Stem soup.

Eating It All: From Stalk to Leaves.
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Hugh joined The River Café in London, where he worked as a sous chef.
He established the original River Cottage Headquarters near Bridport in Dorset in 2004, moving it to Park Farm on the Devon and Dorset border.
By limiting his food intake on fast days to a 250-calorie breakfast and a 350-calorie supper, he lost 3.6kg/8lb in just six days of fasting.


Ingredients
20g butter, or 20ml rapeseed or sunflower oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic clove, finely chopped
500-600g broccoli stems, cauliflower stems and outer leaves and/or cabbage stalks and outer leaves, roughly chopped (I running the broccoli stalks through the shredding blade of a food processor with small carrot)
1.0 litres chicken or vegetable stock or water
50g crème fraîche, plus extra to serve (optional)
Extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil, to finish
1 large potato, peeled if desired and cut into 3-cm pieces.
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Seasoning to enhance the flavour (optional):
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1 tsp sage
1/4 tsp ginger

Method
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, then add the onion, bay leaf and a pinch of salt.
Sauté until the onion is softened, but don’t let it take on any colour.
This should take about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Add the stems…the broccoli - sauté until the broccoli is softened.
Add the potato, stock and salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower to a simmer.
Cook partially covered until potatoes and broccoli stalks are tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
Taste for seasoning.

- How to Cook with Broccoli Stalks - Broccoli Stem and Radish Slaw:

- Eating It All: From Stalk to Leaves | Kitchn:

- Tara Duggan on Root-to-Stalk Cooking:
Her recipes use every possible part of the vegetable, from corn husks to broccoli leaves to apple peels - minimizing kitchen waste.
Chard stalks: grilled, dressed, and served as a side dish.
Most underutilized vegetable part: Broccoli stems!

- Why You Shouldn't Throw Away Cauliflower Leaves | Kitchn:
Cauliflower: Do not throw away the leaves. Save them.
Throw them in a bowl or plastic bag with some oil and spices. I can’t say enough about dill and garlic powder.
Place the oiled leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 200C/400°F oven until they darken and get crispy, about 15 minutes.

Chocolate and cherry buns. By The Hairy Bikers.

Ingredients
For the dough
250ml milk
75g butter, plus extra for greasing
500g strong white bread flour
1 tsp mixed spice (optional)
7g instant yeast
75g soft light brown sugar
pinch salt
1 free-range egg
dash oil, for greasing your hands and the work surface
For the filling
100g butter, softened
50ml maple syrup
25g dark soft brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice
pinch salt
100g glacé cherries, halved
100g chocolate chips
To bake
1 free-range egg
2 tbsp demerara sugar
For the glaze (optional)
200g/7oz icing sugar
1-2 tbsp just-boiled water
Method
Line a 26–28cm in round deep cake tin or a deep roasting tin with baking parchment and butter generously.
Put the milk in a saucepan and bring to just below boiling point.
Remove from the heat and add the butter.
Leave to stand until the butter has melted and it has cooled to blood temperature.
Put the flour and mixed spice (if using) in a large bowl with the yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt.
Make a well in the middle.
Beat the egg into the milk and butter mixture.
Add this to the flour and stir until well combined – you will find that you have a very soft, sticky dough.
Lightly oil your hands and the work surface, then turn out the dough.
Knead until no longer sticky and you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel.
Leave to prove until it has doubled in size – this will take around an hour and a half.

For the filling, beat the butter with the maple syrup, sugar, spices and a pinch of salt until you have a creamy, toffee-coloured butter.

Turn the dough out and roll or pat out into a rectangle of around 30x23cm.
Spread the butter mixture over the dough, then sprinkle with the chocolate chips and cherries.
Roll up fairly tightly, then cut into 10–12 pieces (4cm).
Arrange the rounds, cut-sides down, in the deep cake tin.
Brush with egg, then leave for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Brush again, then sprinkle with the sugar.
Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until a rich golden-brown and well risen.

