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Posts Tagged ‘Easy’

Creamy Madeira Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 April 2014| 5 Comments »

Creamy Madeira Chicken

The inspiration for this dish comes from Nigel Slater who has written a book full of ideas with very few ingredients and lots of flavour.

Wine suggestion: Madeira is a fortified Portuguese which tends to have good levels of acidity and is noted for lasting forever, even when open. This is a wine which is also nice to drink and would pair well with this dish, otherwise we would try a southern white Burgundy for a round, richer touch, or a very good New World Chardonnay where the ripeness and balance is is in great harmony.

Creamy Madeira Chicken – to serve 2

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • a little seasoned flour
  • a thick slice of butter
  • a glass of Madeira
  • 4 tbsp double cream

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin, or similar weapon, to flatten.

Dust the chicken with the seasoned flour.

Melt the butter in a shallow pan, add the chicken and cook briefly on both sides until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add the Madeira to the pan and let it bubble while you scrape any chicken residue from the bottom of the pan. When the liquid has reduced by half, stir in the double cream, then season and simmer briefly.

(Original recipe from Eat: the little book of fast food by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2013.)

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Easy Spinach & Feta Pie

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 15 April 2014| 3 Comments »

 

Easy Spanakopita

Inspired by Spanakopita, this is a simple recipe that’s easy to throw together when time is short and requires very little shopping.

Easy Spinach & Feta Pie (Cheat’s Spanakopita) – to serve 4

  • 1kg frozen whole-leaf spinach
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin, fennel or caraway seeds (use what you have)
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced
  • ½ tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only, chopped
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 100g feta or soft goats cheese, broken into small chunks
  • 35g pine nuts, toasted or roughly chopped cashew nuts (we used a mix of both)
  • 375g all-butter, ready-rolled puff pastry

Heat the oven to 200°C /Gas Mark 6.

Put the frozen spinach into a saucepan with a splash of water. Cover and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until totally defrosted. Drain in a sieve, pressing with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spice seeds and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the onion and sauté until soft and golden. Add the thyme.

When the spinach has cooled a bit, squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can with your hands, then roughly chop. Mix with the onion, a squeeze of lemon juice and plenty of seasoning. Keep a few tablespoons of the egg for glazing and stir the rest into the spinach and onion mixture.

Spoon half the spinach mixture into an ovenproof dish (around 25 x 20 cm). Scatter over the cheese and pine nuts or cashews, and top with the remaining spinach. Brush a little beaten egg around the rim of the dish.

Lay the pastry over the dish and trim. Press the edge down on the rim of the dish so that it sticks. Brush with the rest of the beaten egg and bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.

(Original recipe from River Cottage Veg Everyday! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2011.)

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Vichy Carrots

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 February 2014| Leave a Comment »

This is a classic French side dish which remarkably improves steamed carrots and we find impresses guests too despite being easy to cook.

Vichy carrots – serves 4

  • 6-8 carrots
  • 15g butter
  • small pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • few mint sprigs
  • few parsley sprigs
  • black pepper

Peel the carrots and cut into batons.

Put the butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently. Stir in the carrots and add enough water to come halfway up.

Increase the heat to medium and partially cover. Simmer until the carrots are tender and most of the water has evaporated.

Turn down the heat and remove the lid. Reduce the remaining liquid to a glaze, stirring to ensure the carrots are evenly coated and don’t stick.

Finely chop the mint and parsley – you need about a ¼ tsp of each. Season with pepper, stir in the herbs and serve.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook, Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2013)

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Carbonara Cabbage

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 7 January 2014| 3 Comments »

This is delicious but very rich, plus a little goes a long way! We found this a really good twist on a classic.

Carbonara Cabbage – serves 8

  • 1kg Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
  • 12 rashers streaky bacon, chopped small
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 250ml single cream
  • 50g Parmesan, grated

Cook the cabbage for 10 minutes in a large pan of boiling salted water. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large frying pan for 7-8 minutes or until crispy, adding the garlic for the final few minutes.

