When out of the UK for a few years, I was missing those wonderful Covent Garden soups, especially my favourite – carrot and coriander. So after a fruitless search to uncover them on the supermarket shelves, I decided to get making my own version which I call comforting carrot, coriander and cumin soup, and I’m so glad I did. I like the alliteration, but the flavour’s even better, because nothing beats fresh home-made soup!  Carrots are a delicious root vegetable packed with carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.
I’ve given this traditional recipe a little extra kick with the addition of cumin. I like to make mine pretty intense for extra comfort, but you can vary the amount to your own taste. I’ve kept the cumin content moderate in this recipe for you, so add or take away as you wish.
What you need:
What you do:
20 minutes to prepare – 20-30 minutes to cook
Makes 4 servings
Note: In general, carrot and coriander make for a great combination in soups. If you want to add a bit more protein, try this bacon, carrot, butter bean and coriander soup. It’s a bit heartier, so keep it in mind if you are quite hungry.
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Spring is in the air! Well, perhaps not quite yet. But no matter the time of year, I enjoy the occasional treat to satisfy my sweet tooth. However, knowing that I am also eating fruits and veggies helps me justify these cravings.
Rhubarb comes into season in March and is readily available in the UK until May - so there’s still a chance to get some good rhubarb, just! Every year, as soon as I see it in the greengrocer, I pick it up so I can make a favourite of mine, rhubarb crumble.
This year I made this classic crumble pudding with a sweet surprise. In this recipe, the natural tartness of the rhubarb contrasts really well with the almondy sweetness of the marzipan.
What you need:
What to do:
A little more about rhubarb…
The edible part of the rhubarb plant, the stalk, is technically a vegetable, though we think of it as a fruit.
Rhubarb seems to have become a popular food in the 17th Century when cheap sugar became accessible.
Rhubarb is thought to have first been cultivated in China in 2700BC.
It is said that the Romans believed that people who ate rhubarb were barbaric in nature (possibly because of its natural bitterness) and that the name rhubarb may have been derived from the Latin word rhabarbarum meaning ‘root of the barbarians’.
Continue readingMoules mariniere brings back memories of holidays in the south of France and close to the Spanish border where moules frites (mussels and chips) and mussels in Asturian cider are very popular.
British Mussels are in season in February. If you’re lucky enough to find good ones, you will soon be making succulent and tasty mussels in a white wine and cream sauce, which you can enjoy as a starter, or as a main meal with nice hunks of granary bread, chips or a mixed salad. It looks stunning in its presentation and is sophisticated to the palette.
Moules mariniere is most fun prepared in company, sampling the white wine together as you cook. I use a splash of good white wine from the bottle I want to drink with the meal rather than a cheap cooking wine, which I believe improves the flavour significantly. Try this recipe with a very well chilled oaked chardonnay.
What you need:
What you do:
10-15 minutes to prepare and cook
Makes: 4 generous starters or light main meals
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