Spiced Lentil & Carrot Soup

 

An RTE Recipe

Ingredients

·         1 tbsp Coconut Oil

·         2 celery stalks, diced

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 medium onion, diced

·         400g carrots, diced

·         140g red lentils

·         2 tsp cumin

·         3 tsp smoked (or plain) paprika

·         1200ml hot vegetable stock

·         1 tbsp Glenisk Natural Yogurt

·         Salt & Pepper

Method

1.    Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

2.    Add the garlic, celery and onion to the pan, reduce the heat and allow the vegetables to sauté.

3.    Once the onions and celery become translucent, add the carrots and allow to sauté for about 5 minutes.

4.    Mix the spices and lentils through and heat gently for about 3 minutes.

5.    Add the vegetable stock and bring the pan to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid for about 20 minutes until the lentils have absorbed the stock and plumped up

6.    Remove from the heat and blend the soup with a handheld blender or food processor to your preferred texture.

7.    Serving suggestion: topped with a dollop of yogurt & sprinkle of smoked paprika served with slice of Oat & Seed Yogurt Loaf.

Curried Mushrooms

 This one ticks all the boxes for NicheD - Nutritious Inexpensive Convenient Healthy Ethical Delicious - from Bellefontaine 100 Great Indian recipes. And it cooks in one pot.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsp oil

2 green chilli, sliced thinly

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

2 onions, peeled and chopped

450g mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2cms ginger, grated

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground corriander

1 tsp turmeric

1 tin tomatoes (400g)

50g ground almonds

150 ml yoghurt

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

• Heat 1 tbsp oil over moderate heat in a large frying pan and cook chillies until they change colour. Remove and put aside
• In the same pan, add the reamining oil and cook cumin and mustard seeds for a couple of minutes then add oinions, mix and cook until transparent
• Add mushrooms and cook until they soften stirring occasionally
• Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and ground almonds.  Simmer gently for 15 mins,  then stir through the yoghurt and season to taste.  Garnish with the fried chilli and serve with rice, cous couse or upma

Firecracker Salmon

 

Based on a Cafe Delites recipe,  this oven Baked Firecracker Salmon fillets with an incredible sauce is an easy to make salmon recipe in minutes! Flakey on the inside with seared, crispy edges, then finished off in the oven to bake until tender!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce of choice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar 
• pinch of crushed red chili flakes
• 2 teaspoons sriracha (adjust to suit your heat preference)
• 4 skin off salmon fillets
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 teaspoon paprika (mild, smoky or spicy)
• Chives chopped

Instructions

• In a shallow bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, minced ginger, olive oil, soy sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, red chili flakes and sriracha to combine.
• Season salmon with salt, pepper and paprika. Add salmon fillets to the marinade, turning each to evenly coat in the sauce.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight (if time allows).
• Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat an oven proof pan over medium heat with a small drizzle of oil.
• Sear salmon for 2-3 minutes on both sides, undisturbed, to get nice crust. (You may need to sear in batches depending on the size of your skillet.)

  Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining salmon.
• Return all salmon fillets to the pan. Alternatively, transfer to baking dish.Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
• Brush with any remaining marinade and sprinkle with chopped chives

Monkfish, Garlic and Ginger Asian Style

 This is really delicious as well as being fast and healthy - based loosely on a Rick Stein recipe

Serves 2

• 350-400g monkfish tail, filleted

• 1/2 tbsp finely shredded root ginger

• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped (or use chopped wild garlic if available)

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 spring onion, finely sliced

Method

• Cut the monkfish tail into thin slices and arrange in a single layer on a plate that will fit into a large saucepan.

• Mix the ginger, garlic and spring onion together and place a small amount on each slice of fish

• Add 1cm of boiling water to a large saucepan.  Bring it back the boil and and place the plate on some sort of trivet to keep it clear of the water. Put the lid on and boil for 4 minutes.

• Meanwhile, mix and heat the sesame oil and soy sauce (microwave or small pot)

• Arrange the cooked fish on serving plates,  add any liquid from the cooked fish to the sesame/soy mixture and spoon over the fish slices.

