5 Vegetable Soup with Fresh Cottage Cheese and Herb Toast

Like me, if you enjoy clear soups with vegetables you will love this one.  My inspiration came from a recipe in BBC Good Food of Pistou Soup. Pistou is basically the French version of the Italian Pesto and it is drizzled over a vegetable soup to finish. I decided to chuck the oil laden pistou and tweaked the soup a bit and gave it a new name! This wholesome soup comprises of 4 green vegetables and potato (hence the name) and is packed with nutrition. Served with fresh cottage cheese and herbs on toast, it is a complete meal!

 

Ingredients

For Soup

Olive Oil 1 tbsp

Celery Sticks 2, peeled and diced

Leek 1 Large, diced

Zucchini 1 large, diced

1 cup frozen peas

Potato 1 large, peeled and diced

Vegetable stock 500 ml

Garlic clove 3, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper (taste)

Basil, a bunch, chopped

For the toast

Fresh Bread

Homemade cottage cheese, that’s been refrigerated

Chopped mixed fresh herbs (dill, parsley, basil etc.)

(I used frozen mixed herbs, but you can substitute with dried Italian herbs too)

Salt and pepper

 

Method

1.      Heat the oil in a casserole and cook the leek and celery until softened. Add the garlic and potatoes.

 

2.      Add the zucchini and the stock. Simmer till the potatoes are just cooked, about 3 – 4 minutes.

3.      Throw in the peas and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes

 

4.      Season with chopped basil and salt and pepper

 

Serve with toasted bread topped with fresh cottage cheese and herbs.

 

Serves 2

Effort level – Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Mango Chicken with Cucumber Couscous

This is one of the simplest recipes to prepare, especially if you have mango chutney handy in your kitchen shelf. Serving the chicken with cucumber couscous completes the meal making it a balanced and healthy.

Ingredients

For the Mango Chicken

1 tbsp Olive oil

Chicken fillets 300gms

3 tbsp Mango Chutney

Chicken Stock/ Chicken bouillon cube made up to 100 ml stock

1 tbsp Fresh Ginger paste

3 Spring Onions, diced

A pinch of Turmeric

Coriander, a handful, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Chili Flakes to taste (I used a teaspoon of chili sambal sauce)

 

 

For the Cucumber Couscous

 

Chicken Stock/ Chicken bouillon cube made up to 200 ml stock

Cucumber , 2 cups of chopped (don’t peel the skin)

Couscous 150gms

Coriander, a handful, chopped

Salt to taste

 

Method

1.      Rub the chicken with salt and pepper and ginger and set aside (while you chop your vegetables and gather the other ingredients, fillets don’t really need to be marinated for long).

 

2.      Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the chicken for a couple of minutes till browned.

3.      Add the mango chutney to the chicken and stir well for a couple of minutes.

 

4.      Add the chicken stock, spring onions and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes.

5.      Add the chili, coriander, salt and pepper to taste.

6.      For the couscous; let the couscous stand in the hot stock for 5 – 10 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the chopped cucumber, coriander and salt.

 

Serves 2

Effort level – Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Spicy Mediterranean Sausage Rice

Call it paella or rice pilaf; this is my version of rice cooked with Mediterranean veggies and sausages. I throw in veggies like corn, red pepper, zucchini, carrots and black olives, that not only makes this dish colorful, but very healthy! Parboiled rice adds the fiber; however you can use white rice or risotto rice. To cut back on calories I usually use chicken sausages, but if you really want a fiery dish and don’t mind the extra calories, use spicy chorizo sausages.

