Parrot Soup (only 87kcal)

It's rainly and miserable outside and I am in need of comfort food, but I don't want all the calories that usually come with it. I need something healthy, low calorie, warm and comforting. Which is where parrot soup comes in handy. (parrot = parsnip + carrot)

I can confirm it is comforting and thick enough to make it surprisingly filling. It's really easy to make; there are very few ingredients but best of all it actually is delicious (not to mention low calorie too: 87kcal to be precise). The parsnip is not overwhelming but is undeniably detectable, which is what I want in a parsnip soup. I can't stand it when you're expecting a parsnippy deight and you get something that just tastes of carrot or worse, nothing.

 

(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
200g carrot, diced (about 3 carrots)
200g parsnip, diced (about 2 parsnips)
650ml vegetable stock ( I used knorr stock pot, i used one pot to make 650ml)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Over a highish heat, add the oil to a large saucepan and saute the onion, carrots and parsnips for 5 minutes.
2. Add the stock and  nutmeg, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes
3. Remove from the heat, blend with a handheld blender or in a processor
4. Season with salt and black pepper and eat.

Mustard Lamb Meatballs in a Creamy Sauce

Comfort food at it's best! Inspired by one of good old Nigel's creamy pasta sauces I discovered in his 30 minute cook, I went through a stage a few months ago of making and trying out a few cream sauce variations. I prefer them to a tomato-based sauce, and they're so comforting and satisfying, even if they aren't the healthiest. This one is a combination of my favourite things; lamb, parsnips, red onions, cream and mustard amongst them. The creamy sauce is quite rich, the mustard gives it a gentle kick of flavour too and the parsnips and red onions complement it with their lovely sweetness.
We usually have this with spaghetti, but any pasta strands or ribbons would be just as good. Rice or mash are respectable companions too, but spaghetti is definitely my favourite.

(serves 4)
Ingredients:
500g Lamb Mince
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
100g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 parsnips, diced
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
150ml double cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
handful or two of frozen peas for extra colour.
spaghetti to serve.

• Firstly, make the meatballs; mix the lamb, onion, thyme, breadcrumbs and egg together and form into little meatballs, I usally make about 24 smaller ones as they cook quicker and I am impatient.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a highish heat and brown the  meatballs, in batches if need be, until browned all over and almost cooked through 10-15minutes. I cut one open to check. Eat the cut one. Remove from the rest from the pan. 
• Add a little more oil to the pan if needed and add the parsnip and red onion to the pan and cook, stirring regularly for 5-6 minutes until softened and tinged golden.  
• Add the cream and mustard and garlic, season well and stir together. Add a splash of boiling water (from the spaghetti pan if having) to loosen the sauce if you think it needs it.
• Add the meatballs back into the pan and throw in the peas too. Simmer for 4 or 5 minutes or so until the peas are cooked.  
• Plate up the spaghetti and top with the meatballs, pouring any remaining sauce over.

p.s - sometimes I add a bit of chilli to this too, maybe half of a chilli or a deseeded one, finely chopped and added with the parsnip and red onion if you want an extra fiery zing against the soothing creamy sauce. .

The Best Carrot Cake

Again, this one is not my recipe but I made it for my step-dad yesterday (his favourite!) and it reminded me just how good this is! This is from the very first Great British Bake Off book - The Great British Book of Baking. My mum has just text me saying this is the best carrot cake she has ever had, and my sister said the same last time I made it for her, I think she even proclaimed it the nicest piece of cake she had EVER had! and like me, she doesnt usually even like carrot cake. It is a really good recipe and really easy too. The finished cake is really moist and so soft (the subtle orange icing goes so beautifully with it too) I actually really disliked carrot cake until I found this recipe. Thankfully The Man and my Step Dad love it, which is what prompted me to try this one in the first place; so glad I did. Make it, make it!

(Book Photo)

FOR THE SPONGE:
225g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
225g soft light brown muscovado sugar
grated zest of 1/2 an unwaxed orange (you will use the rest for the filling)
100g walnut pieces (i finely chop these)
3 medium free range eggs, beaten
150ml sunflower oil
250g grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots) - (i grate them in the processor and squeeze excess moisture out)

FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING:
200g full fat cream cheese
50g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar, sifted
grated zest of 1/2 an unwaxed orange
2 teaspoons orange juice

TO DECORATE:
grated orange zest and walnut pieces (optional)

2 x 20.5cm round tins greased with butter and the bases lined with baking paper

Preheat the oven to 180C
Sift the flour, baking powder and all the spices into a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon mix in the sugar, orange zest and nuts followed by the beaten eggs, sunflower oil and grated carrots. When thoroughlly combined, divide the mixture between the prepared tins and spread it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Turn the cakes out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the filling and topping, beat together all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until very smooth and creamy. In warm weather you may need to chill the icing until firm enough to spread. Spread almost half of the mixture on to one of the cakes. Top with the second cake and spread the remainig mixture over the top. The cake can be decorated with extra orange zest and walnut pieces or left plain. Store in an airtight container in a cool spot.

