On Sunday Mum, my two sisters and myself (plus the Minion) went to the annual Collector pumpkin festival! (Collector is the town). Came away with some beautiful fresh pumpkins and organic potatoes (so easy to clean! Shows you how un-fresh the supermarket ones really are o.0), so clearly pumpkin soup was in order. Also, I discovered in the making that Boyo actually likes pumpkin soup (he merely tolerates most other soups), which is exciting to know! Had cream that needed using and celery leaves that were otherwise going into the bin, and here is the result... :)
Ingredients
1 red onion, finely chopped
2t crushed garlic
splash of olive oil
1/2t cumin
1/4t nutmeg
1/4t harissa
1/2t garlic salt
4c stock
1.5c water
1/2 queensland blue pumpkin, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch
1 sweet potato, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch
2 med-lrg potatoes, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch
1/2 bunch of celery leaves and trimmings, finely chopped
100mL cream (I used thickened, but any would work)
Recipe
Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add spices and stir over heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add stock and water and bring to boil. Add pumpkin, sweet potato and potato. Return to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add celery leaves. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegies are soft. Puree, then stir through cream. Serve optionally with a little fresh black pepper and a dollop of sour cream, with hot buttered sourdough toast on the side.
This is one of the best pumpkin soups I've had (fresh ingredients make a difference, I suspect :D) and I'll definitely be making this one again. The recipe is going into my brown recipe journal that is home to all my standby favourites ;) Yay!
Showing posts with label potato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potato. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Potato & Rosemary Pizza
Pizza is a relatively regular staple in our house, regular enough that there are usually some yeast-free bases (for me) lying around somewhere - cupboard, freezer, dog house... O:) We got home last night with nary half an hour to spare before we had to dash off to our first antenatal class (!), and I NEEDED to eat. Lacking anything quicker (toasted sandwiches? No, out of yeast-free bread), pizza it was.
However, I wanted to try out something different for a change. Usually, pizza in our house is also very boring: tomato sauce, pineapple, mushroom, some chunks of cream cheese or feta, some baby spinach if we have any (we didn't), and topped with cheese and oregano/basil. After seeing it goodness-knows-where on the web ages ago, I have made potato pizza once before. This time, though, I did something different. I can't actually recall what I did last time, but this time it was really, really good. Evidence: by the time I went to take a photo of it for the blog, this was all that was left:
Ingredients (for one small pizza)
Garlic
Olive oil
1 small pizza base - I used a thin & crispy-style, because of the whole yeast-free thing
Cream cheese - 2 or 3 tablespoons
Rosemary - 1/2 - 1 tablespoon fresh
3 baby red-skinned potatoes
Sea salt
Mix the garlic in with the oil. Leave to stand for as long as possible (optional: like, overnight, or a week, or just go ahead and buy garlic-infused oil). Spread the cream cheese over the base as you normally would tomato sauce*. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with rosemary. Finely slice the potatoes and layer over the base*, overlapping a little to completely cover it. Season to taste with sea salt. Bake at 190C for 20 minutes until potatoes start to turn golden around the edges. Enjoy!
* You want to go as close as possible to the edge on this pizza, otherwise the crust gets too crusty in the time it takes to cook the potato.
However, I wanted to try out something different for a change. Usually, pizza in our house is also very boring: tomato sauce, pineapple, mushroom, some chunks of cream cheese or feta, some baby spinach if we have any (we didn't), and topped with cheese and oregano/basil. After seeing it goodness-knows-where on the web ages ago, I have made potato pizza once before. This time, though, I did something different. I can't actually recall what I did last time, but this time it was really, really good. Evidence: by the time I went to take a photo of it for the blog, this was all that was left:
Ingredients (for one small pizza)
Garlic
Olive oil
1 small pizza base - I used a thin & crispy-style, because of the whole yeast-free thing
Cream cheese - 2 or 3 tablespoons
Rosemary - 1/2 - 1 tablespoon fresh
3 baby red-skinned potatoes
Sea salt
Mix the garlic in with the oil. Leave to stand for as long as possible (optional: like, overnight, or a week, or just go ahead and buy garlic-infused oil). Spread the cream cheese over the base as you normally would tomato sauce*. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with rosemary. Finely slice the potatoes and layer over the base*, overlapping a little to completely cover it. Season to taste with sea salt. Bake at 190C for 20 minutes until potatoes start to turn golden around the edges. Enjoy!
* You want to go as close as possible to the edge on this pizza, otherwise the crust gets too crusty in the time it takes to cook the potato.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Mashed Potato-Stuffed Mushrooms
Serves 2
2 large flat mushrooms - clean them.
2 extra large potatoes - microwave and mash w butter & milk & salt.