For an optional glaze, gradually add hot water to the icing sugar to make a glaze which is thin enough to pour, but won’t run off too much.
Leave the buns to cool in the tin, then drizzle over the glaze if using.
Leave to set.

Avocado baked with an egg and chorizo.

From Marta Greber, whatshouldieatforbreakfasttoday.com

Serves 2
1 avocado
2 eggs
1 chorizo sausage, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 slices of bread, preferably multiseed
2 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop a little extra of the flesh out, so you can fit more egg into it.

2 Break the first egg into a bowl.
Using a spoon, place yolk in one half of the avocado, then carefully start to add white (you may not manage to add all the white).
Season with salt and pepper, then repeat with the other egg and half of avocado.

3 Place the avocado halves in a small baking dish that fits them snugly, so they won't tilt and the egg will not spill out – scrunched-up foil in the base of the dish helps to hold them level.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the white is opaque and the yolk is done to your liking.

4 Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the chorizo sausage pieces until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper.
Fry the slices of bread in the same pan, adding a little more oil if you need it.

5 Serve the avocado on a plate with the sausage, seasoned with salt and pepper and a scattering of herbs, with toast on the side.

Kartoffelsuppe (German potato soup).

By REN BEHAN.
Pulses, lentils, rice or potatoes can be added to make a thicker, more substantial meal; stretching out some very simple ingredients even further, but still keeping things gluten free.
Start with a base of onions, carrots and celery and sweat them in a large pan with a tiny drizzle of oil until golden and soft.
You can then chop and add almost any vegetables of your choice.
Cover them with a good-quality stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Cook in oven on low-heat for 2 to 4 hours.
Across Central and Eastern Europe, root vegetable soups really come into their own during the colder months, with a few humble vegetables coming together to make a quick “one-pot” meal.
Potatoes are one of the most versatile and brilliant ingredients in soup.
I’ve shared my recipe below for one of our favourites; a German potato soup known as kartoffelsuppe.
This comforting soup is a magnificent example of how some very basic, budget-friendly ingredients can be elevated into an incredibly cosy, fireside supper.

Serves 8
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 large leek, washed, and chopped
3 medium size potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 a head of sweetheart cabbage, sliced
1 tablespoon marjoram
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock
A small piece of German sausage, to garnish (optional)
Fresh parsley
Method
Put the onion, celery, leek and carrots into a large saucepan, add a splash of olive oil and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they have softened.

For the slow cooker/crock pot version, transfer the vegetables into your slow cooker, add in the potatoes and cabbage, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hours on a low heat setting or 4-5 hours on a higher heat setting.

If you are cooking the soup on the stovetop, add the potatoes and cabbage to the partly cooked vegetables, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock. To boil.
Place the pot in the oven T 200C for 15 min.
Lower the heat to 110C and simmer for 2 to 4 hours, covered.

Check that the potatoes are soft.
At this stage, you can either serve the soup as it is, or else gently mash some of the vegetables and add them back on, or puree the soup with a stick blender.

To garnish, finely slice the German sausage and fry it gently in a small frying pan.
Serve the soup with the sausage and a sprinkle of fresh flat leaf parsley and dill.

Italian Bread and Cabbage Soup. By Jamie Oliver.

From JAMIE AT HOME by Jamie Oliver.

1L good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 Savoy cabbage, stalks removed, outer leaves separated, washed and roughly chopped
1 big handfuls cavolo nero and/or kale, stalks removed, leaves washed and roughly chopped
About 4 slices stale country-style or sourdough bread
1 clove garlic, unpeeled, cut in 1/2
Olive oil
4 slices pancetta or bacon
1 can anchovy fillets in oil, about 20-25 anchovy fillets
1 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
60g fontina cheese, grated
60g freshly grated Parmesan, plus a little for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Knobs butter
Small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked

