Country Vegetable Soup
Serves 4
- 1 Large Onion – peeled and sliced
- ½lb Carrots – peeled and sliced
- ½ head of Celery – diced
- ½ head Cauliflower – cut into small florets
- 3 pints Chicken Bouillon or Consommé
- 1 small fresh herb Bouquet Garni
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Courgettes – topped, tailed and diced or ¼ Marrow, deseeded and diced
- ½lb Fusilli Pasta
- Seasoning
- A few Celery leaves for garnish
Put the onion, carrots, celery and cauliflower into a large pan with the bouillon, Worcestershire Sauce, Bouquet Garni and seasoning. Bring to the boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add the Pasta 10 minutes before end of cooking. Add Courgettes and adjust seasoning to taste. Remove Bouquet Garni. Serve with crusty bread, garnish with celery leaves.
Garlic Mushrooms
Serves 4
- 1lb open cup mushrooms
- 2ozs butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped
- Pinch dried Thyme
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Seasonings
- 2ozs fresh breadcrumbs
Lightly fry mushrooms in hot oil for about 20 seconds, drain on kitchen paper. Place in a shallow baking tin, stalks upwards. Mix together softened butter, garlic, chopped parsley, thyme, lemon juice and seasoning. Spoon a little into each mushroom, then lightly press fresh breadcrumbs on top. Grill for 5 minutes until golden brown.
Mushroom Pilaf
Serves 6
- 12ozs Basmati rice, rinsed
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch Spring onions, trimmed and chopped
- 6ozs mushrooms, sliced
- Spring onion strips to garnish
Soak rice in cold water for 30 minutes, drain. Fill a large pan with 1 ¼ pints water, add rice and salt, cover with tight-fitting lid and bring to boil and cook gently for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and leave for a further 5-10 minutes without removing lid.
Heat oil in large pan, add cardamom pods, fennel, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes until the cardamom pods start to pop. Add spring onions and mushrooms. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Add rice, cook, stirring until rice is heated through and mushrooms cooked.
Garnish with spring onion strips and serve piping hot with spicy lamb.
To freeze: When rice is completely cold, pack into a freezerproof container, cover and freeze for up to 2 months.
To serve from freezer: Thaw in fridge overnight. Place in steamer or metal colander lined with greaseproof paper, set over a pan of simmering water. Cover, steam for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
