Red lentil and caramelised onion soup

I should have mentioned in the title that this soup also has a winter favourite, pumpkin.

I made this last week and ate it for three days! It perfectly matched the chilly weather we've been having. I swear this past weekend I achieved nothing except for the usual mundane house jobs. I am not sure if it actually stopped raining on Saturday. Perfect for lazing, with or without pyjamas all day, with the heating on to keep from freezing our tits off! 

We've just bought a Nintendo Switch gaming system for the kids of course, but I did waste a few hours playing Super Mario Odyssey. I am well and truly sucked in, and cannot wait to get my hands on Donkey Kong Country.

When Jake was a boy, he'd go off to school and I would sit and play with his Nintendo gameboy. Pokemon was my game of choice. I loved it.

Then when he was a little older, I would sit in his bedroom and play Doom on playstation when he was at school! 

Here I was thinking my gaming days were over!

Back to the soup...It's nice and thick so will stick to your ribs and keep you satisfied. I reserved some of the caramelised onions and used them for garnish, with toasted pumpkin seeds and feta cheese for some more flavour. 

I must say I forgot about the pumpkin seeds when they were toasting in the oven, as you do. I saved them just in the nick of time, they were crunchy and nutty, without having that obvious burnt taste. Don't forget to check your pumpkin seeds!

 Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups cubed pumpkin
5 cups water or veggie stock
375 gr bag of red lentils(McKenzies)
feta cheese, for garnish
toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish(about a tablespoon per bowl)

How to cook your soup:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10-15 minutes until soft and a light golden brown. Remove just under half of the onions into a bowl and set aside for the final garnish. 

Add the cumin, coriander and garlic to the saucepan with remaining onions and stir for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin, water and lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for about 20 minutes, until the lentil are soft.

Use a stick blender to blend the soup.

When serving garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, caramelised onion and broken up feta cheese.

If it wasn't so cold outside, I probably would have gone outside to get some fresh herbs to sprinkle on top, parsley, mint or coriander would be nice.

If you like a bit of heat, some chilli oil drizzled on top too.

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Winter soup inspiration

With winter due to make it's entrance at the end of the week, it's gets me thinking about soup. Gorgeous, warming, comforting hugs in a bowl.

Dunno about you, but it's starting to cool down a bit here, mainly in the nights and mornings. The winds are blowing through straight from the antarctic, with a numbing chill. The heating is on more often than not. Can I just crawl up in a ball and hide until spring?

Any day that has me reaching for a scarf or cardi (that's a cardigan, not a Kath and Kim chardonnay), makes me crave comfort food. I've posted a few soup recipes in my time here, so here's a recap for inspiration,  just incase you've been thinking about soup too.



Broccoli and stilton soup

Cauliflower soup  

Thai chicken noodle soup

Leek, bacon and potato soup

Red lentil and sweet potato soup

Chickeny lentil soup

For more comforting winter warmers make sure you have a look at my other recipe blog posts.

Follow me on instagram to see my #onemotherkitchen posts

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Kale pesto.

Yes boring old kale. 

I think there's a few people who are over it, who would rather eat an old boot.

When I planted kale, I did so with good intentions. Despite the plants growing magnificently and looking good, I have hardly used it. But in the last few weeks, that has changed and I have come to appreciate it a little more.

I don't have photographic evidence of the fantastic Colcannon mash potatoes I made using kale and cabbage from my veggie patch, but it was surprisingly good! 

I found a great recipe for soup on a packet of McKenzie's yellow split peas, which usually uses spinach. Don't have any of that, but what I did have in the old plot was silverbeet and you guessed it, Kale! It was delicious, and with this woeful autumn weather we're having, it went down a treat. For one. No one else in the house has the appreciation for soup like I do....so I eat it for days when I do make it. Plus I got to use the last of my basil pesto with it. 

Did I tell you it was 14 degrees yesterday? Soup weather right there. I treated myself to some fluffy slippers, last shopping day. Early mother's day present (she says with a nod of the head). It's keeping my toes warm in the mornings.