 Serve with boiled or fried rice

Afghan Orange and Chicken Biryani

From Felicity Cloak / Guardian Readers Recipe Swap.  Fairly easy, tasty and (probably) can be made vegetarian or vegan by using tofu, paneer or haloumi instaed of chicken

Coconut Dal with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil

250g banana shallots (or onion) finely chopped

45g fresh ginger grated or finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped

15 fresh curry leaves (not essential)

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp medium curry powder

2 tsp tomato paste

100g red lentils

1 400g tin of coconut milk 

Vegetables for roasting: cauliflower (great!), broccoli, mushrooms, peppers - whatever comes to hand (precook if necessary e.g. carrots)

Method

• Fry the shallots (onion) in the oil until soft.  
• Add the ginger, chilli, curry leaves (if using) and cook for 2 minutes
• Add the spices, tomato paste and lentils and stir for a minute
• Add the coconut milk 600ml of water and three-quater of a teaspoon of salt.
• Bring to boil and leave to simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally until lentils are cooked and sauce is thick
• Meantime,  toss the veg in oil/butter and roast in 200C oven until cooked.

Variations

Try using chana dal instead of red lentils.  Add tamarind paste, fresh tomatoes, frozen peas, spinach leave, kale, grated or desiccated coconut

Thai Style Hot and Sour Soup Base

A spicy Thai style soup base that's full of flavour and very versatile.  The objective is to get a balance between hot, sour, sweet and salty flavours in the base.  It's endlessly variable - add vegetables (peas and green beans are very good,  chopped mushrooms also),  fish or shellfish (prawns are great), chicken or other meat,  noodles or any combination.

Ingredients for 8 portions
(basic soup can be frozen and additional ingredients added when thawed)

• 1 litre of stock (I use homemade chicken stock whenever possible)
• 1 400ml can coconut milk
• 1 large onion - peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots - peeled and chopped
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1-2 tbsp red or green Thai curry paste (Mae Ploy is good - quantity depends on desired spiciness)
• 1-3 tbsp fish sauce (depending on saltiness of the stock. Use soy sauce instead for vegitarians)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 limes, juiced (this is the sour component)

Method

• Sweat the onions and carrots over gentle heat for 15 mins, then add the curry paste and sir for a minte
• Add the stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil and simmer until carrots are soft
• Blend, add the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice.
• Now taste it.  You're looking for a good balance between the hot, sour, sweet and salt flavours so you may need to adjust some of the last four ingredients to get your desired balance.
• That's the base - you can chill or freeze it at this satge.
• To serve,  add your desired ingredients, bring to boil and cook until additions are fully cooked.
• Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve

Chachouka

This is Hugh Fearnleigh Whittingstall's version of a classic North African / Middle Eastern dish.  Fantastic flavours, light, healthy and easy.


Ingredients (serves 4)

• Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Onion - large, sliced finely
• Garlic -  1 clove, crushed, minced or chopped finely
• Red pepper,  1 finely sliced
• Yellow pepper, 1 finely sliced
• Hot smoked paprika - half tsp
• Saffron - pinch
• Tomatoes - one 400g tin
• Eggs - 4
• Salt & Pepper

Method

• Fry cumin seeds gently in the oil for a couple of minutes,  add onion and cook gently for 8-10 mins until golden
• Add garlic and peppers and cook over low heat for at least 20 mins until soft and wilted
• Add paprika, saffron, tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 mins - taste and adjust seasoning.
• Make 4 hollows in sauce,  break in eggs and place under hot grill (or in hot oven) until white is set.  This can also be done in individual oven-proof dishes.

Tom Yum Soup

(Serves 6 people)

1,200 ml        Chicken Stock (Homemade best but stock cubes taste ok)

90 g              Tom Yam Paste (Mae Ploy is very good and widely available in Ireland)

3 Stalks         Lemongrass – chopped & bruised (keeps well in freezer)

6 no.              Dried Kaffir Lime Leaves

2 no.              Limes – juiced.

60 ml             Fish Sauce (Squid brand widely available in Ireland)

30 ml             Sugar

Sprinkle         Fresh Coriander - chopped

Prawns or Thin Sliced Mushrooms or Shredded Cooked Chicken

• Boil the stock – add paste, lemongrass, lime leaves & lime juice.  Simmer 20 mins
• Add fish sauce and sugar to get a balanced salt-sour-sweet-hot taste (may need to add a little more paste)
• Strain out the foliage,  add choice of prawns, mushrooms or chicken and sprinkle fresh coriander on each bowl