Chicken & Chorizo Paella

Not your traditional Paella, but every bit as good! This originally evolved from an amalgamation of 3 or 4 recipes I found in a Paella book in Spain years ago. The first time we made it, I think me and The Man cooked it together (probably the first dish we ever cooked together) It is my favourite paella dish. We only have it once or twice a year, when I remember its existence. The Man has requested it this week and we are having it tonight! It's so easy to make. and unlike a conventional paella, it's cooked mainly in the oven for the last 30 minutes, so if you have people round for dinner, you're not tied up in the kitchen. Mostly you just prepare the chicken and rice then bung it all together with the rest of the ingredients, top with a bit of cheese and shove it in the oven. We always have it with Garlic Bread and Salad. Oh and sometimes I add pork too in place of half the chicken - you could put just pork, just chicken, just chorizo, or whatever mix of the three you want. You can also add waterchestnuts for a bit of crunch, I can just never find them in Morrisons so I don't bother, It's just as good without.

Ingredients
340g paella or arborio rice
1.5pints chicken stock
1tsp turmeric (for colour mainly, feel free to use a pinch of saffron if you want)
2tbsp olive oil
900g chicken, cut into bitesited chunks
150g chorizo, sliced into 1/2cm discs
350g sweet red peppers from a jar
1 yellow pepper, chunked
3 stalks celery ( Optional -Dan makes me leave this out now as he HATES celery, I would leave it in)
1 medium onion, diced
5tbsp mayonaisse
1 can asparagus or celery soup
handful or two of grated cheddar cheese to top

Serves: 8
Time: 1hr
Kcal: approx 700 per serving

• Pre-heat oven to 180C
• Put the rice in a saucepan over medium heat, pour over the chicken stock, add the turmeric/saffron. Bring to a simmer then turn off the heat and leave for 25 minutes, covered.
• Meanwhile - heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the Chicken (and pork if using) until golden all over, then remove from the heat.
• In a large ovenproof dish or paella dish that will fit in your oven (I use a large, deep roasting tin, I dont have many dishes!) mix the rice and meat and all the remaining ingredients apart from the cheese. Season and make sure it is all well mixed together, spread out evenly in the dish and top with the cheese.
• bake in the oven for 30 minutes et voila!

Really good with Garlic Bread and a simple salad.

Really Chocolately Chocolate and Caramel Cake

 

 

 

Firstly - let me just say, this is Bruce Bogtrotter worthy

This isn't my own recipe, this is a Hummingbird Bakery recipe (Sweet and Salty Chocolate Cake from Cake Days ) but it is so very very delicious I had to put it here.

I was supposed to be making this for my lovely little sister's Birthday, I left it until 10pm to start it, read the recipe, realised it took a good two hours to do and decided to make a different, quicker cake instead. Halfway through making the batter I realised I had no sunflower oil as was needed, so had to substitute Extra Virgin Olive Oil, about 300ml or so, anyway the cake was DISGUSTING, it was pure, strong olive oil tasting, with a hint of chocolate (despite 300g 80% chocolate in it) and went straight in the bin after one tasting by me and the birthday girl! We did see the funny side but she had to go birthdaycake-less. So I  eventually got round to making her the original intention of birthday cake and it was well worth the wait - this is SO good!

 

I did eat about a third of the caramel mixture before it made it on the cake, but I defy anyone not to. This cake is chocolate sponge, three layers of it no less, each one sandwiched with a layer of salted caramel AND chocolate frosting, then the whole cake slathered in said frosting. It's moist, sticky, rich, chocolatey, carameley and darn well amazing. It is easy enough to make and is definitely worth the time to make it. As it's so rich, it can easily stretch to about 16 portions although hummingbird states it serves 10-12. I ashamedley confess it lasted two of us less than two days.

Ingredients
FOR THE SPONGE
300g unsalted butter, softened
300g caster sugar
140g soft light brown sugar
3 eggs
100g cocoa powder
160ml buttermilk
1tsp vanilla extract
330g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt

FOR THE SALTY CARAMEL
200g caster sugar
2tbsp golden syrup
120ml double cream
60ml soured cream
1tsp fine sea salt

FOR THE FROSTING
200g caster sugar
2tbsp golden syrup
360ml double cream
450g dark chocolate (minimum 70%), chopped (plus extra to decorate)
450g unsalted butter, softened
sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Three 20cm (8in) diameter cake tins, loose bottomed.

• First make the salty caramel. In a small saucepan bring the sugar and golden syrup to the boil with 60ml (2fl oz) of water, allowing the mixture to boil for about 10 minutes, during which time it should become quite syrupy and a rich caramel colour. 
• Put the double cream, soured cream and salt in a separate pan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. The salt should completely dissolve in the cream. 
• When the sugar syrup is ready, remove it from the heat and carefully add the hot cream. It will bubble up as you pour in the cream, but smooth out again quickly after that, becoming a creamier golden colour. Pour the caramel into a small bowl and set it aside to cool while you make the frosting.
• In a small, clean saucepan, bring the caster sugar and golden syrup to the boil with 60 millilitres of water, again letting this boil for approximately 10 minutes or until it is syrupy and caramel-coloured.
• In a separate pan, bring the double cream to the boil. Carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel: as before, it will bubble up, but settle again shortly afterwards. Set this caramel aside to cool slightly.
• Once it has cooled, add the chopped chocolate, stirring constantly while the chocolate melts. Using a hand-held electric whisk, mix the frosting for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of the bowl feels cool.
• Add the butter to the chocolate caramel frosting and whisk together until the mixture is light and looks slightly whipped. Place the frosting in the fridge to cool and set for 40–50 minutes while you make the sponge.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3, and line the bases of the sandwich tins with baking parchment.
• Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, or a hand-held electric whisk, cream together the butter and both types of sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• In a jug stir together the cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla essence with 60 millitres of water to form a thick paste. Sift together the remaining sponge ingredients, then add these in stages to the creamed butter and sugar, alternating with the cocoa powder paste and mixing thoroughly on a low-to-medium speed until all the ingredients are incorporated.
• Divide the batter between the three prepared cake tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until the top of each sponge feels springy to the touch. Allow the sponges to cool slightly in their tins before turning out on to a wire rack and cooling completely before assembling.
• Once the sponges feel cold to the touch, place one on a plate or cake card and top with approximately two tablespoons of the salty caramel, smoothing it over the sponge using a palette knife. Top the caramel layer with three to four tablespoons of the frosting and smooth it out as before.
• Continue this process, sandwiching together the other two sponges with the remaining salty caramel and a layer of frosting and leaving enough frosting to cover the sides and top of the chocolate cake.  To finish, decorate the top with some extra chopped chocolate and a light sprinkling of the sea salt flakes.

Caramel Oozing (good word: oozing)

Super Speedy & So Simple - Steak & Noodle Stir-Fry

Sometimes I really cannot be bothered to cook. If my oven wasn't so excruiatingly slow at pre-heating I'm sure I would eat a lot more pizza. Last night, after a run in the pouring rain I was so tired/cold/wet/hungry and had no food in the house so had to go shopping - to be honest, I did almost plump for a McDonalds. By the time I got home I just wanted to eat - which is when you need a recipe like this. With ready made stirfry sauce, you can have nice, hot food, have it now-ish (10-15mins) and it's filling and tasty enough for The Man too, Winner!

Last night I used Morissons Black Bean Stir-fry Sauce - but just add whichever one you fancy. BlackBean is lush with the steak though.

(We were so starving last night, I completely forgot to take a photo -  I will add one very soon.)

(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
2tbsp sunflower oil
1 red pepper - chopped
200g ish sirloin steak - or rump - all fat trimmed off - cut into slivers/slices
160g bag baby spinach
180ml stir-fry sauce
300g straight-to-wok noodles (usually 2 x 150g packets)

• Heat the oil in a large wok/frying pan and add the red pepper - fry for 2 minutes
• Add the steak and fry for a couple of minutes until browned
• Add the spinach, fry for a couple minutes, stirring, until starting to wilt
• Add the sauce and 2 tbsps of water - stir for a couple of minutes - until boiling
• Add the noodles, and stir through until heated and mingled with all the ingredients.
• Divide between 2 bowls - et voila!

(prawn crackers are a good call here)

Leek & Nutmeg Tart

I love leeks, really love them. I also love Nutmeg - a lot. It's only really in the last few years that I have really begun to appreciate them both together. I don't know when my leeky nutmeg epiphany came about, but I'm thankful it did. This is my most favourite savoury tart ever - I could easily eat the whole thing in one afternoon, I really struggle keeping some left for The Man when he gets home. We have this with a simple side salad - or something involving walnut and blue cheese perhaps, we have it with gammon steaks, we have it as part of a picnic or buffet, but honestly, I just love it on it's own. Warm out the oven is best, fridge cold and it loses some of it's flavour. If making ahead room temperature would be great, or even reheated in the oven. I have been known to microwave it for next day grazing, but in truth, it rarely lasts long enough for that to be an option in our house. I cannot tell you how much I love this.

(Serves: 4-6)
Ingredients:
1 sheet ready rolled shortcrust pastry
3 leeks, sliced and rinsed
1 onion, finely sliced
handful of sage, chopped (optional, I dont always add this, it just adds an extra dimension)
2tbsp olive oil
3 egg yolks
150ml double cream
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

(pre-heat the oven to 200 C / 190 C fan assisted)

• Unroll the pastry and line a greasesd, loose-bottomed flan tin - regular size, 20cm.
•  Prick the bottom all over with a fork. (of the pastry, not self)
• Line with baking paper and blind bake (fill with baking beans or uncooked rice and bake) for 15-20 mins then remove the beans and paper and return to the over for 5 more minutes until lightly golden
• MEANWHILE: Add the oil to a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onion, leeks, sage and 2tbsp water.
• Cook leeks, covered with lid or foil for 7 minutes until tender, add the spices and cook uncovered for a minute more.
• Beat the egg yolks with the cream
• Trim any overhanging edges from the pastry case and pour in the leek mixture.
• Pour the cream mixture over the top and return for the over for 25 minutes.
• Check the tart is just set and lightly browned on top - et voila!

(Eat warm or cold at room temp, try not to eat it all at once if possible.
If I have eaten most of it, I find it better to finish it and destroy all evidence before man gets home)

A Sort of Chinese Spiced Vegetable Rice

Sometimes there is just no food in the house and you're too hungry to go out and shop for it. For me this is normally a lunchtime at the end of the week. At these times I need quick fix satisfier like this. It's not authentic chinese, just reminds me of chinesey flavours and you can just chuck in anything you have to hand that wants to be included. I just happened to have half a bunch of spring onions lying forlornley in my salad drawer and a few forgotten rashers of pancetta. You could chuck in some bacon lardons, chorizo, red onion, baby leeks, water chestnuts... the list goes on, seriously - just wang in whatever you feel like!

(Serves: Probably 2, but I ate the lot)
Ingredients:
1 cup of white rice
1tbsp Oil
6 rashers pancetta - chopped
4 spring onions - chopped
10 cherry tomatoes - 1/4'd or 1/2'd
1 red chilli - finely chopped (I remove seeds, but leave them in if you want a fiery boost)
1 onion - white, red, whatever - chopped
2tsp soy sauce
1tsp chinese 5 spice

• Cook the rice - 12-15 mins in lightly salted boiling water, or whichever method you like
• Heat a wok over a high heat, add the oil
• Fry the onions and Pancetta for 5 mins, 'til soft and tinged gold
• Add the spring onions, cherry tomatoes and chilli to the wok
• Stir fry for 5 mins or so, then add the soy sauce and chinese 5 spice
• Stir for a few more minutes or until rice is cooked
• Drain rice if need be, and add to the wok
• Stir and Serve - et voila!

Creamy Garlic & Nutmeg Pasta - with cherry tomatoes & yellow pepper

This is a recipe I came up with a few months ago, before christmas when the weather was really cold and frosty and the nights were long and dark. I recently made it for my good friend Emma who lives in the village and she now makes it too! It is a firm favourite in our house these days, it has become The Man's favourite, most comforting dish. He always requests it before a midweek football match or training, and there's nothing I appreciate more than his sigh of contentment when he's eating it!And the great thing is, It literally take 15 minutes from deciding to make it, to eating it!

(Serves 2, easily doubled)
Ingredients:
150-200g (depending on appetite) Pasta (I usually use Penne or Fusilli)
Small Pot (150ml ish) Double Cream
Knob of Butter
tsp Nutmeg
tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Yellow Pepper, chopped
8 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
(Garlic Bread to Serve)

(if serving with Garlic Bread, pre-heat the oven now)

•  Put pasta on to cook as per packet instructions (usually about 12 mins in boiling salted water)
• In a small saucepan, put the Cream, Butter and Nutmeg and stir together, leave to simmer over a low-medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then

(remember to put the Garlic Bread in the oven, if using)

•  Meanwhile heat the Oil in a large frying pan, Add the onion and fry over a medium heat for 5 mins.
•  Add the Pepper and Tomatoes, stir and leave to cook for 5 mins.
•  Give the cream a good stir and add to the vegetables. Add the garlic and turn the heat right down, just to keep it warm whilst the Pasta finishes cooking.
•  Check the pasta and drain when ready.
• Plate up the pasta, spoon over the creamy, nutmeg sauce with tomatoes and peppers ... et voila!

P.S - lovely with a bit of parmesan and a few fresh herbs like basil scattered over before eating.