I wrote down a recipe for kale pesto in my scrap recipe book, because as I mentioned, I planted it with good intentions, the same reason I wrote the recipe down, I actually made it and it was good.

I made more soup, a couple days ago, which yes, I am still eating. There's one bowl left for lunch today, which I will be eating with kale pesto and a drizzle of chilli oil.

On Saturday night we had roast lamb, and the kale pesto was AMAZING on the meat. It is very similar to a salsa verde, or green sauce ('verde' being Spanish for green, and 'salsa' for sauce), which is awesome with roasted meats. You should try it.

I'll be making this pesto again for sure! The original recipe did not have pumpkin seeds included, it's up to you if you put them in. I am going to try it with walnuts next time, which are in season at the moment and on our last foraging trip around the place, found a tree to raid!

I keep it in the fridge, and usually add a layer of olive oil to the top. 

Kale pesto

1 cup torn kale, stems removed
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 cup parsley
2 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Process to your desired consistency and enjoy!

I've just planted this purple variety in the garden 

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Thai chicken noodle soup - eat #fmy52weeksofmemories

 

Through Best Recipes' Best in Basket, I sampled two Campbell's Real soup bases. The Thai flavour and Spanish flavour.

 

Campbell's Thai soup is chicken stock infused with fish sauce, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, garlic, coriander and chilli. All you need to make tasty Thai soups.

There is a couple of recipes provided on the packaging, including one for Thai chicken noodle soup, which I made and really enjoyed!

Campbell's Spanish soup base is a vegetable based stock with added flavours of smoked paprika (I love this spice), capsicum, garlic, onion and tomato.

I made a Spanish and chorizo rice dish with this one, and a minestrone type soup. The Spanish soup base packaging provided a couple of recipes to make as well.

A Spanish bacon and vegetable soup. This was made with McKenzies soup mix and the
Campbell's Spanish real soup base

I much preferred the Thai soup base though and will buy it again to make Thai soups. It is really easy to impress your friends and family, and spoil yourself, not to mention it just tastes good.

Thai chicken noodle soup

50 grams vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon oil
500 gr chicken breast, sliced thinly
1 litre Campbell's Real soup base
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
65 grams snow peas, sliced thinly into strips
1/2 red capsicum, slice thinly into strips
a wedge of lime
fresh coriander leaves

Soak noodles in warm water.

Heat oil , add the sliced chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the soup base and bring to the boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the drained noodles, carrot, snow peas and capsicum. Cook for a further five minutes.

Serve with a wedge of lime and fresh coriander leaves. If you'd like a little extra heat, garnish with thinly sliced chilli.

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Broccoli and stilton soup

You can beat finding absolute bargains at the supermarket. While doing my last big shop, I bought two packets of Stilton cheese. At their usual price they were $10.98 each, I could not leave them there for $1.10 each. They were swiftly put in the freezer upon arriving home.

Being an imperfect housewife, I still had a head of broccoli in the bottom of the fridge that was threatening to turn a lovely shade of yellow. The only thing I could think of to use it all at once, was soup.

The weather goes up and down like a yo-yo here in the south at the moment. This particular day, like today, was around 16 degrees. Yesterday it was 28! So soup is still acceptably on the menu, for me anyway. 

Izzy even had a go at the broccoli soup (without the cheese). Shock of all shocks, she enjoyed it. Win, win.

It wasn't until I was about delve into it's warmth, that I remembered the cheese in the freezer. I chopped a bit off and garnished the soup with it. It was heaven.

Stilton cheese isn't for everyone. It one of the 'blue' cheeses, or stinky cheeses and not loved by all!

I must blog my caramelised onion, stilton and rocket flatbread soon. It is delicious, so will be given a spin in the kitchen again in the near future.

