Cosy baked potato and prosciutto soup and my sister and my cookbook addiction story...

Every year for my birthday I can expect at least one cookbook.  If no one buys me one, inevitably, I receive money with which I buy one.   One of my sisters and I are the bakers of our family and regularly buy each other cookbooks - and many times over the years we've found a cookbook we'd really like to buy ourselves. We tell each other how close we came to keeping it for ourselves, and then promise to buy it for the other one for their next birthday or Christmas. This is what happened this year when my sister bought this book for me!  That makes one less present I have to search for this year - hoorah!

And I can see why she loves it  - It's called '3 sisters bake' the title is enough to draw both of us in - we are 2 of three sisters (our other sister isn't really a baker but she's a very good cook!) and both of us have three daughters.   So apart from the title, there's some fabulous recipes in there which this one is adapted from.

The original recipe calls for bacon, but I only had short-cut bacon which wouldn't have done the job as it does need that crispy-rind/rendered fat taste and I also substituted leek for onion to balance out the strength of the prosciutto

The real difference between this and most potato soups is that there's no cream but it has a creamy consistency - the taste is distinct also because the potatoes are baked and not boiled, it's a deeper flavour and that's also what helps give that creamy consistency..

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes

3 tb olive oil

Sea salt

3 inches of leek, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp white pepper

2 litres milk

6 rashers streaky bacon or prosciutto

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Place potatoes on tray and prick a few times with a fork (will help the steam escape whilst they cook) and then sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt

Bake for one hour, but 20 minutes before the end, place your prosciutto into a baking dish and place in the oven for that last 20 minutes.

Then bring them all out to cool Whilst you get started on the other bits..

 Like heating oil in your large pot, add leeks and garlic and cook until soft.  then add your milk and turn down to a simmer...

Cut your potatoes in half and peel the skins off.  If you leave the skins on you'll get a gritty soup and no one likes that!

Chop up half your prosciutto and add it to the pot with the white pepper.  Then add your potatoes.

Pop the lid on and leave to simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Then either put it through a food process or use a stick blender to mix it through.

Simmer until you're ready the serve!

 Serve with the other half of your prosciutto sprinkled on top

Whilst I was eating this I realised the perfect accompaniment would be my sweet onion Turkish bread, you could whip that up in the time it takes to make this too!

Aunty Becky's Thai pumpkin soup

Those of you in the Southern Hemisphere who are freezing at the moment or sick or even on the verge of sickness, this is for you my friends.   I spent the past few weeks in and out of Melbourne and this week in Sydney I've really been feeling the cold which is because a) I'm run down and getting sick  b) I'm being a bit of a princess or c) a+b.

My sister gave me this recipe a few weeks ago reporting that all my nieces loved it.   My Olivia, known widely as the anti-pumpkin-brigade will not eat our wonderful regular low-fat pumpkin soup or even Jamie Olivers' pumpkin soup (that worked for a little while though!).  I thought if I let her know that her cousins eat this soup and it's her Aunty Becky's recipe I might have a chance.  Isn't it funny how kids don't eat food you cook but someone else can cook the same thing and they will eat it?  Annoying isn't it?

I've made this twice now and I do get initial rumblings from Olivia but they are short-lived and she does eat it - probably because it doesn't taste overly-pumpkin-y and because it's Aunty Becky's recipe and not mine.  I'll take what I can get to get the veges into my kids!  Eloise and Laura love this one, no complaints at all!

You can make this as spicy as you like, depending on your tastes and those you are serving to.   I spiced mine up a bit because my girls are used to it but you may want to cut the curry paste in half if you have some sensitive taste buds out there :)

I also upped my sister's recipe in quantities because I selfishly want extras for work!  

Ingredients:

1.5 butternut pumpkins, skins cut off, seeds removed and diced

3 small brown onions or 1.5 large ones

4 kaffir lime leaves, stalks removed and thinkly sliced (or crumbled if dried)

2 tb red curry paste

2 large garlic cloves

2 tb brown sugar

2 tb fish sauce

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock

1 400ml tin coconut cream

coriander leaves to serve

Method:
In a heavy saucepan or pot heat some olive oil and sauté your onions and kaffir lime leaves, add curry paste and keep stirring until your onion becomes soft and transparent.

Add your pumpkin, please do make sure they are in small-ish cubes, it takes less time to cook the smaller they are...

Once the pumpkin has had a good covering of the curry paste and onion/kaffir lime - add sugar, garlic and fish sauce.  Stir well.

Lastly add your stock.  It should cover your pumpkin entirely.

Cook for about 20-25 minutes with a lid on, at simmer temperature.  You are ready for the next step when your pumpkin is completely soft.

Transfer your mixture in lots to a blender, add coconut cream and puree until smooth.  You may even want to use a stick blender in the original pot..

If you've used an upright blender, transfer batches back to pot and give a good stir.

Serve with crusty bread!

This would warm the cockles of anyone! Enjoy!

Jamie's (vege crisper) pumpkin soup - skin and all!

How's your vege crisper going?  Is there things in there that need using?  If so, this is your perfect soup.  Kerrie learned to make this at her Food Revolution/Ministry of Food class - it's adapted from a recipe from 'Jamie at Home' and it's super delicious.  I adapted mine slightly because my sage plant has died.  (insert sad face here) and I didn't use croutons at the end.. but this my friends is low fat, has high nutritional value and is delightfully delicious.

