Bottom of the Fridge Soup

There are days when you have no choice, you have to clean out the fridge and get rid of all the unappetising things that have been languishing inside it for much too long! You know what I'm talking about.

This is a great opportunity to make soup out of all the sad looking drooping vegetables that are wilting away in the vegetable drawer. Don't throw them out unless they are really festering, they actually contain lots of flavour if you cut off the bad bits!

When I cleaned out my fridge this afternoon I found 4 carrots, half a celery, 2 leeks, 2 soft tomatos and a red and yellow pepper. I also threw out some potato salad which was definitely questionable (never eat after best by date!) and some suspect cheese.

In my kitchen cupboard I found some red lentils, some marmite and vegetable stock paste and there was an onion knocking around. This is how I made the soup, but you can make it with any combination of these types of ingredients.

A glug of light oil and a generous knob of butter or sunflower margarine
1 onion diced
4 carrots, diced (you could use any root veg for this)
4-5 sticks celery,finely sliced
2 finely chopped leeks
2 diced tomatos (large ones, not little piddly cherry ones)
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped yellow pepper (don't use green)
A couple of handfuls of red lentils (rinse before use, you could also use split peas)
Approx 2 litres hot water, or vegetable stock. (you will need extra seasoning if you just use water)

Heat oil and butter in a large soup pot but don't allow to burn.
Add onions, celery , carrot and leeks and saute on a gentle heat till soft and just turning golden.
Add lentils and turn in the vegetables until glistening
Add tomatos and peppers, and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add hot stock or water, bring to boil and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for at least 45 mins , the longer the better.

If you want you can use an immersion blender to liquidize the soup either partially or totally, it all depends on if you like your soup chunky or smooth.

Serve with croutons and grated cheese.

Debs' First Chocolate Mousse

Last Thursday night I went round to see my friend Sue, who was making her famous Challa. Sue and Rebbetzin Esty Prijs have mastered the art of domestic Challa making and give regular classes to women and girls in Whitefield to teach them how easy it is to perform this beautiful Mitzvah.

I made Challa on a weekly basis, using Sue and Esty's recipe until I started with The Back, so I was very happy to go round and watch Sue bake. She taught me how to make a six strand plait, but I will return to this subject on a later date, with the recipe and method.

While I was at Sue's, her daughter Debs was making a chocolate mousse using a recipe from the SEED cookbook. It is a very light mixture and makes a very attractive dessert when served in individual cups or wine glasses.

250g chocolate broken into pieces

3 whole eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup parev whip

1 tbsb orange juice, black coffee, orange liqueur, or coffee liqueur

Method

Melt chocolate in a bowl over hot water

Whisk eggs and sugar together till pale and frothy

Whisk parev cream in a separate bowl till thick and cream clings to the whisk.
Add liqueur or juice to the melted chocolate.

Stir the chocolate into the eggs and sugar and whisk again.

Fold the parev whip into the chocolate till it's all incorporated and the colour is even.

Pour into a bowl or individual cups or glasses and put in fridge.

When set top with grated chocolate or chocolate sprinkles before serving.

Back in the Kitchen

I have always been a keen, enthusiastic and I have been told, pretty good cook. Ever since I started making omelettes in my mothers kitchen, progressing to rock scones and apple crumble in domestic science, I had a fascination for food. I read cookery books like novels and really enjoy the process of planning, shopping and cooking really tasty meals. I have been married for nearly 30 years to David and brought up 3 sons, Josh, Alex and Ethan. We live in a thriving Jewish community in Whitefield, Manchester and so my life revolved around making Shabbat and festival meals for my family as well as entertaining a wide circle of friends.

Then I developed a slipped disc and subsequently needed major back surgery and all of a sudden my cooking days were temporarily over. Confined to bed or a sofa in the living room, I had to rely for nearly nine months on the wonderful generosity of family, friends and neighbours who shopped and cooked for me. My gratitude to them is endless.

In my frustration at not being able to cook, I spent my time reading recipe books and watching the Good Food Network.

Thankfully my back is healing and I am able to spend a limited amount of time back in my kitchen but things are not the same. Bending and stretching is challenging, as is spending hours standing chopping and stirring. The kitchen I designed as a healthy specimen with no thought for my lumbar region is no longer quite fit for purpose, so I have to plan ahead and be creative. All my ingredients and utensils have to be at the ready before I start, otherwise I waste valuable energy, it's hard to be spontaneous, but I do the best I can. One pot dishes are definitely to be desired and the least amount of washing and tidying the better.

So I have had to rethink and as I am rethinking I am creating new recipes as I go along which reflect my new modified way of life, a simpler less complicated life. I want to share them with you.

Thursday October 12th

Leek and Asparagus Risotto

I really wanted a pizza but the kosher pizzeria is closed for the Succot Holiday and and I am not quite ready to be making dough! So I rethink my supper options and opt for a comforting risotto. I am not a seasoned risotto maker but how hard can it be? I'v read the recipes, I've digested the method and if not now, when?

This recipe serves 2 with a bit over, just enough for lunch!

2 medium leeks

A small pack of fresh asparagus tips from the supermarket.

A big knob of butter and a tablespoon of light olive oil or sunflower oil

2 overflowing handfuls risotto rice ( I used carnaroli, but you must use risotto rice otherwise it's not risotto!)

A big slug of white wine ( whatever is open in the fridge, if there is nothing in the fridge open a new bottle!)

Approx 500ml vegetable stock with a few saffron strands left to infuse. Don't use turmeric, it will ruin it. You can leave the saffron out if you don't have any in the house.

2 bay leaves

A bit of chopped tarragon or thyme, or both. You can use dried if you don't have fresh.

Salt and pepper (freshly ground is better.)

A little chopped parsley to garnish

Grated Parmesan (preferably) to serve. Currently it is impossible to get hold of Kosher Parmesan cheese in Manchester. You can have it without the cheese or grated cheddar is acceptable. If anyone knows where one can buy Kosher Parmesan cheese in the UK, I would love to know.

Wash and finely slice the leeks and cut each asparagus into about 3- 4 pieces.

Saute the leeks in the butter and olive oil in a large pan until soft and starting to colour.

Add the rice and turn in the buttery leeks till the grains are coated in the fat and glistening.

Add the herbs and stir.

Add the stock a little at a time (about 100 mls), stir slowly with a wooden spoon until the stock is absorbed, then pour in some more. When you have added about 1/2 the stock, add the asparagus tips and stir till stock is absorbed. Keep doing this till all the stock it used up and the rice has swelled and looks slightly glutinous. You must do this slowly on a low light, risotto does not like to be rushed and you don't want to burn it or serve uncooked rice. The whole process should take about 25 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of wine, put some nice music on and sit there dreamily stirring your risotto till it is done.

At this point season with salt and pepper.

Serve in a large wide soup plate garnished with a dusting of chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Goes well with a glass of cold white wine (the one you opened earlier!)