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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Turkey Soup

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Served with Peas and Leeks, this dish is very healthy, very tasty, and takes just ten minutes to prepare – and is also a great winter warmer. If you’re not a big fan of Turkey, you can always make this dish with Chicken – it’ll require a bit more time in step one, but not massively.

Leeks

You could even prepare this dish the day before you want it, then heat it up when needed – that’s how easy and fast it is to make!

To Serve 4
300ml Turkey or Chicken Stock
4 Skinless Turkey Breasts, cut into 2cm strips
1 Large Leek, rinsed and finely chopped
300ml Double Cream
1tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
1tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
225g frozen Peas, cooked

1. Pour the Stock into a large Saucepan, then bring to the boil. Add the Turkey Strips, before turning the heat down and simmer for five minutes.
2. Using a Slotted Spoon, lift the Turkey Strips out of the Stock, and keep warm. Bring the Stock to a rapid boil, until reduced by two thirds.
3. Lightly steam or boil the Leek for two or three minutes, until just tender. Drain well, then keep warm with the Turkey
4. Add the Cream, Mustard and Parsley to the Reduced Stock, stir well, and begin to add the Peas slowly, until everything is cooked through and warm.
5. Season well, stir, before removing from the heat. Add the Turkey and the Leeks to the pan, stir again, and serve in bowls, with pieces of Crusty bread to soak up the Juices.

Photo Courtesy of: Tracy Hunter

Vichyssoise

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Vichyssoise is a potato and leek soup. Its origin is debatable; some say it is a French dish called crème vichyssoise glacée, while Julia Child’s says it is an American invention.

It can be served warm or cold. If you plan to serve it cold, you can serve it in shot glasses. This recipe uses heavy cream, but you can use sour cream or creme fraiche if you wish. You can also add cheese to make it tastier.

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced leeks, white part only

4 cups diced potatoes

6 to 7 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter

1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt or to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 Tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, minced

In a big pot or Dutch oven over low heat, melt the butter. Sauté the onion and the leeks for 8-10 minutes. Add the potatoes, marjoram and thyme. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Pour in the stock and increase the heat to high. Bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Pour the soup in a blender or food processor. Puree it until it becomes smooth.

Add the cream and garnish with fresh chives before serving. Serve warm or cold. If you are serving it warm, heat it slowly, so that the consistency stays the same.

Photo Courtesy Of: Ms. Glaze

Leek Pancakes with Watercress Sauce

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To make this batter very smooth and light – as it would be best, prepare it using a Food Processor or Blender. The more air bubbles that are in the mixture, the lighter and fluffier the pancakes will be.

Savoury Pancake

This batter makes eight pancakes, however, you can easily adjust the quantity to make more or less –depending on what you need.

To Serve 8
125g White Plain Flour
1 Egg
300ml Milk
Salt and Pepper
1tbsp Snipped Fresh Chives
1tbsp Vegetable Oil
25g Butter
3 Leeks, trimmed and cut into thin strips
125g Button Mushrooms, wiped and sliced
2tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
1tbsp Chopped Sunflower Seeds
50g Edam Cheese, grated
1 Bunch Watercress, trimmed and chopped
2tsp Capers
2tbsp Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
Grated Rind and Juice of ½ Lemon
3tbsp Vegetable Stock

1. Put the Flower into a bowl and make a well in a centre. Add the Egg, half the Milk, and beat until smooth. Beat in the rest of the Milk, add Salt and Pepper, then add the Chives.
2. Lightly grease a baking tray, with the Vegetable Oil, tilting the pan to cover the sides and base completely. Pour away any excess Oil, before heating the pan up.
3. Pour in just enough Batter to coat the base, and cook for one or two minutes until light brown, before turning over and cook the other side. Repeat this process to make eight pancakes.
4. Keep the pancakes warm. Meanwhile, melt the Butter in a heavy based Frying Pan. Cook the Leeks for around five minutes or until soft. Add the Mushrooms to the pan, cook for a further two minutes, then add the Parsley and Sunflower seeds, stir in well. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.
5. Lay the pancakes out, and divide the mixture from the pan into eight. Spoon down the centre of each pancake, then arrange in a shallow ovenproof dish.
6. Puree the Watercress and Capers in a food processor with half of the Olive Oil, and process until smooth. Slowly add the rest of the Oil, Lemon Rind, Lemon Juice and Garlic, and enough Vegetable Stock to make the mixture smooth.
7. Pour the Sauce over the Pancakes, and sprinkle with the Cheese. Bake in the Oven at 190C for twenty minutes until Golden and hot through.

