The Easiest Soup in the World...

...During this time of darker evenings, colder mornings and a hunkering down to the annual feel good shows of the GBBO and Strictly, its the culinary season of pies, pickles & soups, and this soup is the quickest ever to make as you don't have to peel the veg!....

This can be made even quicker with pre-prepared garlic & onion!

Just be careful not to make the soup too watery - start with a small amount of water that just covers the vegetables 

I love having a homemade soup at the weekends but sometimes the thought of peeling more veg after a week of cooking with the Mix & Munch classes and my families daily needs, I just cant face peeling more carrots or hacking through an uncooked butternut squash!

This soup is so easy, tastes delicious, uses an interesting ingredient (in a soup!) and ensures you are getting some vitamins into you and your families diet in these wintery months!

Cucumber & Courgette Soup (or just Courgette soup!)

Knob of Butter

1 onion - diced

2 garlic cloves - crushed

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves/Mixed Herbs

1 diluted vegetable stock cube (not too much water 500ml to start with)

2 courgettes - roughly cut (double if you are using just courgettes)

2 cucumbers - roughly cut

White wine - splash (optional)

Single cream - tbsp in each portion (optional)

1. Gently melt the butter and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the salt & pepper and mixed herbs/thyme leaves.

3. Chop the cucumber and courgettes and add into the pan with the stock, thoroughly mix.

4. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes

5. Blend and enjoy!

Peas & Mint - Add some peas in with the courgettes & cucumber and decorate with sprigs of mint

Leek & Nutmeg - Add some leeks into the soup (again no peeling required!) and flavour with 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Replace the vegetable stock with Chicken Stock

Decorate with Shavings of Parmesan or Chopped Chives or Crumbles of Feta

Madeleines - A Perfect Mouthful!

...I finally made these the other week after a few years of having one of those specific Madeleine tins and having been prompted to as whilst on holiday I was offered one each morning for breakfast. How could I resist ? After-all each Madeleine is only one dessert spoon of mixture!

Savoury or Sweet ? Once you make the rich buttery batter for a Madeleine you can add any flavour...Raspberry & Lime, Lemon & Poppy Seeds, Lemon & Vanilla, Orange Zest & Chocolate Chips, Strawberry & White Chocolate, Cardamom & Nutmeg and can dip the ends (once cooled) in melted white/milk or dark chocolate...and cover with sprinkles/freeze dried raspberries/edible gold spray/ground pistachios or almonds or hazelnuts...the list is unending!

To get the most out of the batter you need to allow it to rest for around 30 minutes apart from that - they are very quick to make....

To make 18 Madeleines

Basic Batter Mix:

100g caster sugar

3 medium eggs

90g unsalted butter (melted) plus extra to grease the moulds

100g plain flour (sieved) plus a little extra for the moulds

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp honey

1. Combine the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until light and fluffy

2. Add the cooled melted butter, plain flour, baking powder, pinch of salt and honey.

3. Mix into a batter and let it rest for 30 minutes.

4. Grease your Madeleine moulds with some of the extra melted butter and dust slightly with the extra flour.

5. Spoon only 1 dessert spoon into the moulds.

6. Bake at 180 degrees non fan for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden.

Mocha - Add 15g of sieved cocoa and 1 tbsp of diluted instant coffee to the batter mixture

Lemon & Poppy Seeds - Add 2 tsp of poppy seeds and the juice and zest of 3 lemons to the batter mixture

Lime & Blackberry/Raspberry/Strawberry - Add the juice and zest of 2 limes to the batter mixture and put a Blackberry/Raspberry/Strawberry into each of Madeleine moulds after the batter has been added

Honey & Vanilla - Add an additional 1 tbsp of runny honey and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract to the batter mixture

Pistachio & Orange - Add 50g of crushed pistachios & the zest of 2 oranges & 1 tbsp of orange blossom water to the batter mixture

Three Mini Quiche Lorraine's

...we loved making Quiche Lorraine for our French themed classes last week - and making these mini ones are perfect for a snack or to take on a picnic. You can add anything in them...

We also have some interesting responses to the question - What is baking blindly ? From closing your eyes and putting your cakes into the oven to not baking the pasty at all! Our cooks were not familiar with the term "Soggy Bottom!"

You can be extra diligent and make the dough but shop bought dough is just as good and far less messy!

To make 3 quiches-

Ready-made shortcrust pastry

¼ medium onion and 1 clove of garlic

3 tbsp of milk

1 slice of ham

1 egg

Dried oregano - 1/4tsp

Ground pepper

2 small tomatoes - halved

Sprinkling of grated cheese

Other Flavours:

Pea, leek & mozzarella
Bacon & egg
Feta & fig
Mozzarella, Basil & Tomato
Chicken, thyme, bell peppers & pancetta

1. Pre-prepare the onion mix - 1/4 medium onion and 1 garlic clove - fry in butter and blend

2. Flour Board

3. Cut out 3 pastry rounds with the ready rolled pastry and put in the pastry cases

4. Put a few fork marks in the pastry case and then cook at 200 Fan for 10 minutes

5. In a small bowl add the onion/garlic mixture to the milk

6. Mix in the egg

7. Add in chopped up ham (according to taste)

8. Add 1/4 tsp dried oregano

9. Add some pepper

10. Divide the mixture between the 3 cases

11. Top each one with 1/2 cherry tomato

12. Sprinkle on grated cheese

13. Cook at 200 Fan for 10-15 minutes