Method:
Preheat oven to 175C.
Place stock in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add cabbage and kale and cook until softened.
Transfer cabbage to a large bowl and set stock aside.
Toast 4 slices bread and rub one side of each slice with garlic and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add pancetta and anchovy fillets; cook until pancetta is golden brown and sizzling.
Add rosemary and cooked cabbage mixture; toss to coat.
Transfer to a large bowl.
Place 2 slices of toast in an even layer in Dutch oven.
Top with one-third of the cabbage mixture.
Top with one-quarter of fontina and Parmesan cheese.
Repeat process two times, until all the toasted bread and cabbage mixture is used.
Top with remaining 2 slices untoasted bread, pushing down with your hands.
Gently pour stock into Dutch-oven until it just comes to the top layer of bread.
Top with remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Transfer Dutch oven to oven and bake until top is golden and crisp.
Just before serving, heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
Add sage leaves and cook until crisp and butter is golden. Serve soup immediately drizzled with sage butter and topped with sage leaves and Parmesan, if desired.

- Jamie Oliver's Italian bread and cabbage soup | The Gourmet Forager:

- Italian Bread and Cabbage Soup with Sage Butter Recipe | Jamie Oliver | Food Network:

- Jamie Oliver:
'via Blog this'

Coulis.

A coulis is a form of thick sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits.
Fruit coulis are most often used on desserts.
This intensely flavored sauce is a real treat served on ice cream, puddings, or poached fruit.

Raspberry Or Strawberry Coulis.
Ingredients
750 g ripe strawberries (hulled and quartered) or raspberries
60 g caster sugar
Freshly squeezed juice of
1 lemon
Method
Rinse the fruit in a colander.
Briefly shake off any excess water – a little leftover water will encourage the fruit to release its juices.
Put the fruit and sugar in a pan and heat very gently to prevent it from scorching.
Simmer softly for 10 minutes, or until the fruit has lost its shape.
Strain through a sieve, making sure to work the pulp with the back of a spoon in order to extract as much juice as possible.
Add the lemon juice (also through the sieve).
Stir well before serving.
The coulis will keep for up to one week in an airtight container in the fridge.

For the strawberry coulis
200g strawberries, hulls removed, cut in half
200g raspberries
75g icing sugar, sifted (or caster sugar)

Heat the strawberries and raspberries in a large pan for 4-5 minutes, or until they start to break down.
Add the icing (or caster) sugar and continue to cook the fruit for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.
Transfer the coulis mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth, adding a splash of water to the mixture if necessary to loosen.
Strain the coulis through a sieve and set aside to cool.
Chill in the fridge until needed.

Red berry coulis
200g raspberries
100g redcurrant (removed from stems)
100g golden caster sugar

Place raspberries and redcurrants into a saucepan with sugar.
Set over a medium heat, crushing with the back of a fork until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have become saucy.
Taste and add a little more sugar if the berries are particularly sharp.
Strain through a sieve, then chill until ready to serve.

Blackberry coulis
250g blackberries
50g golden caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Put the blackberries and sugar into a small pan with 100ml water.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft. Stir in the vanilla, remove and cool a little.
Tip the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, and whizz to a purée, then strain through a sieve, rubbing it through with the back of a ladle or spoon.
Serve warm or chilled.
Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Raspberry Coulis
1⁄2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 lb fresh raspberries or 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1 teaspoon kirsch (optional) or 1 teaspoon framboise eau-de-vie (optional)

Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes.
Put the raspberies and the sugar syrup in a blender and puree.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and stir in the kirsch or framboise, if using.
The sauce keeps well, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and freezes perfectly for several months.

Recipe from Good Food magazine.
'via Blog this'

Stuffed Cannelloni.

