Quick Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber (approx. ..... more or less is fine)
1/2 white onion
large clove of garlic
small head of lettuce - little gem or round lettuce is fine.
1 large white potato

salt, pepper, vegetable or chicken stock - enough to well cover.
1 - 2 tblspns. Sunflower oil 
a knob of butter

1. Prepare Veg: 
You dont need to peel the cucumber, just remove the ends and cut the rest into small chunks,
peel potato and cut into small chunks
peel onion and chop small
remove garlic skin and chop

2. Microwave:
Place all the veg in a large microwave bowl, plus some sunflower oil and the knob of butter.  Cover with a plate.
Zap until the veggies have softened.

3. Add your Stock to well cover the veg, and zap for about 5 mins. Test to see if the veg are cooked and soft enough - if not just zap for another 5 mins or so.  Cool slightly.
Liquidise or use a hand blender if the soup is very hot.
The soup should be a nice creamy texture to the thickness you like.
Add milk or more stock if it needs thinning down.

Add a little cream to serve - either hot or chilled.

Brie (or Camembert) Cheese Tart - easy

I had some leftover cheeses in the fridge, and decided to try an experiment using them in a cheesey tart.  The first one I made with Camembert and Puff Pastry - was very good, I then thought I'd give the Brie a try - using more or less the same ingredients - which has also come out quite nicely.  (The above pic is using the Brie and just a shortcrust pastry base.)  This is really a fairly adaptable recipe, and will work with most soft cheeses.

Ingredients:
Bought Puff or Shortcrust Pastry is fine
2 Camemberts or Bries
2 large eggs
150ml. double cream
150ml creme fraiche or plain yogurt
little Dijon mustard
black pepper
small amount of a blue cheese (grated) - optional

Oven preheated to 180/190deg. C
1. Line your oven-proof flan dish with pastry - either just the base or the whole flan tin shape (with sides), prick with a fork and bake for about 10-15 mins. Leave on the side while making your filling.  If using Puff Pastry, you may need to weigh this down when pre-baking, with greaseproof paper or foil and baking beans.

2. In your food processor blitz the cheeses, eggs, mustard, creme fraiche, black pepper and cream - process until nice and creamy.  Taste.
3. You can add a little grated blue cheese if you want.
4. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for approx. 20-30 mins until nicely golden.

I like this cold, but it's also nice warm.

this one is made with camembert and puff pastry

Rice Balls & Tomato Sauce

Ingredients for Rice Balls:
4ozs. of cold, cooked white rice ('sticky' is fine)
2 eggs
handful of chopped corriander or parsley
and enough dried breadcrumbs to make a nice 'balling' mix
grated parmesan (to taste)
salt, black pepper, pinch of  chilli flakes (to taste)

Seasoned flour to roll rice balls in before frying
Corn Oil for deep frying

1. Process the above (red) ingredients, plus seasoning together in the food processor until you have a nice mixture that you can roll easily into balls. Taste for seasoning.
2. Roll each ball into the flour - patting off any excess and deep fry until golden.  Drain on kitchen paper.

Ingredients for Quick Tomato Sauce:- made in the Micro
1 can of tomatoes
dried basil and oregano - approx. teaspoon of each - or to taste
little sugar
olive oil
small amount of chopped onion
crushed clove or two of garlic
salt and black pepper
and about a teaspoon of Arrowroot with a little water to add to the sauce - this just takes away the acidity.

1. Place all the ingredients into a micro bowl,  and zap for a good 10 mins - longer is fine. Stir after about 5 mins.
2. Taste for seasoning and while still hot, stir in the slaked Arrowroot.

Serve the rice balls either hot or cold with the tomato sauce - also either hot or cold.

These rice balls are also called Arrangini - Italian Rice Balls - you can also fill them with meat, cheese or veg. before rolling them into balls and frying - they are lovely as a snack, but even nicer in the tomato sauce or using it as a dip.

