Chicken and Creamed Corn Soup

This soup is the easiest to make if you stick to only using corn, chicken and stock.  It's a terrific recipe for people who aren't big on cooking or when you need something tasty but real quick.  For this just grab a can of corn kernels, a can of creamed corn, 1 litre of stock and a chicken fillet, cut into 2 cm pieces.  Toss it all together, bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

I have been making this soup for many years and every now and then like today, I am in the mood for colour in my soup and have a bit of fun with it, making the recipe below a little more detailed that requires a little more time on your part.

Soups tend to be my lunches and having chicken in my soup provides a heartier meal that will have me last till a late afternoon snack or early dinner.

Ingredients

1 chicken fillet, cut into 2 cm pieces
1 can corn kernel or 500g frozen corn kernel
1 can creamed corn
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped (I usually have a bunch chopped and frozen)
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
0.75 cup frozen peas
1L chicken stock
2 eggs, whisked

Method

In a saucepan saute the onions, garlic, carrot, celery and spring onions for about 10 minutes. 

Add the corn, chicken, parsley, frozen peas and stock.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Slowly pour the whisked eggs into the saucepan and with a fork gently mix through the soup.  Cook a couple of more minutes and serve.

Curried Eggs on Bagel

I really enjoy curried eggs, certainly each time someone else makes it.  Had no idea what was in it besides eggs and curry and never actually bothered to look it up until recently when I had a sudden craving for it.  Here's my take on curried eggs combining a couple of recipes I found on the internet.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
0.25 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 bagels
Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Separate the egg white from the yolk.  In a bowl, mash the yolk with a fork.  Finely chop the egg whites and toss in the bowl.  Add the curry powder, mayonnaise, spring onions, parsley, salt & pepper.  Mix gently.  Add more curry or mayo to suit your personal tastes.

Cut the bagels lengthways and toast.  Lightly butter, fill with curried eggs and serve.

An easy, yet filling breakfast.  Enjoy.

My 4 yo assistant.

Scrambled Eggs with Crispy Bacon on Bagel

Eggs are an excellent source of protein and very filling when used for breakfast. According to www.eggs.org.au, eggs contain 11 different vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fats and antioxidants. 

Our household is a huge fan of either bacon and eggs (sunny side up) with hash browns or scrambled eggs with whatever ingredients come our way.  One of my simpler favorites are scrambled eggs with caramelised onions, tomato and spring onions.  However, my family prefers a more intense flavour by including crispy bacon.  We have a happy medium with this recipe.  There is never any left over, that's for sure.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 rindless slice of bacon, chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 chilli, seeded and finely chopped
8 pitted black olives, halved
0.25 cup coriander, finely chopped
6 cubes marinated feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons oil from feta cheese jar
3 slices sun-dried tomato, finely chopped
5 eggs
0.25 cup milk
4 bagels

Method

In a large frying pan heat the feta cheese oil on medium.  Add the bacon, onion, garlic, chilli and olives.  Cook on medium-low until the bacon is crispy.  Add the feta cheese, sun-dried tomato and coriander.  Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and milk together, then pour into frying pan.  On low heat stir the egg mixture until just cooked.

In the meantime cut the bagels in half lengthways and toast.  Spread a little margarine on each piece then top with scrambled eggs and cracked pepper.

Spicy Lentil Stew

I am a big fan of pulses, particularly lentils.  They are a terrific source of protein, an alternative to meat, inexpensive and tasty.

For many years I have made lentil soup with vegetables or chorizo sausages.  Today, I was interested in cooking something dahl-like.  After some internet search I came across a red-lentil dahl recipe but given that I didn't have some of the ingredients indicated, I made some alterations.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
5 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 chillies, seeded and finely chopped
1L chicken stock
1 cup brown lentils
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
0.25 teaspoon cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon mixed spice
0.25 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Method

Heat oil on medium in a saucepan and add garlic, ginger, onion and chilli.  Cook on medium-low for about 5 minutes or until onions have softened.

Add the remainder of the ingredients and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until lentils are cooked.

Serve with crusty bread and plain yoghurt.

Beef, Potato & Carrot Stew

When I placed my last meat order online I bought a kilo of beef cubes, not necessarily with any plan in mind other than that I thought it might do well in a stew or casserole.  Given that we are packing to move, it would be so much easier if there was less fridge/freezer items that I need to transport and out it came.  Today is my last day that my mini-mart is closed as a result of Chinese New Year so one more meal I needed to produce with whatever was available in the fridge.