Meat and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Cannelloni: by Chef Michele Morris.
Made from large tube-shaped pasta that can be either smooth or ridged, cannelloni is usually stuffed with meat, vegetables or cheese.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef, browned
1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 cups marinara sauce
8 ounces cannelloni tubes, cooked 1 minute shy of al dente, drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or more to taste
Instructions
Combine cooked ground beef with ricotta, eggs and Parmigiano cheese; stir together.
Spoon mixture into a large Ziploc bag and cut a ½ corner off the bag.
Spread ¼ of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a13 x 9 inch baking pan.
Pipe filling into cook cannelloni tubes and nestle tightly in baking pan.
Pour remaining marinara sauce over the top, then sprinkle mozzarella over the top.
Bake at 190C for about 30 minutes.
Notes
Alternatively, skip ground beef and mix in 1-2 pounds chopped greens with the ricotta for a vegetarian alternative.
If your marinara sauce is quite thick, cover to bake the cannelloni.
If it is somewhat thin like mine was, leave it open to bake and the sauce will reduce down and thicken as it cooks.
Be sure to watch carefully so that the cheese on the top doesn't burn.




Marinara sauce is an Italian sauce that originated in Naples, usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions.
'via Blog this'

Parsnip and clementine squares. By Nadiya Hussain.

A twist on carrot cake. Delicious!
Makes 15

For the cake
175g dark muscovado sugar
175ml vegetable oil
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
140g parsnips, peeled and grated
1 clementine, just the peel, thinly sliced
175g self-raising flour, sieved
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

For the icing
175g icing sugar

Instructions:
1 Preheat the oven to 160C fan.
Line and grease the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin.
2 Place the sugar, oil and eggs in a bowl and mix well.
Add the parsnips and clementine peel and incorporate.
Fold through the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3 Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.
4 Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
Take out and cool completely.
Want to read more?

Solyanka. Soup.

There are three basic types of solyanka:
- with the main ingredient being either meat,
- fish,
- or mushrooms.
All of them contain pickled cucumbers with brine, and often cabbage, salted mushrooms, smetana (sour cream), and dill.
The soup is prepared by cooking the cucumbers with brine before adding the other ingredients to the broth.
For meat solyanka, ingredients like beef, ham, sausages, chicken breast together with cucumber pickles, tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, allspice, parsley, and dill are all cut fine and mixed in a pot.
The broth is added, and heated for a short time on the stove, without boiling.
Fish solyanka is prepared similarly, but soup vegetables are cooked in the broth.
The meat is replaced with fish such as sturgeon, salmon, and freshwater crayfish.
Finally, some lemon juice is added to the soup.
For mushroom solyanka, cut cabbage is heated in butter together with vinegar, tomatoes, cucumber pickles, and a little brine.
Separately, mushrooms and onions are heated, and grated lemon zest is added.
Cabbage and mushrooms are added in layers, breadcrumbs and butter are added, and the soup is briefly baked.

Ingredients:
500 g. bones
200 g. meat
100 g. cooked ham (or veal with skin)
70 g. sausage
120 g. cooked kidney
70 g. chicken

200 g. onions
100 g. pickles
180 g. capers
80 g. olives
80 g. tomato paste
50 g. butter
Black pepper kernels
Bay leaf
100 g. sour cream
Parsley and dill

Preparation:
Make broth by boiling the meat and bones.
Remove the meat and bones and place to one side.
String-cut the onions and fry them in butter (without letting them brown).
Add them to the broth along with the tomato paste.
Remove the skin from the pickles, slice into cubes, and add to the broth. Cook 4-5 minutes.
Add the pepper kernels and bay leaf.
Next, add all the various boiled meats, finely sliced into pieces about 2-3 mm thick and 2-2.5 cm long, along with the capers, and a few pitted olives.
When serving, add olives, sour cream, and a slice of peeled lemon.
You may also cook solyanka with chicken broth and smoked meats instead.
But remember: the greater the variety of meat, the tastier your solyanka will be!

Lamb lagoto by Jamie Oliver.

Lamb lagoto | Jamie Oliver:
This traditional Greek recipe always amazes people with its simple but bold Mediterranean flavours.
Ingredients
1 head garlic , unpeeled
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 kg boned leg of lamb , trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
6 plum tomatoes , peeled and roughly chopped
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes , or
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried mint
1 1/2 lemons , Juice of

Method
Place the whole garlic head in a saucepan of boiling water.
Simmer for 15–20 minutes or until softened.
Remove, drain on paper towel and allow to cool slightly.
Squeeze each clove of garlic into a mortar and pound to a rough paste with a pestle.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and sauté the lamb for 5–7 minutes or until browned on all sides.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano, mint and garlic.
Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add enough water to just cover the stew and simmer for 1½–2 hours or until the lamb is tender and sauce has thickened.
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the lemon juice. Serve with chips.
'via Blog this'

Foolproof Classic Pancakes Crepes.

