Winter Vegetable soup

A simple winter vegetable soup based on a bag of soup ingredients on sale in the local co-op. I added the turnip, the stock, and the herbs. We got through a lot of winters on the basis of this sort of soup. Easy to make, and the kitchen smells great while it is on the hob. Basically cabbage, celery, leek, turnp, carrot, plus herbs and vegetable stock. And some (optional) cumin seeds. 

 

Kala Chana Curry

A chickpea curry, made with diced leek, lentils, and standard chickpeas and black chickpeas. I used madras curry powder, cumin seeds (one pinch), dried coriander, turmeric and tomato puree.

The standard chickpeas were dried, so were soaked overnight. Cooked with the leek and the lentils for an hour. Then the contents of the pot were mashed.

After that I added the black chickpeas (200g from a tin), and all of the other ingredients. Simmer for around half an hour, and serve the curry with basmati rice, or with a toasted garlic and coriander naan bread. Delicious!

Cajun Maque Choux

This is a variation on a well known Cajun dish from Louisiana, which is essentially a stew made with sweetcorn.

I browned some diced leek in sunflower oil (normally diced onion). I added some pre-soaked chickpeas (not a standard ingredient), cooked earlier in some turmeric and Cajun spices (I used a commercially available Cajun spice powder, which contained garlic, chilli powder, paprika and cumin. But you could easily make this up from your spice cupboard). Stir-fried together for a little time. Then I added boiling water, some powdered ginger, a pinch of cumin seeds, and vegetable stock. and the sweetcorn.

Diced green pepper is usually also an ingredient, but I used diced green beans instead. I also skipped the addition of tomatoes. Finally I added a large pinch of dried coriander, plus another dash of Cajun spices, and stirred them through. Allowed to simmer for about twenty minutes under glass, at a low heat.

Served with basmati rice (or American long grain). The dish was served with a dusting of coriander. Delicious! Can be served with diced chicken.

Baked Bean Curry

An ideal student dish (inexpensive, easy to prepare, and tasty). Made with half a medium sized leek, eight chopped baby plum tomatoes (or similar), about 120g of tomato passata (or paste), half a standard tin of baked beans, half a dessert spoonful of curry powder, half a teaspoonful of powdered ginger, half a teaspoonful of dried coriander, one red chilli (deseeded), plus a pinch of cumin seeds (or powdered cumin).

The leek was divided lengthwise, and the halves were further divided, then diced. Added to a small pan with a drizzle of sunflower oil, and cooked at a medium heat until the leek pieces soften and begin to brown. The the chopped tomatoes were added and stirred through. Cooked until thoroughly softened (about ten minutes or so).

Add a little water. Add the tomato passata, and stir. Allow to simmer until the mixture thickens (watch carefully). Add the curry powder, the red chilli, the cumin seeds, the coriander, and the ginger. Stir through for a minute or so.

Finally, add the half tin of beans. Allow to heat close to boiling, then serve with a halved garlic and coriander naan bread, cooked in a toaster until it begins to sizzle!

Cauliflower and Cumin Soup with Cream

I made a delicious cauliflower cheese with one half, and decided to make a soup with the other.

The cauliflower was steamed, which means it is more likely to keep its integrity during cooking. This soup was always going to be blended however, so boiling in water is fine.

The other ingredients are: one carrot, a medium onion, green lentils (one handful), vegetable and chicken stock, one deseeded green chilli, coriander leaf, a teaspoonful of cumin powder, and a pinch of cumin seeds, plus a quarter teaspoonful of turmeric, and a dash of white pepper.

boil the vegetables for half an hour, and then mash. Add the stock. Cook for another half an hour, and then blitz the contents of the pot with a hand blender for two minutes. Serve the soup with two dessert spoonfuls of single cream in a swirl. Delicious!