I'm not going to promise anything other than generic vegetable soup here, which yes, can be bland and dull. But it's still a better bland and dull than many (most?) shop-bought ready made soups. In fact, tastes like a rather good vegetable soup, that's my lunch sorted!
Vegetable Soup
1 large leek (chopped)
2 sticks celery (chopped)
6 small parsnips (chopped)
3 carrots (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 litre of stock (I use Marigold)
seasoning
Cooked chopped vegetables in butter for 10 minutes until softened. Add chilli powder, cook for another couple of minutes. Add stock and simmer with the lid on until the vegetables are cooked (about 10 minutes). Blend and season to taste.
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Friday, 17 January 2014
Souper running
My 'new blog' excitement clearly fizzled out this week, either that or life stuff took me over for a few days. Still running, still cooking, still surviving, just no words (or time?) to write of it.
My self-imposed January Soup Month is still going strong. I have two new recipes for you today... spiced parsnip soup and leek & watercress soup.
The parsnip soup was inspired by my friend who did a *souper* version of Jamie Oliver's spiced parsnip soup for our lunch last month. It was really delicious, so she sent me the recipe. I have changed it to suit me, but you can read the original recipe here.
Spiced Parsnip Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Piece of ginger, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
6-8 parsnips (depending on size) chopped
1.5 litres of stock (I use Marigold)
250 mls milk
seasoning
Cook the onion, celery garlic, ginger and spices in oil, for around 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the parsnips, and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the stock and milk and cook gently with the lid on until the parsnips are cooked (about 10 minutes). Blend until smooth and season to taste.
I *love* watercress. We came across some wild watercress over the summer, growing by a stream in the Peak District and it was delicious and a really nice addition to our camping supper when we got back to our tent that day.. although I did later learn that it's not recommended to eat wild watercress in the UK because of some tiny snails which lay eggs on it and spread a particular disease! Needless to say we had washed it and survived - but I would think twice next time! I would usually eat watercress raw on salads, or topping pizza, or along side a creamy meal - it's nutty, peppery taste is just delicious for off-setting a rich meal.
It is nice though cooked into things - in a similar way to how spinach is used, except it is far tastier (and therefore superior in my opinion!) It goes really well with celeriac in soup, but as there's no celeriac in the shops at the moment, I decided to make a leek and watercress soup instead.
Leek and Watercress Soup
4 leeks, chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 bags (about 75g each) of watercress
1.25 litre of stock
500 mls milk
seasoning
Cooked the leeks in oil, or butter and add the potatoes after about 5 minutes. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the watercress. Add the stock and the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook with the lid on for 15-20 minutes. Blend the soup and season.
I also experimented with flapjack this week.. I was running low on porridge oats, but had a large bag of 'value' muesli, which as far as I can see is mostly oats anyhow! So I substituted the oats for muesli and it's pretty darn good!
Muesli Flapjack
350g butter
4 tbsp golden syrup
200g sugar
450g muesli
Melt the butter, syrup and sugar in a pan. Add to the muesli, combine and pour into a greased tray. Cook at 180° for 20-25 minutes.
In running news, I took my eldest daughter (age 9) running with me this week. We aimed to run 4 miles as she was very close to this distance on her previous run and it's a good 'easy run' for me. I'd had stiff muscles this week so I needed a slower paced, shorter run so I didn't cause more discomfort.
She did amazingly, and didn't stop once. She didn't slow for the hills (and we did two bigguns!) and she really enjoyed it. She has a good fitness base from competitive swimming (she trains 3 hours per week) and it really showed, even though she isn't a seasoned runner. I was super (not souper!) proud of her and I can see her joining me on my regular 5 mile runs before too long.
I've also had few night runs this week with my neighbour, and it's been nice having the motivation to get out and do a local run, on a route I enjoy, despite the rain, despite the cold, despite the dark.
I'm aiming for 60 miles in January, which is a huge step up from December, and my legs are tired and achy.. but I'm on track. I've done 27 miles so far and I have a few longer distance run planned in the coming weeks.
All's good in my souper running world.
My self-imposed January Soup Month is still going strong. I have two new recipes for you today... spiced parsnip soup and leek & watercress soup.
The parsnip soup was inspired by my friend who did a *souper* version of Jamie Oliver's spiced parsnip soup for our lunch last month. It was really delicious, so she sent me the recipe. I have changed it to suit me, but you can read the original recipe here. Spiced Parsnip Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Piece of ginger, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
6-8 parsnips (depending on size) chopped
1.5 litres of stock (I use Marigold)
250 mls milk
seasoning
Cook the onion, celery garlic, ginger and spices in oil, for around 5-10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the parsnips, and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the stock and milk and cook gently with the lid on until the parsnips are cooked (about 10 minutes). Blend until smooth and season to taste.