Mix the cream and Parmesan in a bowl with some black pepper. Add the cream mixture and the cabbage to the bacon pan and toss everything together really well. Warm through for a few minutes before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 3 January 2014| Leave a Comment »

This was good served alongside a beef hotpot, but we daresay it’ll be nice against a few other dishes as well.

Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash – to serve 4

  • 500g carrots, chopped
  • 500g sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, bashed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
  • 25g butter

Put the carrots, sweet potatoes and garlic in a large pan  salted water, bring to the boil and cook for about 12 minutes or until very tender, then drain. Add the cumin seeds, butter and seasoning and serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Buttered Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , on 2 January 2014| 1 Comment »

For those who eat brussels sprouts more than once a year. This is a gem of a dish that we’ve done a few times now and an easy feature in any winter meal.

Buttered Sprouts with Pancetta – to serve 6

  • 100g cubed pancetta
  • 750g brussels sprouts
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 25g butter

Fry the pancetta in a non-stick frying pan for about 5 minutes or until crispy. Add the sprouts and cook for another minute. Add the stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the sprouts are tender and the stock has reduced. Add the butter and season well but be careful with the salt, as the pancetta and stock should make this fairly salty already.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Cheat’s Chilli

Posted in Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 18 November 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is a doddle to whip up after work and it’s not a bad chilli for very little effort. Serve in warmed tortillas with some rocket and sour cream or in a baked potato.

Cheat’s Chilli – to serve 4

  • 500g minced beef
  • 350g jar of tomato and chilli sauce (we use our own tomato sauce which we always have a supply of in the freezer)
  • 400g tin of red kidney beans

Fry the mince in a non-stick pan until well browned. Pour in the sauce, then fill the empty jar about a third full of water and rinse out into the pan. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain and rinse the beans before adding to the meat and heat through for about 5 minutes or until the beans are hot and the sauce is thick.

 

 

 

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Gardener’s Pie

Posted in Food, Healthy, Potato, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 27 May 2013| 1 Comment »

This recipe is rich with a natural gravy and very flavoursome and filling. Despite this it is very low in calories so perfect if you’re watching your weight or for a midweek dinner. We ate this over two nights (instead of three) as we were both a little greedy, and also because it was so moreish.

Gardener’s Pie – to serve 6

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 3 celery sticks, trimmed & chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled & diced
  • 2 large parsnips, peeled & diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 150g puy lentils, rinsed & drained
  • 1 litre hot vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 500g floury potatoes, like Maris Piper, peeled & cut into small chunks
  • 15g butter
  • 2 tsp plain flour

Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallots, celery, carrots & parsnip for 8-12 minutes and until brown. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Stir in the lentils, stock, tomato purée and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes and until tender.

Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes and until tender. Drain and add the butter and some seasoning. Mash until smooth. Add a little extra butter if you’d like for a bit more richness.

Heat the grill.

Sprinkle flour over the simmered lentil mix and stir in. Cook for another 2 minutes until thickened. Spoon into a warmed, heatproof pie dish.

Top with the mashed potato and grill for 5 minutes , until golden. You’ll need to keep an eye on this as the time needed will depend on the griller.

Serve with: try a Beaujolais Cru, like a Régnié, which will have a both lightness and depth, plus a bit of earthiness to match the lentils. Beaujolais is never too heavy, and the Cru’s add depth and personality that is harder to find in a basic wine.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Chicken, Butter Bean and Red Onion Stew

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 14 March 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is one of our hearty dinners from the 5:2 diet we are on and it was very welcome this evening after getting in from the rain and cold. Full of flavour and filling despite the low calories!

Chicken, Red Onion and Mushroom Stew with Sherry and Butterbeans, serves 4

  • 6 Chicken thighs, skinned and boned then quartered
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
  • 100ml dry sherry
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400g tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
  • small bunch parsley, chopped

Heat a little olive oil to a medium-high heat in a pan and add the chicken, browning until golden on all sides.