This recipe makes about 10 pancakes, and the recipe is easily doubled.

Put 110g plain flour in a blender or food processor.
Best to sift it to avoid lumpy pancakes but I rarely bother.

Crack in two eggs, and whizz, whilst pouring in through the top 200ml of whole milk (the fat won’t kill you) plus 75ml water.
You can use all milk, but I find this makes for a slightly too thick batter.
Then add a good pinch of salt (even if you are eating them sweet), and 1 tbsp of a flavourless vegetable oil like sunflower.
Scrape down the sides; give it a final whizz, and decant into a bowl that you can safely ladle from.

Put on a small-medium frying pan on with a scant teaspoon of oil.
I find it easier to have a little jug filled with oil next to me so I don’t pour in too much each time, and to minimise the risk of melting the plastic oil bottle when I inevitably put it down on a hot plate.
When the bottom looks set, slide a palette knife under, flip and cook the other side till golden, before sliding onto a plate.
Warning: the first pancake is always terrible (this is the law),and I reckon it took me at least 3 attempts to get my pancake mojo on.
So don’t be discouraged.
By the final one you’ll be flipping it 2 feet in the air like me.

From Liberty London Girl.

Roasted Kalettes Sprouts.

Move over kale - we're all eating 'kalettes' now!
Kalettes are a brand-new vegetable.
A British-bred cross between Brussels sprouts and kale with the best flavors of kale and brussels sprouts.
Kalettes, like other cruciferous vegetables, are rich sources of nutrients, particularly Vitamin K, C, folate, fibre and carotenoids.
These vegetables also contain chemicals which when broken down during cooking and digestion have been linked to anti-cancer properties in animal studies, although we are still not clear about this effect in humans.

They're best cooked until the outsides are crisp, but tender inside.
- blanching kalettes for four minutes in boiling water before draining well and frying.
- they work well with olive oil in pasta dishes.

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, plus more to toss
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
couple of cloves of finely chopped garlic - optional
red pepper flakes - optional

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Combine Kalettes, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl or plastic bag.
Spread in an even layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
And roast, stirring once or twice, until deep golden brown, crisp outside and tender inside.
- 10 to 15 minutes.
The leaves that are loose will be especially brown and crispy.
Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Verdict: delicious!

Venison Sausages Braised in Red Wine.

Venison Sausages Braised in Red Wine | Recipes | Delia Online:
450 g venison sausages
175 g medium-sized, open-cap mushrooms
1 heaped teaspoon plain flour
1 rounded teaspoon mustard powder
25 g butter, softened
1 rounded tablespoon redcurrant jelly
salt and freshly milled black pepper
275 ml red wine
1 dessertspoon olive oil
225 g diced bacon or pancetta
1 large clove garlic, peeled
225g shallots, peeled
1 level dessertspoon juniper berries
1 level teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Heat the oil in the casserole then, with the heat at medium, brown the sausages evenly all over, taking care not to split the skins by turning them over too soon.

Next, using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a plate while you brown the diced bacon along with the garlic and shallots.
Now crush the juniper berries very slightly without breaking them – just enough to release their flavour.

Return the sausages to the casserole, pour in the wine and add the berries, then thyme and bay leaves.
Now season lightly, bring it all up to a gentle simmer, put a lid on the casserole, turn the heat as low as possible and let it all simmer gently for 30 minutes.

After that, add the mushrooms, stirring them in well, then leave everything to cook gently for a further 20 minutes – this time without the lid so the liquid reduces slightly.