I *love* watercress. We came across some wild watercress over the summer, growing by a stream in the Peak District and it was delicious and a really nice addition to our camping supper when we got back to our tent that day.. although I did later learn that it's not recommended to eat wild watercress in the UK because of some tiny snails which lay eggs on it and spread a particular disease! Needless to say we had washed it and survived - but I would think twice next time! I would usually eat watercress raw on salads, or topping pizza, or along side a creamy meal - it's nutty, peppery taste is just delicious for off-setting a rich meal.
It is nice though cooked into things - in a similar way to how spinach is used, except it is far tastier (and therefore superior in my opinion!) It goes really well with celeriac in soup, but as there's no celeriac in the shops at the moment, I decided to make a leek and watercress soup instead.
Leek and Watercress Soup
4 leeks, chopped3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 bags (about 75g each) of watercress
1.25 litre of stock
500 mls milk
seasoning
Cooked the leeks in oil, or butter and add the potatoes after about 5 minutes. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the watercress. Add the stock and the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook with the lid on for 15-20 minutes. Blend the soup and season.
I also experimented with flapjack this week.. I was running low on porridge oats, but had a large bag of 'value' muesli, which as far as I can see is mostly oats anyhow! So I substituted the oats for muesli and it's pretty darn good!
Muesli Flapjack
350g butter
4 tbsp golden syrup
200g sugar
450g muesli
Melt the butter, syrup and sugar in a pan. Add to the muesli, combine and pour into a greased tray. Cook at 180° for 20-25 minutes.
In running news, I took my eldest daughter (age 9) running with me this week. We aimed to run 4 miles as she was very close to this distance on her previous run and it's a good 'easy run' for me. I'd had stiff muscles this week so I needed a slower paced, shorter run so I didn't cause more discomfort.
She did amazingly, and didn't stop once. She didn't slow for the hills (and we did two bigguns!) and she really enjoyed it. She has a good fitness base from competitive swimming (she trains 3 hours per week) and it really showed, even though she isn't a seasoned runner. I was super (not souper!) proud of her and I can see her joining me on my regular 5 mile runs before too long.
I've also had few night runs this week with my neighbour, and it's been nice having the motivation to get out and do a local run, on a route I enjoy, despite the rain, despite the cold, despite the dark.
I'm aiming for 60 miles in January, which is a huge step up from December, and my legs are tired and achy.. but I'm on track. I've done 27 miles so far and I have a few longer distance run planned in the coming weeks.
All's good in my souper running world.
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Spicing up the soup
New recipe from me; decided to add a little spice this time. This was perhaps more like a smooth dal than a soup, so it was duly served with naan bread.
Spiced parsnip, carrot and lentil soup
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 stick celery, chopped
300g parsnips, chopped
300g carrots, chopped
150g red split lentils
1 chopped chilli (or use a sprinkle of chilli flakes)
1 litre of stock (I use Marigold)
125mls of milk
juice from 1 lemon
natural yogurt (to serve)
Fry the seeds and turmeric in a dry pan until fragrant. Add some oil and add the celery, parsnips and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, then add the chilli, lentils, stock and milk. Cook with the lid on until the lentils are soft (between 15 and 25 minutes). Blend to required consistency. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Swirl some yogurt in the centre before serving and serve with naan.
Although I prefer soups smooth (and this was lovely and smooth thanks to the starch in the lentils!), I may leave this one slightly more chunky next time. It was very like a dal and my taste-buds were confused by the lack of chunk, with the lentil flavour!
Spiced parsnip, carrot and lentil soup
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 stick celery, chopped
300g parsnips, chopped
300g carrots, chopped
150g red split lentils
1 chopped chilli (or use a sprinkle of chilli flakes)
1 litre of stock (I use Marigold)
125mls of milk
juice from 1 lemon
natural yogurt (to serve)
Fry the seeds and turmeric in a dry pan until fragrant. Add some oil and add the celery, parsnips and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, then add the chilli, lentils, stock and milk. Cook with the lid on until the lentils are soft (between 15 and 25 minutes). Blend to required consistency. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Swirl some yogurt in the centre before serving and serve with naan.
