Spicy Lentil and Coconut Soup

I have to share my new obsession with you: pure Organic Coconut Oil.

I bought a big jar of the stuff after reading about its many benefits as a beauty product, so wanted to try it out on my skin and hair. I have to say that my son and I often suffer from dry skin and eczema, and have been recommended various creams from doctors and pharmacists in the past, which often contain nasty steroids and chemicals. Well none of them have been as effective as this! OK I know it sounds a bit like I'm sponsored by coconuts here, but it's true! What I wasn't entirely aware of when I bought my first jar, is the range of health benefits it has also has when you eat or cook with it. 

Coconut oil is fast gaining popularity - Gwyneth Paltrow smothers herself in the stuff; Jennifer Aniston was recently seen with a shopping trolley full of it; Angelina Jolie eats spoonfuls for breakfast; and Miranda Kerr calls it her "beauty secret", consuming four tablespoons a day on salads, in her cooking, and stirring it into her green tea. 

Once dismissed  by the World Health Organisation as unhealthy due to its high levels of saturated fat, scientists have now proved that it's not the same as saturated fats found in vegetable oils, and its natural fats are in fact good for the heart as well as  cholesterol levels. Mostly this was evident when they studied inhabitants of the South Pacific, whose diet is largely based on coconuts and coconut oil, but among whom heart disease is virtually non-existent. It can also aid and improve the digestive system, preventing various stomach and digestion related problems, including IBS. AND it helps in the body's absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids. AND it's been proven to aid weight loss. 

OH and it gets rid of those little bumps you sometimes get on the backs of your arms. There's a name for that isn't there? You'll have to look that up yourself. I've done enough Googling today.

But frankly though, I'd eat pretty much anything that Miss Kerr called her beauty secret, wouldn't you?

Top tip: you may want to buy two jars and keep one on the kitchen, and one in the bathroom. Or seperate the contents of one jar. Basically find a hygienic way to not be cooking with the oil you've just double dipped when spreading onto your bumpy arms. OK?

So I've decided to start using coconut oil in my cooking wherever possible, especially if the dish actually requires a coconut taste. The taste is subtle, however, so I will try it in others also. 

Spicy Lentil and Coconut Soup 

(4 portions)

1 heaped tsp organic coconut oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

200g red lentils, rinsed

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp cumin seeds

ground chilli flakes

1 litre organic vegetable stock

250ml carton coconut cream

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan, over a medium heat.

2. Add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat and soften slowly and gently for 8-10 minutes. Be patient - slower cooking will release the sweetness of the onion, adding a depth of flavour to your soup.

3. Now add the spices and stir for less than a minute. before adding the lentils. Stir well to coat the lentils in all the flavours. It will smell great at this point!

4. Pour in 750ml of the vegetable stock, bring it up to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Check halfway through as you may need to add a little more liquid.

5. Empty the contents of the coconut cream into a separate bowl, as it will have split into solid cream and  watery liquid. Add half of the cream to the soup and a little of the coconut water.

6. Turn off the heat, and leave to cool a little before blitzing in the pan with a hand held blender.

7. Depending on the consistency that you like your soup, stir in a little more stock until you get it just right.

Do you have any great ideas for using coconut oil? I'd love to know!

Spinach Soup aka Dinosaur Swamp

Ok so Dinosaur Swamp might put you off this soup...but if you've got a little one it will make them really into it. And who doesn't want to watch their kid eat a whole load of spinach? Exactly. Luckily it's delicious too. I cooked this with Toby so he could put the spinach in himself-I'm a firm believer in involving kids with the cooking process so that they're familiar with ingredients and not "scared" of them. He loved seeing how the huge handfuls of spinach he threw into the pan shrunk so quickly. If, however, you have a delicate eater who will not not knowingly eat a leaf, then just serve this up to them when it's ready. They will never know how much goodness is in it! In the past I have also served this with little dinosaur shaped bread or sandwiches, using a cookie cutter. Raaaar!

2 tsp olive oil

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 small onion

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

250ml low sodium organic vegetable stock (from a cube)

200ml semi-skimmed milk

approx 200g baby spinach leaves

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and potato and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and milk, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato is starting to soften,.

Add half the spinach, season, and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Cool slightly. Stir in the remaining spinach and blend with a hand held electric blender.

Easy!

Beetroot and Apple Soup

I am almost as proud of myself for making this soup as I am of making an actual human being. Well, not really, but it is quite beautiful don't you think?

