Creamy Shiitake and Wasabi Soup

I don't often buy mushrooms, but I just fancied some mushroom soup today, and this creamy smoky soup with a very slight kick is what I came up with...





Nutrition Info (serves 1 as a light lunch)
Calories 253
Protein 11g
Carbohydrate 43g
Fat 5g
Dietary Fibre 7g

Ingredients
1 potato (about 150g)
100g shiitake mushrooms
100ml soy milk
50ml drinking yoghurt
1tsp wasabi from a tube
200ml water

Method

• Wash the potato and microwave in the oven for about 8 minutes until cooked.  Wash the mushrooms.
• In batches, blend the potato with the mushrooms, soy milk, drinking yoghurt and water.
• Gently heat the mushroom cream in a saucepan and mix in the wasabi.
• Serve hot with a grating of black pepper.

Pea, Potato and Ham Soup

Nutritional Info (per serving)
Calories 224
Protein 10g
Carbohydrate 43g
Fat 3g
Fibre 8g




Ingredients (serves 2)
300g potatoes
150g frozen peas
80g onion, roughly sliced
100ml soy milk
20g parma ham, chopped
salt

Method

• Steam the potatoes whole in their skins in the microwave for about 10 minutes. (I use the LeKue steam case.
• About 5 minutes into cooking time, add the sliced onion and frozen peas and finish steaming.
• Puree in batches in the blender.  Put into a saucepan and heat gently.  Add salt to taste.
• Pour into two bowls, and divide the ham over the two bowls.

Broccoli and Gorgonzola Potage

This is a creamy tasty satisfying soup! The recipe makes enough for two people for lunch.









Nutritional Information (per portion)
Calories 371
Protein: 18g
Carbohydrate: 56g
Fat: 10g
Dietary Fibre: 9g 


Ingredients (serves 2)

430g potatoes, unpeeled
220g broccoli
160g onion
150ml soy milk (or regular milk)
50g gorgonzola
salt and pepper to season

Method

• Roughly chop the broccoli - stalks, florets and leaves all OK.
• Roughly slice the onion.
• Steam all the vegetables.  I use my LeKue steamer for this in the microwave, steaming the potatoes whole in their skins for 10 minute, the broccoli for 5 minutes and the onion for 2mins 30 sec.
• Measure out together 150ml soy milk and 350ml water.
• In batches, blend the steamed vegetables and liquid together in a food processor, transferring each batch to a large saucepan.
• When all the soup has been blended, crumble in the gorgonzola and stir over a gentle heat until the cheese has melted.
• Season to taste.  I used a good grinding of salt and a black pepper mix that includes orange and lemon peel and garlic.
• Serve hot.

Creamy Smoked Salmon and Potato Soup

This tasty and pretty soup is a delicate shade of pink, highlighted with wisps of fresh green dill. 







Ingredients (serves 4 as a starter)
1 onion, sliced
500g potatoes in their skins
70g smoked salmon
1 x 150g pack of silken tofu
1 tsp olive oil
fresh dill
freshly grated black pepper

Method

• Caramelize the onion in the olive oil until golden brown.
• Meanwhile cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 20 minutes.  Drain and cool under cold running water.
• Break up the potato in the saucepan, add the onions, smoked salmon, tofu and dill.
• In batches, blend all the ingredients together in a blender with water to the desired consistency.
• Reheat to serve.

Multicoloured Potato Salad

This very simple salad is jam-packed with healthy vegetables, and is extremely filling.   If you are able to get a mix of coloured salad potatoes, so much the better!






Nutrition Data (for entire salad)
Calories: 1082
Carbohydrate: 184g
Protein: 55g
Fat: 16g
Dietary Fibre: 34g

Ingredients (serves 5 as a snack or 2 as a main course)
340g new potatoes
400g tin Four Bean Salad (drained weight 240g)
250g pack frozen mixed vegetables (peas/sweetcorn/carrots)
20 green olives stuffed with parmesan cheese
450g tub fat free yoghurt
15g wholegrain mustard

Method

• Boil or steam the potatoes in their skins for 20 minutes, then cool in cold water, drain and quarter.
• Mix the yoghurt with the mustard, stir in the frozen vegetables (no need to thaw), the whole green olives and the bean salad.  Stir in the chopped potatoes.
• Chill and serve.

