curried parsnip soup

							curried parsnip soup

500g parsnips, sliced
50g carrots, diced
1 large leek, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 chicken stock cube
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tbsp curry paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp half fat creme fraiche or cream
Seasoning
Enough water to cover the vegetables


Bring to the boil and simmer for 30-35 mins or until the vegetables are tender. Liquidise
until smooth along with the creme fraiche. Add extra water to achieve the consistency
you prefer

Dhal curry and rice

serves:6 cost per head:27p cals per portion: 260

2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin
225g/8oz red lentils
1 tbsp oil
1 sliced onion
2 potatos, peeled & diced
1 tsp curry powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g can of chickpeas, drained
4 tomatoes, cut into wedges
Optional
crispy fried onions to garnish
cumin seeds browned to garnish
coriander leaves to garnish

Carrot & lentil soup

1/2 lb (250 g) red lentils,
2 pints chicken or vegetable stock or water
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
3 medium-size carrots
1 small sweet red pepper
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 to 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper

Roasted Root Vegetables

1/2 butternut squash, skin on, cut into 1 inch wedges
4 small carrots, scrubbed and dried
4 small parsnips, scrubbed and dried
1 swede, cut in half and then into 3/4 inch slices
2 red onions, quartered through the root

Marinade:
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme and rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all vegetables.
In a small separate bowl, combine garlic, oil, herbs, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.
Mix marinade with vegetables, cover with plastic wrap and let sit up to 2 hours.
Arrange vegetables on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast in a pre heated 220C/gas 7 oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through

Wild Mushroom Risotto


      A small pack (approx. 3/4 oz, 18 g) of dried porcini mushrooms
      2 tbsp. olive oil
      A knob of butter
      1 medium onion, finely chopped
      1 stick of celery, finely chopped
      1 cup (5½ oz, 165 g) arborio or carnaroli rice
      4 - 6 brown cap or chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
      Approx 12 fl oz hot vegetable stock
      Couple of glugs of sherry/madeira or red wine
      Parmesan cheese, (fresh pukka stuff) 3 ozs grated + shavings
      Few basil leaves for 'garnish' (hate that word!)

Oaty Date Squares

225g (8oz) Dates, chopped
Finely grated rind and juice of one orange
100g (4oz) margarine
175g (6oz) soft light brown sugar
100g (4oz) wholewheat flour
175g (6oz) rolled oats

Set oven to 180 C, 350 F, Gas 4
Place the dates in a pan with the orange rind. Measure the orange juice and make it up
to 100ml (4 fl oz) with water. Add to the dates and cook slowly til the mixture is soft and
pulpy.

Blend the margarine with the remaining ingredients and press half in the base of a lightly
greased 18cm (7") square tin. Spread over the date mixture, sprinkle over the remaining
oat mixture and press down lightly.

Bake for 35-40 mins, then allow to cool in the tin. When cold cut into 16 squares.

Muesli flapjack

5oz / 100g margarine/butter
2oz / 100g brown sugar
2oz / 50g honey or syrup
4oz / 100g porridge oats
4oz / 100g muesli

1. Melt the margarine with the sugar and honey.

2. Mix together the porridge oats and muesli, then pour over the melted margarine. Mix
very thoroughly and spread into a 7"x 7" greased baking sheet.

3. Bake at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

4.Remove from the oven and mark into triangles, leave to cool completely.

Honeycomb

Originally posted by Mtgnnr:

An easy recipe/science experiment that can be covered with chocolate to replace a
cadburys crunchie.

All you need is

4 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
2 teaspoons Water
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

Melt the Sugar, bicarb and syrup in the water in a pan until it disolves then whack the
heat up and boil it for about 6 to 7 mins

Fridge Cake

Fridge Cake

8oz digestive bisuits
3os marg
1 tblsp golden syrup
1 bar chocolate
2 desertsp sugar
1 desrtsp cocoa powder

1. Smash biscuits into crumbs
2. Melt marg, sugar, cocoa and sugar in pan.
3. When melted add the biscuit crumbs and mix well.
4. Spread mixture into a small baking tin.
4. Melt chocolate and spread over mixture.
5. Chill in fridge for 1 hour, when set cut into squares.

