Home made soup & a new bread maker. Perfect winter recipe???
Discussion
WOW - I didn't know PH had a food and drink section!
Food has been my passion ever since my wife gave birth to our last child. My wife trained as a chef at college but is, by her own admission, not great a cooking.
To help out while she was looking after the new born, I did all the meals during that time, but really enjoyed it. That was May '07 and I haven't stopped cooking since. I am not amazing but try all sorts mainly from Gordon Ramsey, but we get the Sainsbury's magazine and my latest 'British food' cook book from Tesco.
This last weekend was the wife's birthday and she got a bread maker from my folks. Yesterday, I decided to bake a loaf of white break and for the first time make my own soup; leak and potato.
Holy mother of God, it was a taste sensation. I cannot believe what I have missed out on for all this time. A few bits of veg, a bit of stock less than half an hour and you have enough for 6 generous portions, served with fresh baked bread.
Perfect? I think so........
Food has been my passion ever since my wife gave birth to our last child. My wife trained as a chef at college but is, by her own admission, not great a cooking.
To help out while she was looking after the new born, I did all the meals during that time, but really enjoyed it. That was May '07 and I haven't stopped cooking since. I am not amazing but try all sorts mainly from Gordon Ramsey, but we get the Sainsbury's magazine and my latest 'British food' cook book from Tesco.
This last weekend was the wife's birthday and she got a bread maker from my folks. Yesterday, I decided to bake a loaf of white break and for the first time make my own soup; leak and potato.
Holy mother of God, it was a taste sensation. I cannot believe what I have missed out on for all this time. A few bits of veg, a bit of stock less than half an hour and you have enough for 6 generous portions, served with fresh baked bread.
Perfect? I think so........
Edited by Drewtastic on Monday 14th January 11:44
Soup...the most underrated dish !!
I love making my own soup, it is a piece of p*ss to do and is so tasty !!
Try roasted butternut squash soup...awesome.
Cut squash in half, season, knob of butter
Put in oven for 45 mins (170)
Meanwhile, chop one small onion, soften in butter, get veg stock (cube will do).
Scrape out softened squash into onions, add stock to desired consistency, blitz in blender.
Add cream
Delicious
I love making my own soup, it is a piece of p*ss to do and is so tasty !!
Try roasted butternut squash soup...awesome.
Cut squash in half, season, knob of butter
Put in oven for 45 mins (170)
Meanwhile, chop one small onion, soften in butter, get veg stock (cube will do).
Scrape out softened squash into onions, add stock to desired consistency, blitz in blender.
Add cream
Delicious
Perfect a decent tomato soup. With cream or without is up to you.
This actually is a dangerous path... All tinned soup will seem a bit shit when you start making your own. (Yes, even Heinz Tomato.)
Oh and its Leek and potato not leak and potato.
Breadmakers and slow cookers are begining to invade my life, I fear I may be getting a bit middle aged.
This actually is a dangerous path... All tinned soup will seem a bit shit when you start making your own. (Yes, even Heinz Tomato.)
Oh and its Leek and potato not leak and potato.
Breadmakers and slow cookers are begining to invade my life, I fear I may be getting a bit middle aged.
Ali Kat is right !!
After any roast joint ALWAYS make a stock !!
It freezes perfectly well and makes any soup/sauce taste fantastic.
Simple:
Take remnants of said joint/carcass and place in saucepan
Add carrott, onion, celery, bouquet garni (or mixed herbs)
Add salt and pepper
Simmer away for a couple of hours.
Allow to cool, remove fat (I leave a bit as I quite like the taste !)
Place in container and freeze.
(BTW I do not know if this is entirely correct but it seems to work for me)
After any roast joint ALWAYS make a stock !!
It freezes perfectly well and makes any soup/sauce taste fantastic.
Simple:
Take remnants of said joint/carcass and place in saucepan
Add carrott, onion, celery, bouquet garni (or mixed herbs)
Add salt and pepper
Simmer away for a couple of hours.
Allow to cool, remove fat (I leave a bit as I quite like the taste !)
Place in container and freeze.
(BTW I do not know if this is entirely correct but it seems to work for me)
When you make stock, reduce the liquid in a pan to at least 1/3 it's original volume, that way you get stronger stock (so you use less when cooking and can reinstate the volume using water, wine etc.) and it takes up less space in the freezer.
For stock from poultry or game birds, boil the bones for no more than 20-25 mins, after that the taste becomes slightly bitter and the bones have given up all the flavour they're going to give (you can however remove the bones and keep simmering to reduce).
A good tip is to use those pots that ready made pasta sauce comes in (surely everyone cheats sometimes) - they re-seal perfectly and are perfect for single portion soups and stocks.
For stock from poultry or game birds, boil the bones for no more than 20-25 mins, after that the taste becomes slightly bitter and the bones have given up all the flavour they're going to give (you can however remove the bones and keep simmering to reduce).
A good tip is to use those pots that ready made pasta sauce comes in (surely everyone cheats sometimes) - they re-seal perfectly and are perfect for single portion soups and stocks.
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