WINTER WARMERS - SPICY FISH SOUP

I like to serve this soup during the winter months as it has a warm kick which we crave at this time of the year thanks to the lovely combination of heat coming from the chilies, the smoky flavour of paprika and the sourness of the lime juice, enhanced by the smell of fresh seafood - it is truly one pot wonder for the body and soul.  

You need (for 6-8 people):

800 gr of seafood marinara (see Hot Tip)

3 tbs of olive oil

1 large brown onion, peeled and cubed

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

2X400 g cans of peeled and chopped tomatoes

1 L of chicken or fish stock

2 tsp of smoked paprika

1 tsp of sweet paprika

Chili flakes as many or as little as you like

1-2 tsp of brown sugar

juice of half a lime

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

1 tbs of flat leaf parsley finely chopped

1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 packet of flat bread

Optional:

Thicken the soup by adding a can of lentils or any of your favourite beans to turn it into a meal.

Method: 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onions and garlic but do not let them go brown, add all the ingredients except for the marinara, bring to the boil and let the soup simmer for about 10-15 minutes for the flavours to fully develop.  Give it a taste bearing in mind that the soup should have a distinctive taste from the heat, sourness and sweetness, so adjust the ingredients accordingly to maintain the perfect balance.  Add more sugar and sweet paprika, if the sourness is over-powering or more lime juice if not sour enough.  Also, the heat of the soup can be controlled by adding small amounts of chili flakes until you reach the degree of heat that suits your taste buds.

Once you are happy with the taste, gently submerge the seafood into the pot.  After cooking for about 5 minutes, check if it is ready.  Stir in parsley and serve.

Instead of regular bread, I use flat bread which I brush with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, then slice into strips about 2 cm thick and grill in the oven until crispy and golden brown.  These strips could be served with other soups such as my Pumpkin Soup and Lentil Soup.

Hot Tip:  I find the combination of fish, calamari, octopus and mussels is ideal; all of the ingredients are cut to the same size, cleaned and ready to cook).  

Enjoy!!!

PUMPKIN SOUP

In my previous post I shared with you one of my family's winter favourites, lentil soup.  Today is pumpkin's soup turn to take centre stage.

The recipe and cooking technique are very simple, however it requires some prep.

To feed 6 people you need:

1 kg of pumpkin (peeled and cubed) – I am not fussy about what kind of pumpkin to use

3 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed)

1 red onion (peeled and cubed)

2 L of boiling water

4 cubes of chicken or vegetable stock or vegetable stock for vegetarian option

Salt and freshly ground black paper

1 tbs of chopped coriander or chives (to your taste) to serve
Pouring cream to serve

Method:
When preparing the vegetables, bear in mind that the potatoes need to be sliced into smaller chunks then the pumpkin as it takes longer to cook.

Place pieces of pumpkin, potatoes and onions in a pot, pour over boiling water, crush 4 cubes of stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Using the blender, blitz the soup until the smooth consistency and give it a taste.

Add some salt if required.  The soup will be quite sweet due to the nature of the pumpkin.  You can always spice it up with just a few chili flakes and a lot of freshly ground black pepper

When serving, pour into a soup bowl, spoon a cream with a tea spoon and sprinkle it over the soup.   You can have some fun with it – try to draw dots and cross some lines with the cream, creating some sort of pattern like a real pro.  Sprinkle with chopped herbs and freshly ground black paper.  Serve with warm crusty bread. 

Enjoy!!!

WINTER WARMERS - LENTIL SOUP

Now that winter is on our doorstep, the temperature is in decline and the days are becoming shorter and darker  (in OZ that is), it is high time for some comfort food and I am going to share with you three of my favourite soups: lentil, pumpkin and fish. 

All are very easy to make, as they do not call for many ingredients and they are my family’s all time favourites.  As a matter of fact, at a recent dinner party I served a fish soup as an entrée and was awarded 10 out of 10 for it by my guests.

First, lentil soup, probably the easiest of them all.

You need (for 6 people):

1 brown onion, cubed

4 tbs of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic (sliced)

1 cup of red lentils (rinsed)

2 L of water

4 cubes of chicken or vegetable stock

1 400 g can of tomatoes (whole or diced as long as they are peeled)

1 tbs of tomato paste

1 sprig of rosemary

Red hot chili powder (optional, to taste)

1 tsp of smoked paprika

Half tsp of sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a cooking pot and sauté the onions and garlic until soft and translucent but don’t let them go brown.  Stir in tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.  Add lentils, a can of tomatoes, rosemary, pour 2 litres of boiling water and crumble 4 cubes of chicken stock.  Let it come to the boil, if you use whole tomatoes, grab a masher and give them a crush.   Reduce heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.  Give it a taste and adjust seasoning.  I like to add some smoked paprika and a sprinkle of hot chili powder for a kick.  Also, if you don’t favour the taste of sourness coming from the tomato paste, you can soften it up by adding half a teaspoon of sugar.  Chicken stock is usually quite salty, but you can add more salt if you wish.

When serving, pour the soup into bowls, drizzle over with extra virgin olive oil and and grind over some black pepper.  Serve with the warm crisp bread.  

Enjoy!!!