Green Vegetable Minestrone with Toasted Pine Nuts

May Day here is known as Dia de la Cruz “Day of the Cross”. It is also Dia de los Verdes “Day of the Greens”. In Alhaurin there are two main churches known as The Greens & The Purples (the colours of the Andalucian flag). For the whole long weekend and Tuesday the Green Church known asVera Cruz have processions, marching bands and let off rockets very early in the morning and very late at night.

Thankfully it stopped raining long enough to get out and take some photos this week.

I can’t pretend to know what it’s all about but they seem to enjoy it and it brings the community (well one half of it anyway) together. Rows of different types of chairs are tied together all along the procession route so no one can steal a precious front row seat.

After the processions everyone congregates at the church.

Everyone is wearing green. Purple is a definite faux-pas. Unless you are our friend Miguel, who was over from England with his girlfriend Lindsey for the Bank Holiday. He decide to rock it in lilac jeans, despite all the funny looks, classic Miguel, hilarious….!!

So in keeping with this green weekend and to atone slightly for the purple jeans incident I have made a Green Vegetable Minestrone. This is my favourite soup that we served at the restaurant. I got it from a Cape Town cookbook my Dad gave to me. It is really fresh tasting and more Springy than a classic Minestrone. You can use whatever green veg you like just make sure you give it loads of fresh basil…

I kept it vegan & gluten-free by using rice vermicelli. You can use any pasta you like but keep it tiny. Freshly shaved parmesan on top is the authentic addition that I replaced with toasted pine nuts. Either way it’s a deliciously healthy bowl of goodness that leaves you feeling all virtuous inside…

Green Vegetable Minestrone with Toasted Pine Nuts

serves 6 , vegan, gluten-free. Adapted from Cape Town Food by Phillippa Cheifitz

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 big Spanish spring onion (or 4 or 5 scallions)
• 1 leek, halved lengthways, rinsed & finely sliced
• 2 stalks celery, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 small cabbage, cored & finely shredded
• 125 gr green beans, 2 cm diagonal slices
• 1 courgette, diced
•  bundle of asparagus, woody ends snapped off, 2cm diagonal slices
• 100 gr frozen peas
• 50 gr rice vermicelli (or other tiny pasta) 
• 150 gr rocket (or spinach/watercress)
• 1+ 1/2 litres veg stock
• salt & black pepper
• a big bunch of basil, leaves torn or sliced when served
• 25 gr pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• shaved parmesan (unless vegan)

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat, add in the spring onions, leeks & celery with a pinch of salt and cook until starting to soften about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic & parsley and cook for another minute or two.

Add in the cabbage and cook gently for about 10 minutes (you don’t want it to brown) add a splash of stock if dry. Then add in the rest of the vegetables, except the rocket and basil, and cook for another 5 minutes. Season well with salt & black pepper, pour over the stock, bring to the boil, cover, lower the heat & simmer for about 25 minutes.

Stir in the pasta and rocket and cook until tender about 5 minutes. Check seasoning and add more stock if you want it more soupy than stewy.

Ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle over lots of freshly torn basil, the toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan (if using). Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin.

I think Los Verdes would approve don’t you?

Greek Style Tomato and Bean Soup with lemon, mint and parsley

 Lemons are one of my kitchen staples. I couldn’t cook without them. Their juice adds a zing to any curry that lifts all the other flavours. A squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of good olive oil is all you need for the best salad dressing. The zest gives a brightness to cakes and cookies that could otherwise be too sweet. And no paella (vegetarian or not) would be complete without those sunny little wedges to spritz over as you serve.

If you taste a dish just before serving and think that there’s something missing, that it’s not quite right. Squeeze over some fresh lemon juice, add a pinch more salt and taste it again. The dish will come alive.

I always make sure I have a bowl of lemons in my kitchen, it makes me feel safe and the aroma of freshly squeezed or zested lemons makes the kitchen smell fresh and clean.  Lemons are best friends with another of my kitchen staples, fresh herbs. If you have lemons and fresh parsley, coriander, mint or basil you are seconds away from making an okay dish into an outstanding one. An uninspiring bowl of pasta with tomato sauce can be transformed with the last-minute addition of lemon juice and fresh basil. Any curry, South East Asian, Caribbean or Indian, would be dreadfully incomplete without the final squeezing over of fresh lemon juice (or it’s more exotic cousin, the lime) and a large handful of fresh coriander.

