soup Archives - Page 3 of 3

Every time I talk about rains in my posts, it is followed by comfort food. Today is no different. It has rained all of this week keeping us indoors, craving for some fresh air. The little sunshine that followed almost tricked me into believing that the weather has improved and twice I found myself caught in the middle of a heavy downpour, racing home to save my head.

In such situations, I have learnt to treasure a warm bowl of soup. Especially the ones which make a meal by itself. More importantly, the ones that come together quickly. This Asian flavoured soup has no added fats…the chicken dumplings are put together in minutes and poached in the broth. I did tell you how much I rely on minced meat or chicken to come up with simple and quick meals. While I am making the dumplings, the noodles gets cooked on another burner…drain, rinse and add to the broth. That simple. The flavours are gorgeous..ginger-y…so refreshing and warm.

If you are sharing this with children, remove the chillies. Add them separately to your meal like I do. If you find the mince mixture too soft to shape into dumplings, add a tbsp of rice flour. The dumplings cook pretty fast. Take care not to overcook them. 3-4 minutes on either side should do. You can break open one to check. If cooked correctly, they will be juicy and soft. Kecap Manis is a sweet Indonesian Soya Sauce..if not available at hand, you can use equal measures of regular soya sauce and palm sugar or honey. Bok Choy also referred to as Chinese cabbage is extensively used in Asian cuisine. If you do not have access to it, substitute with spring onions, basil or coriander.

Ginger and Chilli Chicken Dumpling Soup
Serves 4

For the dumplings
400 g chicken mince
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 egg white (small)
a handful, coriander leaves, finely chopped

For the broth
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp red chillies, finely sliced
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp Kecap Manis
Salt to taste

To Serve
Noodles (Udon or rice noodles cooked as per instructions on the pack..I used Udon Noodles)
4 baby Bok Choy, leaves separated
Extra red chillies, to serve

Prepare the noodles following packet directions or until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, place the chicken, egg white, ginger, coriander and sweet chilli sauce together in a bowl. Using wet hands shape a tablespoon of mixture into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture.

Place the stock, lime juice, Kecap Manis, ginger, sliced chilli, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the chicken balls gradually and cook turning once in between (3-4 minutes on each side) or until cooked through.

Add the Bok Choy to the pan and cook for 30 seconds or until Bok Choy just wilts. Divide the noodles and dumpling soup among serving bowls. Garnish with extra chillies. Serve immediately.

Have you ever experienced Nature at such close range that it almost becomes overwhelming..in a comforting sort of way? Walked on a carpet painted red by none but Nature itself? Tasted a juicy, sun-ripened fruit picked straight off the tree?

I have not…..

Until now..

A drive to the beautiful countryside with breathtaking views. Signs of an approaching autumn. A lovely weekend afternoon spent in the company of good friends, lots of sunshine and …apple trees. The kids danced with joy, running through the orchard. They set themselves to work, plucking apples and racing back to show their precious little pick. We loved their enthusiasm.

I am over the moon as I share some sweet news with you. We are now the owner of an apple tree. Sounds weird..? Its true! We adopted our little tree.. a small step to support the Australian farmers, our way of acknowledging our gratitude for food and where it comes from.. Most importantly we did it for the boys…to teach them to appreciate God’s beautiful creation, to learn to care for the environment. Apple lovers, you are now assured of a number of of apple recipes coming your way in forthcoming posts.

I knew what I was going to bake that evening.

A apple and blackberry cake has been on my mind for a while. I couldn’t have got a better opportunity than this.

We had a Parsnip and Apple soup and Fish Tacos with Apple and Avocado salsa for dinner. Light and easy.

The soup is our current favourite. The earthy flavor of parsnip along with the tart- sweet apple makes a lovely pairing. Plus onion, garlic..cannot go wrong. Some fresh chives and cinnamon croutons. A hearty comforting dish to sit together and enjoy.

I did think of a carrot, ginger, apple soup. But I would be accused of posting ginger recipes every time. I hope to post that soon for another wonderful variation.

The fish tacos were easy to put together. A few spices, red chillis and lime. I love Mexican food but am not a fan of Guacamole. In fact I don’t like anything that is mashed up. I enjoy having food with different textures hence a avocado-apple salsa sounded great. And tasted great too. Spicy fish..a sweet-sour salsa..a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

The kids kept talking about the apple trees till they fell asleep while I went through the pictures over and over again. I wanted to pick up the phone and call family and friends to share our beautiful experience. But then I realised, they could live the entire experience on the blog. Yes, I am a blogger now..and a proud one.

Sometimes, simple things in life bring you the biggest pleasures.

Apple tree, I can’t wait to go back to you!

Apple-Blackberry Cake (adapted with a slight variation from Martha Stewart)
Yields a 8 inch round cake

Granulated sugar, for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 apples (I used Red delicious), peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges
1 cup blackberries
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Butter a 8-inch springform pan, and dust with granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together melted butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, the milk, and eggs in another bowl. Whisk into flour mixture.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Arrange apple wedges over batter, and sprinkle with blackberries. Gently press fruit into batter. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and the cinnamon, and sprinkle over fruit. Dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake until top is dark gold, apples are tender, and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool. Serve with whipped cream if desired

Parsnip and Apple Soup

Serves 4

3 medium Parsnips

1 tart-sweet apple

1/2 Onion

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoon Butter

750 ml milk (I used whole milk)

1/2 cup single cream

Salt

Ground white pepper

To serve

Fresh chopped chives

Cinnamon croutons (recipe below)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

Peel and quarter the parsnips, ensuring you remove any woody centres. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, then peel, core and quarter the apples.Heat the butter in a heavy-based saucepan until it starts to foam. Add the onions and garlic and cook gently without browning for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsnips and apples and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes .

Pour in the milk to cover the ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until the parsnips are tender.

Remove the parsnip and apple soup from the heat and pour in the cream

Purée the parsnip and apple soup in a liquidizer, then pass it through a fine sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper then serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese,chives and Cinnamon croutons. Add a dash of olive oil.

Cinnamon Croutons

2 slices wholegrain bread

1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Slice the bread into cubes, drizzle with cinnamon and olive oil. Toast in the oven.