You can also make them all by hand, so that the rice isn't so squished as when using the food processor, and you dont need to roll them in flour - so there are several different ways of making them - but the basic ingredients are generally the same.

Salmon Fishcakes - very quick and easy

- you probably have most of the ingredients in your storecupboard/pantry......

Ingredients:- will make enough for about 4 people plus salads to serve or just have as a snack

1 tin of Alaskan wild salmon (213g approx.)
leftover mashed potato (approx. about same quantity)
1 beaten egg
Dried white breadcrumbs
Small amount of flour for coating the fishcakes.
Dried oregano/marjoram - teaspoonful
salt/ground black pepper
Rapeseed oil for frying

1. In your food processor - blitz the mashed potato till smooth.
2. Add the salmon (minus the liquid and boney bits), egg, seasoning and herbs.
3. If the mixture is loose, add enough breadcrumbs to make the mixture easy enough to roll into balls, but not too stiff.
4. Roll into largeish balls, coat in seasoned flour, reshape, and flatten out slightly.
5. In hot oil, fry each side until golden and drain on kitchen paper.

They are very nice cool or cold, but can be zapped in the micro, if you want them hot.

Potted Prawns - an easy starter

Ingredients: 
Serves: 8  - can easily be made a day or two in advance and kept refrigerated.    

300g (approx. 10 ozs.) unsalted Butter and a good large pinch of Cayenne and Nutmeg
900g ( almost 2lbs.) cooked shelled prawns
1/2 - 1 lemon - juice (taste and add extra if necessary)
approx. 3tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or corriander
freshly ground black pepper       
Small amount of smoked salmon strips to decorate plus one or two coriander/parsley 
leaves.  

1.  Lightly grease with a little of the butter, 8 ramekins or pretty small dishes.

2.  Mix together, in a large bowl, the shelled prawns, lemon juice, parsley/coriander and a good grinding of black pepper. Taste.

3. Press some of the mixture gently into each of the ramekins.

4. Melt the butter, over a lowish heat, with the spices, cool slightly and pour some over each filled ramekin.

If you want to make Melba Toast to serve ............

Toast some sliced bread on both sides. 

Cut through each slice between the two toasted sides, 

so you end up with eight very thin pieces. 

Scrape any soft bread from the surface. Spread with butter and toast again. 

The toast will then curl up. 

 or

Serve with lovely home made soda bread and butter or a good sliced brown bread, 

buttered and  toasted - - if you fancy :) ........ Can also serve with cornichons/small gherkins, small white onions, and watercress salad with a little vinaigrette.

Creamy Pea Soup - very quick, (easy peasy!) - made in the Micro

Ingredients:
approx. half pound sugarsnap peas (250g.)  (no need to pod them - use skins)
2 small/medium white potatoes
1 small(ish) white onion - peeled & roughly chopped
large clove of garlic - peeled and chopped
small knob of butter
Hot vegetable stock
salt, white pepper

Put all your ingredients, except the stock,  into a large Pyrex bowl
Zap until the veg. are beginning to soften
Add enough stock to well cover the veg. and zap again, for approx. another 5 mins/10mins.
Cool slightly, adjust seasoning if necessary - if it's too salty - add a little maple syrup or sugar to taste.
Pour into your liquidiser
On a fast speed,  liquidise until you have a nice creamy consistency - adding a little milk or more stock, if you need to and re-adjust seasoning.

Surprisingly, the peas and their pods liquidise very well.
Serve with a little cream or small knob of butter.

You can adjust the quantities easily with this recipe, just adding the right amount of stock for a creamy consistency.  It's also very nice chilled served with a dollop of cream.

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

Tomato Varieties
British Tomato Week - 15th - 22nd May 2011

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
(The quantities are not really crucial in this recipe)
 
Ingredients & Method:

Tomatoes
Red Peppers
Small Onion (not necessary but if fancied - fine)
Garlic cloves
small amount of sugar
Olive or Sunflower Oil
Dried Oregano, Basil
S&P
Little cream and fresh basil leaves to decorate

Cut a quantity of tomatoes in half
Halve & de-seed some red peppers
Peel and roughly chop your onion if using one
Place all on a baking tray and drizzle a very goodly amount of olive or sunflower oil
Add salt, black pepper, dried oregano and basil, some cloves of garlic (to taste) and sugar - you can keep the skin on the garlic and squish it out once cooked.

