Carrot and Coriander Soup (V)

Need something for work? Tired of those Cheese sandwiches? Blogger asking too many questions? Give this beaut a try. Vegetarian and Vegan (double whammy). Also super cheap as all you need to buy is coriander, a small potato, carrots and an onion (I'm assuming you have the rest at home but even if you don't it's cheap).

Serves 4

Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 tsp Ground Coriander
800g Carrots, peeled and chopped
1.2l Vegetable Stock
Handful of Fresh Coriander
Salt and Pepper

1. Put a large pan over a medium low heat. Add the oil and onions and cook until softened. Then add the ground coriander and potato. Cook for a couple of minutes

2. Add the carrots and stock to the pan and increase the heat until it begins to boil then reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Take off heat

3.  Add the fresh coriander to the carrots. Either use a hand blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Serve immediately or allow to cool for a work lunch.

Moroccan Root Vegetable Stew (V)

I'm at it again with the slow cooker. Let combine this with something Vegetarian (also realised it's Vegan too). After mulling over I came up with this spicy yet fruity concoction. It's sure to warm you up in the cold nights. Key to cooking vegetarian is to utilise herbs and spices to amplify flavour. Should contribute to your 5 fruit and veg a day (So bonuses all round).

Serves 6

Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

½ tsp Ground Coriander

½ tsp Cumin

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Ground Ginger 

1 Cinnamon Stick

Few Strands of Saffron

1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled and diced

3 Medium Carrots, peeled and diced

3 Parsnips, Peeled and diced

Small Butternut Squash, peeled and diced

400g Can Chickpeas, drained

1.25ml Vegetable Stock

½ Mug Sultanas

3 tbsp Plain Flour

3 Handfuls Spinach

1. In a frying pan/removable pot in the slow cooker heat olive oil over a medium heat on the hob. Add the onion, garlic, flour and spices to the pan. Cook until the onions have softened.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the spinach and sultanas to the slow cooker. Give a stir. And leave for the following:

- Low - 7 - 8 Hours
- Medium -  5 - 6 Hours
- High - 3 - 4 Hours

3. An hour before the food is done add the sultanas and spinach to the slow cooker and give a stir then leave to cook.for the final hour. Then serve. 

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

Midweek meal. Jam packed risotto with a huge amount of flavour

Serves 4-6

Knob of Butter
1 Onion, diced
2-3 Chicken Breasts, diced
200g Chestnut Mushroom, cut into quarters then in half
100g Smoked Bacon Lardons
150ml White Wine
1.4l Chicken Stock
25g Parmigiano Reggiano
250g Arborio Risotto
Handful Parsley, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and diced into cubes

1. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the chicken until cooked all the way through. Remove and put on a plate with kitchen roll to dab the excess fat. Then fry the bacon for 2- 4 minutes. Then remove this from the pan and put on kitchen roll.

2. With the juices and remaining butter in the pan, add the carrots and onion and fry til softened (couple of minutes). Add the risotto rice and allow to fry for a minute. Add the white wine and stir. Allow to reduce. Then add 2 ladles of stock and stir. Allow to reduce before adding another ladle of stock. Continue until out of stock. Keep stirring so risotto doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 

3. When there is no more stock add the chicken, mushrooms, bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley to pan. Serve with extra cheese and parsley.

Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup (V)

Days are getting colder and we need to keep warm. This is a very good recipe to take to work and it's simple to make. Make it on the Sunday and it can last you for the month.  Or maybe have as a starter.

Serves: 5/6 Servings of Soup

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 celery stalked, roughly chopped

20g Basil, roughly chopped

1kg Tomatoes

1 Carrot, chopped

100ml Single Cream
Knob of Butter

Salt and Pepper

2 Pints Vegetable Stock

1, In a deep large pan melt the butter and soften the onions, garlic, celery and carrot. This should take a couple of minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and basil, stir and heat through for a minute. Then add the stock to the pan, increase the heat so it boils. Once it begins to boil reduce to a simmer. Put the lid on and leave for 10-15 minutes, until everything is softened.

3. Take a hand blender and blend until everything is smooth. Add the cream and blend. Taste and season if needed.

Work: If having for lunch leave to cool completely and put in microwave containers. At work, put in a microwave to warm for a minute stir then heat for a further minute. Take a crusty roll into work to dip.

Starter: Serve immediately, drizzle with single cream and top with basil leaves. Have with some crusty bread

If you need something to take soup into work I would recommend these:

Slow Cooked Bolognese

Bolognese is one of those mid week meals that we all love. But sometimes making it can be a drag especially after a long day at work.. Sometimes you just want to throw it all in a pot, leave it to cook and then enjoy later. Well lucky for you I have a recipe for slow cooked Bolognese. Fry off a few things then stick it all in the slow cooker for later.

Serves 5-6

1 Onion, Diced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
500g Minced Beef
100g Bacon Lardons
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
8 Mushrooms, sliced
100ml Beef Stock
2 tbsp Plain Flour (to thicken)
1 Small Glass of Red Wine
2 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Oregano
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Thyme
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to season

Serve with a bit of parmesan

1. Take the pot out of the slow cooker and put on the hob. Heat a bit of olive oil, Then add the beef mince and bacon. Cook til browned. Then add the garlic, onions, peppers and mushrooms, cook for a further 2 minutes.

2. Put back in the slow cooker and put on a low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and give a final stir. Leave to cook for 6-8 hours.

3. Just before the Bolognese is done, boil your favourite pasta (follow the instructions on the pack). Top with grated parmesan and it's ready to serve.