Cauliflower cheese and potato soup

Nutrition Data (per portion, serves 4)
Calories 231
Protein 13g
Carbohydrate 17g
Fat 13g
Dietary Fibre 6g







Ingredients
1 large onion(210g)
1 tsp olive oil
1 head of cauliflower, head and stalks (520g)
160g potatoes
1 stock cube
100g grated cheddar
50g marscarpone

Method

• Wash the cauliflower and cut into florets, and cut up the stems.
• Wash and scrub the potatoes, and cut into chunks.
• Dice the onion.
• Heat the oil and fry the onion for about 5 minutes until  soft and golden brown.  Add the cauliflower, potato, 1 litre of boiling water, and crumble in a stock cube.  Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
• Stir in the mascarpone and grated cheese and stir until melted.  Leave to cool slightly.
• When cool enough to handle, transfer in batches to a blender, and blend until smooth.
• Reheat to serve, grating in fresh black pepper and nutmeg.

Spam, tofu and potato salad

This was tonight's spam dinner, and very tasty it was too!  Those of you who are sharp-eyed will notice a green olive in the bowl, that does not appear in the ingredients...  Yes, I love olives but they just were too much in this recipe.  The recipe is much better without them.

A note on the mayonnaise...  This should be a mayonnaise that you could enjoy on a teaspoon on its own, no cheap salad dressing here!  I recommend Hellmanns, sold in Japan under the Best Foods label.


Ingredients (serves 1)
New potatoes
100g spam, chopped
100g firm tofu, chopped
dollop of mayonnaise
good teaspoon wholegrain mustard
2-3 chopped garlic chives (nira in Japan)

Method

• Boil the potatoes, drain, then chop roughly.
• Mix the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl, then stir into the hot potatoes.
• Stir in the spam, tofu and nira.
• Serve warm or cold.

Chilli Gammon and Potato Stew

This was inspired by The Flavour Thesaurus and its description of a Korean soup called Gamjatang.  I googled Gamjatang and found that it was a spicy soup made from pork bones, potatoes and other vegetables and spices.

Not having half the herbs and spices, and not even wanting to cook with pork bones, I came up with this adaptation.  It was delicious, and hopefully the fermenting kimchi will have the usual effect of helping my cold!  All of the ingredients are according to taste...

Ingredients (serves 1)
1-2 potatoes
roughly chopped gammon
Stock cube
a bit of garlic puree
a bit more ginger puree
a tablespoon of kimchi
1/4 chopped white cabbage



Method

• Halve the potatoes and boil them in water with a stock cube until almost tender.
• Add the garlic and ginger puree, the chopped gammon, the cabbage and the kimchi, and simmer with the lid on for about 5 minutes until the gammon is hot and the cabbage is cooked.
• Serve immediately, steaming hot.

Beef Casserole

Well, I've been busy so it's been a long time since I've posted any recipes. The temperature is now dipping below 20C so it's feeling cold to me now!  That, and I also finally have a long weekend to sort myself out and enjoy a bit of cooking!

Yesterday I decided that today was going to be a beef casserole day, something I haven't eaten for many years!  After reading various recipes and taking out the bits I like, here is the finished recipe! 

I have very happy memories of hot dumplings made with suet, but these potato ones are healthier, if indeed you can even buy suet in Japan!  You can add more vegetables as you like, but the carrot and onions are essential! No picture yet - because I didn't follow my advice about making sure the pot didn't run dry...  Just remembered it in time, still delicious but it was a bit too dry and caramelised!

