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Stu-pot’s roast red lentil and curry soup (Score 112.5/150)

Ingredients

1 Tbl of Olive Oil
1 Brown onion
3 Garlic cloves
1 Tbl mild curry powder
1.5 cups of dry Red Lentils
1 Tomato Roughly chopped
4 Cups of Vegetable stock
2 Tbl of reduced fat sour cream
2 Tbl of fresh chopped parsley

Method

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion & garlic (3-5 mins). Add curry powder (over 30 secs).   Add lentils and brown for 30 seconds.
2. Add tomato, 1 cup warm water & stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 20 mins or until soup has thickened & lentils are cooked.
3. Add sour cream and parsley, ladle into bowls.
4. Garnish with parsley
5. Serve with garlic focaccia bread

Celebrity Chef guest appearance! Chef Johnny D’s trussed tomatoe temptation (Score: 102/150)

Celebrity Chef, Johnny D… former head chef from The Old Manly Boat Shed and The Shore Club, Manly – treated us this week, with this super healthy tomato number, served with Jamesons Estate ’09 Galambine Chardonnay

Ingredients:
One large brown onion
One garlic clove
Jar of semi sun dried tomatoes in garlic infused oil
4 punnets of cherry tomatoes
3 tins of roma tomatoes
salt & pepper
Fresh basil
Parmesan loaf

Method:
In a large pot gently sauté the chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil
Cook until translucent and aromatic.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook down until they are softened and mash-able with a wooden spoon.
Add the semi sun dried tomatoes with a little slug of the oil infused with garlic.
Add the tinned tomatoes, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for ten minutes.
Transfer the mix into a blender and puree.
Once blended, pass the soup through a sieve.
NOTE: there is no stock added in this recipe, all the juice comes from the tomatoes, making this a super light, healthy winter option.
Serve with croutons and julienned basil

Lara’s Celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke and roast chestnut soup with crispy bacon and butter bread (Score 118.5/150)ara

A hearty winter warmer served with a chilled sparkling Seppelt shiraz.

Ingredients:

One brown onion
One celeriac
10 Jerusalem artichokes
15 chestnuts
One carton of chicken stock
two small tubs of Creme Fraiche D’isigny
Four middle bacon rashers
Squeeze of lemon juice
Knob of butter
Good slug of maple syrup
Ayurvedic magic salt
Cracked black pepper

Method:

Start by dicing the celeriac, jerusalem artichoke and onions.
Don’t be put off by the sheer ugliness of the two first ingredients, celeriac and jerusalem (f)artichokes (!), although quite possibly the worst looking vegetables of this season, once peeled and chopped are just delicious!
TIP: Once you have peeled the jerusalem artichokes, plunge them into cold water before dicing to stop them from discoloring.
In a large pot, melt a large knob of butter.
Add the diced veggies, salt and pepper and allow them to sweat down for 10-15 minutes.
In the mean time, score the top of the chestnuts with a sharp knife (to stop them from exploding in the over)
Sling them in a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.

Once the veggies have softened, pour the stock over them and allow that to simmer for 10 minutes.
Peel the roasted chestnuts and throw them into the mix.
Add the Creme Fraiche D’isigny, slug of maple syrup and squeeze the juice of one plump lemon into the pot.
Allow to cook for another 5 minutes, then puree in batches in a blender until smooth and creamy.
Chop the bacon into little pieces and dry fry until crispy.

Pour the soup into bowls, top with the crispy bacon and buttered, toasted Ciabatta de cassa bread.Garnish with a sprig of something green and tasty looking ; )

Barrett’s Red pepper & Goats cheese soup (Score: 123.5/150)

Ingredients:

2 brown onion, peeled and diced finely
6 red peppers, deseeded and diced
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 tsp basil, finely chopped
75ml dry white wine
900ml stock (vegetable or bullion)
50grams soft, rind-less goat’s cheese
Salt
Pepper

Served with Fresh Baguette & wild game pate.