Ingredients

 

1 cup Parboiled Rice

2 cup water

6 Sausages (I use chicken but any sausages will do)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

One large onion, finely chopped

1 cup of chopped red Bell Pepper

1 Zucchini chopped

1/2 cup Corn Kernels

½ cup Black Olives

1 tablespoon tabasco

1/2cup tomato puree

½ tea spoon Cayenne Pepper

1 cube of Chicken Bouillon

Chilli Flakes (only if you have high tolerance for spice)

Salt to taste (check the bouillon for salt, it may be enough)

Method

1.      In a vessel cook the parboiled rice in water till almost done.

2.      Meanwhile, slice the sausages 1/2 inch long and sauté them gently in a large pan with ½ tbsp olive oil. Add a dash of tabasco and tomato puree and cook for a few minutes till slightly crisp. Remove sausage and keep to one side

3.      In the same add the remaining oil and fry the onions and garlic till softened. After 5 minutes or so add the peppers, zucchini, olives and corn kernels, cook for a further few minutes then return the sausages to the pan.

4.      Add tomato puree to the mix one chicken bouillon.  Add the cayenne pepper and tabasco, and salt.

5.      To this mix add the almost done rice and cover the pan. Let it cook till the rice is fully done.

Serves - 4

Quick Lamb Stew in Red Wine

 

 

On a cold day, there is nothing more comforting than a warm bowlful of Meat Stew. Stew cooked in red wine is absolutely divine. With a few root vegetables thrown in this stew makes for a great one pot.  Any red meat goes well, so the lamb can be replaced with Pork or Beef. Since this stew is cooked for very long at high temperature, the alcohol essentially evaporates. The wine flavor will remain in a concentrated form, but the alcohol will be gone, leaving the food safe for a child to consume.

The meat is cooked in a pressure cooker, making it a quick way to prepare stew and still get that delicious taste of ‘slow cooking’, well almost! For someone like me who can never plan to cook a dish 4 hours in advance, this is a perfect way to enjoy traditional stews.

Ingredients

• 750 gms of Lamb, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 cube low-sodium beef boullion
• 2 medium onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 sprigs parsley 
• 3 medium carrots sliced
• 4-5 medium sized white potatoes, quartered
• 3 garlic pods, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• Salt to taste

1.       Put the meat in a food storage bag with the flour, pepper and salt; toss to coat well. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add beef and cook, stirring, until lightly browned.

2.       Put the meat in a pressure cooker. Tip in the wine, bay leaves, bouillon and pressure cook for 20 – 30 minutes.

3.       In another casserole sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon oil; continue cooking, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

4.       Add the Potatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Now add the lamb and tomato paste. 

5.       Add the Cayenne pepper honey and salt or pepper as required. Cover the casserole and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until lamb is tender.

Serve with crusty bread

Serves - 4
Effort Level - Just a little bit of effort, but so worth it!

 

Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto

Pumpkins are the icon of the fall season, a staple item during the Autumn months. Known as a "healthy power food", pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene. Pairing it with a healthy fat, like olive oil is the best way to eat it, to maximise absorption. Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto is my 4 year old's and my current favourite comfort food. Its deliciously healthy!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 white onion finely chopped

½ kilo raw pumpkin chopped into cubes

1 cup Risotto white rice

1 cup of chopped mushroom

1 ½ cup  chicken stock/ vegetable stock

1 cup low fat milk

Fresh parsley chopped, to taste

Pepper and salt, to taste

½ cup white wine (optional)

1 tablespoon butter


Method

1.      Sauté onion in half a tablespoon olive oil until golden

2.      Add chopped pumpkin and sauté for 3 minutes

3.      To the pumpkin add washed risotto rice and continue to sauté for 2 minutes or so.

 

 

4.      Add the chicken/vegetable stock/ bullion and water and bring to a boil

5.      Reduce the heat and slow cook the rice for 10 minutes till the water is absorbed while stirring every few minutes.

6.      Add the parsley and pepper and salt.

7.      Once the water is fully absorbed, add the milk and continue to stir every few minutes

8.      In another pan sauté the mushroom in butter/ olive oil and add to the rice.

 

 

9.      Add the white wine and continue to stir. (optional)

10.  Add more water to the rice if required and cook till the risotto rice is al dente.

11.  Add the butter just before serving.

Serves: 4

Effort Level: Just a little bit of effort, but so worth it!