Broccoli soup with Stilton cheese

1 head of broccoli, chopped, stalk and all
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
half and onion, or a small onion, chopped
2 bacon rashers, chopped
1 large, or two medium potatoes, chopped
about 5 cups of water

Gently fry onion, garlic and bacon in olive oil, until onion is soft.

Add broccoli and potato, then add water to just barely cover the veggies. You may not need all five cups of water. It is better to add too little, than too much, as you might end up with a watery soup. I like my soup thick. If it is too thick for your liking, you can always add a bit more water or even milk to make it a bit more creamier. The potatoes however give it a creaminess.

Bring to the boil, then simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

Blitz with a stick blender, or however you blitz your soup.

Serve in a bowl with a tablespoon of crumbled Stilton cheese scattered on top.

Yummo. I love the way the cheese melts through the hot soup :)

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Pumpkin soup with some spice and a coconut twist

I've been feeling exceptionally shit lately. My anxiety is dreadful at the moment, and I am struggling.

I am recognising that I am eating my emotions and have stacked on the weight. The last few days I have made a pact with myself to move more, and stop binging on crap. I need to drink more water too.

In February I started #flourishinfebruary. For the month I posted three things that went well every day. When February was over I stopped. I shouldn't have stopped, although it's been in the back of my mind ever since. 

In an anxious mind, it's easy to let the trivial shit take over. It takes a lot of mental energy to keep an even keel. Especially when I don't have a lot of understanding, emotional support. So I am going to start doing that again. I found the feedback very supportive.

One way I like to keep busy is cooking stuff. I did that yesterday. Izzy actually did me a huge favour, she put the radio on. I made pumpkin soup, potato bake and a chocolate cake. I really enjoyed doing it with some music. Why don't I do that more?

I've gotten out in the garden the last couple of days too and have realised just how unfit I am. I need to look after me a bit better. I am worthy. My kids are worthy, of a healthy, happy mum. At the moment I am not happy and not healthy. I am not being the best me.

My future if I don't look after myself, is certain diabetes. It would not surprise me if I am knocking on it's door to tell the truth.

I made this for lunch yesterday. It turned out great so I'm sharing the recipe.

This makes heaps. Feel free to halve the recipe.

I served it with a dollop of plain yogurt, some chilli oil and fresh coriander. It's very tasty.

If you don't have chilli oil, add a little with the other spices at the start. 

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander stalks*
1 x 165 ml tin of coconut milk (I used Pandaroo Lite)
1 kilo of peeled and chopped pumpkin
4-5 cups of water or stock, to cover pumpkin

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion and celery. Fry until softened.

Add garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, turmeric and garam masala, and stir for a minute. Pour in coconut milk, stir and add water.

Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes.

Take off the heat and blitz with a stick blender.

Serve.

*When I buy fresh coriander from the supermarket, I freeze the leftover stalks and roots. You could plant some in the garden. Right now is a good time.

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A free autumn harvest and some soup.

With the early rain in autumn and days, that are slightly warmed by the suns rays, mushroom spores are brought to life in the soil.

Mushrooms are springing up from the ground, in our favourite foraging grounds.

I like to think they are secret, but there is no doubt, other people know about them too.

I never forget the time, as we drove home from Brett's brothers house, on Mayurra Road. He was driving and I was just gazing out the window, probably mesmerized by the wind towers in the distance. A lot of white patches caught my eye, before I could utter the words, Brett asks, "Did you see what I just saw?". Immediately the car wa pulled over on the white metal road, and we pile out, the girls too, and walk over to the biggest ring of mushies I have ever seen. That was two years ago, probably around the same time of year too.

I can vaguely remember a pile of rubble sitting in the same spot in years past. Where a farmer has scoured the paddock and deposited the rocks by the roadside. I can only guess, thousands of mushroom spores were dumped along with it. When the rocks were finally taken away the spores remained, creating a huge ring of future mushroom harvests.

We aren't complaining.

One mushroom I haven't cooked for myself, is the Slippery Jack. They are found growing around pine trees. I do have vague memories collecting them with my parents with their Italian friends, around the pine plantations around Kalangadoo, where I grew up. Very vague memories of eating them too.