Potato Bake



Ingredients:

6 or 7 medium sized potatoes, peeled
1 large can of baked beans in tomato sauce (approx 800g - you could use 2 standard
size tins instead)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 or 3 sliced tomatoes
1 tablespoon of margarine for dotting over the top
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds for sprinkling on the top
other optional layers:
1 or 2 cups of left-over rice mixed with some soya milk and herbs
sliced mushrooms mixed with a little veg. oil and 2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 can of sweetcorn
1 can of spinach

Part-boil the potatoes for 5 or 6 minutes until starting to soften. Thinly slice them. In a
large casserole or lasagne dish place a layer of potatoes then a layer of beans, then
onion and repeat until all used up. That is the basic dish but you can add any other
layers you like (experiment! Any tins lurking in the cupboard?), such as the garlic
mushrooms, sweetcorn, spinach or rice ones above, making the last layer potatoes.
Spread the sliced tomatoes over the top, dot with the marg. and sprinkle on the sesame
seeds. Bake for about an hour or until the potatoes are soft at 190C/380F

Vegan Gingerbread

Originally posted by Catznine :

275g/10oz Plain Flour plus 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbspn ground ginger
175g/6oz soya marge
175g/6oz soft brown sugar
100g/3.5oz golden syrup
100g/3.5oz black treacle
225ml/8fl oz, 1 cup soya milk
1. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin and preheat oven to 160C (325F, Gas Mark 3).

2. Sieve flour, bicarb of soda, cinnamon and ginger together.

3. Heat the marge, sugar, syrup, treacle and soya milk together until everything is
melted.

4. Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and mix well, it will be sloppy. Pour the
resulting batter into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Albran Fruit Loaf

Very easy to do and best eaten sliced with butter.

1 mug SR flour
1 mug caster sugar
1 mug Albran
1 mug mixed dried fruit
1 mug milk

method

Place all ingredients except the flour in a bowl and stir. Leave for at least 1 hour to soak.
Add flour, mix and pour into a lined 2lb loaf tin. Cook for about an hour, or until firm to
the touch at 180 degrees. Cool and cover as this loaf is better if it is left until the
following day to be eaten with lashings of butter!

Happy eating

Banana Bread
(great for using up those over ripe bananas)

3 very ripe bananas (almost walking) or use defrosted frozen bananas!
pinch of salt
6oz melted butter
1 teaspoon bicarb of soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
6 oz caster sugar
1 egg
9 - 10 oz plain flour

Smash bananas (food processor is great for this recipe).

Add remaining ingredients, mix together. Pour into 2 greased or paper lined 1lb loaf tins
or 1 lined 2lb tin.

Bake in moderate oven (180C/350F/Gas mark 4) for 45 minutes. Will also make as
muffins. Freezes well and is lovely sliced, toasted & dripping with melted butter.
Belgian Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

5 eggs
140g of dark chocolate
1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1 table spoon of rum, Grand Marnier, or Amaretto
3 table spoons of sugar

Preparation

Very slowly melt the chocolate with the instant coffee. Be careful not to burn it.
Separate the eggs into egg white and egg yolk. Make sure to keep the egg whites free of
yolk, in a clean bowl.
Beat the egg white, with one table spoon of sugar.
Mix the egg yolk with two table spoons of sugar and one table spoon of rhum.
Mix the egg yolk into the molten chocolate.
Very carefully mix the beaten egg white and the chocolate.
Pour into small bowls or glasses and store in a cool place.
(The chocolate mousse is at its best after one or two days and it also freezes quite well.)

Potato and Bean Bake

Potato and bean bake.

Two tins of chopped tomatoes
Two tins of kidney beans, drained.
Two onions chopped up
Some mixed herbs.
Few cloves of garlic crushed.
Big pan of mashed potato, add in some milk, butter and some salt and pepper till it's
gloopy.

Fry the onion with the garlic in a little olive oil until it's soft.
Add in the tomatoes, kidney beans, some mixed herbs, salt and pepper and heat
through.

