Farmhouse Soup

As the days gets colder, below 0 degree, appetites sharpen. Root vegetables form the base of this chunky minestrone style soup.This will help to ward off the chill of these dark, cold days and frosty night. Vary the vegetables according to what you have to hand.






Farmhouse Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 carrots, cut into large chunks
175 g turnip, cut into chunks
175 g swede, cut into chunks
1 can chopped tomato
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp dried oregano
50 g bell peppers, cut into diamonds
6½ cups vegetable stock or water
½ cup macaroni pasta or your choice
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat parsley and coriander
sea salt
ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve, optional

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the carrots, turnip, swede chunks, canned chopped tomato, tomato purée, dried mixed herbs, dried oregano and peppers, if using. Stir in a little salt and plenty of black pepper to taste.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock or water and bring to the boil. Stir well, cover the pan, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the pasta to the pan and bring quickly to the boil, stirring. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for about 8 minutes, until the pasta is only just tender, or according to the instructions on the packet. Stir frequently.
4. Stir in the kidney beans. Heat through for 2-3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste the soup for seasoning. Serve hot in warmed soup bowls, with grated cheese handed around separately.
   

Eggplant with Chilli Sauce

Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetable. It's versatile to cook with other dishes. This dish can be an appetizer or have it with steam rice. Eggplant with chilli sauce is famous in Chengdu, China. That's were you can fine different kinds of chilli. If you cannot find the pickled chilli paste you can make it yourself. Soak the whole fresh chillies in salted water for 1 month. Drain from the liquid and blitz in a food processor with vegetable oil.







Eggplant with Chilli Sauce

800g eggplant (aubergine)
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
2 tsp pickled red chilli paste
1 tsp grated Ginger
1 tsp crushed Garlic
2 spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
200ml chicken or pork stock
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
5 tsp sugar, or to taste
½ tsp salt
½ tsp chicken bouillon powder
3 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp chilli oil, or to taste



1. Remove the skin from the eggplants and cut the flesh into even chunks about 5cm x 1.5cm x 1.5cm.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok and deep-fry the eggplant until soft and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.

3. Drain and discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the chilli paste, ginger, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the chopped spring onion - stir-fry for 30 seconds.

4. Pour in the wine and stock, bring to the boil and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Return the eggplant to the sauce.

5. Season with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt and chicken bouillon powder - cook for a couple of minutes. Taste for sweetness - you might like to add an extra spoonful of sugar. The sauce should be sweet and tangy.

6. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and add to the sauce. Stir until thickened over a moderate heat. Season with chilli oil.

7. Serve garnished with remaining chopped spring onion or coriander leaves.

make pickled red chilli paste by soaking whole fresh chillies in salted water for 1 month. Drain from the liquid and blitz in a food processor with vegetable oil.

Roast Chicken and Roasted Potato with Garlic and Sea Salt

Since this will be my first post for Christmas, although it's quite late(belated)let me take this moment to wish you all a happy holiday! I hope and pray that this coming year brings us all peace, stability, and personal fulfillment. Many blessings....

My Christmas Eve is not the same as I used to have while still back home in Philippines. Last night along with my eldest son, we spend it with my fellow Filipinos. This year it's held at Karen Lao's residence. Kids and adults alike enjoyed the get-together party as there's a lot of fun and games; newspaper dance, basagan ng itlog(breaking of the egg),banana eating and lots more. It's only during get-together party that you will find a pure Pinoy foods, with the likes of asado, sisig, fried lumpia, kinilaw, Papait, puto, kutchinta, buko salad and a lot more. In between the fun there's the gift giving for the kids and adults.Before midnight strike we headed home and my son was tired and past sleeping in the car way back home. Before me and my husband settle for the night we creep to our son's room to put their presents and still make them believe that its Santa Claus who gave them the gift. Christmas is not just gift giving, family reunion, but the true meaning of it is the celebration of the day baby JESUS is born.

I prepared a roast chicken and roasted potato for dinner last night. Everyone has their own way in roasting their celebratory birds. This one is delicious, it has a crispy golden skin, soft white meat, and a hint of lemon in the juices. Accompanied my chicken is the roast potato with garlic and sea salt. Crisp, crunchy, and brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside. These are everything a roast potato should be. You can tweak it for a change with herbs, such as rosemary or sage leaves or a pinches of paprika. garam masala or tikka masala.


Roasted Chicken in Olive oil

1 kg chicken
1 lemon
1 onion, quartered
fresh parsley, coriander, thyme or rosemary
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper



1. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Finely chop the herbs and mix with a little of the olive oil. Gently knead and prise the skin away from the chicken meat and use the herbs to stuff the gap between the skin.

2. Using your hands, rub the remaining olive oil into the skin of the chicken and the cavity,then season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside for 30-40 minutes to marinade.

3. Preheat the oven to to 220°C.

4. Place the squeezed lemon halves in the cavity along with the quartered onion. Alternatively, for an attractive garnish, place the lemon halves in the roasting tin alongside the bird.

5. Cook for 1 hour or until chicken is browned and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thick area of the bird.







Roast Potatoes with Garlic and Sea Salt


10 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 head garlic, separated into cloves
sea salt



1. Preheat oven to 220°C.

2. Measure the oil into a large roasting pan and place in the oven to get hot.

3. Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Dry them well, using a kitchen towel.

4. Carefully place the potatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves in the hot oil in the roasting pan. Turn them around to coat them evenly with the oil. Sprinkle with the sea salt and return to the oven.

5. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are nicely browned with crispy egdes. Turn the potatoes twice during cooking.

Simple and Easy Eating

This week is all about simple, quick and easy to prepare foods. I choose this kind of dishes is because I can prepare it easily without me being in the kitchen for hours. Hopefully, all things gets well with my kids this weekend so i can clean the house and tidy up some mess. And prepare some cakes as I'm craving for something sweet. The roasted Salmon on a bed of glazed balsamic carrots, beans & new potatoes are beautifully complimented by the delicious balsamic-glazed vegetables,this fish recipe both looks and taste special. Use white fish if you prefer rather than of the salmon. With Balsamic vinegar, it tends to make kids not to like it cause of its strong taste. With the other dish - TOFU, I have to cook it before it expire. With the stir-fried tofu; I don't have exact measurement, as most of the dishes i cook is just base on what I have in my pantry and judge by its looks and most of is the taste or with filipino saying its tantya-tantya lang.







Roasted Salmon on a Bed of Glazed Balsamic Carrots, Beans & New Potatoes


500g Salmon fillets
200g carrots
200g French beans
400g new potatoes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp parsley


- Preheat oven to 200°C. Peel and cut the carrots into batons; top and tail the French beans. Remove the skin of the fish and divide into serving pieces.

- Place the fish on a lightly oiled roasting tin and cook for 10-12 minutes. Cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, and drain. Cook the carrots and beans for approximately 8-10 minutes until just tender and drain.

- Place the potatoes,carrots and beans in a large, heavy-based fryingg pan with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Heat gently and toss until glazed.

- Serve the vegetables with the warmed balsamic dressing spooned over the salmon placed on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.