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Posts Tagged ‘cayenne’

Chilled Curried Apple Soup

Posted in Diabetes, Food, Recipes, Robin Ellis, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 7, 2012| 8 Comments »

Turmeric, the brilliant yellow spice, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties–important weapons in the battle to stay on top of diabetes. (Cumin—another spice in this soup—has these beneficial properties too.)

It also has a world class, gold medal ability to stain anything that comes into contact with it–so handle with care–or rather with a spoon is the rule!

It helps give this stunning summer soup–suggested almost as an afterthought in the lovely Riverford Farm Cook Book–its luminous colour.

 

Which apples to use?

I used Fuji last time, which are a favorite apple for me.

Next time I want to try Granny Smith.

You could try a mix too.

for 4

3 large apples–peeled, cored and chopped up

1 medium onion–chopped

25 gms/1 oz butter

1 tsp each turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard powder (I use English mustard powder. Whizzing some seeds in a grinder is another option–or simply leave it out!)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 pint/450ml stock (I use organic vegetable stock cubes)

salt and white pepper

juice of half a lemon

creme fraiche or yoghurt (for garnish)

mint leaves (for garnish)

  • Melt the butter in a pan.
  • Add the onion and sauté gently to soften.
  • Add the apple pieces and the spices and mix in.
  • Add the stock and simmer gently for fifteen minutes.

  • Liquidise to a smooth texture, using a food blender or hand mixer.
  • A ladle and a half per bowl is perfect.
  • Top with a teaspoon of creme fraiche or yoghurt and a leaf of mint for garnish (if you have it).

We asked guests at lunch a couple of days ago to guess what soup they thought it was–it puzzled a few!

Serve it hot in the new apple season to come too!

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Chickpea curry with leek and fennel

Posted in Food, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 21, 2012| 8 Comments »

My copies of Rose Elliot’s vegetarian cookbooks, Not Just a Load of Lentils and The Bean Book, have been on my bookshelves for ages and are much thumbed!

First published in the 1970s, her recipes have withstood the test of time–and the ingredients often fit in with my adopted way of eating.

This is adapted from a recipe in The Bean Book. 

I made it in the morning and gently reheated it in the evening–giving the spices time to settle and meld. We had it for supper last night and it was worth the wait.

Meredith is wary of pulses because of their tendency to cause flatulence.

This time the positive outweighed the negative and she gave it the thumbs up–phew!

for 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 small onion–chopped

1 clove of garlic–peeled & chopped

1/2  teaspoon of powdered cumin

1/2 teaspoon of powdered coriander

1/2 teaspoon each of garam masala ( an earlier post), turmeric, ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cayenne/chili powder

1 teaspoon fresh root ginger–peeled & chopped (optional)

1 large jar of cooked chickpeas–drained (the precise quantity is not critical!)

2 fennel bulbs–outer leaves removed, quartered and chopped

1 large leek–damaged outer parts removed, cut down to the base, washed and sliced

2 tablespoons of parsley or coriander–chopped

1 pint of vegetable stock (I use organic cubes diluted with boiling water.)

  • Heat the oil in a pan.
  • Gently fry the cumin seeds until they start to pop.
  • Add the onion and garlic and soften–about 3 minutes.

  • Add the spices and mix them in.

  • Add the chickpeas.
  • Add the leeks and fennel and mix.

  • Add the stock–start with half a pint and adjust as needed.
  • Bring the mixture up to boil, then cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.

  • Fold in a tablespoon of parsley or coriander.
  • Sprinkle the second  tablespoon of parsley or coriander over the dish when you serve it hot with…
  • Brown basmati rice and yogurt sauce (see the next post).

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