Add the paprika, garlic onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions and mushrooms have softened. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pan for a second to deglaze, then add the chicken stock, tomatoes and butterbeans.

Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with the parsley sprinkled over the top and some crusty bread if you like.

Wine suggestion: If you feel like a glass with this we’d suggest trying a red from Navarra, an under-rated region in Spain. The balance of juiciness and structure would work with the simple, smokey and rustic flavours of the dish.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Chicken with Mushrooms

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 27 November 2012| 2 Comments »

This is a quick and easy week-night chicken dish; French inspired and uncomplicated but good flavours.

Chicken with mushrooms – to serve 4

  • tbsp olive oil
  • 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • flour
  • 50g cubetti di pancetta
  • 300g small button mushrooms
  • 2 large shallots, chopped
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 50g frozen peas
  • small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Season and dust the chicken with flour, then brown on all sides. Take the chicken out of the pan and fry the mushrooms and pancetta until softened, then remove.

Add the other tbsp of olive oil and cook the shallot for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and vinegar and bubble for a couple of minutes. Put the chicken, mushrooms and pancetta back into the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for another couple of minutes, then serve with potatoes if you like.

Wine Suggestion: This is an uncomplicated and tasty dish and therefore we suggest a glass of something equally tasty and uncomplicated to go with it. Try an easy French white, like an unoaked Chardonnay from the Mâcon, or an easy French red, like a Cabernet Franc from Chinon.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Home-made Fish Fingers with Mushy Peas

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , on 19 October 2012| Leave a Comment »

These are super-simple and a hundred times better than the frozen variety. You can use any firm, skinless, white fish – we used hake.

Home-made fish fingers with mushy peas – to serve 4

  • 600g firm, skinless white fish
  • 50g plain flour, seasoned
  • 1 large egg, lightly whisked
  • 200g fine fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 400g frozen peas
  • knob of butter
  • zest 1 lemon, then cut into wedges
  • mint

Cut the fish into 12 fingers, about 3cm thick. Put the seasoned flour, egg, and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Dust the fish pieces in the flour first, then coat with the egg and finally a good coating of breadcrumbs. Put on a plate and chill for 15 minutes before cooking.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the fish fingers for about 8 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, cook the peas in a small pan of boiling water until really tender, about 4 minutes. Drain then tip into a bowl with the butter, zest and mint and roughly mash. Season and keep warm.

Serve the fish fingers with a dollop of peas and some lemon wedges.

Wine Suggestion: Try a light Sauvignon Blanc, such as from the Touraine in France’s Loire Valley, which should be fresh and fruity with a slight grassiness.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Garlic Mushrooms

Posted in Food, Spanish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 31 July 2012| 1 Comment »

A classic Spanish tapa dish. Don’t fork out for fancy mushrooms as ordinary button ones work perfectly here, taking on the flavours of the garlic, oil and white wine.

Champiñones al ajillo – to serve 4 as a tapa 

  • 250g button mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on what size they are
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  • 4 tbsp dry white wine or 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the mushrooms with the garlic and chilli over a medium-high heat. Add some salt and pepper as the mushrooms are cooking. The mushrooms will soak up all of the oil first and then release it again with their juices. Add the white wine or lemon juice, lower the heat and cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms are really soft, the juices have almost evaporated and the oil is sizzling through. This should take 15-20 minutes in total.

Stir in the parsley and serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Drink with: a glass of rich and nutty Amontillado sherry.

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Easy Veggie Filo Pie

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 11 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

This dish is easily doubled to make two pies, particularly if you are like us and had to defrost a whole packet of filo pastry.  The filo is very forgiving so don’t worry if you’re pastry sheets don’t look too neat and tidy. You could add some cooked chicken if you like things meaty.

