CHICKEN & WHITE BEAN SOUP

Flavoursome, heart-warming, comforting soup - ideal for these cold and dark autumn evenings.Enjoy!

Inspiration: bbc good food

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS FOR STOCK:

 2 free range chicken legs(leave out for vegetable stock)
1/2 onion (small), browned sligtly on a clean frying pan
celeriac,(small piece - 30g)
1/2 stalk celery
1 medium carrots
1/2 parsnip
2 dried bay leaves
allspice(2 berries)
3 black peppercorns
2 and 1/2 - 3 l water
 
Method:

1.Cover the chicken legs with water and bring to boil.Skim off any scum that has formed.Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to boil, turn the heat down and simmer for around 1-2 hour.

2.Remove the legs from the pan(we will use them in this recipe), and drain the stock.

Why not double up the ingredients and freeze half of the amount for next time....

INGREDIENTS FOR SOUP:

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 free range chicken legs, cooked(I used the ones from home made stock)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots(medium),finely chopped
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1.5 l home-made vegetable or chicken stock
600 g cannellini beans, drained
 a bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

METHOD:

1.Heat the oil in a large pan, add onion, fry until soft.

2. Pour stock into the pan, add bay leaf,carrot and celery.Cook for about 15 minutes.

3. Add beans and cook for another 10-15 minutes .Remove the meet off the bone and mix in big chunks into the soup.

4.Served with chopped parsley.

AUTUMN SMOOTHIE

KEEP

 CALM

and

 LOVE

 AUTUMN

 FLAVOURS

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

for 1 glass

1 pear,peeled, cored and chopped
2 plums, stoned,chopped
180 ml orange juice
pinch of cinnamon
1-2 tbsp oats
1 tbsp flaxseeds

Method:

1.Place the ingredients in a blender and mix on high speed until smooth ;) So simple, so delicious ;)

NUTTY GRANOLA

The colourful leaves falling from the trees are dancing in the wind, goodbying the Summer.
Crisp mornings, cooler evening all signal that AUTUMN is here. Time to relax....wind down....reflex.
Welcome back warm slippers, knitted jumpers and cosy blankets ;)
I like Autumn, it balances my life somehow; after active summer I can loosen my busy schedule a  little bit and I have a pretty good excuse - it's ''me'' time.
I sink into the armchair wrapped up in my favourite blanket, sipping warm green and lemon tea with my best autumn friends - books.And I want time to stop in that moment.....it's perfect....

AUTUMN changes the ingredients on my plate too. Hello heart - warming, comforting food.

Hello honey, cinnamon and nuts ;)

Nuts about NUTS?

HOME MADE GRANOLA

RECIPE:

150g jumbo oats
100g pumpkin seeds
150g nuts
1 egg white
1 tsp cinnamon
100 ml good quality honey(alternatively agave nectar or maple syrup)

METHOD:

1.Preheat oven to 190 C/ 170C fan/Gas 5

2.Mix honey with cinnamon and stir in the oats, seeds and nuts until mixture is evenly coated.Whisk egg white in a small bowl until frothy and pour over granola and stir until all ingredients are well combined.

3. Spread out evenly on a baking tray(lined with baking paper) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally.

4. Cool, break it in clumps and store in a jar at room temperature.

Mind that this granola doesn't contain any oil so it may get a bit ''stiff'' when stored in a jar, just stir with a spoon before serving.

Forest Fruit SMOOTHIE

RECIPE:

for 4 glasses

INGREDIENTS:

300ml/1/2 pint milk
150ml/5fl oz natural yoghurt
150g/5oz bluberries
100g/3 1/2 oz blackberries
150g/5oz wild strawberries
50g/2oz oats
1- 2 tbsp honey

METHOD:

1.Mix all the ingredients in a blender for few minutes.

