A Warming Winter Soup ©
I make this warming soup at least once a week and it is a variation on my most favorite “Curry Soup.” Many of you will remember that late night soup, just the thing after an all-nighter! This version uses ‘bulgar durum wheat’ and now that I have a source of lime leaves, the soup is complete.
Durum wheat is full of fiber, iron and potassium, very healthy and energy giving.
This is for Anna braving it out as part of the ‘Olympic Organizing Team’ in Russia. Best of luck Anna!
Easy
2 Persons
Ingredients
2 Spring onions finely sliced, green leaves included
2 small carrots (optional)
4-6 small florets of broccoli (optional)
2-3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs ground coriander
1/2 tbs ground cumin
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Curry powder
3 bruised green Cardamons
1 fresh red chilli whole
2 fresh or dried lime leaves
1 tbs tomato purée
120g Bulgar Durum Wheat medium size ( 60 g per person )
500ml beef or chicken stock to cover ingredients
Garnish
Fresh coriander leaves
2 slices of lime
1-2 tbs coconut cream (optional)
Method
1. Wash and finely slice spring onions. Peel and slice carrots. Wash broccoli and break off six small florets. Place in saucepan together with spices, lime leaves and olive oil.
2. Fry over a gentle heat for 3 minutes or until fragrant. If the mixture is a little dry add more olive oil.
3. Add tomato purée and mix in then add bulgar wheat and fry in spices for 1 minute.
4. Add stock to cover ingredients. As wheat swells add more until you have the consistency you want. Cook until wheat is just soft, 5-8 minutes.
5. Place washed coriander leaves in serving bowls and a slice of lime and pour soup over the top.
6. Eat straight away.
This is what you are aiming for. A fairly thick soup.
Place spring onions and other optional vegetables in a medium sized saucepan and add spices and lime leaves. You will notice I have sliced into the chilli because I like my soup hot !
Add olive oil, enough to be able to fry ingredients. 2-3 tbs, sometimes more.
Measure out your bulgar wheat. Bulgar wheat is a very healthy grain, full of energy and iron, potassium and fiber.
This Durum wheat is of medium size, you can find it cut in different sizes.
Once spices are aromatic after 2-3 minutes of frying over a medium heat add tomato purée and bulgar wheat. Mix well and stir- fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add heated stock or if you have no ready made stock, add boiling water and a chicken or beef stock cube.
Bring to simmering point and gently simmer for 5-8 minutes or until bulgar wheat is ‘al dente.’ ( Soft but firm in the center.)
Place washed, fresh coriander and a slice of fresh lime in each serving bowl. Pour soup over the top.
Final result! ( Note the consistency, it should be fairly thick and not too thinned down with stock.) Sometimes I add a little coconut cream, this gives a richer result.
Cold Chicken, Avocado And Lime Mayonnaise ©
What to do with a glut of avocados?…… I grew the tree from seed and 20 years later……. :))))))
I love chicken soup and this recipe is also perfect for using up the chicken meat.
Friends always ask me what to do with left over Turkey after Christmas and this simple recipe comes to mind, which is also delicious with left over roast chicken and combines perfectly with avocado. There is always something luxurious about home made mayonnaise and this lime flavoured mayonnaise recipe makes a very light and enjoyable dish.
Easy
4 Persons
Ingredients
1 roast chicken or turkey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2 ripe avocados cut into cubes
Juice 1/2 lemon
Mayonnaise
1 whole egg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic crushed
1/2 tsp salt or more
1 zest of lime
1 lime juice
100 ml corn oil
50 ml olive oil
A few drops of Tabasco
Garnish
3 tbs fresh chives chopped finely
Sweet paprika
Slices of Avocado
Sprig of parsley
Method
1. Roast or buy a ready roasted chicken or use left over chicken or turkey. Remove the skin and take off the bone, cut up into mouth sized pieces. Place in serving dish and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Make up mayonnaise : Place whole egg in mixing bowl, add 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt and beat with an electric mixer. Slowly add oil, drop by drop until it thickens, then add lime zest and juice. Now add rest of oil more rapidly. Taste for salt and lime juice, making sure your mayonnaise tastes really tasty, because some of the taste will be lost when eaten with the chicken. Finally add a few drops of tabasco.
