Sweet Potato Kale Rice Stew

Sweet Potato Kale Rice Stew

This recipe all started with some left over sweet potatoes and pumpkin that needed to be used up. So I baked them all (200 degrees Celsius for 45 min) popped some in the freezer then defrosted them in the fridge when I fancied making a meal. For this recipe I used my £20 breville blend active blender. I also keep in my freezer a big bag of kale so I always have instant greens to add to meals. 

(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

1 medium baked sweet potato

1 cup baked pumpkin (optional - use another potato) 

2 cup frozen kale

100g rice 

Sprinkle of sunflower seeds

Black pepper & mixed herbs to taste 

Place the rice into a pan along with about 500ml water, bring to the boil and simmer. Meanwhile, into the blender pop the baked sweet potato and pumpkin and some water. Blend together to form a thick sauce. Pour the sauce into the rice and simmer until thickened, add the kale and cook for a few more minutes. Then serve topped with sunflower seeds and black pepper. Delicious! 

See the video here: https://youtu.be/tuD_GIaMfI0

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, again this recipe tastes much more scrumptious once it's a little cooler. It also thickens too. Leave me a comment of what you think and have a wonderful day. 

Lots of love,

Robyn x

Chickpea Soup & Ciabatta Bread

Chickpea Soup & Ciabatta Bread

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can chickpeas

1/2 courgette

2 carrots

1 half full peas

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp mixed herbs 

In a pan add the chopped tomatoes, mixed herbs, cumin and diced carrots, bring to the boil and simmer. Add the courgette, peas and chickpeas and continue to cook. Once almost cooked place the ciabatta bread in the oven and heat until crispy (about 10 mins at 200 degrees). Then serve! 

Lentil carrot soup

Lentil and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

100g red split lentils

120g rice

2 carrots

1 tsp mixed herbs

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 cup peas

Bring to the boil a litre of water. To a large pan add the lentils, rice, tomato purée, carrots and herbs. Boil and simmer until soft. Then add the peas, serve.

Sweetpotato and Lentil Nasturtium Soup

Similar ingredients to my previous post however this is a soup with a completely different flavour :) Watch my video here:

http://youtu.be/yOd01VUshDU

Ingredients:

(Serves 2-4)

Soup

1 large sweetpotato

2 large red bell peppers

2 inch slice fresh ginger

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp garam masala 

1/3 cup red split lentils rinsed 

200ml crushed tomatoes

1 can chickpeas (optional) 

Curried potatoes

5 medium white potatoes

1/3 turmeric

2 tbsp water 

1 tsp fresh/ dried rosemary  

Toppings

5 soaked sundried tomatoes (if in oil rinse well)

1 bunch fresh coriander 

4 nasturtium flowers (optional) 

Firstly dice the white potatoes (leave on the skins & easily peel off later for speed) and add to a pan of water, bring to the boil and heat on medium/ low for about 15 minutes until soft but still firm. Meanwhile, dice the peppers into rough pieces, grate the ginger, peel and chop the sweetpotato into small chunks and add to another pan. Turn up the heat, add the soup spices and stir until fragrant. By this time the potatoes should be cooked, so drain the water into the soup pan until all the veg are covered. 

Place the cooked white potatoes into a dish for later. To the soup pan add the rinsed red lentils and the crushed tomatoes, stir and cover with a lid until cooked (about 20 minutes). For the curried potatoes, in the used pan add the turmeric, water and rosemary and gently heat until hot and fragrant (careful not to burn) then add in the firm potatoes and mix until they are brightly coloured yellow.

Once the soup is cooked blend with a hand blender, drain the chickpeas and pour in, allow to sit for an hour for a richer flavour or just serve. Top with fresh coriander, diced sundried tomatoes, the curried potatoes and a freshly picked nasturtium flower. 

Sweetpotato and red lentil soup with curried potatoes, coriander, sundried tomatoes and nasturtium flowers. 