Lemon, mint and parsley are the stars of this Greek style soup. Mint and parsley are widely used in Greek and Middle Eastern cooking. The freshness of mint with the saltiness of a Greek Feta or Cypriot Halloumi cheese is a match made in heaven, squeeze over some fresh lemon juice and you have arrived…..

Greek Style Tomato & Bean Soup with Lemon, Mint & Parsley

serves 4 – 6, vegetarian/ vegan without the Feta

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, cut in half lengthways, rinsed and sliced (you can use a small onion)
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• a pinch of dried chilli flakes
• salt & black pepper
• 1/4 or 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 1 jar/tin cooked butter beans about 400 gr
• 1/2 jar/tin kidney beans 200 gr
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes 400 gr
• 1 lemon
• a splash of white wine (optional)
• 3 or 4 tbsp tomato puree (tomate frito)
• about a litre of veg stock 
• 10 squares of frozen spinach or 1 bag of fresh (about 300 gr)
• 100 gr quinoa (or orzo, rice, small pasta)
• 75 gr Greek Feta cheese
• 10 or 12 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• a handful of black olives (if you like them, I don’t)

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large deep saucepan. Add the onions/leeks, celery, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, chilli flakes and dried oregano. Season with salt & black pepper and cook until softened about 4 or 5 minutes. Then add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add a splash of wine and stir in the shredded cabbage, butter beans, kidney beans and tinned tomatoes. Zest the lemon, add it to pot with half of the juice and the tomato puree. Add the veg stock, season well with salt & black pepper and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down & simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Add in the quinoa or pasta, olives and the frozen spinach (if using fresh stir it through a couple of minutes before serving just to wilt). Cook for another 10 – 15 minutes until the quinoa/pasta/rice is cooked.

Just before serving squeeze  the rest of the lemon juice into the pot or serve some wedges on the side. Serve the soup in warmed bowls topped with some crumbled Feta, sprinkle over the chopped mint & parsley and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil…….

You can make this soup with whatever beans you have in your cupboard. White beans and chickpeas would be good. I had some cooked quinoa in the fridge so I added it in. It may not be authentic but the texture worked and it’s high in protein which is great for vegetarian dishes. Just make sure you use the dried oregano (a key Greek seasoning) as well as the fresh mint, parsley, lemon juice and Greek Feta and it will be delicious………….

Persian Spiced Lentil and Herb Soup with spinach and noodles

I love this weather we’re having here at the moment. It’s cold but sunny. Clear blue skies and you can see the snow on the mountains in the distance. It’s great for walking because you don’t get too hot and the views are spectacular…

You’ve got the snow on the Sierra de las Nieves on one side and the view down to the sea on the other…….

 And a lot of fragrant pines in between…

When I get back from walking I want something hearty, healthy and delicious for lunch. I have been meaning to try this soup for a while, it has all my favourite things in one dish. Lentils, Middle Eastern spices and loads of fresh herbs and greens. I’ve reworked a Persian recipe I found for Aashe Reshteh. Aashe (soup) Reshteh (noodle) is made with Sabzi (fresh greens) which can include parsley, coriander, mint, spinach, spring onions, dill and whatever else green you have. I used lentils and kidney beans but you could use chickpeas, white beans or whatever you have. The original recipe I found cooked this for 3-4 hours, I have no idea why it was ready as soon as the pasta was cooked. It took about half an hour in total and the greens are still fresh and delicious…

Persian Lentil & Herb Soup with Spinach & Noodles

serves 4 vegetarian

• 175 gr (1 cup) brown lentils (uncooked)
• 1-1 1/2 litres veg stock 
• 200 gr cooked kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 leek, rinsed & sliced
•  2 stalks celery & leaves chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped or 1 garlic shoot
• 1/2 head cabbage, cored & shredded
• a big pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp sumac (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp  Ras al Hanout (a Middle eastern spice mix)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp dried mint
• a bag of spinach (300 gr) I used frozen chopped spinach which comes in portions I used about 6 squares.
• a big handful of parsley, chopped
• a big handful coriander chopped
• 2 or 3 spring onions, chopped
• salt & black pepper
• 100 gr dried noodles (I used wholemeal spaghetti broken but you can use fine vermicelli, like you would for a minestrone)
• 4 tsp greek yoghurt or sour cream

