​This soup may not seem "authentic" to someone from Spain, but like I have said before: sometimes its not necessarily where the dish may come from, but sometimes where you had it/ made it/ or where it reminds you of is where you personally associate a dish “from” or with. As I keep saying food is more than the ingredients and flavours that go in it that create the “taste”; the energy gone into making and growing all have a vital part to play, but also the full environment and encounter associated with it has a big influence on our experience of the meal. A meal time is not just re-fuelling the tank, it is their to be lived, enjoyed and reaped.


On that note let’s press on with this recipe, this came to be as a result of a terms worth of learning the fruit and veg. in Spanish. The class shared a delicious meal all prepared in Spanish, to mark the end of term. Below is the soup that took shape from all the veg that was brought in by the children. This was served with bread, butter, a salad and cheese cubes. All in all that's my kinda Spanish class!


So as you may have guess by now this is not a “traditional” soup from anywhere, but as it came to be in the Spanish Lesson, it is known in our home as “Spanish soup”, and it is ALWAYS prepared in Spanish!


CREMA DE SOPA DE VERDURAS

Ingredientes/ Ingredients:


1  ajo (garlic bulb)
2  chirivia (parsnips)
5  zanahorias (carrots)
3  calabacin (courgettes)
1  batatas (sweet potato)
3  patatas / papas (potatoes)
3  cebolla (onions)
1  judias verdes (pack of green beans)
2  puerro (leeks)
1  pimiento rojo (red pepper)
2  apio (sticks of celery)


3 tblspns  aceite de oliva/mantequilla (Oil/butter) (although I do not recommend cooking in olive oil, but it was part of their learning)


Metodo/ Method:
pelar le verdura, (peel the veg)
cortar la verdura, (chop the veg)
freir la verdura (fry the veg)
anadir agua (add water, enough to cover the veg)
cocinar hasta que la verdura sea suave (cook till the veg is soft).
Mezclar la verdura (blend the veg)
Ilevar a ebullicion ( put back on heat and bring to boil)
apagar y servir (switch off the heat and serve)


Disfrutar! (Enjoy!)

​
 

​With a mild tangy dressing, this tea time snack is a perfect indulgent with an afternoon tea. 


​INGREDIENTS:

Chick peas 1.2 kg (3x400g)
Onions X 1 large, finely diced
Tomatoes X 2 medium, finely diced
Baby Potatoes X ¼kg, peeled and diced
Ginger 1tblspn grated
Chilli powder X ¼ tspn
Dry roasted Cumin powder X ¾ tspn
Dry roasted Coriander seed powder X ¾ tspn
Salt X 1tspn
Salt X ¾ tspn (for potatoes)
Tamarind pulp of 1/5 packet of 400grm wet tamarind. Soaked in hot water for at least 1 hr and strain to give a thick soup consistency tamarind pulp
Fresh Coriander leaves, washed and chopped (3 hand fulls)



METHOD:

Drain the chick peas into a colander and rinse them with fresh water and leave on the side to drain.

In a small pot add the diced baby potatoes, enough hot water to cover them, and the ¾tspn of salt
Place on a high flame
Boil the cubed potatoes until soft (about 5 minutes), but not overcooked so that it does not loose it’s shape. (drain and keep on the side).

In a high sided mixing bowl add the chick peas, onions, tomatoes, boiled potatoes, grated ginger and 2 hand fulls of the chopped coriander leaves.
Add in the spices and the strained tamarind pulp



Mix well, garnish with remaining coriander leaves and serve



TOP TIP:
If you are not serving straight away, (within a few hours), do not mix in the tomatoes and coriander until ready to serve so that it does not make the choley become watery and loose its freshness.
 

This is the recipe of my "winter greens" the one I used in the spring term for the  school lunches, filled with energy required to help us see out winter, made with seasonal veg that naturally grow in the UK in that season.