I'm trying to buy more fruit and veg from my local Greengrocer's. It's a great little place, where the veg is grown on an allotment just a couple of miles away, so everything is super fresh. Though, this does mean you have to get a bit creative.
The thing I love about beetroot is that at first glance they're so humble, grubby and unassuming. But once you cut them open, they have the most wonderful jewel-like colour.


If this floats your boat, I used this recipe from The Times online. I adapted it slightly by omitting the garlic and instead adding 1/2 tsp ground ginger whilst cooking the onions. This worked really well.

Also it's great served hot or cold-even better cold I think, especially at this time of year, but it has to be chilled not just room temoperature!

Grating the beetroot reduces the required cooking time, but-geez!-it was a laborious process so next time I think I would just chop it. It all gets blended together at the end, so this won't make too much difference.

This is a great health soup. The vibrancy of the beetroot tells you that it's packed full of anti-oxidants, and they are also a great source of Vitamins A and C, fibre and potassium. They are also known for they're significance in maintaining low blood pressure and cholesterol.

Do I need to give you any more reasons to try this soup!!

Tomato, Chilli and Butterbean Soup with Parmesan Croutons

Here's my own soup recipe that I love. The butterbeans add great texture and bite, and it has only a hint of chilli so is suitable for kids. This recipe will make 2 adult portions or 1 adult and 2 children's portions.

1. First, finely chop 1 small onion and 1 clove of garlic. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan, and gently soften the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes.
2. Add 1 tsp of freshly ground dried chilli (you can use fresh if you prefer), and cook for another minute, being careful not to let the chilli burn.
3. Pour in 1 tin of good quality chopped tomatoes. Re-fill 3/4 of the tin with water, and add this to the pan.
4. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, add half a tin of drained butterbeans. You can use the dried ones of you prefer, but they need to be soaked overnight then boiled for at least an hour, and frankly, who can be bothered with that?!

6. Now leave the soup to cool a little, then whizz (that's a technical term there) with a hand-held blender until smooth. Pureeing these butterbeans will thicken the soup, much as you would use potato or flour in some other soups.
7. You can then stir in the remaining half of the tinned butterbeans, leaving them whole.
Or you can get your trusty helper to do this....

Now, how about some homemade croutons? I actually first knocked these up when I only had stale bread to have with my lunch..they do say necessity is the mother of invention, and that's certainly true in the kitchen.

I used wholemeal bread for these, but white bread would work just as well, if not better.
Cut your bread into cubes. Heat a generous 2tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Get it pretty hot. Add the bread cubes, and toss them in the oil. They'll take about 6-7 minutes until they turn golden brown. Halfway through, sprinkle over a liberal amount of grated parmesan, and keep tossing.

Serve the soup with the croutons alongside for people to help themselves, and some extra Parmesan for sprinkling if you're feeling in the need for cheese.

Spinach and Barley Soup

So I got round to trying Sophie Dahl's Spinach and Barley Soup. I've got a bit of a thing for soup at the moment. This one's very cheap and easy to make, and super good for you. If I'm being honest it's not the most exciting soup I've had, but it's certainly very virtuous!

You're gonna feel so smug when you see the amount of spinach that goes into this...

(To serve 4-6)

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 fresh sage leaves (I only had dried sage so used just over a teaspoon). Cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes.

Stir in 180g of washed and chopped spinach leaves, and cook for another few minutes.

Pour in 1.5 litres of organic vegetable stock. This is where the recipe states to simmer the spinach in the stock for 10 minutes before adding the barley. I didn't do this, however, as otherwise you just boil all the nutrients out of the spinach!

Add 150g pearl barley, bring to the boil, then simmer for half an hour or until the barley is soft.

Season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and serve with reshly grated parmesan. Easy.

Miss P's Top Tip: Next time I would try leaving the spinach leaves whole, to add a bit more texture to the finished soup.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

This is what Toby and I had for lunch today, and will probably have quite regularly over the coming Winter months. Luckily I had some leftover for when my friend popped round after I'd helped her move house. I seem to have become something of a feeder friend these days!
Anyway here's how to re-enact this in your very own home:

Serves 3-4

Knob of butter

Olive oil

5 small sweet potatoes (or approx 3 large), peeled and cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

A pinch of dried chilli flakes

Just under 1 litre organic vegetable stock

1/4 can light coconut milk

1. Melt the butter with the oil and in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and soften on a low heat for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the spices and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Add the sweet potato, stir everything together well, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Remove a couple of ladelfuls of the stock and keep to one side-this will all become clear soon!

5. Pour in the coconut milk. Whizz the soup with a hand-held blender until completely smooth.

6. Now you can gradually add some stock back to the pan, until you reach the desired consistency. You want the soup to be smooth and velvety, and not too watery.