Add 1/4c parmesan and season with chives, tarragon, dill, cajun, sage, oregano & 1T tomato sauce.
Drizzle with 1T honey & sweet chilli mixed into olive oil.
Bake at 170C for 25 mins.
Serve over baby spinach and eat!
2 extra large potatoes - microwave and mash w butter & milk & salt.
Add 1/4c parmesan and season with chives, tarragon, dill, cajun, sage, oregano & 1T tomato sauce.
Drizzle with 1T honey & sweet chilli mixed into olive oil.
Bake at 170C for 25 mins.
Serve over baby spinach and eat!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Ten Minute Meal: Veggie Baked Potato
Oh, the modest potato. Bland, brown, lacking in most vital nutrients except for in the skin. The potato isn't going to win awards for beauty any time soon.But it makes an awesome lunch!
Veggie Baked Potato:
1 potato per person
1 handful of broccoli
1 medium carrot (6-8 inches long)
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 heaping tbspn sour cream
2 green onions -or- 4 chives
Carnivore Addition: 2 slices of bacon fully cooked and diced -or- 1/4 cup diced ham
1 potato per person
1 handful of broccoli
1 medium carrot (6-8 inches long)
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 heaping tbspn sour cream
2 green onions -or- 4 chives
Carnivore Addition: 2 slices of bacon fully cooked and diced -or- 1/4 cup diced ham
1. Stab your well-scrubbed potato with your fork a few times. Be mean. Get the anger out. Then toss the potato on a plate and microwave for 5-8 minutes (7-10 for large potatoes)
2. While the potato cooks wash your veggies. Shred the carrot. Chop the broccoli fine. Cut the green onion or chives into small pieces.
3. Mix the shredded carrot and grated cheese together.
4. Take baked potato out of the microwave and cut in half. Layer on the cheese and carrots.
5. Add dollop of sour cream.
6. Top with broccoli and green onion. Add the bacon is you're a carnivore.
7. Add a healthy drink like ice water or cranberry juice and you have a well rounded meal in ten minutes or less. Enjoy!
Oh, yes, there's a potato under there. It's just conveniently buried under a salad. Warm, tasty, nutritious, and quick. That's all I want in a meal.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Vegetable Summer Soup
Every now and then, although summer is generally hot, a cooler day will blow in. Unlike the stinkers, it's not a day for salads and light snacks - but it's not a night for heavy carbs either.
Tonight was such a night. Temperatures dropped from the mid to high 30s over the weekend (that's mid 80s to mid 90s for you Imperial folk) down to 20 today (high 60s), and it felt cold. I don't like being cold.
I had a couple of leeks wasting away in the fridge, so soup seemed the perfect thing for tonight. I wanted to create something that was light and summery still, even though it was a soup - nothing too thick or heavy like you'd want for winter.
The Recipe
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 med onion, chopped
2 leeks, sliced
olive oil for frying
1t lemongrass/lime spice mix
2T plain flour
5c vegetable stock
1T lemon juice
1t lime juice
2 med potatoes, in small cubes
2 large carrots, grated
1 quantity* majoram
1 quantity parsley
2 quantities thyme
2t sweet chilli sauce
salt, to taste
Saute the garlic, onion and leek in the oil. Season with the lemongrass/lime spice mix. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 mins. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add lemon and lime juices, then the potatoes; simmer for 10 mins. Add carrot and herbs; simmer for 10 mins. Stir through sweet chilli. Season to taste. Serve hot with toast :o)
* I'm pretty hopeless at actually measuring how much seasoning I use. All I can say is I used two sprigs each of fresh parsley and marjoram, and about seven 10cm/4inch stalks of thyme.
The Results
Oh yeah. This is a summer soup. The lemon gives it the perfect zesty kick, and really emphasises the leek and onion flavours. That said, it's a nice mild flavour that isn't going to burn your socks off. It has a nice depth of flavour, and it really does taste like summer in a vegetable soup!
Tonight was such a night. Temperatures dropped from the mid to high 30s over the weekend (that's mid 80s to mid 90s for you Imperial folk) down to 20 today (high 60s), and it felt cold. I don't like being cold.
I had a couple of leeks wasting away in the fridge, so soup seemed the perfect thing for tonight. I wanted to create something that was light and summery still, even though it was a soup - nothing too thick or heavy like you'd want for winter.
