Sweet Potato Soup - with a dash of curry!

There seems to be a lot of sweet potatoes in the shops at the moment, so what better time of the year to make a hearty soup!

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 600gms of sweet potatoes
• 50gms of butter
• ½ large or 1 small onion
• 700ml of decent chicken or vegetable stock
• Heaped dessertspoon of curry paste
• Salt & Pepper to taste.
• Cream (as required)

Peels and chop the veg and heat with the butter and curry paste in a pan for a few minutes. (If using the Thermomix, chop on speed 5 for 6 seconds.)

Add the stock and simmer until soft. (In the Thermomix, 12 mins/speed2/100deg)

Liquidise using a stick blender (Thermomix 1 minute, speed 9)

Salt and Pepper to taste.

I tend to use Balti Paste but any form of curry paste to your preference will do.

Pour into a bowl, add a splash of cream if you want and  serve with some warm bread. sit in a chair by a fire and enjoy!

Chicken Thai Green Curry

Yes, I know, there are plenty of recipes out there but I think mine takes some beating – well I would, wouldn’t I !! It has, of course, been extensively honed and fashioned into what Mrs H. approves of!

The secret is a good paste – I don’t have to time to make mine from first principles but you don’t need to if you get a good one.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp of Vegetable oil
• 2 plump chicken breasts – deskinned and boned
• One large onion – chopped
• 2 ½ Tbsp of Thai Green Curry Paste
• 2 Tbsp of Thai Fish Sauce
• 1 small pack of Coconut cream – not creamed coconut!
• 500ml of good chicken stock
• 7 Kaffier lime leaves
• 2 Tbsp of Palm sugar
• Pinch of salt (if required)
• 1 small red Bird’s eye chilli (if required)
• Vegetable of your choice – bamboo shoots, French beans, broccoli etc etc

(Serves 2 or 3)

Fry the onion in the oil until soft then add the breasts, chopped into 2cm chunks. When just cooked, add the paste and stir continuously until it is fragrant and has covered all of the meat. Add the remaining ingredients (except the vegetables) stir and simmer for about 40 minutes – allowing the sauce to reduce slightly. During the simmering process, check the chilli heat to see if it is up to scratch! You don’t have to ad the veg! Just serve with boiled rice if you prefer…..

Tuna & Scallop Thai Curry

From the leftovers in the fridge came a delightful dish.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1  small fillet of Tuna (sliced)
  
• 10 small queen scallops
  
• Handful of trimmed Mangetout
  
• Carton of Coconut Milk
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 tbsp of Thai green curry paste
  
• 2 tbsp of fresh ‘paste’ comprising, ginger,garlic,whole red chilli, fresh coriander,lime zest from one lime, juice of one lime and lemon grass – similar quantities
  
• (This fresh paste give the curry a clean taste and tangy flavour that bought pastes cannot.)
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• A few Kaffir Lime leaves
  
• 1 tbsp of oil
  
• 1 cup of Jasmine Rice
  

Fry the onion in the oil until soft . Then add the Thai pastes and fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk, sugar and lime leaves and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for about 5 to 10 mins.  Serve with Jasmine rice that is well cooked and has been left to drain well.

The textures are great and the flavours delightful. If I had tried to create this it would have failed!

Curry Sauces and more!

I’m not one to go for pre prepared sauces but last night I was a little surprised by the contents of Meah’s Freshly made Indian Sauce. It was very good! Now, you see, I can knock up a very good Indian curry, but the Dhansak sauce I tried was amazing. Now I hear you ask ‘ What were you doing in the first place buying it!’ Well the truth is that my wife was given a selection to try out.

The sauce will make a decent curry for 4 people – just add chicken and fried onion (as in the case of the Dhansak) and leave to cook. Very simple and easy – ideal for a mad rush etc. These days I don’t want a curry every week, but it is certainly worth having a tub in the fridge. (Being freshly made, they don’t have a long shelf life) Not sure how much they cost – I think about £4.50 a tub but well worth it!

I have a feeling this week is going to be fish week! On Sunday we had a meal out in Godalming – taking my elderly mother out to lunch (‘ I’m 89 years old, you know!’)    I had a very nice sword fish with panfried vegetables and it was very good – not sure the pesto butter complemented it but still very good. Anyway, this spurred me on and what with the lovely weather and winter on the back burner, I thought I would put fish on the ‘menu’ this week. I also have a lunch to prepare on Saturday so will probably go for fish as well – as some of the guys have special diets!