The biggest surprise for me with this soup is there is no need to peel the pumpkin - and that suits me down to the ground because I actually don't like that job much - I have visions I'll cut my fingers off doing it if it has a particularly tough skin.. but I used a butternut pumpkin and you don't even notice any difference - AND you are getting more vitamins from the pumpkin.  So you can be quasi lazy and look after yourself... win/win right?

1 tsp dried or 18 fresh sage leaves

2 stalks rosemary, stalks removed

2 red onions, peeled and diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 kg butternut pumpkin, seeds removed and diced

1.5 litres chicken stock

Method:

Heat some oil in a pan - if you're using fresh sage, fry them until they are crispy and then remove from the pan - set aside to sprinkle on your soup at the end.  If using dried ground sage, just add it to the oil.

Add rosemary, carrots and onions and heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the celery and pumpkin (see, there's SKIN on the pumpkin!) and heat for another 15 or so minutes.

Add your stock.  Put the lid on and let it go for an hour or so.

The smell is something else.  It smells healthy and homely. You may find yourself with a fork at the pot....

Pile your vegetables into the food processor (if you don't have one, mash very well) and process for about 30 seconds.

Voila!  Soup!

Serve with your favourite bread or croutons!  A lovely winter warmer!

So, what have you go in your crisper that needs using?

Fast food on a friday: Wonton soup

Back in the 'olden days' before I was married and had kids, I used to work like a maniac.  12 hours days in the office were quite the norm, and I as I neared my house, I would call the takeaway at the top of my street and pre-order the same thing every time.  Short soup and steamed dim sims.   Every.single.time.

When this part of my life was played before me by Miranda on Sex and the City it felt eerie.   The lady who took my order would hear my voice and rattle off my order.  Funnily enough I didn't find it irritating or embarrassing.... I kinda liked it!

This one is a great if you're serving it up to many at a time, it doesn't really take long to prepare and my Eloise asked for more 'MORE MUM!!!'.

Ingredients:

wontons

300g pork, minced or diced

10 green prawns, peeled

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp minced or finely chopped ginger

2 tb oyster sauce

1 packet wonton wrappers

broth

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tb soy sauce

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped

3 litres chicken stock

2 baby bok choy

Method:

Prepare your wontons first by placing pork, prawns, garlic, oyster sauce in your food processor and process until well combined.

Like this!  If you don't have a food processor, don't worry - make sure you use minced pork and chop your garlic, ginger, and prawns very finely, and combine.

Wonton wrappers can be found in the refrigerated section of your supermarket - usually near the fresh pasta.  If you have no luck there try an asian grocer.

Peel a wrapper of the stack (be sure it's one at a time, they are quite think) and scoop a teaspoon of mixture into the centre.

Bring the corners together and press with your fingers to make little 'purses' like this:

Next fry off your garlic, ginger and spring onion in say 1/4 cup of your stock until it softens. Then add the remainder of the stock, soy sauce (to taste, if you want to add more, go for your life!) and then bring to a simmer and add the baby bok choy.

Drop your dumplings/wontons in one at a time and stir around in between each placement.  Leave to simmer for about 10-15 minutes...

Serve!

This will make plenty of wantons where no-one is saying 'hey, I got ripped off!' (as I have said about a good many short soups in my time!

So there you go!  Fast food you can make yourself! Willing to give it a try?

Pressure cooker recipe: Quick, hearty, healthy soup

Yesterday I was back to my days with newborn twins:  Up to my eyeballs in nappies and living on 3 hours sleep.  Except I didn't have any babies.  Confused?  Well - I manned the Bubblebubs (modern cloth nappy) store for Mathilda's market - didn't get to bed until quite late and up early to get everything in the car, the kids up, fed, dressed and at the market at 7.15am.

The market was fun, it's always lovely to see and spend time with Corrie who had an adjoining stall.  When I got home in the afternoon I set upon getting organised for the week - school uniforms, homework, meal plan... oh and then I realised:  I forgot to soak my great northern beans I had planned to use for tonight's dinner.  

Great northern beans you can pick at most deli's and some fruit and vege shops.  They are similar to a cannellini or navy beans (what baked beans are made from) but they are pretty much flavour-less on their own so carry the flavour of whatever you you cook it with really well.  I pair them with chorizo a lot for this reason.  They are good on the budget too - about $2 for a 500g.  This recipe only uses 250g and makes enough for 8 people.

So I thought I'd make up one and use that pressure cooker I love so much and use too seldom.  So no-need to soak overnight or boil for 5 hours - bless that pressure cooker - saved the day!

Serves 8-10 
Ingredients:
250 dried great northern beans
1 cup shredded cabbage
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
1 large brown onion, diced
2 smoked chorizos, finely sliced
4 shortcut rashers bacon, diced
4 litres beef stock
leaves from 10cm stalk fresh rosemary
400g tin diced tomatoes

2 tb tomato paste

Method:
Put all your ingredients into your pressure cooker with the exception of your tomatoes and tomato paste.

Secure the lid of your pressure cooker and cook with vent open for 1 hour.

Remove from the hob, run your pressure cooker under water until it stops steaming.

Return to the hob, add tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for about 20 more minutes.

And there it is!  Two family meals in no time, and no soaking beans!  Thank you pressure cooker!

NOTE:  You can make this recipe in about the same time using a stockpot on the stove - using soaked or tinned beans of your choice.