in cajun seasoning. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan oven medium heat. Spray both sides of chicken with oil. Cook chicken for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Remove to a plate. Cover and stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, grate rind from 2 oranges. Juice all 3 oranges. Spray a large saucepan with oil. Heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Add rice and stir to coat. Add stock, orange rind and 1 cup orange juice. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil.
3. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in currants and peas. Remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes or until rice has absorbed stock.
4. Slice chicken. Add chicken and almonds to rice. Stir to combine. Season with pepper. Serve.

And credit where credit is due:

Super Food Ideas - June 2007 , Page 36

Recipe by Claire Brookman and Jenny Fanshaw

Thanks Claire and Jenny. Great dish and I really had to share with all of my million and one readers out there :-D

Edited to add: if you are not huge on orange or the citrus taste in your cooking back off on the amount of orange zest and juice you use. It is quite strong but I think it balanced out the other flavours of the dish really well. Others on the taste site though noted that it was too overpowering for them, so I thought I would mention that.