Easy Veggie Filo Pie – to serve 4

  • 200g spinach leaves
  • 175g jar sundried tomatoes in oil
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ 250g pack filo pastry

Put the spinach into a large pan. Add a 2 tbps water, then cook until just wilted. Drain in a sieve, then squeeze out with your hands once it’s cold enough to handle. Roughly chop and put into a bowl. Roughly chop the tomatoes (reserve the oil) and add to the spinach with the feta and eggs. Mix well.

Unroll the pastry and be careful not to tear the sheets too much. Cover with some damp kitchen roll to stop it drying out. Take a sheet of pastry and brush really well with some of the oil from the tomatoes. Drape the sheet, oil-side down, in a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin, leaving some pastry hanging over the sides. Brush another sheet and place in the tin at a slightly different angle. Keep doing this until you have used about 3 of the pastry sheets. Pull the sides into the middle, making sure the filling is totally covered. Brush with a bit more oil on the top if necessary.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cook the pie for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. Slice into wedges and serve with a salad and some tzatziki.

Drink with: a glass of Chablis which should have a saline quality to compliment the salty feta.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Retro Chicken & White Wine Casserole

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 10 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Genuinely retro, but really simple and tasty casserole.

Chicken & White Wine Casserole – to serve 4

  • 2 sticks celery
  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • 500g diced, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 500ml white white
  • olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.

Roughly chop the celery, onions and carrots. Heat a large casserole over a medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry the vegetables and thyme for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and the flour and stir well. Then add the white wine and tinned tomatoes. Stir again and season well with salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours. Check it after an hour and add a splash of water if it looks a bit dry.

Taste for seasoning and serve with some steamed potatoes and green veg.

Drink with: a glass of straightforward unoaked Chardonnay, like a Mâcon Villages – you might have to open another bottle if everyone wants a glass 🙂

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Ministry of Food, Penguin, 2008.)

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Courgette Linguine

Posted in Food, Healthy, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 9 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Jono’s boss grows his own courgettes and they’re coming out his ears at the moment, so we are happily helping him eat them!

Courgette & Lemon Linguine – to serve 4

  • 300g linguine
  • 3 courgettes, grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • handful of basil leaves, torn

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine according to the pack instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the courgettes over a high heat for a few minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute or so.

Drain the pasta and tip into the courgettes, then add the lemon zest. Season, drizzle with some extra olive oil and scatter over the basil.

Drink with: a glass of Italian Pinot Grigio. Try and find one of the more aromatic versions from Friuli, the Alto Adige or a Riserva from the Veneto.

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Barbecue Monkfish Kebabs

Posted in Albarino, Fish, Food, Healthy, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , on 3 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a Basque inspired dish where fresh fish is cooked really simply over hot coals. Firm fish like Monkfish, or Grouper, will not fall apart as easily so make them perfect for barbecuing. Serve with a green salad and some bread.

Barbecue Monkfish Kebabs – to serve 4

  • 1 kg monkfish fillets, cut into large chunks
  • 12 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice

Light the barbecue and wait until it is really hot before you start cooking.

Thread the monkfish onto 4 metal skewers. Make a marinade using 6 tbsp of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 3 tbsp of the white wine vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Brush this lightly over the kebabs and barbecue until the fish is browned and cooked through. Keep brushing with the marinade as the fish cooks.

Put 6 tbsp olive oil, the garlic and chilli flakes into a small pan and heat over a high heat until the garlic turns golden (but don’t let it go brown as it will turn bitter). Take off the heat and stir in the parsley, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and ½ tsp salt. Drizzle over the fish and serve.

Drink with: a chilled glass of Txakoli if you can find it. This Basque speciality is hard to find outside Spain but an Albarino from Galicia makes a more than satisfactory substitute.

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Roast Tomato & Basil Orecchiette

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 1 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

There is huge quantity of cherry tomatoes in this but they break down into a great pasta sauce. You can serve this as a main course for 4 people or a starter for 6-8. It’s really quick and easy to throw together.