To finish off, remove the sausages and vegetables to a warm serving dish, mix the flour and the mustard powder with the softened butter until you have a smooth paste and whisk this, a little at a time, into the casserole.
Let everything bubble for a few more minutes, then take the casserole off the heat, return the sausages to the casserole, whisk in the redcurrant jelly – and it's ready to serve.
'via Blog this'

Crisp bacon rosti with fried eggs.

Rösti or röschti is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes, in the style of a fritter.
It was originally a breakfast dish, commonly eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern, but is now eaten all over Switzerland and around the world.
Ingredients:
sunflower oil, for frying
2 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into small pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
500g/1lb 2oz floury potatoes, coarsely grated
2 free-range eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 20cm/8in lidded frying pan, add the bacon and fry over a high heat until crisp.
Remove the bacon and set aside.
Add the onion to the pan and fry for 1 minute.
Cover, lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes, until soft and tender.
Put the potatoes inside a clean tea towel and wring out as much water as possible by squeezing the towel – this prevents the rosti from being soggy.
Put the potato in a bowl, add the onion and bacon.
Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Return the pan to the heat and add 1 tablespoon oil.
When the oil is hot add the potato mixture.
Using the back of a spoon press the mixture into the pan so there is an even layer covering the whole pan.
Cook over a low heat for 5–10 minutes, then carefully turn over.
The easiest way is to turn it upside down onto a plate and then slide it back into the pan (you may need to add a little more oil into the pan first).
Cook the other side for 5–10 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the eggs until cooked to your liking.
Cut the rosti into wedges and divide between plates, top with the eggs and serve.

Bean and Beet Soup with Farro.

Farro e fagioli (with beets).

Makes 2 to 3 servings
1 cup dried white beans (such as Cannellini)
1 cup dried chickpeas
2 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 leek, diced
1 beet, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock, warmed
2 sprigs rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 stem Italian parsley
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
5 or 6 kale leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried farro
1 sprig sage
1 T olive oil
3 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Creme fraiche to garnish

Place the dried beans in a bowl and cover with water.
Cover and let soak 1 to 2 days, and then drain.

On the day you are making the soup, place the farro in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
Let sit until needed, at least 3 hours, and then drain just before using.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and celery and cook for about 2 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic, leek, beet, carrot and garlic.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes and beans, then pour in the stock.
Add the herbs (tie them with butcher twine to make them easier to remove later).
Bring to a simmer, and cook until the beans are very soft, between 1 and 2 hours.

When the beans just start to soften, place the farro, sage, olive oil and tomatoes in another pot over medium heat, and cover with the vegetable stock.
Bring to a low boil, and then simmer for about 20 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the farro is soft.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the beans are very tender, season to taste.
If you want a bit of a thicker broth, spoon out about 3/4 cup of the vegetables with some broth, puree it, and then add it back to the soup pot.
Add the kale and cook for just a minute or two until it brightens.

To serve, ladle the soup into each bowl, add a heaping spoon of farro, and add a dollop of creme fraiche.

Egg White Cake.

- Egg White Cake - great ways to use up leftover egg whites!

6 large egg whites
250 g caster sugar
160 g plain/all-purpose flour
1 heaped Tbsp potato starch or cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
100 g melted butter (just under a stick), slightly cooled

Whisk the egg whites with 2 Tbsp of sugar until thick and pale and very foamy.
Mix the rest of the sugar with flour, potato starch and baking powder, then sift into the egg mixture and fold in gently.
Finally fold in cool melted butter.
Pour the batter into a buttered bundt-form and bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for 30-40 minutes.
Test for doneness with a wooden toothpick.
Cool slightly before turning out of the cake tin.

The lovely taste!

Celeriac soup.

Celeriac soup | River Cottage:
The lovely taste!

Ingredients
50g Butter
1 Celeriac, peeled and cubed
1 Potato, peeled and cubed
1 Leek, trimmed, washed and roughly sliced
1 Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Garlic clove, sliced
1 litre Stock, chicken, vegetable
Parsley & walnut pesto to serve

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot over a medium-low heat.
Add the celeriac, leek, potato, garlic and onion, season generously, and gently sweat the vegetables until they're all starting to soften (this will take about 10 minutes).
Add the stock, bring the soup up to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the celeriac is completely tender.
Liquidise until smooth, return to the pan and reheat over a medium flame.
Just before serving, check the soup for seasoning and serve with a drizzle of pesto.
'via Blog this'

My Orange Marmalade.

