BEEF OLIVES

I feel pretty confident about making soups now, and although there's many more to try out, I think it's time to move on to a "proper" meal. So from a recipe book I chose Beef Olives. It looked quite easy and it also appealed to my taste buds, so I charged off to my local butcher and bought the topside beef and asked him to slice it thinly for me.

Ingredients : (SERVES TWO)

• 4 Thin Slices Topside Beef
• 4 Rashers of Bacon (chopped)
• 2 Leeks (sliced) (or shallots if you prefer)
• Pack of Organic Button Mushrooms
• 1 Large Carrot (sliced)
• Green Beens (ends trimmed)
• Parsley (Finely chopped)
• 2 Beef Stock Cubes
• Dijon Mustard

Method :

Have a couple of pints of water coming to the boil for the stock while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and pre-warm your oven to 160 deg.

Chop up the bacon into small pieces and then chop up the mushrooms. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to a pan and fry the mushrooms and bacon together until they start to go brown then put to one side while you fry a handful of chopped leeks/shallots for 2 or 3 minutes, then mix all three in a bowl. Stir thoroughly. This is the filling for the beef.

Place the beef onto a large cutting board and tenderise with a mallet or rolling pin. Then spread a layer of Dijon Mustard over the beef pieces and scoop a portion of the bacon and mushroom mix onto each one, spreading it evenly across the meat, but leaving a gap all around the edges.

NOTE: I put far too much in mine! Don't pile it on - just spread a flat even amount.

Now roll the meat edges to form a sausage shape and use string or cocktail sticks to keep together. Don't forget to roll the ends over too to prevent the filling oozing out from the ends. Now put in the frying pan and gently fry to brown off the outer surfaces. Keep turning for about 5 minutes, then remove and put to one side (keep them warm).

Now sautee the leeks (or shallots if you opted for those instead) in a pan containing a couple of tablespoons of oil, for 3 minutes. Make your stock using the boiling water from the kettle and then add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes and add cornflour to thicken slightly. I also added a little tomato puree to warm up the colour slightly.

Now place the beef olives into a casserole dish, pour over the sauce with the leeks, and put a lid on the dish. Place in the center of the oven for 2 hours, checking occasionally that the water level is still above the olives. If the water level drops, top up with hot water.

Serve with green beans, carrots and potatoes.

BACON & SHIITAKE

My son, Barry, kept asking me to make a mushroom soup, so while I was at Tesco tonight, I picked up some ingredients and made this gorgeous tasting soup for him.

Ingredients :

• 4 Medium Potatoes (coarsely chopped)
• 1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
• 250g Mushroom (sliced)
• 125g Shiitake Mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
• 4 Rashers of Lean Bacon (remove the fat)
• 75ml Double Cream

Method :

Boil a pint and a half of water in the kettle. Add a small amount of oil to your soup pan and saute the onions and garlic for about 4/5 minutes, then add the potatoes and 250g mushrooms and cook for a further two minutes. Pour the boiling water into a measuring jug and mix in two stock cubes, then add the stock to the soup pan.

Season with salt & pepper and bring the pan to the boil and then reduce the heat to allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a small amount of oil to a shallow frying pan and lightly fry the lean bacon. When ready, remove the bacon and put your sliced Shiitake mushrooms into the frying pan. While they're frying, chop up the bacon into small pieces and put to one side. When the Shiitake mushrooms are lightly fried, put them with the bacon.

When ready, transfer the contents of the pan to a blending machine and blend to purée the soup. I actually used a hand-blender in the pan itself. If you choose this method, just be careful not to scald yourself!

Introduce about 75ml of double cream, stirring well. Add the Shiitake Mushrooms and bacon and gently cook for another couple of minutes.

Serve into warm soup bowls and enjoy!

CHUNKY VEG

Lots of different veg in this recipe and therefore a little more prep time required. The biggest drain on time is that you have to soak the peas, barley and lentils overnight. It's well worth the effort though!

Ingredients :

• 4 Large Carrots (sliced)
• 2 Large Leeks (sliced)
• 2 Medium Parsnips (chopped)
• 6 Medium Potatoes (cubed)
• 1 Red Onion (finely chopped)
• 2 Stock Cubes
• Dried Peas, Barley, Lentils (3 small cups)
• Tomato Puree

Method :

To give this soup some real body, I decided to buy some dried peas, barley and lentils. I got mine in a pack from Sainsbury's called "Country Mix" or something like that. Unfortunately, you have to soak them in a pan (medium size) filled with cold water overnight - so do that first.