Roast at about 190/200 deg.C until softened and well cooked through - (shaking the tray from time to time).
When cooked, let the veg. cool slightly and place in your liquidiser with all the juices from the tray.
Add chicken or vegetable stock (stock cubes are fine for speed) with hot water to well cover the veg. and blend together until smooth.

You could remove the tomato skins before liquidising or sieve, if necessary, afterwards.

Add more stock if needed to thin the soup down a little, and a little milk to make a good soup consistency.
Adjust seasoning.
Serve with some lovely bread, a little dollop of cream and a couple of fresh basil leaves.

This is quite a versatile recipe as you can also use it
to make the roasted tomatoes and peppers
into a pasta sauce or delicious just eat cold as a salad.

Stuffed Aubergine/Eggplant

Ingredients: Serves 2
1 large aubergine (eggplant)
1 small onion or 1 shallot - peeled and chopped
2 large garlic cloves - crushed/chopped
2 tomatoes (medium) - roughly chopped (peeled if wanted but not necessary)
1 small/medium courgette - peeled and chopped
approx. 2-3 tblspns. Olive Oil
S&P, little oregano and basil (fresh or dried)
1 tblspn. fresh lemon juice

Cut the aubergine in half and scoop out some of the centre part and roughly chop it.
Place the two halves in an oiled/buttered ovenproof dish.
Put the rest of the ingredients, with the chopped aubergine, into a frying pan - saute them in the olive oil until just softened.
Season and taste.

You can microwave the chopped veggies until softened instead of frying them.

Pile the vegetable filling onto the two halves of the cut aubergines.
Just shake the dish so that the excess veggies slip to the bottom and add a small amount of water.
Pour a little more olive oil over the top.
Cover and bake at 190 deg.C for at least 45 mins to an hour - or longer, till the aubergines are well cooked and soft.

Serve hot or cold
This also reheats very well either in the oven or the micro.
( ..... is very nice served with sticky rice)

Courgette (Zuchini) Soup - easy - (microwaved)

This recipe doesn't need exact amounts of ingredients - so dont worry too much - just saute the veggies, add your stock, cook, liquidise and season - that's basically it!

Ingredients: (approximately)
5-6 medium courgettes - trimmed and roughly chopped - no need to peel.
couple of Spring Onions or 1 medium onion - peeled and chopped
1 peeled and chopped white potato
clove or two of garlic
glug of olive oil + small knob of butter
Stock - chicken or vegetable - hot
S&P

Method:
1. Place chopped courgettes, potato, onion, garlic in a large microwaveable bowl - add tablespoon or two of olive oil & knob of butter, S&P - and put into micro on High - until veg are just beginning to soften. (5-10 mins)

2. Add enough stock to cover the veggies and

3. Cook on High for about 5 mins - and add extra stock if needed.
Cook for at least another 5 mins. or longer - till veg are nicely cooked through.

4. Cool, then either place in liquidiser or use a hand blender and puree until smooth.
Add more stock to the consistency you like, plus a little milk .
Season well.
Serve with croutons and/or a dollop of cream or plain yogurt.

Broad Bean Salad - really simple

Ingredients: enough for 2 good portions

Salad:
about 1/2 lb. broad beans - shelled
couple of handfuls of young spinach leaves (washed and stalks trimmed)
1/2 dz. chestnut mushrooms - wiped clean and sliced
A handful of chopped fresh corriander or flat leaf parsley
parmesan shavings - optional

Dressing: Vinaigrette:
I usually use a ratio of 4 (olive) oil to 1 (cider or wine) vinegar .........
(you could also use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar)
Plus: mustard or mustard powder - to taste
Salt/pepper/ crushed garlic
Little sugar
Plus any favourite vinaigrette ingredient.
Place all ingredients into a screw-top jar - shake well & taste before using.
(A little flaxseed oil also gives a nice nutty flavour.)