Mum tells me they cook them up with garlic and some vinegar. This is how I remember eating them. From memory, I didn't mind them. I think I just liked eating all the Italian food, and generally liked the Italian ladies. I went missing one day, and Mum found me sitting on one of the Italian ladies' toilet, just down the street.

Mum had already told me to look for them down the road from her place in town. There are pine trees that line the drain, running down beside Belt Road and Fifth Street. The community garden is on Fifth Street, along one side, is flanked by the pine trees. There are Slippery Jacks everywhere! Mum has told me several times before to not take the ones growing on wood, only ones growing in the dirt.
I did take the ones I picked, to show her before I ate them. I would strongly advise you not to eat any mushroom you are in doubt about. EVER!

Slippery Jacks are named for the slippery skins after the rain. Once I'd peeled the top (apparently the skin can give you the runs, I guess the sliminess just goes straight through!), I washed the dirt off the underneath.  They were a bit dirty and when washed the spongy underneath, became quite soggy and had absorbed a lot of water, so I removed the spongy bit. It came away easily.

What you are left with is perfect mushroom goodness.

I have to be in the mood to eat cooked foraged mushrooms. The smaller, younger mushies aren't too bad, but the bigger ones really have an acquired taste. I was so glad this soup turned out great. There have been times I have made it and not been overjoyed by it. The Slippery Jacks don't really have a heap of flavour, so I guess it evened out the strong taste of the foraged field mushies.

I am going back to pick more mushies when I get the chance. I have a hankering for some creamy mushroom pasta. But in the meantime I made soup.

If you are not feeding an army, or want to be eating mushroom soup, til the cows come home, feel free to halve the recipe. You could always freeze the soup for Ron (later on).

You will need:
1 kg of mushrooms, sliced (I used half field and half slipperies. You could use ones from the non- nature supermarket. All good)
25 grams of butter
1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves garlic  (use less if you are not me, or not)
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon thyme, or 1 teaspoon of mixed dry herbs*
1 litre of water or stock**
1/2 cup cream

Place butter, oil and garlic over medium heat in a large saucepan.

Add mushrooms and stir well. Saute for about 10 minutes, until the juices have evaporated.

Stir through flour for 1 minute.

Add stock, thyme and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add cream, turn off the heat and serve.

I loved this with some garlicky toast and a sprinkling of chopped chives. You could use garlic bread.



* I dry my own fresh herbs from the garden in a little posie. When dry, chop up the leaves and keep in a sealed jar in the pantry. Good for sprinkling in and on everything, from roasts,  baked spuds or adding to casseroles.

** I just use water if I don't have stock. A good way to make easy stock, is to add water to the pan after a roast and let it sit. Scoop off the fat, when it is cold, and keep the water. Easy, freezable, flavoursome, stock. Not gourmet, but better than nothin'.
On this same double star thingy. If you get impatient after ten minutes, and there is a bit of water to be evaporated, bung in the flour and use three quarters of a cup of stock.



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Last hoorah at the swimming lake for 2015

It's the start of the second week of school holidays here in South Australia. The first week seemed to fly by with a wink of an eye. I can see this week passing just as quick.

We stayed in Pelican Point over the weekend. We have our first guests staying there this coming weekend, so I have to go back this week sometime to make all the beds and give it a once over. Bit exciting. It had only been on Stayz for a day, and who would have thunk anyone would want to come and stay in Pelican Point! 

There's actually a few holiday houses in Pelican Point and Carpenter Rocks.

It rained all day Saturday and yesterday was a top of 14 degrees. The cold weather has really snuck in. I made a pot of my celery and potato soup, but put some sweet potato in as well. It was awesome with a drizzle of chilli oil and paprika.

We got a couple of days of around 25 degrees last week, a heat wave! The girls wanted to head down the lake. I thought they were a bit mad, but went anyway. We were the only ones of a few who did. The kids had a ball, I was glad we went down there for one last hoorah for this year.