Although I prefer soups smooth (and this was lovely and smooth thanks to the starch in the lentils!), I may leave this one slightly more chunky next time. It was very like a dal and my taste-buds were confused by the lack of chunk, with the lentil flavour!
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
On a soup roll...
Blogger has been messing me about in the last few days and if it doesn't behave I will jump ship to Wordpress... Anyway, I managed to get to the point of being able to type today, so all seems to be looking better.
The children have gone back to school now, which is good for them and a relief for me. We always seem to struggle with the post-Christmas part of the Christmas holidays, perhaps it's the dark mornings and dark nights, or the bad weather preventing us get out as much as usual, or the late nights which seem inevitable after all the excitement of New Year.
Either way, I'm glad to have normal life resumed and our routines are back to normal.
I've kept my running promises to myself so far... yesterday was the 7 January and marked the end of the first week of the year. I've planned to run 60 miles this month which is a huge step up from last month, so I was looking for 15 miles per week which was a big goal after very little running in December. But last night I did my second 5 miler of the week and reached 14.46 miles for the month so far, so I'd consider myself to be on target! My pace is still slower than usual and I have a few aches and stiff muscles this morning, making me think I need to take it easier in the second week.
And my January Soup Month is still going well! This week I used up the last of the Christmas cheese and made broccoli and Stilton soups which is one of my favourite Covent Garden flavours. I've never made a soup with cheese before, so instead of winging it, I used a BBC Good Food recipe (with a few tweaks of course!)
Both Dylan and I thought it was the best broccoli and Stilton soup we've ever tasted - and because of the extra fat from the cheese, there's no real need to eat bread with it, which is ideal for my goal of shifting my festive weight build-up (I'll aiming for less carbs, more fat - not as easy as it sounds with a vegetarian diet!)
Broccoli and Stilton Soup (Original recipe can be viewed here)
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
knob of butter
1.5 litres of stock (I use Marigold)
1 large head of broccoli chopped and stalk removed
200g blue Stilton, crumbled
Cook the onion, celery, leek and potato in butter for ten minutes. Add the stock and cook for 10 minutes with the lid on until the veg are nearly cooked. Add the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Blend the soup until smooth. Add the Stilton and whisk until smooth. Season with care - Stilton is quite a salty cheese and I didn't think it needed further seasoning, just a grinding of pepper.
And spell check has just pointed out to me that despite writing 'broccoli' for a record number of times within a few minutes, I STILL don't know how to spell this word. I do however now know for sure, it's two Cs and one L. It looks really odd though!
In book news, I've started to read Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood on the back of how much The Handmaid's Tale moved me. I'll be back to review and it's another absolute masterpiece.
The children have gone back to school now, which is good for them and a relief for me. We always seem to struggle with the post-Christmas part of the Christmas holidays, perhaps it's the dark mornings and dark nights, or the bad weather preventing us get out as much as usual, or the late nights which seem inevitable after all the excitement of New Year.
Either way, I'm glad to have normal life resumed and our routines are back to normal.
I've kept my running promises to myself so far... yesterday was the 7 January and marked the end of the first week of the year. I've planned to run 60 miles this month which is a huge step up from last month, so I was looking for 15 miles per week which was a big goal after very little running in December. But last night I did my second 5 miler of the week and reached 14.46 miles for the month so far, so I'd consider myself to be on target! My pace is still slower than usual and I have a few aches and stiff muscles this morning, making me think I need to take it easier in the second week.
And my January Soup Month is still going well! This week I used up the last of the Christmas cheese and made broccoli and Stilton soups which is one of my favourite Covent Garden flavours. I've never made a soup with cheese before, so instead of winging it, I used a BBC Good Food recipe (with a few tweaks of course!)
Both Dylan and I thought it was the best broccoli and Stilton soup we've ever tasted - and because of the extra fat from the cheese, there's no real need to eat bread with it, which is ideal for my goal of shifting my festive weight build-up (I'll aiming for less carbs, more fat - not as easy as it sounds with a vegetarian diet!)
Broccoli and Stilton Soup (Original recipe can be viewed here)
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
knob of butter
1.5 litres of stock (I use Marigold)
1 large head of broccoli chopped and stalk removed
200g blue Stilton, crumbled
Cook the onion, celery, leek and potato in butter for ten minutes. Add the stock and cook for 10 minutes with the lid on until the veg are nearly cooked. Add the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Blend the soup until smooth. Add the Stilton and whisk until smooth. Season with care - Stilton is quite a salty cheese and I didn't think it needed further seasoning, just a grinding of pepper.
