Red Lentil, Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

This soup is very simple to make, but very tasty. You can serve it as a starter, but is substantial enough for a main course served with warm pita bread and a side salad. It may also benefit from some garlic croutons or something crunchy to contrast with the smooth texture of the soup.

1 bulb of garlic
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 cups red lentils
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
2 bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 tsp ground cumin (or more to taste)
1 tsp ground coriander (or more to taste)
1 14 ounce can tomatoes

Wrap the bulb of garlic in foil and roast in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes until garlic is soft. Cut the bottom off, and squeeze the garlic out.

Add all ingredients above in a large pot and cover with water until it's 2 to 3 inches above the vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Carrots should be soft enough that they can be mashed against the side of the pot with a fork. Remove from heat, and remove ginger, thyme sprig and bay leaves from the soup. Let the soup cool for about 10 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until it is a smooth consistency. (You could also blend in a blender in small batches.) If it is too thick, you can add more water. Add juice of 1/2 lemon and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Black Currant and Nectarine Crisp

We had a bunch of black currants given to us that we needed to use up. I didn't like any of the recipes I found, so I made my own. I only put 1/4 cup of sugar in the fruit mix, and it was still very tart. You'll probably need at least 1/2 cup, but maybe more, depending on how tart/sweet you like it.

Filling:
3 cups Black Currants
3 nectarines, diced
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Crisp:
1 1/4 cups rolled oats (I used porridge oats)
1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 ounces butter, diced

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish, and preheat oven to 180 Celsius/350 F. In casserole dish, mix together all ingredients for the filling. In a medium bowl mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then add the butter and rub into the mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Spread crisp mix evenly over the filling. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and crisp is nicely browned.

Serve warm with custard or ice cream if desired.

Mediterranean pita pizzas

I had made a large batch of chickpeas, and didn't know what to do with them all. A couple of night ago, I made some hummus, and then came up with this concoction. I was really tasty. It may take some prep time, but everything can be prepared ahead of time and then assembled last minute. The quantities can vary depending on how many pizzas you make, and how much topping you prefer.

3-5 pocket pitas
1-2 cups hummus (see ingredient note below)
2 bell peppers (any colour)
2 onions, thinly sliced
Mozzarella cheese, grated (or thinly sliced if fresh)
1 small courgette/zucchini
2 plum tomatoes

Caramelize the onions by sauteing over high heat with some olive oil and salt to taste, until soft and golden brown. Roast the peppers by placing under the grill/broiler until the skins have blackened and bubble away from the flesh (alternatively you could use roasted bell peppers from a jar).

Assemble pizzas by spreading desired amount of hummus on the top of the pita bread, then top with onions, peppers, cheese, courgette and tomatoes.

Place in a 200 C/400 F preheated oven, and bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, and courgette is cooked through.

Ingredient Note:
You could use store bought hummus, or prepare your own. I don't have a specific recipe, but they are easy to find. I just do it by taste. I didn't have tahini, so I used natural/plain yogurt instead, and it turned out great.
I place a bunch of chickpeas, some olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh lemon juice, yogurt, cumin powder (about 1-2 tsp), and a dash of cayenne pepper into a food processor and blend until smooth. Then add salt and pepper to taste.

About this blog

I really enjoy cooking, which is a good thing since I have to do it nearly every night for my family. I love healthy food, and recipes from around the world. I am all about cooking good food on a budget, and make things with what I have on hand. Since I don't have a lot of cookery books I tend to make up a lot of my own recipes. However I don't write them downs and then I forget what I've done. I need to keep record of what has worked and what hasn't, and that's why I have started this blog. I'll also include any tips that I find useful, and other favorite recipes I've tried.