Serves about 6 portions


INGREDIENTS:

1.5kg Frozen peas (Petits Pois, but you can use other ones)
200g Baby Spinach
100g Kale
300g Broccoli
2 Sprigs of parsley (optional)

Salt to taste (about 2/3 tblspn)
Pepper to taste (about 2/3 tblspn)
2 Veg stock pots  (I used knorr stock pots)
1 big Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
4 tblspns Cooking Oil(or switch out for melted butter/vegan butter)
a couple of table spoons of cream/vegan cream for garnishing (optional)



METHOD:

-Peel, wash and roughly chop the onion into chunks.
-Peel, wash and quarter the garlic.
-Remove any leaves from the broccoli, chop it into small sized chunks including the stem, and wash. (cut the tops in to one similar sized piece and bottoms into one similar sized piece)
-Wash the kale (roughly chop it if it is in big leaves).
-Wash the spinach

-In a small, heavy bottom pot/pan, drizzle in the oil and add the roughly chopped up onion and garlic and pepper.
-On medium flame, cook the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes (or until the onion is transparent).
Leave to cool on the side.
 
For the next step a steamer is the most ideal choice of equipment, but as it is not a very common household equipment I will be describing how to do the following steps with just a standard pot. However, if you do have a steamer/ or pot with an in built colander please do use it as its most helpful. In the following steps we will be blanching all the veg, to bring out a vibrant green colour and just soften enough to blend nicely.
-On a high flame, place a medium, high sided, heavy bottom pot filled with about 5 cups of water add the salt and bring to the boil.
-Once the water has come to a boil add in the chopped broccoli.
 
*IMPORTANT DO NOT COVER THE POT WITH A LID! *
 
-We are going to blanch cook it for about 3-4 minutes, this should result in giving a beautiful vibrant green and the broccoli should just start to soften slightly.
-Turn down the heat for safety, using a large slotted metal straining spoon carefully remove the broccoli from the water into a colander, do not drain away the water as you will use it to cook the rest of the veg.
-Run cold water through your broccoli to stop the cooking process.
-Leave it to drain/cool on the side
 
-Next turn back up the heat for your pot of hot water, and add in the prepped kale, carefully swish around for 40-50s using your metal straining spoon.
-Turn down the heat and carefully remove the kale using your metal straining spoon into a colander, do not drain the water away, you still need it.
-Run cold water through the kale to stop the cooking process.


-Next place the peas (either from frozen or defrosted) into your pot of water along with the vegetable stock cubes and turn up the heat to medium-high. If using frozen once the peas have softened cook for 2-3 minutes, then switch off the flame. If cooking pre-defrosted cook for 3-4 minutes, then switch off and remove from the heat source.
-Next add washed baby spinach leaves and torn up leaves of the washed sprigs of parsley and stir in with the peas.
 
-Leave to cool enough to blend (DO NOT COVER!), generally about 40 minutes or so is enough, but it is important to follow your blender manufacturer's guidelines.

 
-Blend all the veg and the onion garlic mix in batches as per your blender manufacturer's guidelines.
-Decant the blended batches into a large, high sided, heavy bottom pot, one which will safely hold all the soup with room for it to come to a boil.

-Once it is all blended to a smooth consistency, put back on a medium/high heat. (If you find the soup to be too thick, add some more water until you are happy with the consistency).

*IMPORTANT DO NOT COVER THE POT WITH A LID!*

-Once the soup comes to a boil, switch off and serve hot/warm either with bread and butter or plain. 
(you can garnish with a couple of table spoons of cream/vegan cream, a few leaves of parsley and a twist of freshly ground pepper).



​
​TOP TIPs:

When cooking greens it is important not to over cook them or cover them, as they will loose there beautiful vibrant green colour. Greens if not eaten straight away, should not be covered until cooled. If you must cover it, its best to use a fly screen, this allows the food to stay safe without compromising it, as the fly screen will allow the steam to escape.

If you would like to freeze the soup, you can do so by freezing after blending, but before you re-heat it. The soup can be kept in the freezer for up to a year, but best to consume sooner rather than later to maximise the nourishment from its nutrients.

​Aside from eating veggies raw, which is best, eating veg straight away after preparing them ensures you can optimise your nourishment from them. 