In book news, I've started to read Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood on the back of how much The Handmaid's Tale moved me. I'll be back to review and it's another absolute masterpiece.
Sunday, 5 January 2014
The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood) NO SPOILERS!
I've been a fan of dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction for a while, although I usually stick to the Young Adult genre because books get right inside my head and I like to filter out the more graphic stories a little! But last year I stepped outside my 'safe' list and read Game of Thrones, which can be quite disturbing in places, in terms of discrimination, sex, violence and just generally bad human behaviour.
I've seen The Handmaid's Tale is described as 'the original dystopian story' in more than one place and currently many blurbs from books on my 'to-read' list, say 'if you enjoyed The Hunger Games, you'll enjoy xxxx' and much as I love all these recent dystopian young adult books, it was time to push my own boundaries and stop being afraid of 'grown up' books and 'classics' (albeit a modern classic!)
So The Handmaid's Tale is set in the 1980s in what was formerly known as the USA. It is told through the eyes of Offred (meaning 'of Fred', or that, she belongs to Fred) who is a young woman forced to work as a 'handmaid'. Society as we know it has broken down and a totalitarianism Christian cult have take over the running of affairs and they are intolerant to many human rights we know and take for granted. Environmental problems means much of the world is intoxicated by poisonous radiation which is affecting fertility.
Women are considered the property of men or the servants of men, useful only for menial tasks, servitude and having babies. The upper class women escape some of this though many of them are infertile and typically a household consists of an infertile couple, who have servant women to work in the kitchen/household and a handmaid. A handmaid is kept under strict control and her body is not her own. She is checked for fertility once per month and is expected to have sex with the 'commander' often while his wife is present, to try and get pregnant. The child, if born healthy, which is not commonplace in this intoxicated world, is immediately handed over to the couple and she is expected to move on and serve in a different household.
If she does not successfully produce a baby after a number of years, she will be sent off to the 'Colonies' which are dire places, where toxic waste needs dealing with. People sent to the colonies have a life expectancy of 2-3 years.
We follow Offred through her placement with the Commander and his household and she tells her story of her new humiliating life and she gives us flashbacks along the way of how she remembers her life before, when she loved, and when she was a mother. We gradually get to see the events that led to this totalitarian state and how things unfolded and how she adapted.
Atwood has a flat style at times and my main criticism of the book is that the scene setting is lacking and is a little 2-dimensional. However, I believe this is partially intentional, it adds to the grey, drab atmosphere and highlights how frightening society has become.
I was absolutely gripped from start to finish. I read most of this book with my teeth clenched and my eyes wide. I loved how Atwood teases you with snippets of flashbacks and I was desperate throughout the books for more information about how Offred came to find herself in this situation.
The ending, is fantastic and unique in style... don't do as I did - I nearly dismissed the final chapters, thinking they were an appendix or acknowledgements!
I'm no longer afraid of 'classics' or 'grown up' books, and I'll be adding more Atwood to my 'to read' list in future!
I've seen The Handmaid's Tale is described as 'the original dystopian story' in more than one place and currently many blurbs from books on my 'to-read' list, say 'if you enjoyed The Hunger Games, you'll enjoy xxxx' and much as I love all these recent dystopian young adult books, it was time to push my own boundaries and stop being afraid of 'grown up' books and 'classics' (albeit a modern classic!)
So The Handmaid's Tale is set in the 1980s in what was formerly known as the USA. It is told through the eyes of Offred (meaning 'of Fred', or that, she belongs to Fred) who is a young woman forced to work as a 'handmaid'. Society as we know it has broken down and a totalitarianism Christian cult have take over the running of affairs and they are intolerant to many human rights we know and take for granted. Environmental problems means much of the world is intoxicated by poisonous radiation which is affecting fertility.
Women are considered the property of men or the servants of men, useful only for menial tasks, servitude and having babies. The upper class women escape some of this though many of them are infertile and typically a household consists of an infertile couple, who have servant women to work in the kitchen/household and a handmaid. A handmaid is kept under strict control and her body is not her own. She is checked for fertility once per month and is expected to have sex with the 'commander' often while his wife is present, to try and get pregnant. The child, if born healthy, which is not commonplace in this intoxicated world, is immediately handed over to the couple and she is expected to move on and serve in a different household.
If she does not successfully produce a baby after a number of years, she will be sent off to the 'Colonies' which are dire places, where toxic waste needs dealing with. People sent to the colonies have a life expectancy of 2-3 years.