Method:

Fry onions in olive oil until golden brown (but not burnt). Add the wine and continue to stir frequently as the alcohol evaporates, ensuring that nothing is stuck to the pan; this should take about another 2 minutes.
Add the peppers, apple, basil and stock and boil moderately, partially covered for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Take off the heat and puree the soup like all hell, otherwise its bitty.
Re-heat the soup and add the goat’s cheese, whisking as the cheese melts. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To garnish use a small leaf of basil or crumble some extra goats cheese on top.

Lara’s African Chicken and banana soup served with a mango lassi (Score: 134.5/150)

It’s finals time folks, let the play off begin…

Lara (4) will face off against Matt (1), Nick (2) against Simon (3), the top scorers from the play offs will go into the SOUP-A-BOWL to take out this years title. keep watching!

Ingredients (soup):

4 Chicken Thighs
2 brown onions
2 cloves garlic
hot red chili
green chili
coconut cream
chicken stock
Lenitls
coriander
toasted cashews
banana slices
butter
hot curry powder

Mango Lassi:
1 jar of mango slices
1 tub of greek yogurt honey
skimmed milk

Peanut toast:
Toasted vienna loaf, buttered, then dipped- face down in toasted crushed peanuts

Method:
In a large pot, melt some butter and gently sauté the onions, garlic, chilies and diced chicken thighs. Add the curry powder, once the chicken is cooked through, add the coconut cream and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and throw the lentils in, allow to simmer. Toast the vienna slices, butter one side and dip the buttered side in crushed toasted nuts. To serve the soup, transfer three good ladles full into a bowl, top with fresh coriander, slices of fresh banana and toasted cashews. For the lassi’s: mix the ingredients in a blander, chill and serve. Yum!

Matts Peasant Pea and Ham (Score: 119/150)

Ingredients:

1 onion
3 celery sticks
1 carrot
little oil
Ham hock and or bone
300g Green split peas
Vegetable or chicken stock
two spuds
few fresh green peas
cream

Mathod:

Take a large pot, throw chopped onion, carrot and celery and a few bits of ham cut of the bone into a small amount of oil and sweat off. Throw in the rest of the ham and bone. Pour in the stock. Let it brew for about 20 mins then toss in the split peas and simmer for an hour. Just top up with water if it looks in need. Boil you spuds and mash When you are ready to serve, bar mix your soup, top up with water if needed and put in a little cream. Serve and top with a dollop of mash and fresh peas Over to you peasant peeps!

Nick’s Cambodian Hot and Sour Soup (Score: 121/150)

This week, the competition hots up (quite literally) with Nick’s very tasty Cambodian Hot and Sour Soup (Somlah Machou Khmer)

Stock:

• 1 whole chicken (3-3 1/2 lbs), cut into 8 pieces with innards removed (use the neck if you have it!)
• 1 whole white onion, quartered
• 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 4 green onions
• 2-3 whole star anise
• 1 Tbsp white peppercorns
• 2 sprigs coriander
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce (nước mắm, found in any asian market, or the imports aisle of your local supermarket)
• cold water (enough to cover the chicken)

Method:

1. Roast the onion, garlic, and ginger under a broiler until charred, about 10 minutes.
2. Place all ingredients in a stock-pot except the fish sauce, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.
3. Reduce to a slow simmer. After 15 minutes, remove from heat, and cool. Remove the chicken and let cool. (The chicken can be used in a soup later.) Return the bones to the pot with the roasted veg and fish sauce and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove from heat. Skim as much fat off the top as possible, and strain through cheesecloth.  Let the stock cool to room temperature.
5. Refrigerate overnight. Remove the top layer of fat. You can freeze it in ice cube trays, and then store the stock cubes in sealable plastic bags for use whenever you need it.

Soup Ingredients:

2 stalks of lemongrass (white bulbs only), smashed
60ml fish sauce (Nam Pla)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp galangal, coarsely chopped (or ginger)
2 tsp salt
115g lotus roots cut into 5cm lengths (obtain from Asian Supermarket)
1 medium tomato, sliced into wedges
340g chicken fillets, diced into 3cm cubes
120ml tamarind juice (mix 130ml hot water with 80g tamarind paste, stir and strain)
3 tbsp groundnut oil
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
60g Thai holy basil (or ordinary basil) leaves, coarsely chopped
40g fresh coriander or mint, coarsely chopped
10 quail egs (you can find them canned at your Asian grocer)
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored sliced 6mm thick and juilenned
2 to 6 birds’ eye chillies, sliced very thinly

Method:

Combine the chicken stock, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, galangal and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the pineapple, lotus root and tomato, return to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Add the tamarind juice then gently stir-in the chicken. Return the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the oil to a small pan and heat over high heat. Use this to fry the garlic until just browned then add to the soup. Now stir-in the basil, mint and coriander. Allow to wilt for 1 minute and take off the heat.