In a small pan cook the lentils in 600 ml (3 cups) liquid (I used 400 veg stock 200 water). Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile heat some olive oil in a big pot over a medium heat. Cook the onions, leeks & celery for about 8 minutes until they start to soften then add the garlic and cook for another minute. If it gets dry at any time add a splash of veg stock. Add in the spices and dried herbs then pour in the lentils and their cooking liquid. It doesn’t matter if the lentils aren’t cooked they will carry on cooking in the soup. Add in about a litre of stock, the cabbage, frozen spinach(if you are using fresh leave it till later) and the cooked beans. Bring to the boil add in the broken pasta/ noodles, lower the heat and simmer until the pasta is cooked (about 10 -15 minutes). About 5 minutes before you want to serve the soup add in the fresh spinach & half of the fresh herbs and spring onions.

Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls and garnish with a dollop of Greek yoghurt/sour cream and the rest of the chopped fresh herbs and spring onions…..

I served this delicious soup with some Halloumi Cheese & Garlic Pull- Apart Bread (which tastes as amazing as it sounds) and I will be posting the recipe tomorrow……… Hasta Manana!!

 



Rustic Bean Cassoulet with confit garlic and roasted aubergine

The idea for this recipe came from Lindsay at The Kitchen Operas. We have very similar taste in food so when she said that garlic confit was even better than roasted garlic I knew I had to try it out. She wasn’t wrong. The mellow, soft, sweetness of the garlic is a revelation and you also have a gorgeous garlic & herb infused olive oil to use for drizzling over salads, pasta dishes and bread. The possibilities are endless…..

Confit is a method of preserving and flavouring foods by submerging them in a substance, in this case olive oil…..

Garlic Confit Recipe

Recipe from The Kitchen Operas

• 20 garlic cloves, peeled
• enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the garlic cloves about 60 ml
• a pinch of salt
• 3 whole peppercorns
• 1 sprig rosemary/thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Preheat the oven to 160C. Put all the ingredients in an ovenproof ramekin making sure all the garlic is submerged. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour until the garlic is tender. Leave to cool and store in a glass jar topping up with more olive oil, to cover, if necessary, then refrigerate.

Now you have deliciously soft, sweet cloves of garlic to do with what you will. I wanted to use mine straight away because they smelled so amazing. So I decided to go with Lindsay and attempt a Cassoulet. A cassoulet is a bean stew from the South of France generally made with pork sausage or bacon and duck confit. Having already replaced the duck confit with garlic confit (very clever Lindsay), I was wondering how you could replace the bacon/sausage. Aubergine takes on a smoky flavour when roasted and has that dense meaty texture required in this dish so that’s what I went with.  I roasted an aubergine & a red onion at the same time as confiting the garlic. I also saw a recipe for Shitake Bacon where you roast slices of Shitake mushrooms in olive oil, salt & pepper for about 45 minutes and they take on that salty, smoky flavour and crispy texture of the bacon. That would be a fantastic alternative and next time I get some Shitakes I’m definitely trying it.

Rustic Bean Cassoulet with confit garlic & roasted aubergine

Adapted from a Kitchen Operas recipe. Serves 3, vegetarian

• 1 aubergine, cut into  1 or 2 cm dice
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into eighths, wedges
• 2 or 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt & black pepper
• a pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 leeks, cut in half lengthways, rinsed & sliced
• 2 carrots, diced (I used 1/2 a large sweet potato because I had no carrots)
• 2 stalks celery & leaves finely chopped
•  6 confit garlic cloves (see recipe above)
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• a splash of white/rose wine (optional)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes 400 gr
• 1/2 jar/tin 200 gr cooked red beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 jar/tin 400 gr cooked white beans, rinsed & drained (I only had 1/2 jar)
• 450 ml (2 cups) veg stock
• salt & black pepper

Put the cubed aubergine & red onion wedges on a lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper & chilli flakes and toss together with your hands to coat evenly. Roast in the oven with the confit garlic or roast at 200C for about 25- 3o minutes until lightly browned.