How to make perfect orange marmalade | Life and style | The Guardian:
Makes: 5 jars (370g each) + 6 jars (200g each) from 1kg Blood Orange Oranges.

1kg Seville oranges
2 lemon
1kg light muscovado sugar
1kg golden granulated sugar
1 piece of muslin

1. Squeeze the juice from the oranges, reserving the pips.
An electric citrus squeezer makes light work of this!
Cut the oranges and lemon in half and squeeze the juice, using an electric citrus squeezer.
Put the juice into a preserving pan or large saucepan.
I have 600ml of juice from 1 kg of Oranges.
It’s a good idea to add the juice of lemon - lemon is naturally very high in pectin - 1 lemon to each 500g/1lb 2oz of fruit if making marmalade.

2. Put your piece of muslin into a bowl and spoon the pips and pith into it (the pith contains a lot of pectin).
Shred the peel of the oranges in a food processor.
Put the shredded peel into the pan.
Pour over 2.0L of water.
Leave to soak overnight.
This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp, which will give a better set.
It also helps to soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking needed.

So, in one large bowl You have:
peel (shreded in a food processor)
juice 600ml - (using an electric citrus squeezer)
pulp
pips
2.0 water
This is a rolling boil, when the timing to a set starts! Anything less is a simmer.
3. The next day:
Bring to the boil over a low heat, before simmering for two hours or until the peel is soft and the mixture has reduced by half.
Remove the muslin bag and allow to cool in a bowl.
It needs to be cold enough to squeeze.

Wash your jars in warm soapy water and allow to dry in a 100C oven.

4. Squeeze the muslin bag hard into it – a good quantity of gloopy juice should come out.
Stir this in and then add the sugars and stir well until dissolved.
Warm gently so that the sugar dissolves completely, stirring occasionally.
Do not boil, before the sugar is dissolved.
Bring the marmalade back to a simmer.
Put a few saucers into the freezer.

5. Turn the heat up and boil rapidly until the marmalade reaches setting point which should take 15 to 20 minutes – a sugar thermometer will be helpful here (start checking when it reaches 104C) but to confirm this, put a teaspoonful of the marmalade on to a cold saucer and put in the fridge for a minute or so.
If it crinkles when you run a finger through it, and your finger leaves a clear line in the preserve, it's ready.
If not, check it every five minutes or so.

6. Allow to sit for 15 minutes then spoon into clean jars and seal immediately.
The marmalade should keep for up to a year.

Related recipe:
There are lots of different schools of thought as to how to do this, Nigel suggests scoring with a small knife into quarters then peeling.
Others halve the oranges, squeeze out the juice and then hollow them out before cutting each half into larger chunks.
Your call.
- Marmalades Archives - Vivien Lloyd:

- How to make perfect orange marmalade | Life and style | The Guardian:

- Easy Seville Orange Marmalade recipe | The Cottage Smallholder:

- A bittersweet blob of Seville | The Independent:

- Seville orange marmalade | BBC Good Food:

Breakfast buns. Cranberry-orange.

cranberry-orange breakfast buns – smitten kitchen:


Dough:
4 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter, melted, plus additional to grease pan
3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated (to be used in dough and filling, below)
3 3/4 cups (470 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting counter
1 packet (7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon oil for bowl

Make the dough:
In the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, buttermilk and 3/4 of the orange zest together (saving the rest for the filling).
Add 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; stir until evenly moistened.
Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour and let the dough hook knead the mixture on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes.
The dough should be soft and moist, but not overly sticky.
Scrape the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl (I usually scrape my dough briefly onto the counter, oil the mixing bowl, and scrape the dough back into it) and cover it with plastic wrap.
Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled, which will take between 2 and 2 1/2 hours.