Add the egg and lotus root, stirring it into the soup as it cooks. Serve the soup ladled into warmed soup bowls and garnished with the birds’ eye chillies

Barretts Beef and Veggie Country pot with ploughmans (Score:123/150)

BEEF STOCK Ingredients:

Left over bones from Roast.
Trimmings from Veg from roast!
Method:

Cover bones in tomato pure, pop in oven until black.
Transfer to pot cover wi COLD water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Don’t boil it or it’ll go cloudy.
Add carrott, onion, leek, celery trimmings (no parsnip or turnip, it’ll go cloudy)
Add garlic and hard herbs.
Cook 2-3 times if possible.
Top up with cold water regularly.
Let it cool, refrigerate overnight, the fat will settle and you can pick it off the next day.
Pass through a sieve or cloth to get the finest liquid possible.
Heat/reduce the beef juice until you get a nice thicker consistency.  (cheers marky!)

SOUP Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 600g gravy beef, trimmed, cut into 2cm pieces
1 medium brown onion (150g),
chopped coarsely 1 clove garlic, crushed
1 litre (4 cups) water 3 cups of homemade beef stock
400g can diced tomatoes
2 trimmed celery stalks (200g), cut into 1cm pieces
1 medium carrot (120g), cut into 1cm pieces
2 small potatoes (240g), cut into 1cm pieces
fresh sweetcorn (scrape of cob into pan)
1⁄2 cup (60g) frozen peas

METHOD:

Heat half of the oil in large saucepan; cook beef, in batches, until browned.
Heat remaining oil in same pan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion softens.
Return beef to pan with the water, stock and undrained tomatoes; bring to the boil.
Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1.5 hours.
Add celery, carrot and potato to soup; simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until  vegetables are tender.
Add corn and peas to soup stir over heat until peas are tender.
Serves about 6, accompany with a tasty cold cider…….. Fooockin delicious!

Lara’s Poached Chicken, coconut & wonton soup (Score: 121/150)

This week Lara made soup of the Asian persuasion. Taking two styles (Chinese – wonton and Thai – coconut soup base) and blending them together for a light, tasty soup s’up yo!

Ingredients:

For the soup:
brown onion
shallots
fresh ginger
garlic
lemongrass
chilli (red, long)
chicken stock
3 chicken breasts
2 cans organic coconut cream
water chestnuts (whole)
coriander
salt & pepper

For the wontons:
Singapore wonton wrappers
Shallots
garlic
coriander root
water chestnuts
chilli (small,red)
fish sauce
sesame seed oil
soy sauce
chicken mince

Method:

In one pan, poach the chicken breasts in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through, drain and set aside.

In a large pot, melt a little butter and add the diced onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, shallots and chili and cook until translucent and aromatic. Add the chicken stock and the coconut cream and bring to the boil.
Shred the poached chicken using two forks and sling the meat into the stock, reduce to a simmer. Throw the water chestnuts in also.

For the wontons, mix together the chicken mince with the very very finely chopped coriander root, garlic, shallots, chili, water chestnuts, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and fish sauce in a bowl. Spread out a wonton wrapper on a board, dollop one tea spoon of the mix in the middle.
Wet all sides of the wonton with warm water. Bring opposite corners together and press the edges down to create a seal, you will end up with a triangle shape. Then, wet just one of the triangle corners, make a dimple in the mixture pouch and bring the non wet corner across the face of the wonton to stick onto the wet corner. The wonton should resemble a bishops hat … sort of!

Sling the wontons into the bubbling soup and cook for 8-10 mintes.
Serve with a good sprinkle of fresh coriander leaves on top, and a little salt & pepper! YUM!
… hello dad ; )