Roast tomato & basil orecchiette – to serve 4 (or 6-8 as a starter)

  • 1.3kg cherry tomatoes
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
  • olive oil
  • 500g dried orecchiette
  • 30 large basil leaves
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • grated Parmesan or pecorino
Pre-heat the grill.
Put the tomatoes in a single layer in a large roasting tray. Scatter the sliced garlic over the tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Put the tomatoes under the grill and leave until starting to burst and turning black in places. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet.
Crush the tomatoes with a fork, then stir in the basil leaves. Stir in the cream and a handful of grated Parmesan or pecorino. Season to taste and serve with more cheese for people to add themselves.
Drink with: a light Chianti Rufina.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater: the kitchen diaries, Fourth Estate, 2005.)

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BBQ Chicken and Peach Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Healthy, Marsanne, Roussanne, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , on 29 June 2012| 2 Comments »

Our local supermarket, which will remain nameless, has perfectly ripe Spanish peaches at the moment. Absolutely perfect for a summer barbecue salad. It’s worth paying the extra for free-range chicken from a reliable source (probably not the local supermarket).

Warm Chicken & Peach Salad – to serve 4

  • 500g good-quality chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • olive oil
  • baby spinach leaves
  • ripe peaches
  • basil

Heat the barbecue.

Put the chicken breast in a shallow dish. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Turn the chicken breasts in the marinade until they are well-coated.

Cook the chicken on the hot barbecue until cooked through (ours took about 6 minutes on each side). You are going to slice the chicken anyway so it’s no problem to slice open one of the fillets to check.

Scatter a good few handfuls of spinach and a small handful of basil leaves over a large serving platter.

Mix 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, a few shredded basil leaves and some salt and pepper together to make a dressing.

Slice the chicken and peaches and toss gently with the salad leaves. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.

Drink with: either Roussanne or Marsanne with their stone-fruit flavours to complement the light peachy flavours of the salad. We had a glass of a St Joseph white from Pierre Gaillard made from Roussanne which is amazing on it’s own and a perfect match for this dish.

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BBQ Tikka Sea Bream

Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Beer, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , on 28 June 2012| 1 Comment »

We didn’t brush the grill of our barbecue well enough to prevent the skin sticking to it. If you’re cooking fish on a barbecue learn from our mistakes and brush the grill down well and rub with a bit of oil to stop it sticking. You can also season the fish with salt and set it aside for 15 minutes or so before cooking which will draw the moisture out of the skin. Alternatively you can take the extra safe precaution of cooking the fish on some tinfoil. This is a delicious way to cook fish and you get the flavours of the garlic, ginger and Tikka flavours with the added barbecue smokiness which works a treat and can be served with a fresh cucumber, tomato and coriander salad.

BBQ Tikka Sea Bream – to serve 2

  • 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2 small sea bream, approx. 450g each
  • 6 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 3 tsp cumin seeds

Get the barbecue hot.

Slash the skin of the fish on either side and place in a shallow dish. Mix the ginger and garlic, season with salt, then rub all over the fish.

Mix the yoghurt with the oil, spices and seasoning. Pour this over the fish and rub it all over the fish with your hands, inside and out.

Cook for about 6 minutes on each side and serve with an Indian-style salad.

Drink with: a chilled bottle of Singha beer, preferably outside in the sunshine.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Spicy Tomato and Couscous Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 17 June 2012| Leave a Comment »

There’s hardly any couscous used here but it still manages to transform this into a really wholesome soup.

Spiced tomato and couscous soup – to serve 4

  • olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 diced carrots
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2-3 tbsp harissa paste (depending how spicy you like it)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp couscous
  • handful of parsley, chopped

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery for a few minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the harissa and cumin. Add all the other ingredients except the couscous and stir, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the couscous and simmer for another 5 minutes, then stir in the parsley just before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)


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