We follow Offred through her placement with the Commander and his household and she tells her story of her new humiliating life and she gives us flashbacks along the way of how she remembers her life before, when she loved, and when she was a mother. We gradually get to see the events that led to this totalitarian state and how things unfolded and how she adapted.
Atwood has a flat style at times and my main criticism of the book is that the scene setting is lacking and is a little 2-dimensional. However, I believe this is partially intentional, it adds to the grey, drab atmosphere and highlights how frightening society has become.
I was absolutely gripped from start to finish. I read most of this book with my teeth clenched and my eyes wide. I loved how Atwood teases you with snippets of flashbacks and I was desperate throughout the books for more information about how Offred came to find herself in this situation.
The ending, is fantastic and unique in style... don't do as I did - I nearly dismissed the final chapters, thinking they were an appendix or acknowledgements!
I'm no longer afraid of 'classics' or 'grown up' books, and I'll be adding more Atwood to my 'to read' list in future!
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Cream of tomato soup, NOT courtesy of Mr Heinz
My 'January soup month' has kicked off now. Today I wanted to re-create my children's favourite shop-bought soup, and I've been looking for the perfect recipe for a few days.
I couldn't find one which was exactly right, so I checked various measurements and volume ratios and made my own.
Cream of tomato soup
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 sticks of celery
4 x 400g tins of good quality chopped tomatoes.
1 litre of stock (I used Marigold)
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
300g double cream
handful of torn basil leaves(optional)
Cook the onion, garlic and celery in some oil until softened. Add the tinned tomatoes and the stock and cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the sugar, vinegar and seasoning and stir well. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Add the basil leaves, if using. Pour a few ladles at a time, into a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour back into the pan and reheat if needed.
And of course, you need some nice bread to go with it! We had either spelt and pumpkin seed or French stick.
Perfect winter food!
I couldn't find one which was exactly right, so I checked various measurements and volume ratios and made my own.
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 sticks of celery
4 x 400g tins of good quality chopped tomatoes.
1 litre of stock (I used Marigold)
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
300g double cream
handful of torn basil leaves(optional)
Cook the onion, garlic and celery in some oil until softened. Add the tinned tomatoes and the stock and cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the sugar, vinegar and seasoning and stir well. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Add the basil leaves, if using. Pour a few ladles at a time, into a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour back into the pan and reheat if needed.
And of course, you need some nice bread to go with it! We had either spelt and pumpkin seed or French stick.
Perfect winter food!
Friday, 3 January 2014
A slog of a jog into 2014
I went out for a run yesterday (2 January 2014), my first run of the year. My running habit has slipped recently and I have not been going out as frequently or running as far. So new year, new challenges and all that. (Oh yes, new blog too!)
So I ran 3.8 miles with my my running pal, Ang. We wheezed and groaned and huffed and puffed. But it's done.
I've marked my calendar with my running schedule for the month. All feels a bit uphill at the moment, but once I have a few weeks of running three times per week under my belt, then I know it will all get easier and pleasant again.
I have a few Christmas lbs to shift, so I declared it January Soup Month in this house. Recipes will doubtlessly follow....I just need a few more tubs in which to store my wares....
Carrot and Leek Soup
500g carrots
500g leeks
2 sticks of celery
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1.5 - 2 litres of stock (pref Marigold)
dash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce or balsamic vinegar
seasoning
Cook the vegetables in 25g of butter and a splash of oil, until softened. Add the stock and cook with the lid on for another 10 minutes or so.
Blend a few ladle's at a time and put back in the pan. Season to taste with Worcestershire sauce and salt/pepper.
So I ran 3.8 miles with my my running pal, Ang. We wheezed and groaned and huffed and puffed. But it's done.
I've marked my calendar with my running schedule for the month. All feels a bit uphill at the moment, but once I have a few weeks of running three times per week under my belt, then I know it will all get easier and pleasant again.
I have a few Christmas lbs to shift, so I declared it January Soup Month in this house. Recipes will doubtlessly follow....I just need a few more tubs in which to store my wares....
Carrot and Leek Soup
500g carrots
500g leeks
2 sticks of celery
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1.5 - 2 litres of stock (pref Marigold)
dash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce or balsamic vinegar
seasoning
Cook the vegetables in 25g of butter and a splash of oil, until softened. Add the stock and cook with the lid on for another 10 minutes or so.
Blend a few ladle's at a time and put back in the pan. Season to taste with Worcestershire sauce and salt/pepper.
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