Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
I had found a rolled brisket in the oven at the weekend. I am trying to use up what I can from the freezer. I think our local food bank will be getting a healthy donation from our food cupboard in any case.
I just did my normal pot roast. With the leftovers I decided to make a delicious homemade soup. My son had shown me his Turkey Pot Pie Soup on Sunday and so I thought to myself why not a Beef Pot Pie Soup??
Back in the 1980's I had a great friend who lived right next door to me. We lived in a row of town houses and had similarly aged children. Our husbands were both in the airforce. Her name was Mabel and I have to confess I learned a lot about cooking from her.
She was one of my early inspirations. She had three children and I had four. Our days were busy and our hands were full, but every night after supper we would sit together on our shared door step, have a coffee together and talk about our days which had just passed.
We both enjoyed cooking and food and started a supper club between the two of us. One month it would be her turn to host and the next it would be mine.
A three course dinner for four and sometimes we had themes. One month it might be Italian and another Greek.
She did a beautiful German meal for us once that I still remember to this day. They had lived in Germany just prior to moving to Nova Scotia where we were all living at the time and she really did that country proud with her meal.
You know something is good if 35 years later you are still thinking about it!
I have always held a special fondness in my heart for German food. I lived there when I was a child from the time I was an infant until just before I started school. My sister was actually born there.
My husband and I have also travelled there several times on holidays. It is a clean, clean country and the people are very friendly and kind.
The food is amazing. There is no other word for it. I remember having a hot chocolate on one of our first holidays there. I am sure there was at least a six inch tower of whipped cream dancing on the top of it!
It was delicious. Who can visit Germany without enjoying a slice of their infamous Black Forest Cake. It is so delicious.
We have eaten grilled Bratwurst in buns with mustard on the edge of Lake Titisee. Nothing tasted finer.
One day we enjoyed plate sized schnitzels that would make your mother weep, sides hanging over platters adorned with crisp fresh chips and a beautiful salad on the side.
Yes, German food is delicious. Its not overly fancy, but it is incredibly fresh and extremely well done. They have a great pride in what they present to you at the table, and it shows.
My mother often told us the story about how she arrived in Germany with me, only about 9 months old, on a snowy Christmas Eve in 1956. She was very tired after having travelled there from Canada on her own to meet my father who was already there. The airline had lost her luggage and so there we were in a foreign country, where she did not know the language or the people . . . and all we had were the clothes which we were wearing.
My father had managed to rent a small set of rooms for us over a Gasthaus, which would be our home until we were able to get more permanent accomodations on the base. She was in tears, needless to say, afraid and feeling quite lonely being so far away from her family and friends on what is traditionally very much a family occasion. And she was exhausted.
The family that owned the Gasthaus were celebrating their Christmas downstairs, but the wife/mother took the time to cook a meal for my mother and father, a chicken dinner and then she took charge of me.
She tore up a sheet to use as diapers, got me a bottle, giving my teary and bleary eyed mother some rest she so badly needed. My mother never forgot this simple kindness.
Kind, kind people, and this was not long after the War had ended, only 10 years. They were still very much recovering.
The recipe I am sharing today for Pancake Soup is a German Recipe and it is delicious in its simplicity. It is also known as Crepe Soup or Fladlesuppe.
In Swabia where it comes from, pancakes are known as Fladle. The recipe has been adapted from a cookery book I have entitled, Grandma's German Cookbook by Birgit Hamm and Linn Schmidt.
Put into shallow bowls they are simply covered in a good strong broth. You can use Chicken, or beef or vegetable. The recipe was originally designed to use up leftover broth from the day before.
Today I have used chicken stock which I buy in little gel-capsules. It has a lovely flavour that we both enjoy and I use it a lot. Generally speaking I always have chicken, beef or vegetable pots gel pots in my larder. Very handy to have.
This soup is incredibly delicious in its simplicity. A good stock and rolled up sliced pancakes that act almost like hearty little noodles. Scattered with some finely snipped chives it makes a wonderful light lunch or first course.
You could also garnish it with some wild garlic scapes, thinly sliced (in season) or chopped parsley. I think as well chopped fresh thyme would also be very nice.
I can remember being on holiday in France and walking through some fields on a 13km hike we went on one day. Every step we too smelled like garlic. There was wild garlic everywhere. Oh I do so love Europe and I really hope that I will get a chance to travel there again on holiday.
I really hope that you will be inspired to try this soup. Don't let its simplicity or simple list of ingredients put you off. It is a true gem of a recipe and a wonderful testimony to a people who know how to make the most out of what they have been given.
Its comforting and delicious and a true pleasure to eat. I think also that children would really enjoy this simple soup. Pancake Soup, its a good thing, not to coin Martha Stewart or anything. Make it. You will love it.
Pancake Soup
Yield: 4
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 30 M
This is also known as Crepe Soup or Fladlesuppe. German in origin it was developed to be able to use up leftover sock. Rolled up pancakes, sliced into coins act as noodles. Its quite simple but extremely delicious!
Ingredients:
For the pancakes:
- 2/3 cup of plain flour (100g)
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 1/3 cup whole milk (300ml)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
You will also need:
- butter for greasing the pan
- 1 bunch chives, finely snipped
- 4 cups (960ml) hot chicken, beef or vegetable stock
- black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Begin by making the pancakes. Measure the flour into a bowl along with the salt and nutmeg. Beat in the milk and the eggs until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Heat a skillet (I found a six inch skillet worked best for me.) Butter with a tiny bit of butter. Using a soup ladle, pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Cook until beginning to brown, flip over and cook for a further 30 seconds. Remove to a plate and repeat until you have used all the batter up. Keep warm.
- Roll the pancakes up tightly and slice crosswise into thin rounds.
- Evenly divide the warm pancakes between four shallow heated soup or pasta bowls. Divide the hot stock between the bowls. Sprinkle with pepper and chopped chives. Serve immediately.
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We have had a rather gloomy and rainy few days now. Soup days. That's what I call them. Today I was feeling very nostalgic for home and I decided to cook us up a delicious Nova Scotia Fish Chowder. A taste of home sweet home for me.
This recipe is not quite as rich as my other recipe for fish chowder, which contains carrots and celery and cream.
This is a really simple and basic recipe which is typically Nova Scotian and was adapted from an old cookery book of mine entitled "Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens" by Marie Nightingale.
It is a treasure trove of historic Nova Scotian recipes. My family has been in Nova Scotia before even the first settlers arrived on its shores.
I have Mi'kmaq ancestry as well as Scottish, English, Irish, German, etc. I am a virtual melting pot of Nova Scotia peoples, as most of us are.
For this chowder I used some beautiful Haddock fillets. I get my haddock from Seafresh
quality foods. I am in love with their fish, and really love their Haddock.
Their Haddock Fillets are skinless and boneless, having been frozen at Sea with just a few hours of being caught. This wonderful process means the fish is as fresh as it can be.
Each fillet weighs in between 130g-170g. There is 900g of Haddock per order (approx. 5-7 fillet), and right now it is on offer for £5 less than the regular price.
Haddock is very versatile fish. Pan fried or poached, oven baked or grilled. It really is beautiful in recipes like this fabulous fish chowder.
The New England States like to claim to be the inventors of Chowders, but there is a strong possibility that chowders were first created by the French settlers at Port Royal.
The word "chowder" comes from the French word, "Chaudiere." This was the name of the cast iron pot that they cooked their soups and stews in.
In any case, this recipe I am sharing with you today is considered to be more than 100 years old, and is in my opinion a fabulous recipe for using some of the beautiful haddock that I have in my freezer.
You know its a simple recipe because it is such an old recipe, using simple ingredients that are readily available.
You also know that it is delicious, because after 100 + years it has quite simply stood the test of time.
Good fish, onion, potato, salt pork/bacon, water and milk are all you need aside from a few other sundries/seasonings.
Soda crackers are not readily available over here in the UK, but you can get Italian crackers that are very similar and they are what I use. They help to thicken it a bit.
My husband enjoys his with a slice of thick buttered bread . . .
The Canadian in me has to have crackers. There is just no two ways about it. I love crackers with my soups. Enjoy!
Nova Scotia Fish Chowder
Yield: 6
Simple, traditional and very delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds haddock fillets
- 1/2 pound salt pork, diced (alternately use smoked streaky bacon)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1/2 tsp summer savoury (optional)
- 480ml boiling water (2 cups)
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
- 960ml whole milk (4 cups)
- 8 small soda crackers, crumbled
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions:
- Cut your fish into 1 inch cubes. Saute your pork/bacon in a large saucepan until crisp. (I had to add a small splash of olive oil as my bacon was quite lean.)
- Add the onion and cook, stirring, without browning until softened. Add the potatoes, summer savoury (if using) and boiling water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the fish cubes and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- Heat the milk, crackers, butter and seasoning in another saucepan just to the boil. (DON'T allow it to boil.) Once it is heated combine it with the potatoes, water, onions and fish. Heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve immediately.