The next day, drain the water from the soaking veg and refill with fresh boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes, then put on simmer for a further 40 minutes. Because carrots always seem to take ages to cook properly, I added my sliced carrots to this mix. I suggest you do the same.

While you're preparing the rest of the veg, have a kettle of water coming to the boil for the stock. Place your finely chopped onions and sliced leeks into a large pan with three tablespoons of butter or oil and cook on a low heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring regularly until softened but not browned. Then add the  potatoes and parsnips and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Pour your boiling water from the kettle into a measuring jug containing the 2 stock cubes - 1.5 to 2 pints will be enough. Stir to dissolve the cubes and then pour it all into the pan. Bring the pan to boil then reduce the heat to allow the soup to simmer for around 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally and make sure it's simmering and not boiling!

When the soup has simmered and is ready, drain the medium pan of mixed veg and add the contents to the large soup pan and stir it all in, adding some concentrated tomato puree to colour the stock. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Before you blend the soup, use a slotted ladle to "reserve" some of that chunky veg - about half of it. Store it in a pan while you blend what's left in the large soup pan. Once you finished blending, return the chunky veg to the pureed soup.

Season to taste and serve in warmed soup bowls with some nice crusty bread.
 

CARROT & COCONUT

I knocked up this soup earlier on today because I had a bit of veg left hanging around and knew it would be wasted if I didn't do something with it. According to my wife Sue, it's the best tasting so far.

Ingredients:

• A dozen smallish Carrots (sliced)
• 4 Medium Potatoes (cubed)
• 1 Large Red Onion (finely chopped)
• 400ml Coconut Milk
• 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes

Method:

While you're preparing the veg, have a kettle of water coming to the boil for the stock. Place your finely chopped onions into a pan with three tablespoons of butter or oil and cook on a low heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring regularly until softened but not browned. Then add the carrots and potatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Pour your boiling water from the kettle into a measuring jug containing the 2 stock-cubes. One and a half pints will be enough. Stir to dissolve the cubes and then pour it all into the pan. Stir in the coconut milk, bring the pan to boil then reduce the heat to allow the soup to simmer for around 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally and make sure it's simmering and not boiling!

Note: Personally, I prefer to cook carrots on their own and for a little longer than the rest of the veg. They seem to take longer to cook than everything else. Before blending, I scooped out around half of the carrots and then returned them to the pan after blending. This gives some "texture" to the soup and in my opinion makes it look a whole lot better than a fully blended soup. Your choice!

When ready, transfer the contents of the pan to a blending machine and blend to purée the soup. I actually used a hand-blender in the pan itself. If you choose this method, just be careful not to scald yourself!

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

TOMMY's VEGETABLE SOUP

There are six vegetables in this little mix and it really does taste very nice. Doesn't look anything special, but it's worth all the peeling and prep. If I'd had any peppers I would have added them and called it a winter-veg!

Ingredients:

• 6 Potatoes (cubed)
• 3 Sweet Potatoes (cubed)
• 2 Red Onions (finely chopped)
• 2 Leeks (sliced)
• 2 Parsnips (cubed)
• 3 Carrots (sliced)
• 2 Stock Cubes

While you're preparing the veg, have a kettle of water coming to the boil for the stock. Place your sliced leeks and finely chopped onions into a large pan with three tablespoons of butter or oil and cook on a low heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring regularly until softened but not browned. Then add all the other veg and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pour your boiling water from the kettle into a measuring jug containing the 2 stock-cubes. One and a three-quarter pints will be enough. Stir to dissolve the cubes and then pour it all into the pan. Bring the pan to boil then reduce to allow the soup to simmer for 15/20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally and make sure it's simmering and not boiling!

Note: Personally, I prefer to cook carrots on their own and for a little longer than the rest of the veg. They seem to take longer to cook than everything else.

When ready, transfer the contents of the pan to a blending machine and blend to purée the soup. I actually used a hand-blender in the pan itself. If you choose this method, just be careful not to scald yourself!

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

LEEK & STILTON

This one's a bit "naughty" in that it is not for the slimmers of the world. However, it's very tasty! If you don't like creamy soups, then you might want to choose a different recipe :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Onion (chopped)
• 3 Leeks (sliced)
• 6oz Sweet Potato (cubed)
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley (chopped)
• 150g Stilton Cheese (crumbled)
• 150ml Double Cream
• 2 Stock Cubes

Method:

While you're preparing the veg, have a kettle of water coming to the boil for the stock. Place your sliced leeks and finely chopped onions into your pan with 3 tablespoons of butter and cook on a low heat for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly until softened but not browned. Then add the sweet potatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pour your boiling water from the kettle into a measuring jug containing the 2 stock-cubes. One and a half pints will be enough. Stir to dissolve the cubes and then pour it all into the pan and add the parsley. Bring the pan to boil then reduce to allow the soup to simmer for 15/20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally and make sure it's simmering and not boiling!