Vegan Summer Green Soup

This is the recipe of my summer "Green soup" which I used for a recent conference catering, not my winter/spring green soup which I used for the school lunches. My "winter greens" is a bit more darker, a bit more "hardy", filled with energy required to help us see out winter, made with seasonal veg that naturally grow in the UK in that season. This one is more refreshing and light perfect to indulge in on a warm summer's day.

I normally use good quality frozen green peas for soups (Garden Peas or Petits Pois, the latter though is my most favourite) you can opt for fresh, but that requires a lot of de-podding!! So not the most practical, but if you are bored... I normally choose the fresh for snack times for kids its fun for them and obviously really good too. 

As always the most important thing is to eat seasonal local veg.
Nature has a method to the madness!
Embrace it, don't fight it!!



Serves about 5 portions

INGREDIENTS:

1.8kg Frozen peas
200g Baby Spinach
4-5 sprigs Fresh mint (best liberated fresh from your own garden if you have some)

Salt to taste (about 2/3 tblspn)
Pepper to taste (about 2/3 tblspn)
2 Veg stock pots  (I used knorr stock pots)
1 big Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
4 tblspns Cooking Oil

METHOD:

-Peel, wash and roughly chop the onion into chunks.
-Peel, wash and quarter the garlic.
-In a medium, high sided, heavy bottom pot, drizzle in the oil and add the roughly chopped up onion and garlic.
-On medium flame, cook the onions and garlic for about 5minutes (or until the onion is transparent).
-Next place the peas (either from frozen or defrosted) and fill up with water enough to cover the peas and turn up the heat to a high flame.
*IMPORTANT DO NOT COVER THE POT WITH A LID!*
( you can add just tap water or pre-heated water if you are in a rush).

-Once the water has started to boil and the peas, if frozen, have soften switch off the flame and remove from the heat source.
-Next add washed baby spinach leaves and torn up leaves of one washed sprig of mint and stir in with the peas.

-Leave to cool enough to blend (DO NOT COVER!), generally about 40 minutes or so is enough, but it is important to follow your blender manufacturer's guidelines.


-Once you are ready to blend, add the rest of the mint leaves washed and torn up. (Leave two or three for garnishing if you wish).
-Blend in batches as per your blender manufacturer's guidelines.
-Decant the blended batches into a large high sided pot, one which will safely hold all the soup with room for it to come to a boil.

-Once it is all blended to a smooth creamy consistency, put back on a medium/high heat. (If you find the soup to be too thick, add some more water until you are happy with the consistency).

*IMPORTANT DO NOT COVER THE POT WITH A LID!*

-Once the soup comes to a boil switch off and serve hot/warm either with bread and butter or plain. 
(you can garnish with the few leaves of mint and a twist of freshly ground pepper).



​TOP TIPs:

When cooking greens it is important not to over cook them or cover them, as they will loose there beautiful vibrant green colour. Greens if not eaten straight away, should not be covered until cooled. If you must cover it, its best to use a fly screen, this allows the food to stay safe without compromising it, as the fly screen will allow the steam to escape.

If you would like to freeze the soup, you can do so by freezing after blending, but before you re-heat it. The soup can be kept in the freezer for up to a year, but best to consume sooner rather than later to maximise the nourishment from its nutrients.

​Aside from eating veggies raw, which is best, eating veg straight away after preparing them ensures you can optimise your nourishment from them. 

Yields Dough Enough For One 3 lbs Loaf Tin

INGREDIENTS:

500g Strong white bread flour
50g Barley flour
1 and 1/2 tspn instant yeast
3 tspns Demerara sugar
1 tspn salt
2-3 handfulls wholegrain Spelt flour
3/4 pints of luke warm water (430ml)
​
METHOD:

-Mix all the dry ingredients in a big high sided mixing bowl
-Make a "well" with your fingers in the middle.
-Add about a third of the water into the centre then start mixing the water with the flour mix with your finger tips
-Trickle in the rest of the water as the first lot of water has started to combine with the flour; keep mixing in the trickling water with the flour.
-Once all the water has been added, making sure all dry bits of flour get combined into the dough, now using your whole hand start working the dough into a ball form.
-Scrap off any dough sticking to your hand against the rim of the bowl; using your fingertips scrap off any dough from the rim edge and add it back into the centre dough ball.
-Now loosly grabbing the front end of the dough ball (the side furthest from you (the side closest being the base end) so that your fingertips roll over the "hidden edge" allowing the heal of your palm to sit comfortably on the middle of the dough ball.
-Now using the heal of your palm, push the section of dough in your palm outwards away from you, into the direct of your fingers so that you are stretching out that part of the dough; then without letting go, as part of the continuation action bring back that part of the dough into the centre and gently push the tip end of it, into the centre with your fingertips causing a sort of stretching and folding action. This is "the basic kneading action".
-This action needs to be repeat several times with often the need of turning the bowl 90 degrees clockwise, until the dough can become "manageable" enough that you can pick it up and turn the dough 90 degrees clockwise.
-Once the dough has come to the stage where it can be turned, leave it to rest for 15 minutes covering with a clean damp cloth.


*****
IF USING A STAND MIXER
-Mix all the dry ingredients in the stand mixer's bowl
-Add about a third of the water into the centre then start the stand mixer on a low speed
trickle in the rest of the water as the first lot of water has started to combine with the flour
-Once all the water as been added slowly turn up the speed N.B. NEVER GO BEYOND THE RECOMMENDED SPEED FOR DOUGH MIXING FOR YOUR MIXER!)
-Mix at the maximum ALLOWED SPEED FOR DOUGH, for about 3-5 minutes a nice smooth consistency should be formed. (ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR OWN MIXER'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTINUOS RUNNING TIME NEVER EXCEED THIS! If need be, run the mix in several recommended short bursts, giving time for your motor to cool down. 
-Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and cover with a clean damp cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes.
*****

ONCE YOUR DOUGH HAS RESTED:

-Grease liberally your loaf tin
-On a clean surface sprinkle a handful of the spelt flour, then turn out the dough onto the floured surface.
-Sprinkle a little spelt flour on top of the dough ball and taking a dusting on both your hands, start to knead the dough. In this stage the kneading process now needs to be repeated with turning the dough around 90 degrees between each "knead" action. You may need to add few more sprinkles of spelt flour as you work the dough to keep it manageable, you also may find it easier to knead with both hands, where the second is there to more assist with maintaining the dough and adding spelt flour where needed etc, as opposed to actually "kneading" with two hands.
-This needs to be continued for around 5 minutes.
-After this the dough should feel quite plump and stretchy.
-Sprinkle a touch more flour on the worktop surface above your dough ball now face the top "tucking in" centre of the dough to you so that the smoother end is facing away from you and towards the freshly sprinkled flour; place both palms of your hands on the centre of the tucked in end so that your fingers roll over the top.
-Now gently push in and out the dough with your palms as you would a rolling pin in the centre. This will make your smooth side dip into the spelt sprinkle causing a nice dusting of spelt on for your top crust. This rolling action also will elongate your dough ball into a cylinder shape. 
-Once the desired length is reached gently lift it and place it into your well greased loaf tin so that the tucked in bit is at the bottom and the smooth now flour dusted top is facing upwards.
-Cover with your clean damp cloth, and leave to rise in a warm place for at least an hour to three hours.

BAKING:

-Pre-heat oven at 200 degrees Celsius, (Gas mark 6)
-Bake at 200 degrees celsius (Gas mark 6) for around 40-50 mins depending on your oven. 
-To check if the bread is done, it should come out of the tin with ease when flipped over. 
-To do this you will need to make sure you have a thick folded clean tea towel in your hand to hold the bread with. While holding the hot tin with oven mitts, hold the top of the bread with your tea towel now flip the bread upside down on to your hand with the tea towel, the bread should come out on to the tea towel in your hand, take care not to burn your hand!!!(depending on your tin/greasing sometimes a gentle tap will be needed) Alternatively it can be flipped out on to a wire rack.
(if it doesn't come out when flipped even with a tap it needs further cooking give a further 10-15 mins.)
-Once it easily comes out the bottom should be a beautiful light brown colour and feel like a nice crust has formed (there should also be a beautiful rustic thin crust at the top) and when brought near your ear and gently tapped on the base with your hand, a hollow sound should be heard, indicating the bread has cooked from the inside and is nice and airy inside giving a nice spongy middle.
If the crust has not yet formed but sounds like it has cooked on the inside, put it back in the tin and back into the oven for a further 5 mins.

