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Recipes for the cold
Jun. 22nd, 2019 07:18 pm Since it has been so cold and damp here lately...
This soup will stick to your ribs:
Lentil and bean soup
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot diced
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 tsp minced ginger
3 large stalks of kale
1 litre 'beef style' vegetable stock
3 400 gms cans of beans, lentils, chickpeas etc, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dried red lentils
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chilli/cayenne pepper (or more if you have an asbestos mouth)
Olive oil
There's a bit of 'as you like it' with this soup. You can use any combo of beans or lentils you like or happen to have lying around. Tonight I used 1 can each of butter beans, brown lentils and chickpeas. You could use cannelini beans, or four bean mix, or bkack beans, or whatever. If you don't like kale you could use baby spinach instead, but put it in later, when the soup is nearly finished cooking. I have barely any tolerance for chilli, but you could add more if you have a preference for heat.
Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan and put over a high heat. Add the onion and carrot, saute for a minute or two, then turn down to medium and let it sizzle a bit until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and ginger, stir well, and saute for another minute.
Add the spices, stirring well and cook for another minute or so. Stir in the drained cans of beans and then add the stock. Turn the heat back up to high.
Cut the large white stems out of the kale and slice the curly leaf parts into thin strips. Put the kale in a sieve and rinse well under the tap (it's difficult to wash whole kale properly on account of it being so curly). Add the kale to the soup.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the red lentils and simmer for another 15 mins or until the red lentils are soft and transparent. Eat with some nice crusty bread.
And not just for the cold, but when you have a cold:
Honey and lemon drink
Squeeze half a lemon into a 300ml cup. Add a tablespoon (ish) of honey, and fill the cup with hot but not boiling water (I usually set my kettle for 80C). Stir until the honey is dissolved then do a quick taste test (since some lemons are juicier or sharper than others). You want to be able to taste the lemon but not make that puckery 'oh this is sour' face. Now add some brandy. If I am making this for the kids I only put in 2tsp. For me, maybe double that. Stir again and drink while warm. This is great for coughs and tickly throats. Do not ignore the brandy (although you could potentially substitute some other spirit I make no guarantees for efficacy or taste if you do).
This soup will stick to your ribs:
Lentil and bean soup
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot diced
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 tsp minced ginger
3 large stalks of kale
1 litre 'beef style' vegetable stock
3 400 gms cans of beans, lentils, chickpeas etc, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dried red lentils
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chilli/cayenne pepper (or more if you have an asbestos mouth)
Olive oil
There's a bit of 'as you like it' with this soup. You can use any combo of beans or lentils you like or happen to have lying around. Tonight I used 1 can each of butter beans, brown lentils and chickpeas. You could use cannelini beans, or four bean mix, or bkack beans, or whatever. If you don't like kale you could use baby spinach instead, but put it in later, when the soup is nearly finished cooking. I have barely any tolerance for chilli, but you could add more if you have a preference for heat.
Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan and put over a high heat. Add the onion and carrot, saute for a minute or two, then turn down to medium and let it sizzle a bit until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and ginger, stir well, and saute for another minute.
Add the spices, stirring well and cook for another minute or so. Stir in the drained cans of beans and then add the stock. Turn the heat back up to high.
Cut the large white stems out of the kale and slice the curly leaf parts into thin strips. Put the kale in a sieve and rinse well under the tap (it's difficult to wash whole kale properly on account of it being so curly). Add the kale to the soup.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the red lentils and simmer for another 15 mins or until the red lentils are soft and transparent. Eat with some nice crusty bread.
And not just for the cold, but when you have a cold:
Honey and lemon drink
Squeeze half a lemon into a 300ml cup. Add a tablespoon (ish) of honey, and fill the cup with hot but not boiling water (I usually set my kettle for 80C). Stir until the honey is dissolved then do a quick taste test (since some lemons are juicier or sharper than others). You want to be able to taste the lemon but not make that puckery 'oh this is sour' face. Now add some brandy. If I am making this for the kids I only put in 2tsp. For me, maybe double that. Stir again and drink while warm. This is great for coughs and tickly throats. Do not ignore the brandy (although you could potentially substitute some other spirit I make no guarantees for efficacy or taste if you do).