Prepare the filling:
Filling:
1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) butter
1 cup (190 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 cup (115 grams) fresh cranberries
Orange zest leftover from above
Melt the butter and set it aside.
In a food processor, pulse the whole cranberries until they’re ground to a coarse rubble, but not fully pureed.
You’ll need to scrape the machine down once or twice. Set them aside.

Assemble the buns: Butter a 23x33cm/9×13-inch baking dish, a heavier ceramic or glass dish is ideal here.
Turn the risen dough out onto a floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle that is 45cm/18 inches wide (the side nearest to you) and 30cm/12 inches long. (It’s okay if it goes longer/thinner.)
Brush the dough with the melted butter.
Sprinkle it with the brown sugar.
Scatter the ground cranberries over it, then the remaining orange zest.

Roll the dough into a tight, 45cm/18-inch long spiral.
Using a sharp serrated knife, very, very gently saw the log into 4cm/1 1/2-inch sections; you should get 12.
Arrange the buns evenly spread out in your baking dish.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to 16 hours.


The next morning, bake the buns: Take your buns out of the fridge 30 minutes before you’d like to bake them, to allow them to warm up slightly.
Heat your oven to 176-180C/350F.
Bake your buns until they’re puffed and golden (the internal temperature should read 87-90C/190F), approximately 30 minutes.

Icing:
3 1/2 tablespoons (55 ml) orange juice
2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar

Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let cool slightly.
Make the icing by whisking the orange juice and powdered sugar together.
Spread a little on each bun, or drizzle it over the whole pan.
Serve immediately.

Related Recipes and Links:

- Make your own buttermilk – smitten kitchen.

- Too many egg whites? – smitten kitchen.
- Egg White Cake - great ways to use up leftover egg whites!

Breakfast Buns.

Char Siu Pull-apart Pineapple Bun.
Dough:
2 cups (242 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) white rice flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (120 grams) whole milk
1/3 cup (100 grams) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup (60 grams) water
2 1/2 tbsp (37 grams) unsalted butter, softened

“Pineapple” crust:
4 1/2 tbsp (60 grams) unsalted butter, soften
1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for egg wash)
1 tbsp coconut cream
1/2/ cup + 2 tbsp (90 grams) powdered sugar
3/4 cup (93 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Make the buns:
In a stand-mixer with hook-attachment, combine all-purpose flour, white rice flour, yeast, salt, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and water.
Knead on medium speed until a soft dough as formed.
Add the unsalted butter, 1 tbsp at a time, and knead until fully incorporated.
Turn to high speed and knead for another 5 min until the dough is very elastic and smooth.
The dough should be sticky but pulls away cleanly from the bowl when the machine is running.
If the dough is not sticky at all, add 2 tsp more water, or if too wet, add a bit more flour.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until fully doubled, approx 2~4 hours depending.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 12 equal portions.
Shape each into small balls, then stuff each ball with about 1 heaping tbsp of filling and pinch to close.
Repeat with the rest, then arrange them inside a 8 x 11 inch retangle pan (or 9" square pan, or any other container you'd like to serve them in), then cover tightly with plastic wrap.
You can now freeze them until needed (you can do this a few days ahead).
A Few hours before baking (at least 4 hours to be safe), leave the pan in a warm place and let thaw and proof until fully doubled again.

Meanwhile, make the crust.
In a stand-mixer or food-processor, cream unsalted butter and yolk together until creamy and pale.
Add coconut cream and powdered sugar, and cream again until fluffy, approx 5 min.
Add flour, salt, baking powder and soda, and mix until just combined. Transfer in between 2 pieces of parchment, then shape into a square.
Refrigerate until cold, then roll them out into a sheet slightly larger than your pan.
Brush the proofed buns with egg white, then drape the crust over the top (don't worry about tearing).
Trim off any excess on the edges, then brush the crust with egg white.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F/200C for 18~20 min, until the crust is golden browned.
Serve immediately.

Related recipe:
cranberry-orange breakfast buns – smitten kitchen: