Greek Lentil Soup ©
Just the weather for this wonderful soup!!!!
This is a great favourite of mine, I grew up with it and it is full of health and energy. When we were children it was prepared for us often, and we were promised it would make us strong and tall. Lentils are full of iron! On a cold winter’s day it is perfect, “Oh so warming,” and a good lenten dish for this period before Easter.
4-6 persons
20 min preparation time
Ingredients
250 g small green lentils
2-4 tbs olive oil
2 medium onions diced
3-6 cloves garlic sliced
4 medium carrots peeled and sliced
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
small bunch of Mediterranean parsley, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
Enough stock to cover the lentils by 3 cm and more
freshly ground black pepper
*Extra Olive Oil and a dash of Vinegar are optional, at the end of cooking.
Method
1. Weigh out your lentils and spread…
View original post 345 more words
Cream Cheese And Chutney Canapés©
Sometimes it is fun to invent ones own recipe with what one has in the kitchen. This Christmas, I will be making these. So simple, but DELICIOUS!
Easy
6 persons
20 minutes preparation time
Ingredients
5 Slices white and brown bread
100 g Philadelphia cream cheese
1 Lime or lemon zest
Mango Chutney and Lime and Chilli Chutney
Garnish
Fennel sprigs, or parsley or coriander
Method
1. Place cream cheese in bowl and add the very finely grated zest of lime or lemon. Mix well.
2. Cut out bread canapés with cutter.
3. Using wide knife, place cream cheese on bread canapés. See photograph.
4. Using a teaspoon, carefully add a little chutney to each canapé.
5. Garnish with herbs of your choice.
This is what you are aiming for.
1.Gather together all your ingredients.
2. Place cream cheese in bowl and add very finely grated zest of lemon. Mix together.
3. Using a cutter cut out bread canapés. White or brown or both. I usually buy good quality crustless sliced bread to do this.
4. Using a butter knife place cream cheese on canapé in a circular movement to form a pyramid shaped cone.
5. Using two spoons, place carefully on top of each Canapé a little chutney.
Garnish with coriander leaves, or parsley or fennel.
Simple but DELICIOUS!!!!!
Avocado And Spicy Prawns ©
It is at about this time of year, that I start to think about my Christmas Menu. Here is an idea for Christmas or New Year!
This makes a delicious starter for a special occasion! Quick to prepare and easy to make!
As you know I write this blog for my children and for all those learning how to cook. My children are now getting ever more accomplished, this was their creation this Christmas! I also know, some of you good cooks out there, enjoy to be given a few more ideas as to what to cook on a daily basis, so happy cooking!
Easy
Prep time: 1/2 hour
6 Persons
Ingredients
3 whole ripe avocados
1 extra lemon juice for pouring over the cut surfaces of your avocado
1 ripe avocados for making the avocado cubes
200 g “shelled” prawns, fresh or frozen : frozen need to be defrosted in fridge 24 hours before, or plunged into boiling water for 2 minutes.
fine zest of 1-2 limes
juice of 1-2 fresh limes
a few drops of Tabasco
3 tbs of coriander leaves washed and dried
1 cucumber peeled and very finely cubed, (see photos)
salt and pepper
Dressing
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
2 red chillies, seeds removed and finely sliced
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper,
1 lime juice
3-4 tbs olive oil
Garnish
Two different coloured lettuce
Coriander leaves and finely chopped chilly, seeds removed, a little freshly ground pepper and a few grates of lime zest.
Method :
1. Choose your avocados carefully. If they are hard they will take 3-4 days to ripen. If they are just soft, a day, but always remember until you know how to gage the ripening, have an alternative idea up your sleeve. I usually buy an extra one also, because sometimes when one cuts them open they are black inside!
2. Assemble all your ingredients first. Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Note: Once you cut open an avocado, you need to pour lemon/lime juice over the surface, or it begins to discolour. For this reason I leave the cutting open of the avocados to be filled, to 15-20 mins before serving.
3. Place prawns, either fresh and peeled, or defrosted and ready peeled, in bowl and drizzle over your made up dressing. Add deseeded chilies, finely sliced, washed whole coriander leaves, lime zest and season. Taste and add more lime juice or salt if needed. Place back in the refrigerator covered with cling film until ready to use.
4. Peel and finely cube cucumber to matchstick head size pieces. This is best done by cutting your cucumber in half lengthwise, then slicing longways and then across. See photo. Add a little salt and reserve in bowl in fridge. Pour away liquid, before mixing with the rest of your ingredients. (You don’t want watery cucumber juice!
5. Out of your four avocados, use one to make the cubes. Peel, cube, place in bowl and drizzle with lime and a little salt. Cover with clingfilm and reserve in refrigerator.
6. 15-20 minutes before serving, cut open your three avocados to fill. Place point of knife into stone, so as to be able to remove it. Pour lemon over surface to stop it discolouring. Mix together avocado and prawn mixture, add cucumber, toss very lightly using two folks and fill avocados.
7. Place lettuce leaves on individual serving plates. On top place filled avocados. Garnish with a grating of lime zest, a coriander leaf or two, a little freshly ground black pepper and a little sliced chilli.
Important : Please note carefully, shell fish start decomposing the minute they come out of the sea! The decomposition is delayed by freezing. This means all shell fish should be eaten as soon as possible, or kept on ice and eaten with in 24 hours. If frozen, they should be de-frosted in the fridge overnight and then eaten. Most shelled prawns have been already cooked before freezing, so if you have forgotten to defrost them you can plunge them into boiling water for two-three minutes. If you cook them more they shrink and go hard.
Never buy and leave them in your car or on the kitchen top and forget about them. When unsure smell them before cooking, they should smell fresh and of the sea. Never risk it if you are unsure!
http://www.helpwithcooking.com/seafood-shellfish/how-to-cook-shrimp-prawn.html
This is what you are aiming for.
1.Gather all your ingredients together.
2.Drain prawns in sieve.
3.Place in bowl. Make up dressing.
4.Drizzle dressing over prawns.
5. Add whole coriander leaves.
6. Add a few drops of Tabasco.
7.Toss lightly using a fork. Cover and reserve in refrigerator.
Making Cucumber mini cubes.
8.Using one of your avocados, peel, remove stone and cube.
9.Drizzle with lime or lemon salt and pepper and cover. Leave in fridge until needed.
10. 20 minutes before eating cut avocados in half.
11. Press point of knife into stone to remove. Pour lemon juice over cut surfaces.
12. Arrange lettuce leaves on individual serving plates.
13. Add avocado cubes and cucumber to prawns. Toss lightly with two forks. Check again for seasoning and salt or lime. Fill the avocados.
14. Arrange on serving plate.
15. Add a grating of lime zest, chopped chilli to garnish.
Just delicious!
What's Cooking In Jane's Kitchen 