Sweet Potato Soup

Saw a recipe for sweet potato soup on the Good Food web site and thought this would be good for cold evenings.  As usual I tweaked it a little when I started to make it.

Ingredients:
2 medium size sweet potatoes (725g) peeled and grated
2 medium onions (320g) peeled and grated
1 large apple peeled, cored and grated
100g dried red lentils
3 cloves of garlic chopped
3 Tbls olive oil
5 cups (1.25l) vegetable stock using 3 veggie Oxo cubes
1 cup (250ml) of soya milk

Fresh coriander
4 tsps cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika

Method:
1.  Heat a deep heavy sauce pan over a medium heat
2.  Add the olive oil
3.  Add the onions, garlic and apple
4.  Add the cumin, ginger, turmeric and paprika and stir together
5.  Replace sauce pan lid and cook for 5 mins
6.  Add the stock, sweet potato and lentils and stir to combine all the ingredients
7.  Replace the lid and simmer for 15 minutes (stirring occasionally)
8.  Once all the vegetables are tender, add the milk
9.  Stir in the milk, replace lid, then remove from the heat. 
10. Let stand for 5 mins with lid on.
11. Using a hand blender or food processor, blend soup mixture until nice and smooth
12. Add a handful of chopped fresh coriander before serving

This made enough for six to seven large bowlfuls.

Anglesey Eggs

This is a simple dish but does require the use of three saucepans and a baking dish.  But it is worth it.  And best of all is that preparing the potatoes, leeks and eggs can be done at the same time before bringing the dish together. It’s a variation of an Irish Calcannon, but just as tasty.

Ingredients:

Filling:

450g (1 lb, approx 4 medium) potatoes, peeled and diced

250g (1/2 lb) leeks (approx 1 large leek), cut into one inch pieces

4 Medium Eggs

50g (approx 2 oz.) butter

25g (approx 1 oz.) plain flour

50g (approx 2 oz) grated vegetarian hard (cheddar) cheese

250ml (1 cup) soya milk (or milk of your choice)

Salt for seasoning potatoes

½ grated nutmeg (optional - use only if you like nutmeg)

1 Tbl Dijon mustard

Method

1.     Turn on the oven and set to 150 degrees F.
2.    Place the eggs into a saucepan of water, put a lid on the sauce pan.
3. Bring water to a boil and gently boil for three minutes. 

4. Turn off the heat under the eggs and allow them to continue to cook in the boiled water while you prepare the potatoes and leeks.

5.    Boil potatoes in salted water until they are tender.

6.    Drain the potatoes and mash with a potato masher.

7.    Add 25g of butter and continue to mash until they are creamed.

8.    Grate the nutmeg over the mash (if you are adding the nutmeg).

9.    Once the potatoes are on the boil, steam the leek (approximately 8 minutes) until they are tender.

10.  Spoon the leek into the mash and fold the mixture, making sure you don’t break up the leeks too much. 

11.  Spoon the mash/leek mixture into a buttered casserole dish.

12.  Using the back of a spoon, create three troughs so that you can place the hard boiled eggs in.

13.  Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut in half length wise and then them yoke side up in the troughs.

14.  Melt the remaining (25g) butter in a saucepan over a low heat before adding the flour and then whisk to make a roux.

15.  Add the milk a spoonful at a time and continue to whisk the mixture which will slowly become a creamy sauce.

16.  Add the grated cheese and mustard and continue to whisk until all combined.

17.  Pour the cheese sauce over the potato and leek mixture and level it out so that all the mash mixture is covered.

18.  Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake until the cheese has turned a golden brown (around 20-30 minutes). 

We had this served with a side of steamed Brussels sprouts.  However, there is so much flavour that you can eat this dish on its own.

Broccoli & Butternut Squash Salad

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash (450g/1 lb), peeled, de-seeded and cut into bite size pieces
Basmati & wild rice (50g/2oz)
Dry puy lentils (50g/2oz)
Florets only from medium head of broccoli (250g/9oz)
Dried cranberries (50g/2oz)
Pumpkin seeds (25g/1oz)
Kernels from 1 corn of cob (175g/6oz, cut off cob
Red chili pepper (25g/1oz), de-seeded and diced
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbs olive oil (15ml)


Method:
1. Heat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Put butternut squash in a bowl, pour over the olive oil and shake bowl to cover squash.
3. Pour butternut squash into baking dish and bake in oven for 25-30 mins or until tender.
4. Bring saucepan of water to a boil.

4. Add rice and puy lentils to water and cook rice according to instructions on packet (usually takes about 25-30 mins).  The lentils will be cooked by the time the rice is ready.
5. Five minutes before rice is ready, add the corn kernels and broccoli to the rice and lentils.
6. Once the rice mixture is cooked, drain well and pour all ingredients into a large bowl.
7. Add the butternut squash to the rice mixture.
8. Add the pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and chili pepper to the rice mixture.
9. Pour the juice from the lemon over the mixture.
9. Gentle combine the ingredients without squashing the broccoli and squash.
10. Season to taste.


This can be eaten as is or eaten cold the next day for lunch.