Pour into a big casserole dish and then cover it over with the mashed potato.

Bake in the oven for 40 mins at about 200 deg C, just keep an eye on it.

Brown Rice Salad

8oz brown rice
3 spring onions
1 red pepper
2oz raisins
2oz dry roast peanuts
2 tblsp chopped parsley
SAUCE: [I find that you can lessen the amount of sauce made from the ingredients listed
below and it still works fine]
3 floz olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 cm root ginger
Finely chop garlic and ginger. Put all the sauce ingredients into a screw top jar season
and shake. Cook rice Chop onions and pepper. When rice is cool add everything except
the nuts and sauce. just before serving add peanuts and 6tbps of sauce. mix well

Roasted Mushroom Salad

ROASTED MUSHROOM SALAD

1 pound white button mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 Tbls. olive oil
1 Tbls. lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil or mint leaves torn
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 large leaves Boston lettuce

Dressing
2 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbls. balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss mushrooms in 1
Tbls. olive oil and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Spread on
large baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Drain off
liquid. Cool slightly. In a bowl, combine mushrooms,
red pepper, basil or mint, and pine nuts.
Whisk together dressing ingredients; toss into
mushroom mixture.
Place lettuce on 4 salad plates and spoon mushroom
mixture on top.
Serves 4.

Pears in Mulled Wine

Ingredients

      500g sugar
      750ml red wine
      1.25kg pears (peeled, cored and halved)
      1 cinnamon stick
      6 whole allspice
      9 cloves
      2 strips of lemon and orange rind
      125ml brandy
Method

Place sugar and red wine in a large pan. Stir over a low heat until sugar has dissolved.
Add pears, cinnamon stick, whole allspice, 6 cloves and 2 strips of lemon and orange
rind. Cover with a small plate to keep the pears submerged. Bring to the boil (at least
85C) then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Arrange the pears in a warm,
clean preserving jar. Boil the syrup for 15 minutes, then mix with brandy and 3 cloves.
pour over the pears, seal and invert for 2 minutes. Leave in a cool dark place for at least
1 month. Store for up to 6 months.

Fills a 1 litre jar. (from book - The tastes of christmas)

Weetabix Fruit Loaf

This is a really nice fruit loaf, it's delicious straight from the oven with ice cream, or a few
days later, sliced and toasted with some butter.

And it's so simple!

4 Weetabix
8oz SR Flour
6oz Sugar
6oz Currants/Sultanas/Peel/Glace Cherries (whatever really)
8floz Milk

Crush weetabix in your fists into a bowl, add all dry ingredients. Mix in milk in a few
steps. Bung in a greased loaf tin in a lowish oven (mark 4 / 170C).

To test if cooked prod with a knife. If the knife comes out clean then it's cooked!

Ta-da!

VVVVVV I'm not sure, about 30 mins i think it was, basically until it's done

Tomato and Lentil Soup

Tomato and Lentil Soup

2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3-4 oz red lentils
small leek, chopped (optional)
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 tins tomatoes
good squirt of tomato puree
dash worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pints vegetable stock

Cook lentils, carrots, leek and onion in the stock, add everything else and simmer for 15
mins. Season to taste with mixed herbs and pepper.
Whizz with a blender and that's it! It makes about 5-6 good portions. You could bulk it
out with red peppers too. I use it as a soup, and boil it down for the base of bolognese
sauce too.

Potato Hotcakes (like hash browns)


(serves 6 - 8)

2lb potatoes, peeled
2Tbsp flour
2tsp mustard powder
2Tbsp finely grated onion
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small eggs, beaten
vegetable oil for frying

Soak the potatoes in cold water for 30mins, then drain. Grate into a bowl and drain off
any starchy liquid, then add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and stir well to mix.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the mixture in spoonfuls and fry until browned on both
sides.
To Freeze: cool quickly. Open freeze until firm, then pack in a rigid container, seperating
each layer with foil.
Seal, label and return to the freezer.
To Thaw and Serve: remove wrappings and place on a baking sheet. Reheat from
frozen in a preheated moderate oven (180C/350F/Gas 4) for approx 30 mins or until
heated through.