The Recipe
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 med onion, chopped
2 leeks, sliced
olive oil for frying
1t lemongrass/lime spice mix
2T plain flour
5c vegetable stock
1T lemon juice
1t lime juice
2 med potatoes, in small cubes
2 large carrots, grated
1 quantity* majoram
1 quantity parsley
2 quantities thyme
2t sweet chilli sauce
salt, to taste
Saute the garlic, onion and leek in the oil. Season with the lemongrass/lime spice mix. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 mins. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add lemon and lime juices, then the potatoes; simmer for 10 mins. Add carrot and herbs; simmer for 10 mins. Stir through sweet chilli. Season to taste. Serve hot with toast :o)
* I'm pretty hopeless at actually measuring how much seasoning I use. All I can say is I used two sprigs each of fresh parsley and marjoram, and about seven 10cm/4inch stalks of thyme.
The Results
Oh yeah. This is a summer soup. The lemon gives it the perfect zesty kick, and really emphasises the leek and onion flavours. That said, it's a nice mild flavour that isn't going to burn your socks off. It has a nice depth of flavour, and it really does taste like summer in a vegetable soup!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Potato & Cheese Soup - ish
So, yesterday on twitter, Sparky mentioned the wonders of Potato and Cheese soup. Being a massive fan of cheese-in-soup (actually, cheese in anything, but for now we'll stick to soup), my ears pricked up.
Lo, I said unto myself. It is unseasonably cold, and therefore miserable. What better way to banish misery and warm one's insides than with a lovely pot of hot, cheesy soup?
Alack, dear Sparky had not a recipe - so I turned to that trusty demon, Google. My favourites were the easy version and the complex version.
However, as you're all aware, I'm also in the middle of moving - and I had some corn that was begging to be used up. And I quite like corn and potato and cheese soup........
And thus it began.
The resulting recipe is some sort of weird cross between the easy version above, and the corn chowder, also linked to above.
The Recipe
2 white or brown onions
1 very heaped teaspoon of crushed garlic
2t cumin
olive oil for frying
3c chicken stock
3 largish potatoes, cubed to about 1cm3
400g can of creamed corn
420g can of corn kernels (which, I was disgusted to discover, is only actually 61% corn)
2c milk
salt (preferably of the sage, lavendar and rosemary variety)
~7 sage leaves
sprinkle of rosemary
2c grated cheese (cheddar or tasty)
sour cream and chives for garnishing
In a large pan over a high heat, saute the onions, garlic and cumin. Don't let the onions brown. Add the stock, and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn (both varieties, and I threw in the liquid from the corn kernels too) and simmer again for 10 minutes. Add the milk and seasonings (be generous with the salt, esp if you don't have the delicious sage/lavendar/rosemary variety), allow to simmer. Don't boil the milk too vigorously. Remove from heat, stir through cheese until melted, and serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream and some chives.
Makes 5 generous servings.
The Results
Taaa-sty. Exactly what I felt like, for which I was glad. Those of you that have tried it will recall that the corn chowder soup is somewhat Asian-styled - clear broth, corn, etc. This soup is like the non-Asian version. The milk and different proportions makes it creamier and less broth-like, and (strangely) altogether more like what I would consider a chowder to be... Most odd.
My only complaint was the type of potatoes I used; no idea what they were, but they held their form well throughout cooking, which is excellent for baking, but not so good for a soup where you want them to starchify the soup, making it even thicker, and releasing the potato flavour into the whole soup, rather than greedily confining it to the potato chunks.
Still. Definitely something I'll make again :)
Lo, I said unto myself. It is unseasonably cold, and therefore miserable. What better way to banish misery and warm one's insides than with a lovely pot of hot, cheesy soup?
Alack, dear Sparky had not a recipe - so I turned to that trusty demon, Google. My favourites were the easy version and the complex version.
However, as you're all aware, I'm also in the middle of moving - and I had some corn that was begging to be used up. And I quite like corn and potato and cheese soup........
And thus it began.
The resulting recipe is some sort of weird cross between the easy version above, and the corn chowder, also linked to above.
The Recipe
2 white or brown onions
1 very heaped teaspoon of crushed garlic
2t cumin
olive oil for frying
3c chicken stock
3 largish potatoes, cubed to about 1cm3
400g can of creamed corn
420g can of corn kernels (which, I was disgusted to discover, is only actually 61% corn)
2c milk
salt (preferably of the sage, lavendar and rosemary variety)
~7 sage leaves
sprinkle of rosemary
2c grated cheese (cheddar or tasty)
sour cream and chives for garnishing
In a large pan over a high heat, saute the onions, garlic and cumin. Don't let the onions brown. Add the stock, and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn (both varieties, and I threw in the liquid from the corn kernels too) and simmer again for 10 minutes. Add the milk and seasonings (be generous with the salt, esp if you don't have the delicious sage/lavendar/rosemary variety), allow to simmer. Don't boil the milk too vigorously. Remove from heat, stir through cheese until melted, and serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream and some chives.
Makes 5 generous servings.