Giving my fridge a good vegie clean-out, most of the stuff ended up in the stew.  I had some wine leftover from last night's dinner and although I dropped some in the stew, I wasn't willing to sacrifice the whole glass (after 5 hours of packing I needed that glass and a sit, lucky the stew doesn't require my constant attention).

I have this magical little cookbook, barely 80 pages and A5 format, called Women's Weekly Casseroles & Curries  with a terrific collection of about 70 recipes.  So far whatever I have cooked from it, has turned out quite delicious.   Once again I relied on it for a beef stew which I had to adapt to allow for ingredients that I had in my fridge.

The stew is a wonderful winter delight but living in a tropical environment we generally lean towards lighter meals.  However, every now and then I want something comforting and deep in flavour like a good beef stew.  It's also terrific for anyone working out in a gym as the protein from the beef aids in muscle growth.  My brother went off for a workout and promptly had two bowls of the stew.  His muscles will be working overtime overnight.

Ingredients

1kg beef cubes
0.5 cup plain flour
5 small red onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 rindless bacon slices, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
500ml beef stock
250ml red wine (shiraz would be nice for a deep flavour)
410g can crushed tomatoes
2 tomatoes, chopped
30ml light soy sauce
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
0.5 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method

Cut the beef cubes to 2cm pieces and coat in flour.  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan (non-stick would be preferable) and brown half the beef, set aside then heat the second tablespoon of oil and brown the second half of the beef.  Remove from saucepan.

In the same saucepan add the bacon, onion and garlic and fry until bacon is crispy.  Return the beef to the saucepan and add the tomato paste.  Cook for a minute stirring, then add the stock, tomato, chopped parsley and tomato can.  Bring to boil and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the potato, carrots and celery and simmer for 30 minutes or until beef is tender.  Stir occasionally. 

Serve stew with warm crusty bread, a dollop of plain yoghurt and a bottle of red wine.

Beef Curry

Indian curry meets Thai curry.  This is what I get driven to when I have to work out of my kitchen with whatever is available.

Given that I don't like supermarket shopping and most people like myself don't drive in Singapore we generally rely on the mini-marts established within the condos we live in.

Of course it is Chinese New Year and my local mini-mart closed for 5 days so again I go fishing in my freezer, fridge and pantry to see what I can pull together.

On a whim during my last online meat order (and these wholesalers I get the stuff from are tops and cheaper than the supermarket) I ordered stir-fry beef that came in very handy tonight.  On another whim during my last mini-mart trip I bought an Indian Chicken Curry paste not knowing how I was really going to use it.  Between these two ingredients and the coconut milk that is always in my pantry, I could see a curry coming on.  What I didn't anticipate was the outcome of a combination of two separate recipes and a very laissez-faire attitude.  My own creation was born which between my hubby, brother and I demolished the entire dish.

So make it if you want and you be the judge of it.  Let me know what you think if you like, just don't be too harsh on me.  I'm just playing in the kitchen.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

400g beef stir fry
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic, peeled and chopped
4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 packet Asian Gourmet Indian Curry Chicken paste
1 can coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons oil
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
0.25 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon raw sugar
1 teaspoon concentrated lime juice
2 tablespoon tomato paste
Plain yoghurt as a side dish
Pocket pita bread or roti prata to serve

Method

On medium-low heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan.  Add the onion, garlic, spring onions, fresh coriander, ground cumin, ground coriander and curry paste and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the beef and potatoes and stir fry for 3 minutes.  Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and peas then bring to boil. 

Reduce heat, stir in the tomato paste, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Toast 4 slices of the pocket pita bread then cut them into wedges and serve in a bowl.  Use the bread to dip into the curry.  Alternatively prepare some roti prata according to packet instructions unless you know how to make them from scratch.

Serve the curry with a couple of dollops of yoghurt.  According to my family it was delicious.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

An impromptu birthday party at my place called for a quick and easy dish that could complement a variety of gourmet sausages.  I came across this quinoa salad on www.allrecipes.com website which turned out to be filling and zesty.  The chili flakes, which I rarely use, gave a slightly spicy flavour that was just the right amount of tang without being too hot and spicy.  The quinoa is packed with protein and it includes all nine essential amino acids which are useful for your metabolism.

