Soup recipes

lynzpower

I did, but because I didnt have the recipt, they said they couldnt do me a swap. :mad:

Never mind, another reason to pop into robert dyas and start longingly ....

susank

Lynz - The Kallo organic cubes which I have just looked at from my cupboard are 0.5g fat per 100ml stock made up. Just make stock, cool skim and then reduce by boiling rapidly and you will have wonderful stock - fat free (almost) and not needing a cube at all as the flavour will have concentrated down.

HappyIdiotTalk

jobbingmusician wrote:

Hiya, HappyIdiotTalk. I can remember being just like you, and what made me confident in the kitchen was working as a washer-upper in a restaurant when I was a student. One night the chef threw a wobbly and walked out (honest!) and the sous chef stepped into his shoes and proved himself MUCH better than the original. This guy used to just throw things into the pan with such PANache (:D sorry)that I never worried again! I now know that there are generally just a few basic techniques (like making a white sauce, or a wine and cream sauce) which you just modify for the recipe in hand.

There are 2 other things to remember....

- Cooking is not an exact science. You are working with 'real' organic things which don't behave the same every time. Flour will vary in its composition, so 4oz won't always produce the same results. So the look and the feel of the thing as you're going along is more important than exact weighing. (If you are worried about tablespoons, though, buy yourself a set of cheap measuring spoons. I agree that people seem to be confused about what an actual metal tablespoon in the kitchen is)

- There is normally a technique for rescuing disasters - most things except total incineration can be saved

There's a VERY easy way to make curries which involves jars of Patak's curry seasoning - a genuine ingredient which loads of my Indian friends seem to use

OOOOH, we should have a curry cookoff sometime! Curry Queen, where are you?

You've got me thinking now. maybe I should get an evening job doing the dishes in a restaurant and observe the processes that go on. Then again I hate doing the washing up so I wouldn't last 5 minutes.

One of my mates once told me (of her homely cooking) "if you use nice ingredients and dont do anything silly, then whatever comes out at the end is going to be nice"... or words to that effect. Wise words!

Actually I made a lemon merangue pie a couple of weeks ago. No problems making the pastry, but as I was making the lemon bit the battery in the scales died! So I had to make that bit and the merangue by guess work and taste. I was chuffed when my very fussy friend told me it was the nicest one she'd ever had! Not bad considering I very almost threw it away when the scales died!

jobbingmusician

lynzpower wrote:

I did, but because I didnt have the recipt, they said they couldnt do me a swap. :mad:

Never mind, another reason to pop into robert dyas and start longingly ....

Buy another one and keep the receipt????

(Very naughty thought - if the design hasn't changed, I wonder what would happen if you bought a new one and took the old one back with the receipt, told them it had died, and asked for your money back? :whistle:)

HappyIdiotTalk

mookybargirl wrote:

Hi Happy, if you're daunted by measuring, places like asda and tesco sell measuring cups and measuring spoons. They're little sets that all bound together with a key ring type of thing. From memory, they're only a couple of pounds and very easy to use. Every cup, spoon is levelled off to make the amount - each cup or spoon labelled with the measurement. Hope that makes sense

I do actually have some, but I also have a measuring spoon that came with the breadmaker, and they both seem to measure different amounts! Very frustrating and completely confusing for me. I do my best, but thing dont taste as they should! There needs to be a new more accurate way to measure things for idiots like me!

jobbingmusician

I totally agree - I think breadmakers have their own, very idiosyncratic, idea of what a tablespoon is, and never use their measure for anything else.

lynzpower

Hi all

Just wanted to pop back & let you know about the soup I made after the advice I got earlier

Soup contained
3 small past best parsnips
2 carrots
one small onion
one old leek
2 small white potatoes
teaspoon dry herbs
large pinch nutmeg
2 kallo veg stock cubes & 1.5pints boiling water
large handful red lentils that were lurking in back of cupbaord
large handful pearl barley thats been in the firing line for the bin for the last however long as I couldnt think what to use it for
tin of haricot beans my old lodger left
2 large handful mini pasta shells that Ive had for ages too.

It is absolutely gorgeous and theres enough to sink a ship!

Method.

chop up veg to small pieces
mix stock cube with pint water.
put veg stock in pan with veg
electric hob setting 3
put in barley & lentils & herbs & nutmeg
leave to cook for an hour
take out a few ladlefuls of the mix and mash it, then return to pan
put other pint of water in
leave to cook for 30mins
put pasta & beans in leave to cook on reduced heat 2 for about 30 mins.

Ive already had dinner, but i might have a bit for supper! :j

thanks to all who me helped make it YUM!! :T

Penelope_Penguin

Lynz, that's fab! I always use recipes for soup, but I'll definitely try this next time I have a fridge clear out.

I also have some pearl barley, bought for a long forgotten purpose!

Penny. x

steve_the_womble

quick tip on making soup!!!
if the soup starts to catch on the bottom of the pan don't throw it away.
quickly change pans and add a bit of curry powder. it adds a different taste to the the soup and hides any burnt taste. it does work used it for ages in the army saying i never burnt soup and stews

jobbingmusician

Lynz, your soup sounds as if you could put parmesan on the top and call it minestrone I'm drooling as I type!