When it's ready, transfer the contents of the pan to a blending machine and blend to purée the soup. I actually used a hand-blender in the pan itself. If you choose this method, just be careful not to scald yourself! 

Then stir in the double-cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. Crumble the Stilton into the soup and wait for it to melt.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle some fresh parsley on to garnish.

NOTE : Before blending, I scooped out some of the veg and then returned it to the pan after blending. This gives some "texture" to the soup and in my opinion makes it look a whole lot better than a fully blended soup. Your choice!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & LEEK

My third soup and a real tasty one too! I wanted to make this because I'd had a butternut soup a couple of weeks earlier at a local eatery and it was very nice indeed. Rather than just use the butternut, I decided to add some of my favourite vegetables - leeks. Can't get enough of them :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Squash  (2lbs) (cubed)
• 4 Meduim Leeks (sliced)
• 2 Large Onions (finely chopped)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
• 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 2 Stock Cubes

Method:

While you're preparing the veg, have a kettle of water coming to the boil for the stock. Peel, then cut your butternut lengthways and using a spoon, scoop out all the seeds. Then chop the butternut into small cubes. Try to make them roughly the same size so they all cook evenly. Click HERE to watch a video.

Place your sliced leeks and finely chopped garlic and chopped onions into your pan with the heated oil and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly until softened but not browned. Then add the butternut cubes and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Pour your boiling water from the kettle into a measuring jug containing the 2 stock-cubes. One and a half pints will be enough. Stir to dissolve the cubes and then pour it all into the pan. Bring the pan to boil then reduce to allow the soup to simmer for 40/50 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally and make sure it's simmering and not boiling!

When it's ready, stir in the lemon juice, then transfer the contents of the pan to a blending machine and blend to purée the soup. I actually used a hand-blender in the pan itself. If you choose this method, just be careful not to scald yourself!

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CARROT & ORANGE

This was my second soup and came from a recipe I found in a book. I followed the recipe to the letter and wish I hadn't because it called for 3 oranges which I found to be a little "too much". Having said that, a friend really liked it and went as far as saying that he would have gladly paid for it in a restaurant! Nevertheless, I have amended the recipe to calm things down a little.


Ingredients:

• 2lbs Carrots (chopped)
• 2 Onions (finely chopped)
• 1 Meduim Orange
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
• Small amount of chives
• Small tub of Creme Fraiche

Method:

Grate the rind from the orange and then squeeze all the juice from it.

Saute the veg in a pan with a knob of butter (or oil) for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly. This is to soften the veg but you do not want it turning brown. 

In a measuring jug, add a pint and a half of boiling water and drop your stock cubes into the jug. Stir them in to dissolve. Add the stock to the pan, add your bay leaf and orange rind. Bring to the boil.

When the pan is boiling, cover with a lid and turn the heat right down and allow the soup to simmer for about 15/20 minutes. Stir occasionally and make sure it's simmering, not boiling.

When it's ready, remove the bay leaf, transfer the contents of the pan to a blending machine and blend to purée the soup. I actually used a hand-blender in the pan itself. If you choose this method, just be careful not to scald yourself!

Season to taste. Garnish with swirl of creme fraiche and snipped chives.

LEEK & POTATO

This is the first soup I ever made and it was totally delicious! I was so pleased with the outcome, I went out and bought more vegetables to make another soup the following day. It's extremely simple, so here goes...

Ingredients:

• 3 Leeks (Sliced)
• 3 Large Potatoes (Cubed) 
• 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
• 1.5 Pints of water

Method:

Before you start, you might want to watch a video about "Preparing Leeks". It's important to thoroughly clean them and the video shows you the best way to do that.

Put a tablespoon of oil and a knob of butter into your pan and put on a medium heat. Add the cubed potatoes (cubes should be about 3/4 inch square). Stir them around for about 4 or 5 minutes then add the leeks.

In a measuring jug, add a pint and a half of boiling water and drop your stock cubes into the jug. Stir them in to dissolve. Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil.

When the pan is boiling, cover with a lid and turn the heat right down and allow the soup to simmer for about 15/20 minutes. Stir occasionally and make sure it's simmering, not boiling.

When it's ready, transfer the contents of the pan to a blending machine and blend to purée the soup. I actually used a hand-blender in the pan itself. If you choose this method, just be careful not to scald yourself!

Season to taste with salt and black pepper.