The original recipe called for lime and cherry tomatoes which my local mini-mart didn't have, so I used lemon and normal tomatoes instead. The salad can be served warm or cold but I preferred it cold when the salad marinated itself with the citrus vinaigrette over a couple of hours.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
0.25 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
5 spring onions, finely chopped
0.25 cup coriander, finely chopped

Method

In a saucepan combine water, salt and quinoa, then bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has been completely absorbed.  Set aside.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and chili flakes in a small bowl.

Combine the quinoa, black beans, tomato, spring onions and coriander in a salad bowl then pour the lemon vinaigrette over it and gently toss until it's all mixed.

Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the vinaigrette flavour to permeate through the rest of the ingredients.

Quinoa & Vegetable Soup

My initial attempt was to make a Minestrone Soup which swiftly derailed once I wanted to add bok choy, quinoa seeds, leek and red bell pepper.  It turned out into a lovely and filling Quinoa & Vegetable Soup. 

I love making soups because they truly are food for the soul.  If you don't feel well, have a soup.  If you want a lightweight meal, indulge in soup.  If you have a bunch of vegies that need to be used, make a soup.

On this occasion I wanted to add some bok choy.  They are readily available in my downstairs mini-mart and they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

The quinoa seeds I used are an alternative to rice, barley or couscous.  A native of South America it was once considered the 'Inca's gold'.  Cultivated in Peru, Chile and Bolivia for 5000 years, the quinoa was a staple food for the native Indians.  The Spanish Conquistadors destroyed all the quinoa fields as a way to control the natives.  It became illegal to cultivate quinoa and it was punishable by death.  As you can imagine the cultivation of quinoa all but disappeared until the 1980s when a couple of Americans discovered the concentrated health benefits of quinoa and began cultivating it in Colorado.  Not sure if they are available in supermarkets but I found mine in the health food store.

Are you wondering what is so great about the quinoa?  Firstly, it is high in protein as opposed to rice which is high in carbohydrates.  The quinoa includes all nine essential amino acids which play important roles in metabolism and serve as the building blocks for proteins.  

Whilst possibly thought of as a grain, the quinoa is actually the seed of a plant related to spinach and beets.

Following several research studies it was concluded that a regular intake of quinoa can aid with migraines, prevention of heart attacks, reduce the risk of childhood asthma and reduce risk of type-2 diabetes, to name a few.  For more detailed information: Quinoa Seeds Profile.

The best part about this soup is its cooking simplicity.

Quinoa & Vegetable Soup

1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 small leek, chopped
0.5 punnet red cherry tomatoes, halved
2 sticks celery, halved lengthways and sliced (I cut them smaller so my little girl can eat them easier)
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into small squares
3 frozen spinach nuggets (or a handful of fresh spinach thinly sliced)
1 small bok choy, sliced (leaves included)
0.5 red bell pepper, sliced and diced
0.25 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
0.5 C quinoa seeds
1.2L stock

Method

Toss all the ingredients in a large soup pot.  Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 25 minutes.  Serve with a slice of toast.  Enjoy.

Toss it all in a pot...

...add the stock, boil, simmer and....

...serve.

Country Vegetable Soup

This is one of those stalwart recipes that isn't part of a fad because 25 years after I first made it, it is still as wonderfully tasty and comforting.  I wouldn't usually do anything different since the ingredients are simple and easily accessible but for that elusive turnip which is difficult to obtain in Singapore.  I use celery instead.

I thought I was being clever when I bought something marked as "fresh vegetable" in my local mini-mart that might have looked like turnip but in a different shape when to my surprise after peeling it and tasting  it I realise it's another version of the red radish.  Firstly, it was white not red and secondly it was in the shape of a very fat carrot not a sphere.  Not that I mind since it'll come in handy for a crudites and dips session.  A pleasant accident given that I can't find red radishes. So this will do just fine.

Anyway back to the soup.  Double the quantities and  freeze a few serves for the those times when you don't feel like cooking or just realise you have nothing useful in the cupboard or kitchen.  It freezes very well for up to three months.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large turnip, peeled and diced or 2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 leeks, sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 litre stock
1 can of crushed tomatoes
0.5 cup soup pasta
1 bay leaf (optional)
0.5 teaspoon dried marjoram (optional)
0.25 cup frozen peas
0.25 cup frozen corn
0.25 cup frozen sliced green beans
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the carrot, turnip or celery, leeks, potatoes and garlic.  Sweat on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  If you find the vegies catching on the base of the pot add some water and continue sweating.

Add the remainder of the ingredients, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegies are cooked.  If the soup is too thick add more stock to thin it out.

Serve with crusty bread or croutons.

Bon appetit.