Ingredients (serves 1 very hungry Alison with 2 too many dumplings!)
200g stewing beef
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1/2cm discs
1 large mushroom, sliced thickly
1 tsp garlic paste
1 generous tsp marmite (you could use a beef stock cube)
200ml boiling water
2 medium potatoes
25g grated cheese
1 tbsp flour
2-3 tbsp maybe of breadcrumbs
1 egg

Method

• In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil until hot.  Add the beef and brown quickly on all sides.  Add the chopped onions and garlic paste and fry until golden brown.  Add the carrot and mushroom, and season with thyme and a good grating of freshly ground black pepper.
• Meanwhile, boil the water and mix with the marmite or stock cube.  Pour into the saucepan, bring to the boil, then cover and leave to simmer for one hour, adding about 100ml more of boiling water every now and then if you feel it needs it.
• After starting the casserole simmering, halve the potatoes and boil in water for 15-20 minutes until tender.  Remove from the pan and mash in a bowl with the raw egg, cheese, flour and breadcrumbs.  Season with freshly ground black pepper.
•  After one hour, shape the potato mixture into balls, add a little more boiling water, and lay the potato dumplings on top of the casserole.  Re-cover and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
•  Serve immediately in a large bowl.

Egg and Potato Saute with Baked Beans

This isn't my idea, but is adapted from the BBC Good Food website's recipe http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5588/healthy-egg-and-chips.  I found I had to change a lot of the timings.  It is closer to sauteed potato than chips.




Nutrition Data
Calories 484
Protein 22g
Carbohydrate 83g
Fat 12g
Dietary Fibre 16g

Ingredients (serves 1)
150g new potatoes diced with skin (this is 2 new potatoes)
1/2 onion (about 100g), sliced and broken into semi-rings
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 egg
210g (1/2 tin) of baked beans

 Method

•  Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
• Put the diced potato and onion rings into a baking tin.
• Sprinkle over the olive oil and mix thoroughly.  Sprinkle over the oregano.
• Bake for 35 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and brown.
• Make a gap in the vegetables and break in an egg.  Return to the oven and cook for 8-9 minutes until the egg is set.
• Meanwhile reheat the baked beans in a saucepan.
• Serve immediately.

Cheesy potato marmalade balls

Ingredients (makes 5 or 6)
2 medium potatoes
50ml milk
honey according to taste
3 cheese slices (for melting)
marmalade for topping



Method

• Cut the potatoes into 1cm pieces and put in the LeKue steam case for 5 minutes in a 600w microwave. Carefully mash as much as you can and then microwave for another 3 minutes.
• Mix in the cheese slices, milk and honey. Microwave for another 2 minutes.
• Mix well, put spoonfuls onto cling film and twist and squeeze into balls.
• Unwrap and decorate with marmalade.
  

New Potato, Asparagus and Bacon Hot Salad

Ingredients
4 new potatoes
4 pieces asparagus
4 pieces of lean bacon or proscuitto ham
1 thick triangle processed cheese (I used processed mozzarella)
Black pepper

Method

• Wash the potatoes, but don't peel. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Wash and cut the asparagus diagonally into bite-sized pieces.
• Cut the bacon or ham into small pieces.
• Put the potato pieces into the LeKue steam case and into a 500w microwave oven for 2 minutes.
• Add the asparagus and bacon and continue cooking in the microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
• Add the processed cheese and microwave for one more minute.
• Stir and add freshly ground black pepper to serve.
  

Orange Caramelized Onion & Potato Frittata

Nutrition Data (for the whole frittata, serves 4 with a salad)
Calories 800
Protein 42g
Carbohydrate 98g
Fat 25g
Dietary Fibre 14g


Ingredients
3 large onions, chopped
100ml orange juice
1 tablespoon marmalade
about 250g potatoes
5 medium eggs, beaten with a teaspoon of dill and a good grating of pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil for greasing the pan

Method

• Wash and scrub the potatoes and boil them whole in a pan of water until tender. Chop roughly into cubes.
• Meanwhile, boil the chopped onion in the orange juice and marmalade until brown. Right at the end of cooking time, as the orange juice has evaporated, stir well to get all the dark brown caramel to coat the onions.
  
• Beat the eggs.
• In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and coat the pan, making sure that the sides of the pan are oiled. Add the potatoes and onions and pour over the beaten egg.
  
• Leave on a medium heat for about 10 - 15 minutes without disturbing, until the egg is set.

Ham and Mustard Twice Baked Creamy Jacket Potatoes

I'm not going to give any measurements because you will need to use more or less depending on the number and size of the potatoes, and according to taste. If you can get baby new potatoes, they would be best.