3. Peel and cut up your avocado into chunks. Sprinkle with a little extra lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in between chicken pieces.
4. Pour mayonnaise over chicken and avocado and even out with a palette knife to cover all the chicken. Sprinkle with chopped chives and sweet paprika. ( Sweet paprika is not hot. )
5. Decorate dish with slices of avocado and parsley.
6. Chill in refrigerator, covered for half an hour, not more or chicken will become hard.
Cook’s Tip : If mayonnaise curdles, add curdled mixture to another egg yolk in clean bowl. This is unlikely to happen though, because in this recipe we are using a whole egg and not just the yolk, as in a classic recipe.
This is what we are aiming for.
Place roast chicken or turkey in mouth sized pieces, in serving dish having removed skin and any gristle. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Peel and cut avocados into cubes and distribute over the chicken.
Place “whole egg” in mixing bowl together with salt and Dijon mustard. Add oil drop by drop until the mixture thickens, then add lime juice, after which you can add the rest of the oil more rapidly.
Grate lime zest on very fine grater.
Add lime zest to mayonnaise.
Add a few drops of tabasco. Spread over chicken and cubed avocado covering all your ingredients.
Wash and drain fresh chives. Place in a tight bunch to cut all together.
With a sharp cook’s knife chop finely.
Final result!
Spinach Red Pepper And Bacon Salad ©
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday season……
Here is a good and healthy refreshing salad, something quick and easy after all that Christmas and New Years cooking!
Easy
4 Persons
Preparation Time 20 mins
Ingredients
20g Red sweet pepper Florini in a jar
100g box of baby spinach leaves
50g baby beet leaves
25 g Hungarian or other good quality bacon
6 g chopped golden raisins
1/2 cup of Vinaigrette dressing, see ingredients below.
( 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, 1 heaped tsp dijon mustard, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar, 3 tbs olive oil )
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Soak spinach and beet leaves in salted water for 3 minutes. Then rinse in three waters and spin dry in lettuce spinner. Place in salad bowl.
2. Cut bacon into lardons and then small squares. Fry with out oil until crispy. So that it browns evenly turn over frequently with a wooden spoon. Place in sieve to drain off any excess fat.
3. Cut red pepper into diamonds or small squares.
4. Finely chop raisins.
5. Make up vinaigrette dressing. beat with a spoon until it emulsifies.
6. When ready to serve combine ingredients and pour over dressing, toss leaves and serve.
Soak spinach and beetroot leaves in salted water for three minutes and then rinse in several waters, using a large basin. You don’t want any grit in your salad, especially if you have gathered the spinach straight from the garden, in which case it will need several rinses.
Spin dry in lettuce spinner.
By spinning your leaves you get rid of the excess water. This can also be done in a plastic bag. Place leaves in bag, close tightly and whirl like a cartwheel. Cut hole in corner of bag and pour of water.
Cut bacon into strips with a sharp knife.
….and then across into small squares.
Place in non stick frying pan with out adding oil.
Fry gently turning with a wooden spatula until golden brown.
Place in sieve to drain off any extra fat from the bacon.
The bacon can be warm or cold.
Taking a piece of sweet pepper out of your jar, cut into diamonds or small squares.
Finely chop seedless golden raisins.
Place ingredients for Vinaigrette dressing in cup.
Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Gather together your ingredients.
When you are ready to serve mix in your ingredients to your leaves and lastly add the vinaigrette.
Toss your leaves until they are well coated with dressing.
Final result!
What's Cooking In Jane's Kitchen 