Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chilli Soup

I had this in The Broadway Cafe in Nottingham and it blew me away.  So I've been experimenting and inventing my own version. This is the simple test one I came up with. You can easily tweak this and add onions, stock, spices etc if you fancy it. But it really doesn't need it.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced.
1 can coconut milk
1-2 red chillies, finely chopped.
Olive oil (or coconut oil if you have some)
Water

Heat a large pan with enough oil to cover the bottom thinly. When it's hot, add the diced sweet potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins or until the pieces are slightly browned.

Turn down to a medium heat and add the chilli and coconut milk and cook until the sweet potato is soft.

Either use a stick blender or jug blender and whizz it up until smooth.  You may need to add some water to get it to 'soup consistency'. Season to taste.

Sunshine Squash Soup

This sun coloured soup cures all ills.  I'm convinced!  Super easy to make too.

1 medium onion, sliced

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1-2 de-seeded red chillies

1 can coconut milk

Juice and zest of 2 limes

Cook the onions and cubed squash in a pan in some olive oil until the onions are translucent and the squash is almost tender, adding a splash of water if it starts to burn. 

Add the chillies, sliced and the coconut milk and cook for about another 5 mins or until the squash is soft.  

Whizz it all up either in a blender, processor or with a hand blender, adding water if it's too thick.  Finally add the zest and juice of the limes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This soup keeps well- I often keep a plastic cup thing of it in the freezer as an emergency cheer lunch on a gloomy day.

Leftover fresh herbs?

When you've bought a big bunch of various herbs for something but perhaps not used them all and they're looking a bit sad in the fridge, you can easily whizz them up for a salsa verde or bung them in a stock, depending on what you are planning to cook or what you have just cooked. Or just preserve them for later use.

Salsa Verde

This is an ideal sauce to spoon on top of fish or have as a side for a BBQ. It will keep for a day or two in the fridge and if you have any leftover, you can use it in place of pesto for a super speedy and cheap pasta dish.

Handfuls of various fresh herbs ie coriander, parsley, mint, dill...

A splash of vinegar (cider, white wine, red wine...)

A glug of olive oil

A few anchovies (if you have them- you can use leftover anchovies to make bag a caude or stick them in other sauces etc)

A few capers (if you have them)

Salt and pepper to taste

Just whizz them all up in a food processor or mini chopper and keep tasting until you like it. It should be fresh and a little tart and salty.

Stock

Stock is easy to make and you can freeze it for later uses. It tastes so much better than those dry stock cubes and is an excellent way to use up odds  and ends to transform a soup or casserole on a rainy day when you have very little money left.

Leftover herb stalks/leaves

Veg peelings/old carrot ends, celery ends etc (any veg you have lurking about except potatoes really)

About 5-10 peppercorns

A couple of whole garlic cloves

An onion cut into wedges (no need to peel)

Any bones from recent meat OR fish heads/tails - you can keep this veggie or make it from a chicken carcass or for future fish sauces with fish heads, making it a perfect way to use every bit of your previous meal.

 You can also chuck in allspice berries, a chilli, a cinnamon stick etc; you can tweak it however you like depending on your taste and what you have in the cupboard!

Put the whole lot in a big pan and cover with water. Bring it to the boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about an hour, loosely covered.

Strain it into a jug to decant into freezer bags or plastic pots to freeze when cool.  Be careful to strain it into a jug rather than down the sink by accident, as I have done so many times!

Frozen

If you buy a big bunch of herbs it's cheaper and then you can freeze what you don't use first time for future use. This only really works with tender herb such as mint, parsley, coriander, tarragon...

Just wash, chop and put in a freezer bag.  It's a good idea to label it as all herbs look pretty much the same when frozen.

Dried

Dried herbs taste different to fresh or frozen but are really useful in cooked dishes. This is a good way not to waste anything and is cheaper than buying them already dried. Especially if you grew them yourself in the first place!

Rinse then pat dry a bunch of the same herb with the stalks on.  Tie a piece of string around the bottom of the stalks and then hang up somewhere warmish and dry until they are completely dry and crispy.  Either leave them where they dangle or store them in airtight containers to lengthen their life.