1. Throw beans into a large pan of boiling water.
2. Bring back to the boil and cook for 1-2 mins until just tender.
3. Drain and refresh in cold water and gently squeeze off the outer coating of the beans so you get the lovely bright green bean halves.
4. Mix all the salad ingredients together with the dressing drizzled over.

Add the parmesan if wanted.

You could also add some crushed, crispy bacon bits - (if you're not a veggie.)

......... You cant beat seasonal and simple.

Chicken Liver Pate : Egg Mayo - Two Starters

This is a very tasty and easy starter, or cold buffet dish -
if you like chicken livers!

Ingredients:
1/2lb chicken livers - rinsed, & picked over to clean any bits
1 good sweet white onion - peeled and roughly chopped
clove or two of garlic - crushed
olive oil
S&P, fresh or dried Thyme - or both
2 hard boiled eggs - remove the yolk from one and set aside as (grated) garni

1. Pour some olive oil in your heated frying pan. Dont be sparing with the oil, as this also goes into the processor and the livers wont be too dry.
(Enough oil to well cover the base of the pan, plus a little more), when heated -

2. Add your onions , the thyme & garlic and fry until the onions are just softened.

3. Add your chicken livers.

I like to cook my chicken livers through, but not overcooked. I dont like them to remain pink, as I dont think it gives the pate a good look, and the next day - it doesn't seem to taste as good.

4. When the livers are done, adjust the seasoning if you need to, and leave them to cool.

5. Put them in your food processor with the hard boiled eggs (minus one yolk) and process until a smooth pate is achieved. Dont over process this, but dont leave the livers still grainy.

6. Scoop out of your processor, and place in a pretty plate. If using a flat plate, using a fork, flatten the pate down slightly and then with a knife - neaten around the edge. Use the saved hard yolk to grate over the top.

Serve with gherkins and little white pickled onions.
Very pretty - and very tasty.

This goes very well with home made Egg-Mayo: (or Egg & Onion)
Hard boiled eggs - run under cold water & when done, bash with a knife (this releases a gas and stops the yolks going black) - Cool slightly and peel them.
Good Mayonnaise and some chopped Spring Onion or Chives
S&P

Put the eggs in your food processor and pulse until evenly crumbled, but not smooth.
Pour into a clean bowl and add your mayo (enough to bind eggs together plus some extra), spring onions (or chives) and season.
Taste as you may need to adjust the seasoning. It's nice quite salty.
Place on a plate or dish, as above for Chicken Liver Pate, and sprinkle chopped chives over.
This is nice chilled. (photo below is half-eaten Egg Mayo! - didn't think to take the photo before it got eaten!)

Enjoy them both!

Sorrel Soup

Ingredients:
A goodly handful of sorrel - remove stalks and roughly chop
About 100g. of spinach - (as above - though you can leave the stalks if they're young leaves)
1 small/medium white onion - peeled and roughly chopped - (shallots are fine)
Couple of medium size potatoes - peeled and roughly chopped
1 large clove of garlic - peeled and squashed
S&P
Little lemon juice
Hot Stock (of choice)

1. Saute the chopped onion and potato until softened.
2. Add your leaves, garlic, stock to well cover the leaves, and squeeze of lemon juice
3. Simmer gently until potatoes are cooked through
4. Adding more stock if necessary and liquidise until smooth and creamy.

Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with either sour or sweet cream on top.

Dont forget to season.

Little Tip:
If you find a soup slightly too acid - slake a little Arrowroot with some water and throw into the soup - this seems to reduce the acidity.