Omelets in a bag!!!!!

OMELETS IN A BAG

Have you ever heard of this?
(This works great! Good for when all your family is together and no one
has to wait for their special omelet)

Have guests write their name on a
quart-size freezer bag with permanent marker.

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag
(not more than 2)
shake to combine them .

Put out a variety of ingredients such as:
cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.

Each guest adds prepared ingredients
of choice to their bag and shake,
Make sure to get the air out of the bag
and zip it up.
Place the bags into rolling,
boiling water for exactly 13 minutes.
You can usually cook
6-8 omelets in a large pot.
For more, make another pot of
boiling water.

Open the bags and the omelet will
roll out easily.
Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.

French Onion Soup

This recipe I have used many many times and it is to die for!!!


INGREDIENTS
4 Large Onions
8 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour (plain)
750 ml beef stock
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup brandy
1 teaspoon bovril, oxo or any beef extract


TOPPING
french stick
gruyere cheese
parmesan cheese


METHOD
Melt the butter in a large pot. Add finely sliced onions and sweat until soft.
Cut slices of french stick and taost them, set aside
Sprinkle soft onions with flour and stir it in really well. This is what thickens your soup.
Add 2 cups of beef stock and stir well until thickened. Then add rest of stock, salt pepper
and brandy. Bring soup to boiling point. Cover pot turn heat to low and simmer for 1
hour. Add bovril and taste for seasoning.

SERVING
Place soup in bowls. Cover with a handfull of gruyere cheesethen put toasted bread on
top. drizzle with olive oil and parmesan then place under grill to melt cheese.


Spicy Lentil Layer

2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
350g carrots, cut into chunks
1 tsp paprika, plus a little extra for dusting
100g red lentils
420g can baked beans
600ml veg stock
400g baby new potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
seasoning

Oven 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a pan and fry onion until golden.
Add all but 1 tsp of the crushed seeds and cook for 1 min.
Stir in the carrots, paprika, lentils,baked beans,stock and seasoning.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins.
Remove lid and cook for a further 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft
and the sauce is thick.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 5 mins and then drain.

Spoon the lentil mixture into a shallow, 2 litre ovenproof dish (I use a lasagne dish).
Arrange the potatoes on top. Brush with the remaining oil,sprinkle over the reserved 1
tsp of crushed seeds and extra paprika.
Bake for 25 mins until browned.


--

Its taken me ages to perfect this, but it is exactly the same as a chicken
curry/madras/vindaloo from a take away whatever strength you want is determined by
the Curry powder you use, I have made a vegetable madras, just substitute chicken for
the veg, and use a weaker curry powder if you cant take a madras.

Fresh ingredients
2 Onions
1 ginger root (large)
6 Garlic cloves
Mixed veg (or meat)
fresh corriander

Tin chopped Tomatoes
desert spoon of tomato puree

water
vegetable oil ( a good slosh)
spoon of mango chutney

Madras curry powder
tumeric 2 teas
paprika 1 teas
salt to taste
Chop the onion up and put it in a saucepan and cover with about a pint of water
Chop up the garlic and ginger, and blitz it in a machine thing with a small amount of
water till its a puree, add it to the onion and water mix and simmer for 30 mins , let it
cool, put it back in the blitzer machine and blend till smooth, set aside.

Whiz up a tin of toms in the blizter machine thing , and then add to a pan with oil , tom
purree, tumeric and paprika, simmer for 10 mins and then add the onion/ginger/garlic
mix together

Thats the basic curry sauce done

Take your chosen strength of curry powder and add enough as per packet instructions,
and then add your veg or meat and salt to taste. At this stage it can be slightly bitter, but
if you add a spoon of mango chutney it will solve this. simmer it for 1/2 an hour, and then
when its cooked through stir in a good handful of chopped coriander.

My mate Salil who used to work in a curry house says all the curries start with the basic
sauce , for a jalfrazi just add peppers, chili, fresh tomato etc etc etc