Easy peasy ;)

PUFF PASTRY TWISTS with basil and cheese

Goooooooood morning everyone! ;) ;) ;)

RECIPE:

For 18-19 twists

INGREDIENTS:

200g / 5.3oz puff pastry
40g / 1.4oz grated cheese
fresh basil, finely chopped

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven 190C/170C fan/Gas 5.Lane 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

2.Roll out the pastry into 32cm x 45cm (12,5 x17,5 inch) sheet. Cut in the middle (of the longer side).

3.Spread the cheese onto one piece of pastry and sprinkle basil on the top of it. Cover with the other piece of pastry and press down delicately.

4.Cut the pastry into 1cm/1 2/3inch, hold the ends and twist ;) and twist again ;) and again ;)
Place on a baking tray and press the end so that they seal to the paper. Leave spaces between the twists.Bake for 18 minutes.

Served with boiled egg.

TIRAMISU with wild strawberries

The reason I would move to Italy tomorrow........no actually TODAY!

And just one word to describe this creamy, dreamy dessert  - PERFECTION!

                                                                       

Recipe:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 glasses ;)

8 (large) sponge fingers (around 120g/4oz), broken - 2 fingers for each glass
500g/18 oz mascarpone(room temperature)
4 egg yolks (room temperature)
2-4 tbsp icing sugar(depending on whether sponge fingers are covered with sugar, mine were so I    used 2 tbsp)
150 ml/5fl oz coffee,made with 1 tsp ground coffee and 150ml/5fl oz boiling water
30ml/1fl oz amaretto liqueur
1-2 tsp cocoa powder
120g wild strawberries(or any alternative fruit)

METHOD:

1. Bring 1/4 water to boil in a medium pan and turn the heat right down. Put the egg yolks and sugar into a metal bowl and place over the boiling water(make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and whisk it with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Take it of the steaming water and whisk for another couple of minutes, adding 2tbsp of mascarpone at a time until the consistency is very smooth. Divide into 4 parts(drawing a line with a spoon).

2. Mix COLD coffee with amaretto liqueur in a separate bowl.

3.Dip some of the biscuit in a coffee mixture(try not to make them too soggy) and place on the bottom of each glass, layer with a spoonful(or maybe 2) of mascarpone cream on the top and sprinkle with cocoa powder, repeat again - I fit 3 layers in my glasses.

4.Chill in the fridge overnight (or at least 5 hours)

5.RELISH!

LECZO - VEGETABLE STEW

Polish traditional cuisine is full of paradox...
Russian pierogis is the most popular Polish dish and surprisingly it doesn't come from Russia.In Russia the same pierogis are called Polish ;)  Ukrainian Borscht has nothing in common with Ukraine, nor Greek-style Fish with Greece.In Hungary nobody has never heard of Hungarian Potato Pancakes,of course because it is 100% Polish dish.Not to mention Breton Beans that is not known in France at all ;) Where are ALL these names come from then???It's a mystery..... ;)

Leczo is also one of the most popular dishes in Poland but it originally comes from Hungary.It is very thick and chunky stew,in Poland often served with pieces of saussage,but I much preffer the vegetable version.

RECIPE:

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

4 shallots,cut in halves or quarters
4 garlic cloves
large courgette,yellow or green( around 400g),chopped
100g yellow beans,cut in halves
100g green beans,cut in halves
125g mushroom,chopped
1 yellow pepper,cut into stripes
1 red pepper,cut into stripes
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
freshly grounded sea salt
freshly grounded black pepper and mixed pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh flat parsley,chopped


METHOD:

1.Heat a couple spoonfuls of olive oil in a deep pan.Squash garlic cloves using a wooden spoon and put into the pan.Add shallots and mushrooms,stir-fry for a couple of minutes.Add chopped tomatoes and bring it to boil.Now add beans and cook for around 10 minutes.After that time add peppers and courgette and cook for another 10-15 minutes,until all veggies are soft.

2.Season with salt and pepper and add chopped parsley.