The lake is usually open from November to March, but the council opened it up in October last year and have left it open longer this year. It was good to see tourists there swimming and a man turn up in a wetsuit, swimming cap and goggles for a few laps.

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Celery and potato soup

I knew I felt like soup for lunch. The days are getting pretty cool in the south east of South Australia. It's feeling very much like comfort food weather, soup weather. 

I'd ducked into the supermarket, there greeting me as I walked in, were bunches of celery for one whole dollar. Yes please! 

I came home and made soup for lunch, and it was choice!

The leftover celery I wrapped in alfoil, and kept in the fridge. I saw this tip on Facebook a while ago, and it really works. The celery stays crisp for a couple of weeks. 

It's probably one of the top veggies that gets chucked out, because it never gets used up before it goes all limp and boring.

You can slice it up and freeze it for later use, in casseroles and soups. Better than chucking money away.

When I was a kid, I loved it spread with peanut butter. I can't bring my kids to love it though, they've never been big lovers of peanut butter. Celery they do love to crunch on though. At least it is one veggie I know Izzy will eat. Fresh anyway, she is not a cooked veggie lover. She'll only eat cooked corn cobs, that's it. It's a good thing she likes her veggies raw and crunchy, as I'd never get her to eat them. She would never go for this soup.  

So. I had two bowls for lunch.....

Celery and potato soup

1 tablespoon of butter
1 onion, sliced
1 large potato, or 2 small ones
5 big stalks of celery
700 mls water or veggie stock
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper

Place the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion, potato and celery for 5 minutes.

Add the water/stock and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Puree the soup in a blender or with a stick blender. 

Put the saucepan of soup back on the heat, add the milk. Stir to warm through the milk. Season with salt and pepper. 

Serving suggestions 

• Serve with crispy bacon or pancetta
• A sprinkle of paprika and blue cheese(pictured)
• crusty bread
• drizzled with chilli oil

Do you love your veggies fresh and crunchy, or cooked? 
Did you ever have celery with peanut butter?

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Lentil soup from leftovers

There is one thing that my family know. If there's any left over meat from a pork roast, the next day they'd be getting fried rice. It's my favourite go to recipe for pork leftovers.

There is a new thing, they will too, come to know. 

After a roast chook, they can bet their bottom dollar, there will be chickeny lentil soup on the stove the next day!

You will need:

1 leftover roast chook carcass. If there is stuffing, remove it. 

Place chicken carcass in a large saucepan, and if there is any left over meat chuck that in too. Add in a couple of litres of water.

Cover and simmer for half an hour. Remove carcass and any meat and let cool. Pick any meat that is still on the bones into a bowl, cover with cling wrap and put in the fridge. Put the stock in the fridge too.

The next day, strain the liquid into a bowl.  You will need about 6 cups for the soup. Freeze any leftover chicken stock for something else. More soup, or rice, whatevs.

Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped finely
2 celery stalks, chopped finely
1 375 gram packet of green lentils, rinsed and drained
6 cups of chicken stock.
handful of fresh parsley, chopped 

Heat oil in a large saucepan, gently fry garlic, onion and celery for 5 minutes.
Add any chicken meat, stock, parsley and lentils. Season with pepper only. Do not add salt at this stage, it prevents the lentils from softening or something like that. It's a thing.
Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Season with salt to taste.

Eat.

.....oOo.....

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Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

I made this soup last Friday. I had one of those cook-up days; muffins, soup and stir fry. Good comfort cooking on a freezing cold day.

I shared my soup on social media, Instagram first, then shared it to Facebook(or Facey, as I like to call it). Endearing isn't it, even though Facey isn't giving us bloggers much love back. I also try to remember to share it to Google+.

I had a conversation with someone a couple of weeks ago about Facebook, they had no idea of my over-sharing tendencies. I didn't flaunt the fact either. You might call it 'not sticking up for myself'. I call it 'I don't like unnecessary confrontation'.