Photo Courtesy of: heliosphan

Leek, Potato and Carrot Soup

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Leek, Potato and Carrot Soup

This dish is very fast and easy to make – anything leftover can also be used to create a creamed soup – all you need to do is to puree the leftovers, press through a sieve, and then pour into a clean pan, before adding five or six tablespoons of milk. Bring to the boil, simmer for two or three minutes, then season to taste! Stir in some double cream before serving, and another dish – it’s also able to be frozen, so it’s great to have as a back-up for a quick meal!

To Serve 2
1 Leek
1tbsp Oil
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
750ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 Bay Leaf
1/4tsp Ground Cumin
175g Potato, peeled and diced
125g Carrot, grated coarsely
Salt and Pepper

1. Trim the Leek, slice thinly and rinse in cold water, before drying well.
2. Heat the Oil in a large pan, add the Leek and Garlic to the pan, and fry gently over a medium heat, until they are soft but barely coloured – around two or three minutes. At this point, add the Stock, Bay Leaf, Cumin, Salt and Pepper, and bring to the boil.
3. Once boiling, add the Diced Potato, cover and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes – the Potato should be tender, but shouldn’t break up.
4. Add the Carrot to the pan, and simmer for two more minutes. Season to taste, then discard the Bay leaf
5. Serve into individual warmed serving bowls, and garnish with Freshly Chopped Parsley.

Photo Courtesy of: Ned Ragett

Stuffed Thai Omelette

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A great filling meal, and very easy to prepare and cook. You can easily change the flavours by simply changing the Minced Pork for Minced Beef, or for a Vegetarian Alternative, simply add in some Beansprouts for a bit of texture.
Omelette
This Omelette isn’t the spiciest in the world, however, to add a bit of extra eat to it, add a small Chilli, finely chopped up at the same time as adding in the rest of the vegetables.

To Serve 2
3 Eggs
Salt and Pepper
3tbsp Vegetable Oil
125g Minced Pork
1 Large Garlic Clove
2.5cm Ginger, peeled and grated
1 Carrot, peeled and grated
1 Small Leek, trimmed and shredded
1 Tomato, skinned and finely chopped
1tsp Soft Brown Sugar
1tbsp Nam Pla (Thai Fish Sauce) – Optional
2-3tsp Soy Sauce
1-3tsp Rice or Cider Vinegar

1. Beat the Eggs together in a bowl, with a bit of Salt and Pepper.
2. Heat a tablespoon of the Oil in a large Work or Frying Pan, and cook off the Minced Meat , along with the Garlic and Ginger. Cook through.
3. Add the Carrot and Leek, then stir-fry for a minute, before adding in the Tomato, Sugar, Fish Sauce (if you’re using it), Soy Sauce and the Vinegar, and then season well with Pepper, and keep over the heat for a further two to three minutes. Transfer to a dish, and keep warm.
4. Wipe out the pan with a piece of Kitchen Paper, then put over a medium heat and pour in the remaining Oil, making sure the entire pan is evenly coated, and then pour in the Beaten Eggs.
5. Just before the Omelette is setting in the middle, carefully spoon the filling into the Centre, and fold the four sides over to make an envelope. Place a plate over the top, and turn out and serve.

These go great at a big meal, along with these Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls, or the Dim Sum. A great idea is to serve lots of these small dishes as an Asian Tapas meal

Photo Courtesy of: Avlxyz

Fish Stock

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Fish Stock

A basic requirement for many fish-based recipes, this stock is based on a classic recipe, and is very easy to make – it can be used fresh, you could chill it for a day (make sure you bring it to the boil before use), or freeze it for up to six months, so you can make sure you always have enough for whatever you want to cook.

To Make 1.4 Litres
900g Fish Heads, Bones and Tails, without any Gills.
1.2l Water
500ml Dry White Wine
1 Onion, thinly sliced
1 Leek, halved, rinsed and chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and sliced
6 Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley Sprigs
1 Bay Leaf
4 Black Peppercorns, lightly crushed

1.       Put the Fish trimmings, Water and Wine into a large, heavy-based Saucepan over a medium to high heat, and slowly bring to the boil, skimming the grey foam off the top.

2.       When the foam stops being produced, reduce the heat to a very low one, and add the Onion, Leek, Carrot, Parsley, Bay leaf and Peppercorns, before leaving the stock to simmer for thirty minutes, skimming the surface to remove any scum if required.

3.       Strain the stock, and discard the solid ingredients.

The stock can be either used straight away, or chilled for a minimum of a day before putting in the fridge – just make sure to bring it to the boil before using in any recipes.

Photo courtesy of: Simps