Leave it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before you attempt to cut it.

Its is best enjoyed warm!

If on the off chance you are unable to consume it whilst still warm, once fully cooled it can be wrapped in cling film and enjoyed over the next three to four days if kept in a cool place.

MY WEIGHING CHEATS:

As you may have guessed by now I avoid using scales as far as possible so here is my no weighing cheat; when you are baking with kids the less fuss the more fun.

You can use a measuring cup instead of weighing out the flour,

3 x 1 "measuring" cup (250ml size ) strong bread flour
1 x 1/2 "measuring" cup ( 125ml size) Barley Flour

​Rest of the ingredients as above.

​Vegan strawberry cake:

Ingredients:

2 tblspn heaped flaxseed powder

10 tblspn water

2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup (white) sugar

350-400ml blended fresh strawberries (about 8-10 strawberries)

1 cup oil (not level just under full)

​1/2 tspn baking soda

1 tspn vanilla extract (you can use essence too)

1/3 cup water (only if needed depending on size of strawberries)


Method:

-mix flaxseed powder with the 10 tbspn of water in a separate bowl leave to rest on side

- blend strawberries

- mix flour, baking soda and sugar in a big mixing bowl (a quick dry hand whisk of the two helps remove any lumps therefore reducing the need to sieve, but you can sieve if you like, it will only improve it, but I often skip it due to laziness).

- preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (Gas mark 4)

- line your baking tin with parchment paper/grease your baking tin or use a nonstick silicon cake tin, which ever you fancy (parchment paper is my fav. because it just makes life easier on the other side).

- add the blended strawberries and flaxseed paste to the flour and sugar

- next add the oil and vanilla start mixing all together. Slowly add the 1/3 cup of water as mixing, mixture should be very thick but pourable (if mixture is already quite loose due to strawberries hold back on the water)

- pour mix into baking tin and bake for about 50-60 minutes depending on your oven at 180 degrees Celsius/Gas mark 4 (reduce temperature for fan assisted ovens).



Top tip:

Avoid opening the oven door whilst the cake is baking. When you come to check at around 50-60 minutes and it looks like it is done nice and golden brown (not when it is looking close to over done -very brown) and you are tempted to take it out to check, leave it in there for a further 5 mins before you go opening the door to check. After 5 mins open the door slowly and using oven mitts take out the cake partially and check with tooth pick/knife. If it comes out clean, you can take it out. If it doesn't put it back in there for further 10-15 mins depending on how wet the tooth pick/knife was.


Please note:

The above mentioned "cup" measurement is done by a normal household tea mug (namely an old Corelle Corningware mug just so you can have a rough idea of size) it can be done with exact "cup" measurements too but that is a personal choice.

I enjoy baking and like to keep it enjoyable so I do it in a stress-free manner; hence I grab my normal tea cup, I don't fluff around with measuring cups and weighing machines when I can avoid it.

I believe the energy you put in is the energy you get out. I know you will find exactness being enforced in most baking dishes, well, not with me! With me I enforce happiness, be happy, stress-free and enjoy what you make.

Over the years what I have come to the conclusion of is, baking cakes is precise yes but its not taboo to tweak and chop and change within reason. Often I have found people are scared to bake because of these very reasons, this is why I am emphasising that if you are not a confident baker then don't worry, a few grams here or there isn't going to spell disaster! 

At home I always bake with my kids, I let them throw in the ingredients and mix till their hearts content. I don't use electric mixers just a plain old hand whisk and good old fashion muscle power. Let them enjoy making the cake, don't stress about the mess and exact millimetre perfect measurements, if it doesn't turn out looking like a fancy cake shop cake don't fret over it, they will still love to eat it because they made it themselves! Just like beauty isn't skin deep, nourishment and taste isn't either. It will be full of positive happy soul nourishing energy!

Bake Happy, Eat Happy!