They said they didn't have time for people on FB sharing what they had for dinner. She didn't have time for it.

Fair enough. Each to their own.

I had a similar conversation with a library lady about food blogs in general. She was unbeknown to my blogging tendencies and commented that she found people that shared what they eat, boring.

I do feel kinda bad that I don't stick up for us bloggers in those situations. But if they don't like it, who am I to try convert them. I think I will just come across as some sort of blog pusher. If it's not their thing, it's not their thing.

So I will continue to be boring virtuous, no matter what they think and flaunt my #onemotherhenkitchen exploits, loudly and proudly, as boring to some as it may be. If you are one of those people, fark you(just quietly). I don't like confrontation, remember.

I think I am being inspiring. I inspire people to cook, just simple home cooked stuff, with simple yummy ingredients to make a decent meal. At least that's what I hope someone takes from my boring blogging.

To tell the truth, the more of my recipes I blog, the more I am finding I use my blog as my own personal cookbook.

I have my laptop on the bench top all the time! Unless the kids are using it for Youtube, I find myself googling my own recipes, instead of getting my hand written book of recipes out. Totally convenient. Just maybe when my kids are older they will google one of their mum's recipes too.

Because I am not above using rude words, I am often calling something that tastes good, Yum-ch-arse. If it is extremely good, you will find me licking the plate(only in the comfort of my own home though), however I am totally tempted when out for dinner. If you see me scraping the plate with my knife to get all the flavour off the plate, you can be sure I am attempting to lick the plate with poise.

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

1 x 375 gram packet of dry red lentils, rinsed
1 sweet potato, chopped into 2cm cubes(I left the skin on, it's up to you whether you peel it)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 coriander roots and stems
1.5 litres of water, or stock

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, fry the onion, garlic, celery, coriander roots and stalks until soft on a medium heat. Add the coriander powder and cook for a minute.

Throw in the lentils, sweet potato and water. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Blend with a stick blender. Serve.

I have garnished with chilli oil, greek yogurt and flat leaf parsley(you can use coriander if you have it). Yumcharse! :D

As a footnote, this is one of the photos and tips I've shared on Instagram. These are the leftover roots and stems of store bought coriander. I chucked them in the freezer to use in soups and casseroles. Flavour that would have otherwise been chucked in the chook scraps, or in the bin.

Don't say I don't give you the hot tips! ;P

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The house of sick

I've been knocked over with the sick. In fact, all of us in the last week have been knocked for six with sick. I am just a bit over it. A fine welcome to winter.

I noted yesterday, about lunch time, that while Brett, Izzy and I were crook, Summer was happy, singing, dancing and full of beans. 

By tea time she was tired, hot and fell asleep before she had any dinner. We were at mums. On the way home, to dose her up on Panadol, she spewed all over herself and the car seat. She fell asleep straight away. I armed myself with disinfectant and cleaned the car.

She spewed because of the fever. Thankfully it is not gastro. We have been so lucky in this household, that gastro hasn't taken hold, yet. Apparently it's going around.

Double thankful, that Brett and I got a night away on Friday amidst the sickness. We had a nice night out at an Egyptian restaurant and a motel stay in Mt Gambier. We didn't end up seeing a movie, opted for the heated pool and spa! 

Motel room selfie, fighting fit!

We've all just had a cold. It just affects all of us differently. Of course Brett seems to have contracted it in it's deadliest form.

Mine is all in my sinuses.

Izzys was in her chest, coughing and stubborn phlegm.

It seems to have hit Summer like a ton of bricks. Poor mite, I do hope she wakes up happy.

I decided to make some flu killer soup for lunch yesterday. I am hopeful the four onions, six garlic cloves, three hot chillies, cumin, turmeric, ground coriander and a knob of ginger are enough to fight it. I used some leftover BBQ chicken, a small head of broccoli(and the stalk chopped up) with a couple of mushrooms.  It really wasn't bad soup.

Hoping you don't have to make it actually!

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