The Results
Taaa-sty. Exactly what I felt like, for which I was glad. Those of you that have tried it will recall that the corn chowder soup is somewhat Asian-styled - clear broth, corn, etc. This soup is like the non-Asian version. The milk and different proportions makes it creamier and less broth-like, and (strangely) altogether more like what I would consider a chowder to be... Most odd.
My only complaint was the type of potatoes I used; no idea what they were, but they held their form well throughout cooking, which is excellent for baking, but not so good for a soup where you want them to starchify the soup, making it even thicker, and releasing the potato flavour into the whole soup, rather than greedily confining it to the potato chunks.
Still. Definitely something I'll make again :)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Corn Chowder
Yes, I know, another non-cupcake recipe :) Amazing, isn't it?!
Anyway, a friend of mine is particularly in love with this soup, and asked me to post the recipe here so she can access it. Hence, recipe.
The Recipe
Olive oil, for frying
2 large onions, finely chopped
1-3 cloves of garlic, to taste, crushed
2t cumin
4c (1L) stock - I use a mixture of chicken and vegetable, whichever is on hand
2 medium potatoes, cubed (about 1/2-1cm cubes)
1c canned creamed corn
2c corn kernels
1T dried parsley (alternatively, try 3T fresh chopped parsley)
1c grated Cheddar or Tasty cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
In a large saucepan over a high heat, fry the onions, garlic and cumin until the onion is soft and translucent. Add stock and bring to the boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the creamed corn, corn kernels, and parsley. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir through the cheese and seasoning until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Makes 5 decent sized servings.
The Results
Uh, YUM! Seriously though, after making this soup a few times now, I am absolutely in love with it. And my husband even likes it, which is saying something, as he's not a huge soup fan.
I highly recommend using chicken stock over vegetable stock.
Also, I am usually the kind of person who plays around with herbs and spices in all sort of random combinations. With this recipe - don't. I tried. Trust me. The recipe can't be improved upon.
With one exception - the time I made it where it turned out best, I added about 1/4c extra cheese, and a few shakes of my fancy rosemary, sage and lavendar salt. Gave it a bit of an extra kick that lifted it from really good, to the best soup I've ever eaten.
Anyway, a friend of mine is particularly in love with this soup, and asked me to post the recipe here so she can access it. Hence, recipe.
The Recipe
Olive oil, for frying
2 large onions, finely chopped
1-3 cloves of garlic, to taste, crushed
2t cumin
4c (1L) stock - I use a mixture of chicken and vegetable, whichever is on hand
2 medium potatoes, cubed (about 1/2-1cm cubes)
1c canned creamed corn
2c corn kernels
1T dried parsley (alternatively, try 3T fresh chopped parsley)
1c grated Cheddar or Tasty cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
In a large saucepan over a high heat, fry the onions, garlic and cumin until the onion is soft and translucent. Add stock and bring to the boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the creamed corn, corn kernels, and parsley. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir through the cheese and seasoning until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Makes 5 decent sized servings.
The Results
Uh, YUM! Seriously though, after making this soup a few times now, I am absolutely in love with it. And my husband even likes it, which is saying something, as he's not a huge soup fan.
I highly recommend using chicken stock over vegetable stock.
Also, I am usually the kind of person who plays around with herbs and spices in all sort of random combinations. With this recipe - don't. I tried. Trust me. The recipe can't be improved upon.
With one exception - the time I made it where it turned out best, I added about 1/4c extra cheese, and a few shakes of my fancy rosemary, sage and lavendar salt. Gave it a bit of an extra kick that lifted it from really good, to the best soup I've ever eaten.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Cream Potato Bake
Yeah, not a cupcake. But this recipe is so simple, and so utterly delicious, that I just had to share. I have no idea about quantities, but it's not difficult to figure out.
And a word of warning: this recipe is not for the diet-conscious :)
The RecipePotatoes
Cream (about 600mL?)
Cajun spice mix
Cheddar or Tasty cheese, grated.
Thinly slice enough potatoes to cover the bottom of a cooking dish overlapped. See the picture for a much better explanation :)
Cover the potatoes with cream - and I do mean cover. Sprinkle liberally with cajun spice mix. Don't be afraid to be liberal - the cream absorbs a lot of the heat from the spice. See the third picture for an indication of how much I use.
Top with grated cheese.
Bake at 200C for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.
The ResultsYUM! Really. The potatoes absorb some of the cream and have a wonderful creamy (funny that) texture. The cream and spice go perfectly, and the cheese is just the perfect final touch.
The only thing I would suggest is potentially opting for a lower fat cheese. The first time I made this it was great. The second time, it was still great, but a lot of the oil/fat from the cream and cheese leaked out of them, so to speak, and hung around in the bottom of the pan. Which was okay for the first eating, but it made the leftovers a little odd.
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