Seafresh has the UK covered delivery-wise, and has been providing door to door
contactless delivery throughout the pandemic. This has really meant a
lot to me.
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note - Although I was gifted with product free of charge for the purposes of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange, nor would my integrity allow me to recommend anything if I did not truly like it. Any and all my opinions are my own entirely.
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A few weeks ago I spied a particularly delicious looking White Bean and Ham Soup on Simply Recipes.
If you are looking for mealtime inspiration and simple recipes it is a brilliant resource to draw from!
Oh but its a blustery, blustery day out there today. Its not fit for man nor beast. A cold wind is blowing and there is rain in it. This is a soup day for sure.
I had a large butternut squash that I wanted to use up, and so I decided to make a soup with it. I adore butternut squash soups.
I adore butternut squash full stop actually. It has such a beautiful flavour . . . sweet and earthy, rich . . . of all the hard/winter squashes, it is my favourite one.
Most Winter Squashes lend themselves beautifully to soup.
This is a very simple soup to make. You cut your squash in half down the middle and roast it (covered) on a baking tray along with a whole head of garlic. Don't worry, the garlic gets all sweet and mellow when it is roasted. You won't smell, but your kitchen will smell beautiful.
At the end of that time you add some red bell pepper and red onion to the pan, drizzle them with some oil and spice and continue to roast, uncovered this time, until everything is nice and tender.
Once everything it tender, scoop out and discard the seeds from the squash and scoop the flesh into a blender. Add the cooked onion and peppers and a knob of preserved ginger root.
Pour over some vegetable stock and blitz until smooth. It shouldn't take too long. Because the stock isn't hot, you don't have to worry about the lid popping, but if you are concerned, place a towel on it and hold it in place just in case.
You can push it through a sieve to remove any little bits if you want, but they don't bother me, so I just leave them in. I don't mind a bit of texture. Add the remaining stock and gently heat through.
While the soup is heating through, you can make your croutons. I do so love a crisp crouton on top of a hot bowl of soup, don't you?
These are especially tasty. Baguette slices are tossed with an olive oil and honey mixture, sprinkled with crumbled cheddar cheese and baked . . .
Until golden brown and crisp edged . . . the cheese melted and starting to turn golden as well . . .
This is truly a most delicious combination. I promise. If you aren't fond of honey and cheese, you can just do garlic butter ones, but trust me when I say the honey and cheese ones are magnificent.
With a splash of sour cream, this went down a real treat! Just the ticket on a cold Winter's day.
Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Honey & Cheddar Croutons
Yield: 6
A delicious bone and belly warming soup that is very simple to make.
ingredients:
For the Soup:
- 1.5kg butternut squash, halved and unpeeled (about 3 1/2 pounds)
- 1 bulb of garlic, whole and unpeeled
- 2 small red peppers, halved and trimmed
- 2 medium red onions, peeled and quartered
- 1 knob of preserved ginger root
- olive oil to drizzle
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
- 1.25 litres vegetable stock (5 1/2 cups)
- sea salt to taste
For the croutons:
- 2 TBS liquid honey, warmed slightly
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small rustic baguette, sliced thinly
- a couple of tablespoons of crumbled strong cheddar cheese
To garnish:
- dairy sour cream (optional)
instructions:
How to cook Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Honey & Cheddar Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a baking tray (with sides) with baking paper. Cut your squash in half down the centre and place cut side down on the baking paper. Place the garlic bulb beside it on the tray. Cover the whole thing tightly with foil and place in the preheated oven to roast for 1/2 hour.
- At the end of half an hour add the peppers, cut sides up and the onion wedges. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with the ground cumin and the chili flakes.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven, uncovered, and roast for a further 30 minutes or so until the butternut squash is tender.
- Scoop out the seeds from the butternut squash and discard. Scrape the flesh into a blender. Add the peppers, onion. Cut the garlic in half and squeeze the soft flesh into the blender. Add half of the vegetable stock and the knob of preserved ginger. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan. Add the remaining stock and gently heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
- While the soup is heating, whisk together the oil and honey for the croutons. Toss the baguette slices in this and place the slices in a single layer on a paper lined baking tray. Sprinkle with the crumbled cheddar and bake for 10 minutes in the heated oven until golden brown.
- Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls, garnish with some sour cream, swirling it through. Float a couple of croutons on top and serve immediately.
What is your favourite thing to eat on a cold Winter's Day? What is your favourite kind of soup??
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