Home Made Soup

Pea & Ham Soup

                         

Another one of my favourite soups and again very easy, you can tell by now I like non-complicated recipes. When I first did this recipe it was to use up some  peas and ham rather than throw it out. It's good to get into the kitchen and cook, but we don't want to be a slave to it do we?

Ingredients:

1tbsp butter

1 onion sliced

1 leek trimmed & sliced

1 litre vegetable stock****

450g / 1lb shelled peas****

200g lean ham (smoked if preferred)****

1 bay leaf

1tbsp fresh chopped tarragon (dried if fresh unavailable)

4tbsp double cream

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

* Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

* Add the onion and cook, stirring until slightly softened.

* Add the leek and cook for a further 2 minutes stirring together.

* Stir in the stock, then add the peas, ham, bay leaf and tarragon.

* Season with salt and pepper.

* Bring to the boil, turn heat down and simmer for another 30minutes.

* Remove the bay leaf and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

* Transfer half the soup to a food processor, or bowl and blend until it is smooth.

* Return to the pan with the rest of the soup, stir in the cream and cook over a low heat for another 5 minutes.

* Turn of the heat and ladle the soup into warmed bowls.

tastes better

Tips:

If home made vegetable stock is unavailable, then use a vegetable stock cube.

Frozen peas can be used as well.

If using smoked ham be cautious when adding salt. As some smoked hams can be salty.

* Serve with crusty rolls or french stick.

                                                                

Credit to Yahoo images:

Happy cooking Glo

No More chewy Meat

Why no More Chewy Meat

Pork Chops

We all look for the special offers when shopping. It happened to me just before Christmas Geoff and I were doing our usual shop at 'Leclerc' and saw some lovely Pork Chops on offer at 6€ 50 for a tray of six. What a good bargain like most we are all economising wherever we can so I picked them up, and thought we have two for tonight's dinner and freeze the rest.
Continued shopping and felt quite pleased at that offer.
Cooked them the usual way for us and roasted them, roast potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts the works. They were to be truthful a complete disaster, chewy and ruined the whole meal, "oh well" we said "that was why they were on offer".
After a few mumbles during the evening we carried on as normal. What do I do I still have four more in the freezer.
It was a few weeks later,  I just had to use these darn chops up, then it hit me we braise meat so why not chops? out came my trusted 'Slow Cooker' Do you know what they were Perfect.
We had  the last two today for lunch and this is the reason I am sharing this with you, I wish I had thought about it earlier. What I did is so simple as well., as there is only two of us my ingredients will relate to this.
Ingredients:
2 Pork Chops
1 onion chopped
1/2 can button mushrooms chopped (or fresh)*
Sage & Dill (Optional)
Stock cube*
Oil for frying
Method:
First I put a little water in the Slow Cooker and switch on to high, this is just to warm it through whilst I am doing the chops, 
I add the chopped mushrooms at the same time, as these are already cooked it is not a problem.
I use a solid base frying pan, with a little oil put over a low heat with a 1/2 tsp of Sage & the same with Dill.
    When the pan is hot enough just lightly brown the two chops on either side to seal them. Place them both in the Slow Cooker on top of the mushrooms and replace lid
Then using the same pan as it still has the juices from the meat, I lightly fry the onions to soften and again place them on top of the chops.
Then I add the water and stock cube to the pan and bring to the boil, once boiled I add this to the Slow Cooker, place the lid on and leave.
As you know you can leave your Slow Cooker on all day, I started these about 11am and then had dinner for 6.30pm,3//4 of the way through turn the chops over and at this point you can thicken your gravy, with either bisto or cornflour.  I use bisto but if you do use cornflour make sure you mix it with cold water first to a paste then add slowly.
Whilst this is doing I prepare my vegetables. Today it is White Cabbage and Green Beans and some stuffing balls which I male a batch in advance and freeze.T
his is where I do a bit of cheating, hey it is Sunday and I don't wan't to be in the kitchen more than I can help.
I cook my cabbage, my green beans in advance and put in a Microwavable dish, so when the roast potatoes and the chops are ready, all I have to do is pop them in the microwave to heat up and serve.
 All we have to do is eat it.
Tips:
**If I use fresh mushrooms I usually half & quarter and fry gently just to soften.
**The stock cube is usually chicken for white meat but that is my choice.
* *I always chop my white cabbage with a little butter and pepper, but again it's a personal choice.
**You may have some gravy left over? I always make a casserole the next day to use it up or freeze it.   The only thing with gravy if does not freeze well once it has been thickened, it goes watery.
Happy eating.