Fishcakes/Patties - quick & storecupboard

Ingredients:
1 tin of Red Salmon - 418 grms.
1 Spring Onion (scallion) peeled and chopped
1 small-med. handful of fresh Corriander - chopped - (or dried mixed herbs, but fresh corriander is nicer)
2 tbls. Cornmeal plus some extra, in a small bowl - for coating
1 beaten Egg
Salt and Black Pepper

Corn Oil for frying
Greaseproof paper
Mayo to serve

What you do:
Drain the liquid from the tinned salmon and carefully remove the small central bones.
Break the salmon up with a fork - till fairly unlumpy and smooth.
Add the rest of your ingredients and mix well.
Form into small patties (or balls) and coat in the extra cornmeal.
Shallowish fry, turning them once or twice, until a nice golden colour.
Drain on the greaseproof or kitchen paper.
Serve with a good Mayonnaise.

These are lovely made as little balls and served as part of a buffet, or just eat as a quick snack with salad.

Watercress Tart

23cm loose-bottom tart tin 5-6cm deep

Oven: 200C(180C Fan oven) /400F/Gas 6

Ingredients:
Pastry:
225g plain flour + pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter - chilled and diced
1 med egg - separated
- or use bought ready-rolled shortcrust pastry

Place the flour & salt in a bowl (food processor)
Add butter and reduce to fine crumbs
Add egg yolk and just enough cold water to bind together
Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill for about an hour.

When ready to use: roll out thinly on a floured surface and carefully lift into the (greased) tart tin, pressing into the corners. Trim the top, reserving the trimmings. Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, tucking it over the top and weight it with baking beans. Bake for about 15 mins.

Remove the foil and beans and patch up if necessary with the spare bits. Brush the inside of the pastycase with the egg white and return to the oven for another 10 mins till lightly coloured.

Filling:
3 medium eggs
200-250g fresh watercress
300ml whipping cream
175g gruyere cheese
Salt & Black Pepper
4 spring onions (scallions) - trimmed and sliced
1 tbl veg. oil

Place the eggs and watercress in your processor and whiz to a puree.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cream, half the cheese and seasoning.
Tip this mix into the pastrycase and smooth the surface.
Scatter over the remaining cheese.
Toss the spring onions in the oil and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for approx. 40 mins until golden and set. (Check with a skewer that it isn't still runny.)
Leave to stand for about 15-20mins.
It's good at room temp. and also reheated.

This recipe comes from the Mail on Sunday YOU Mag.

Mushroom Soup - extremely easy!

Ingredients & Method:
1/2 peeled and chopped onion (or couple of spring onions) 1 clove of garlic (peeled/chopped), large pinch of Thyme (dried or fresh)
Saute till softened, in a good glug of hot olive oil and knob of butter.
Add: 1/2 lb. approx. mushrooms - roughly chopped* - (Chestnut (brown) are best, or white regular mushrooms are fine).
1 medium peeled and chopped white potato. Saute for a minute or so. Season.
Add 1/2 pt. (or less) of hot stock (veg. or chicken) and simmer for about 5 mins.
Add more stock to well cover mushrooms. (You can add more stock at the liquidising stage). Simmer gently till potatoes are cooked and soft.
Cool - - then liquidise till smooth and creamy and to the consistency you like.
Add a little milk if wanted and adjust seasoning.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, knob of butter, drizzle of good olive oil or double/single cream and a few chopped chives. (optional).

All this can be done in the micro - in the same order. Use a large pyrex bowl - it's really, easy, quick and rather yum!

*Use the stalks if they look fresh, but remove the dry ends.

Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Salad

The ingredients for this very simple, lovely summer starter - (or a bigger portion as a main!) .............
Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella, and layer, similar to above - or make your own pattern!
Sprinkle over with basil leaves (torn or leave whole), olives, salt, black pepper, and a little sugar.
I also add a good sprinkle of dried basil and oregano - (looks pretty!)
Drizzle over the top with either vinaigrette or good olive oil and/or balsamic - delicious.

The best buffalo mozzarella I have found is Garofolo - bought at Waitrose - a tub of small balls of mozzarella - not cheap but worth the price.
PS: Above photo has a creamy blue cheese added ............. I ran out of mozzarella!