Caramelised Bananas with Chocolate

Ingredients:
2 bananas (175g / 6oz)
Brown sugar (75g / 2.5oz)
Butter or olive spread (75g/ 2.5oz)
1 Tsp vanilla extract (5ml) 
1/4 cup of water (60ml)
Chocolate, broken into pieces - Preferably a mixture of dark and milk chocolate (25g /1oz)
1 Tbs soya cream or milk (15ml)


1. Cut bananas length wise and lay four pieces in baking dish.
2. Put the brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and water into a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted.
3. Turn off the heat under the saucepan and then stir until well-combined.
4. Pour the butter mixture over the bananas.
5. Place the baking dish under a medium broiler/grill and heat for five minutes.
6. Wash the saucepan out and half fill with water and bring the water to a boil.
7. Place the chocolate and cream into a tall metal or strong glass dish and place the dish into the boiling water.
8. Stir the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate melts and becomes creamy.
9. Carefully spoon the bananas onto a plate to serve.
10. Spoon the caramelized syrup from the backing pan over the bananas.
11. Spoon the melted chocolate over the bananas.


Serve with ice cream or yogurt.

Baked Irish Colcannon

Ingredients:
Potatoes (450g / 1 lb), peeled & cut into quarters
Savoy cabbage (450g / 1 lb), chopped into strips
8 spring onions  (50g / 2oz), chopped
4 medium eggs
Grated strong cheddar cheese (50g / 2oz)
2 Tbs butter or olive spread (30ml)
Fresh grated nutmeg (OPTIONAL)
Oil for dish


Method:
1. Heat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, drain and then mash.
3. Put the mashed potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
3. Steam the cabbage for five minutes (or boil in shallow water).
4. Drain the cabbage and add to the mashed potatoes.
5. Add the spring onions to the potatoes and cabbage.
6. Add the fresh nutmeg.
7. Add the butter.
8. Slowly stir mixture together.
9. Lightly oil a baking dish.
10. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
11. Create four wells in the potato/cabbage mixture.
12. Break each egg and gentle pour an egg into each well.
13. Bake in the oven for around 12 minutes or until the egg whites are cooked.

Serve.

Mushroom, Spinach and Potato Pie

Ingredients:
New potatoes - 300g/11oz
Bag of fresh spinach - 400g/14oz
Mushrooms - 500g / 1Ib 2oz (preferably a mixture of chestnut/shitake/button)
1 cup (250ml) of vegetable stock (vegetable Oxo) 
2 cloves of crushed garlic
2 Tbls Soya cream (or crème fraîche or sour cream)
1 Tbls (15ml) olive oil
1 Tbls whole grain mustard
1 Tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 sheet of puff pastry


Method:
1. Heat oven to 200C/390F.
2. Empty spinach into a colander and pour some hot water over to wilt; then strain water and allow to drain.
3. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, then drain and cut into bite size pieces.
4. Cut the mushrooms into bite size pieces.
5. Heat half the oil in a pan and cook the garlic for one minute.
6. Add the mushrooms, mustard, nutmeg, stock and potatoes to the garlic.
7. Simmer the mixture until the stock reduces a little.
8. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before stirring in the cream. 
9. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and taste.
10. Add the spinach to the mixture and pour into a baking dish.
11. Roll out the sheet of puff pastry and lay over the baking tray and crimp the edges.
12. Brush the olive oil over the pastry.
13. Bake the pie in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until the pastry is a golden brown.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE NUTMEG, LEAVE THIS OUT.  YOU CAN ALSO SUBSTITUTE AN ALTERNATIVE SPICE THAT YOU PREFER.

This pie doesn't have a pastry base so is less fattening than regular pies. 

Serve with some steamed veggies of your choice.

PJ's Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
2 medium onions (diced)- 300g
2 celery stalks (diced)- 130g
1 carrot (diced)- 90g
50g soya mince
100g dry red lentils
3 cans chopped tomatoes (400g each)
2 cans drained kidney beans (400g / 240 drained)
1 can drained aduki beans (400g / 230 drained)
1 can rinsed Bijoux lentils (400g / 250 rinsed)
4 cloves of garlic chopped (14g)
1 tsp chipolte sauce
1 Tbls yeast extract
4 cups of vegetable stock (3 vegetable Oxo cubes)
2 Tbls olive oil
3 Tbls chili powder, 2 Tbls cumin, 1 Tbls Coriander, 1Tbls Cinnamon & 1 tsp cloves


Method:
1. Gently sauté the onions, celery and carrot in olive oil over a medium heat until they are soft and the onions translucent (about 5-8 mins).
2. Then pour the sautéed vegetables into a slow cooker or large saucepan over a low heat.
3. Add the soy mince, tomatoes, beans, lentils and stock.
4. Stir all the ingredients so that the mixture is well combined.
5. Add the chipotle sauce and yeast extract to the mixture and stir well.
6. Add the spices and stir well into the mixture.
7. Simmer or cook in a slow cooker for 2 hours stirring occasionally.
8. Taste after an hour and season with salt and pepper.

The recipe was enough for nine servings using two laddles per portion.  We had it with cornbread.