In a large pot, heat up 2 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat and add in the leeks, celery, carrots/sweet potato, whole confit garlic cloves, herbs and season well with salt & black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally until softened and slightly golden. Add a splash of wine to deglaze the pan then add in the beans, tomatoes, roasted aubergine & red onion and the veg stock. Season again with salt, bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered for about 20 – 25 minutes. Until the carrots/sweet potatoes are tender and the stew has thickened.

Serve in warmed bowls topped with garlic & rosemary toasted breadcrumbs and/or a slice of confit garlic bread….

Garlic & Rosemary Toasted Breadcrumbs

• about 110 gr fresh breadcrumbs (the more rustic the better) I only had packet breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• a drizzle of the garlic infused oil from the confit garlic
•  1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• sea salt & black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Toss the breadcrumbs with the rest of the ingredients until evenly combined and spread out on a piece of foil. Toast in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden & aromatic.Scatter the breadcrumbs over the top of  your cassoulet just before serving.

Confit Garlic Bread

• some slices of rustic bread or baguette
• 1 or 2 confit garlic cloves per slice (see recipe above)
• some garlic infused olive oil from the confit garlic
• some grated cheese (I used Manchego) not very French!

Preheat the grill to hot. Smash/smush 1 or 2 cloves of the confit garlic all over the bread, drizzle with a little of the oil and top with grated cheese. Put under the hot grill for a minute or so until the cheese is bubbling and the bread is golden.

Bon Appetit!

Jamaican Lentil and Coconut Soup

This recipe started off as a Jamaican lentil stew that I wanted to turn into a soup for a Caribbean meal I made on Friday night.  The basic recipe was kind of plain & rustic, I thought it needed the volume turning up, as Ina Garten would say. So I added a lot more Caribbean spices, scotch bonnet chillis, thyme and coconut and some fresh mandarin juice for sweetness. I also blended the soup to a smooth puree rather than leaving it as a chunky stew. The result was a spicy, sweet and aromatic flavour with a smooth & creamy texture. Just the thing to warm the soul and transport you to a Caribbean island on a cold winter’s night…..

Jamaican Lentil & Coconut Soup Recipe

serves 4-6 vegetarian

• 1 cup uncooked brown lentils about 2oo gr
• 1 cup veg stock 225ml
• 2 cups water 550 ml
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp curry powder
•  1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 big spanish spring onion (or about 4 scallions)
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli, chopped (you can use any fresh chilli or 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes)
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 45 gr sultanas
• 50 ml tomato puree
• salt & black pepper
• 1/2 tin coconut milk about 200 ml
• about 3oo ml veg stock to get desired consistency
• the juice of 1 mandarin
• fresh coriander, chopped for garnish
• greek yoghurt to swirl on top (or mango & coriander yoghurt chutney see recipe here)

Rinse the lentils well and put them in a large sauce pan with the water & veg stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the carrot, celery & half the ginger, cover and simmer for about 20- 30 minutes, until the lentils are cooked.

Meanwhile in a small frying pan dry toast the curry powder & spices over a low heat until fragrant, don’t let it burn. Tip this into a small bowl and set aside. In the same pan heat the butter or oil over a medium heat, add the spring onions, the rest of the ginger, garlic, chilli, vinegar & raisins. Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly then add the tomato puree and cook for another minute.  Add the toasted spices to the tomato mixture along with the thyme & oregano, mix well and add this to the simmering lentils along with the coconut milk and season generously with salt & black pepper.

Simmer this uncovered for about 20 minutes or so then take off the heat and carefully blitz with a stick blender until you have a smooth puree. Put the lentil puree back in the pan and on the heat. Add more stock (if you wish) until you reach your desired consistency (I like it thick but still soupy).  Add in the mandarin juice and check for seasoning.

Serve the soup in warmed bowls topped with a swirl of  Greek yoghurt or Mango & Coriander Yoghurt Chutney and some freshly chopped coriander. I served some Roti Bread alongside the soup see the recipe here.

Enjoy…!