Raw Tomato Chunky Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

8 squishy tomatoes

2 carrots

1/3 head cauliflower

1 medium zucchini

1/2 avocado

1 pinch cress

Sprinkle ground black pepper 

Sprinkle chilli flakes 

Sprinkle mixed herbs

In a blender add the tomatoes (leave 2 out) and the cauliflower (save a little for chunks) blend until well combined and thick. Add the mixed herbs and set aside. Dice the carrots, zucchini, rest of the tomatoes and cauliflower into small chunks and add to two bowls. Pour the tomato sauce over the top and mix in well. Top with diced avocado, cress, chilli flakes and black pepper. For a warmer soup, heat gently in a pan to take off the chill, but do not boil. Enjoy! 

Grated Potato Paprika Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

2 tins tomatoes

1 tin chickpeas

1 tsp tahini

4 carrots

5 medium potatoes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 cup frozen peas

2 large handfuls fresh homegrown lettuce

In a large pan add the tomatoes, chickpeas, 3 cups of water, tahini and the carrots roughly chopped. Bring to the boil and simmer. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and grate them either by hand or with a food processor adaptor and set aside (be careful not to leave too long or they'll oxidise). Once the carrots are soft with a hand blender blend to form a thin soup. Then add the grated potato, cumin, paprika and stir into the soup. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat until the soup becomes thick, creamy and the potato shreds have started to disintegrate (about 15 minutes). Be careful not to let it burn on the bottom. Finally add the peas, stir and let cook for about 2 minutes. Then serve with fresh lettuce. Yum! 

Cassava Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 2-3)

2 Carrots 

15" Cassava*

1/2 large head Cabbage

2" Ginger

1.5 litres water 

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Chop the carrots, slice the skin off the cassava and add to the pan of boiling water. Cook for about 15 minutes. Wash and chop the cabbage and add to the pan. Cover and simmer until tender. Then add the ginger and blend with a hand blender. Serve :) Tastes really good once it's cooled down a little. 

*Cassava is a high carb root vegetable aka tapioca when powdered. It thickens the soup lovely too. 

Refreshing Mineral Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

5 cups cherry tomatoes (slightly withered)

2 large sticks celery

Fresh basil

In a blender add the cherry tomatoes and celery torn into small pieces. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top with basil. Simples. 

Winter Warmer Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

3 sticks celery

1 large leek

3 medium potatoes

3 large carrots

1 cooking apple

2 cups frozen mixed veg (sweetcorn, peas etc) 

Fresh basil

First place all veg (apart from mixed veg) in a large salad spinner, fill with water and wash veg, no need to peel. Boil a kettle of water. Dice the celery and leak, add to a large pan and pour boiling water over the top until just covered. Then chop into cubes the potato, carrots and apple and pour on the rest of the water until covered. Then cover, cook until tender but not disintegrating. Take off the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes, drain some of the water into a jug, then blend with a hand blender.  Add the drained water until desired consistency. 

Rinse frozen veg under cool water until defrosted then add to the hot soup. Top with lots of fresh basil.

Pumpkin Soup - tasty even before Halloween

Ingredients: 

(Serves loads or save for second day) 

1 pumpkin - 3kg

5 medium potatoes

3 medium carrots - I used homegrown 

4 shallots

2 litres filtered water 

10 bay leaves

Fresh or dried chillies - 2 tsp 

2 tsp ground cumin 

Fresh basil 

First prepare all vegetables: with a large sharp knife chop up pumpkin in half, then scoop out seeds and slice like melon. Slice each piece into thirds, then chop off the skin (you could bake this in the oven to make crisps). Then chop up the potatoes into quarters and carrots into cylinders. Prepare the shallots finely then put a large pan on a high heat with a splash of water. Boil the kettle with 2 litres water. Once pan water is bubbling vigorously add the shallots, cook until soft then add the pumpkin, potatoes and carrots to he pan. Pour the boiling water over the top until veg all covered. Add the bay leaves and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the chillies and cumin, continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until veg are soft. Add the basil turn off the heat, then using a hand blender carefully blend together into a soup. Serve or allow to cool and refrigerate for the next day for the best taste ever! 

Cold Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 1 or 2)

6 large tomatoes

1/3 cup tomato purée 

2 handfuls fresh basil

Optional:

4 olives

2 slices red pepper

Dice the tomatoes and add to a large bowl or pan, add the tomato purée and basil. Blend using a blender or hand blender. Blend until well mixed with small chunks. Serve with 2 olives each and a slice of pepper. Enjoy :)