Ingredients
Small potatoes
Mascarpone cheese
Dijon mustard
Proscuitto type ham, chopped
Salt and black pepper

Method

• Bake the potatoes until they are soft. (I have a magic baked potato setting on my oven).
• Take out from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes until they are cool enough to handle. Turn the oven up to 230C.
• Slice off the top of each potato and eat it to keep you going until the potatoes are ready.
• Using a teaspoon, carefully scoop the potato out of the little jacket potatoes into a bowl.
• Mash with the mascarpone, dijon mustard, salt and black pepper, stir in the chopped ham. Taste and add accordingly.
• Using a teaspoon again and your fingers, pile the mixture back into the potato skins, and press the skins back into place if you tore them. Grate lots of black pepper over the top.
• At this point you can wrap some of these up with cling film and keep in the fridge for a couple of days until you are ready to reheat.
• Bake the potatoes in the 230C oven for about 10 minutes until the mixture is hot.
  

Caramelized Onion and Potato Frittata

Nutrition Data (for the whole frittata, serves 2 with a salad)
Calories 512
Protein 25g
Carbohydrate 59g
Fat 22g
Dietary Fibre 8g


Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
about 250g potatoes
3 medium eggs, beaten with a teaspoon of dill and a good grating of pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

Method

• Wash and scrub the potatoes and boil them whole in a pan of water until tender. Chop roughly into cubes.
• Meanwhile, fry the chopped onion in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until brown.
• Beat the eggs with a teaspoon of dill and a good grating of pepper.
• In a frying pan, heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and coat the pan, making sure that the sides of the pan are oiled. Add the potatoes and onions and pour over the beaten egg.
  
• Leave on a medium heat for about 10 - 15 minutes without disturbing, until the egg is set.
• This can be served hot or, even better, cold from the fridge. I like to wrap up a piece of this tortilla when I go out for early morning walks in the countryside. Whilst this is delicious on the day you make it, it is much much better the following day straight from the fridge.
  

Note 1
This time I used my small tamagoyaki pan measuring 14cm x 19cm x 3cm to try and get an evenly shaped frittata, and the mixture completely filled this pan. However, the depth meant that the egg didn't set so well on top in the middle, and I had to turn it over to set it at the end when I smelt it was getting overdone on the bottom! I've also added sausages to this in the past.

Note 2
Made this again. This time I only used 2 eggs and a slightly smaller onion. I drastically speeded up the cooking time by mixing the whole mixture together as I poured the egg into the tamagoyaki pan and half scrambling for a couple of minutes. Just as it was beginning to set on top, I flipped it over into a larger frying pan. It probably took less than 5 minutes to cook (after cooking the potatoes and onions of course!) Reckon it would still serve 2 with a salad.

Salmon and Green Lentils on Sauted Sweet Potato

I once had this delicious dish in a restaurant in Winchester. This is almost equal to that dish, but is my own variation with easy to buy ingredients.

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 fillets of salmon, skin removed.
Lemon juice
2 sweet potatoes, sliced lengthwise about 2cm thick with skin
100g green lentils
1 tub of creme fraiche (mascarpone or sour cream can be used as substitutes)
olive oil for sauteing
3-4 tablespoons of fresh dill
2 small sprigs of dill to garnish

Method

1. Cook the lentils until al dente. Wash quickly with cold water and drain. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
2. Put the creame fraiche and most of the dill in a large bowl and mix. Remove a little of the creme fraiche and dill mix into a small bowl - this is for garnish. Mix the remainder of the creme fraiche with the just warm lentils.
   
3. Loosely wrap each salmon fillet in aluminium foil, sprinle with lemon juice and a little dill. Steam until cooked. Keep warm.
   
4. Meanwhile, saute the sweet potato slices until soft and golden brown. Keep warm.
5. On 2 large plates, arrange slices of sweet potato. Top with the creme fraiche and lentil mixture, and then with a salmon fillet. On each salmon fillet, garnish with a spoonful of creme fraiche and a sprig of dill.
   

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

Credit: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Potato-Carrot-Apple-and-Red-Lentil-Soup/Detail.aspx

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 55 g butter
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 90 g red lentils
• 0.9 g minced fresh ginger
• 1 g ground black pepper
• 1 g ground cumin
• 1 g chili powder
• 1 g paprika
• 950 ml vegetable broth
• plain yogurt

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.