Remember you can always make a soup thinner, but it is very hard to thicken if you've added too much stock!

7. Season to taste. This is delicious served with nann bread and sprinkled with coriander, if you have it.

Chickpea and Leek Soup

Leeks are in season now, and are so versatile. Here's a great little soup recipe from Jamie Oliver. It's easy, quick and costs practically nothing. This is just the thing you need for lunch to keep you going on a chilly Autumn day. You'll thank me for this one!

Makes 6 portions

340g chickpeas, soaked overnight then rinsed, and boiled for about 1 hour

(or use tinned, as I did. Sorry Jamie!)

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

5 medium leeks

1 tbsp olive oil

knob of butter

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

salt and pepper

850ml/1 1/2 pints vegetable or chicken stock

parmesan cheese, to taste

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

First, prep your leeks. Remove the outer skin, slice lengthways, wash carefully and slice finely.

Warm a heavy-based pan, and add the tbsp of oil and the knob of butter. Add the leeks and garlic to the pan, and sweat gently with a good pinch of salt until tender and sweet. This will take about 5 minutes.

Add the drained chickpeas and potato and cook for 1 minute.

Add two thirds of the stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Now decide of you want to puree the soup, or leave it chunky and brothy. Or do as Jamie suggests, and puree just half the soup, leaving the rest whole- this gives a lovely smooth feel but still retains a bit of texture.

Now add enough remaing stock to achieve the consistency you like, check for seasoning, and stir in some grated parmesan..be generous!

Serve in a big bowl, with a drizzle of olive oil, a grinding of black pepper and an extra sprinkling of parmesan.

Miss P's Top tip: Buy the best butter you can afford! I'm not one for spending a fortune on food, but quality butter and olive oil will really enhance the flavours in your cooking. Especially in soups or dishes where there are few ingredients used.

Bacon and Butter Bean Stew with Spring Greens

Tonight we had a simple, rustic sort of meal. If I'm being honest, I had to make something out of what we had left lying around in the fridge and storecupboard! It did hit the spot though. If you like soupy, chunky dishes that are crying out for a big hunk of crusty white bread to dip into, then you're gonna love this! Rough ingredients list to serve 2 greedy people:

1 tbsp cooking olive oil

3 rashers bacon, chopped

1 head of spring greens (or cabbage), washed and shredded

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 leek, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

approx 1 litre organic vegetable stock

1 tin butter beans, drained

fresh herbs, if you have them

(I used some rosemary and thyme)

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan. Chuck in your carrots, leeks and garlic, and soften for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the bacon, and cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the veg stock and add your spring greens (you might have some leftover, you could stir this through some mash to use for another meal). Season.

4.Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the veg has softened.

5. Add the tin of buter beans for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. They just need to be warmed through.

Serve in big bowls with some crusty bread alongside.

Low-fat tomato,chilli and basil soup

Here's a quick, cheap and low fat soup recipe that came from a great cookbook called Cook Yourself Thin. This is so easy, its almost the same as just opening a tin of soup!
The recipe serves 4 and its only 95 calories per portion, so you can even have double helpings and still not feel guilty! Also, when tomatoes are cooked it brings out an antioxidant called lycopene, so you get even more health benefits than you would from eating them raw.
Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic,finely chopped

a pinch of dried chilli flakes

400g tin plum tomatoes

salt and pepper

small pinch of sugar

a handful of basil, roughly chopped

2 tbsp low fat creme fraiche

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently sweat the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the chilli and cook for another minute.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, then fill the empty tin with water, twice, and add to the pan.

Season and add the sugar. (when using tinned tomatoes, sugar just helps bring out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes rather than it being too acidic).

Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the basil to the soup and spoon in the creme fraiche.

Blitz until smooth with a hand held blender. Check the seasoning and serve.

Pea and Mint Soup

Today for lunch we had a fresh and healthy Pea and Mint Soup. Perfect for Spring...even if the weather was decidedly Wintery. For 4 portions you'll need:

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 large potato, peeled and diced

300g frozen peas

850ml vegetable stock

3 tbsp chopped mint

2 tbsp creme fraiche

Heat approx 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan. Gently sweat the onion and garlic on a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potato, stir and cook for a couple more minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, leave to simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes - no longer or you'll lose the fresh pea taste.

Stir in the mint, season to taste and leave to cool slightly. You can pour into a blender and whizz, or to make life easier, I use a hand held blender and do it in the pan.

To serve, re-heat, ladle into bowls, then stir through the creme fraiche. Delicious.

Toby certainly enjoyed his!