Tag Archives: onions

French Onion Soup

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Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 620 (155 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil (other types of oil will do)
  • 6 onions peeled and chopped
  • 1 potato chopped
  • 1 glass of red wine
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 Knorr beef stockpot or equivalents
  • Add hot water to (level 2 in soupmaker) or to cover the vegetables

Method:

  • Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to smooth.
  • Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done untill smooth.
  • For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water

Ham & Lentil Soup

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After a week back at work and eating loads of good food, I need to get back to making simple and quick soups. This is what I am going to call my “Everyday Range”.

A few ingredients maybe three to six basic vegetables that are easily available and even easier to put into a soup kettle and produce a great tasty lunch. Soups you can have at work, at lunch or the weekend. Soups that you use to replace a few strategic dinners in the week.

Healthier, less calorific and filling.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 748 (187 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil (other types of oil will do)
  • 6 small carrots peeled and chopped
  • 2 Slices of ham ripped or chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 150 grams of Red Lentils
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 Knorr chicken and 1 vegetable stockpot or equivalents
  • Add hot water to (level 2 in soupmaker) or to cover the vegetables

Method:

  • Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to smooth.
  • Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done untill smooth.
  • For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water

Easier Potato and Leek Soup

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After Christmas “use up what’s left” style of soup.  I was inspired by a soup I had at a conference, it was a vegetable soup and I found it really tasty. While all around me were eating volumes of mini beef and ale or chicken and leek pies, with chips. Having no concern about me. I stuck to my guns and stayed with the healthier options.

Have found that this easy soup is really good at making you feel better. Its tasty, its velvety and its above all easy.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 665 (167 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 large leeks chopped (remove leaves)
  • 4 medium potatoes, chopped
  • 2 vegetable stockpots (any will do)
  • Salt
  • Plenty of Pepper to taste
  • Add hot water to (level 1 in the soupmaker the higher one) or 1 litre in the pan

Method

  • Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to chunky.
  • Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done until chunky.
  • For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water.
  • Optional: Serve with crusty bread or some yogurt, crème fraiche or cream for a creamier taste.

Who Doesn’t like Celery

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Its the Weekend!

Here is a question for you. Why is it that during the week I can sleep through to the alarm. Yet on Saturdays and Sundays I am up with the bleeding larks? Now its a weekend and I can have a long lie in. Here I am then up early with the rest of the family having their deserved long lie in, the house is like a morgue this morning.

So I think that we are having Chilli tonight and so I begin the preparation for that hot and mincey delight for dinner now as it can grow in flavour throughout the day. At the same time my thoughts began to wander towards lunchtime. I check the veg draw and a large head of Celery jumps into view and so I begin….

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 382 (95.5 –  calories per serving) if you add the butter: Calories 522 – 130.5 per serving)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil (other types of oil will do)
  • 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed (to taste)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium potato, chopped
  • 1 whole celery (about 6-7 stalks), finely chopped
  • Optional (1 knob of butter)
  • 1 tsp of mixed herbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 vegetable stockpots (chicken or bouillon will do)
  • Add hot water to (level 1 or 2 in the soupmaker whichever suit you)

Method

  • Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to smooth.
  • Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done until smooth.
  • For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water.
  • (Optional – serve with crusty bread or a bagel, don’t forget to add the calories for these if you have them).

PS The chilli was a total and delicious success

My Saturday Relaxer

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After a very busy week at work I fell into the pub at our Early Doors regular Friday meet up, to enjoy a few pints of Naked Ladies Ale, our local Twickenham brewery fare at the Three Kings.

I decided to make some soup on Saturday as a way to relax myself into the weekend proper. Lots of winter veg, chicken stock in good basic soup.  So my intention was to make it comforting and full of flavour, it also needs to be chunky to give us a warming texture to the soup. This approach alongside a New York Bagel, toasted or not, buttered or not its all up to you. Enjoy!

Twickenham Brewery Regular Ales

The Brewery

Twickenham Fine Ales was the first brewery in Twickenham since Cole’s Brewery closed in 1906. However it didn’t end there. Founded by Steve Brown in 2004, Twickenham has been at the forefront of the resurgence of breweries in London.  Using global hops from a early stage, and only the purest of ingredients, Twickenham produces a fine range of well hopped, award winning beers.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 765 (192 calories per serving) 

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp of rapeseed oil (olive oil will do)
  • 3 potatoes
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 tbsp fresh fennel (2 tsp of dried fennel will do)
  • 3 small to medium onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 leeks
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 tbsp of oregano (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp of sweet paprika
  • 3 splashes of Worcester sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 chicken stockpots
  • Add hot water to (level 1 in the soupmaker the higher one)

Method

  • Put all ingredients in the soup maker and set to smooth
  • Alternatively put all of the ingredients into the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so, then blend when done until smooth.
  • For a thinner soup add more water, for a thicker soup add less water.
  • Optional – New York Bagel – 230 calories (with butter add 35 calories – for 456 for the whole serving)