Favorite easy tomato soup

We often make this soup to bring to potluck parties, or when friends come over for dinner. Tastes best when prepared 6-12 hours before serving, allowing the flavors to blend. 

1 medium onion, chopped

2-4 stalks celery, chopped

4-6 carrots, chopped

Olive oil

1 large can diced organic tomatoes in tomato juice

6-8 cups vegetable stock OR vegetarian chicken stock powder and 6-8 cups hot water (more or less depending on how thick or light you want the soup to be)

2 teaspoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons dried basil

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder OR 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

½ - 1 can tomato paste (optional, makes it more tomatoey)

Heat some olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven and sauté the onion, celery and carrots over medium heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Add a little salt to allow the vegetables to release their moisture and soften. When the onions become translucent and begin to brown slightly, add the crushed tomatoes, stock, herbs, garlic and optional tomato paste. 

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and blend with a stick blender or in batches in a jar blender. 

Scones

Below is a BBC Food recipe which I plan to make when

 Emile and Céline come to Belgium. 

Will try to get a practice run in first! 

Scones

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

10 to 30 mins

Serves

Makes 8-12 scones

Dietary

 

Vegetarian

Scones are the easiest English teatime treat. There’s scope to customise these sweet ones with dried fruit or cinnamon.

 

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Ingredients

• 225g/8oz self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 55g/2oz butter
• 25g/1oz caster sugar
• 150ml/5fl oz milk
• 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze (alternatively use a little milk)

 How-to-videos

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
3. Stir in the sugar and then the milk to get a soft dough.
4. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
5. Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden.
6. Cool on a wire rack and serve with butter and good jam and maybe some clotted cream.

Tarte Tatin

Bought some cooking apples to make a pie but then decided to try this Tarte Tatin recipe which I normally use as the base for my "Ginger Plum Square". It was quite a huge success.

Recipe says: serves 8. It is very rich.

Pastry:
115 gr (4oz) butter, chilled
225 gr (8oz) plain flour
salt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (I don't skimp on vanilla!)
3x15 ml/Tbs fromage frais (my Tbs are generous)

Filling:
5-6 large dessert apples (I used 2 cooking apples + 1 eating apple, because that's what I had) = 900gr
lemon juice
75 gr unsalted butter, softened (I used banking marge)
115 gr (4 oz) caster sugar (the finer one for in your tea!)

• Make the pastry. Now, they have all kinds of instructions but I just throw it all in the Magimix 'til it forms a ball and then wrap it in cling film.
• Refrigerate for an hour (or 30 mins if you're in a hurry!)

• pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/ gas mark 7

• for the filling: peel, core and quarter apples, toss with lemon juice.
• Spread your butter over the base of a flame-proof pan and "pack" the sugar on top.
• Put the apples rounded side down into the dish.
• Then place over a moderate heat for about 10 mins, until the sugar and butter begin to caramelise (or not, in my case!)
• Roll out the pastry and place over the apples. I find this pastry collapses when I try to lift it because of the fromage frais but it doesn't matter because it will end up on the bottom anyway, so I patch it together and tuck the ends under.
• Bake for about 20 mins. The apples should be crispy (!) and the tart crisp. Serve hot, with cream if desired.
• Enjoy!!!

A proper key lime pie

By Meredith Steele | October 6, 2014 | In Baking, Comfort Food, Recipes
Read more at http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/proper-key-lime-pie/#LOolzrTDHKGPDBHH.9

image: http://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/feature-header4.jpg

Key lime pie has an interesting story, supposedly beginning in the early 

20th century when refrigeration was scarce. Sweetened condensed 

milk was used a lot in cooking, especially on fishing boats. Legend 

has it that the famous pie was created with what the Florida sponge 

fisherman had on hand: sweetened condensed milk, limes and 

crackers. Even at sea, there’s time for comfort food. 

Today, it’s beloved by many and is even the official state pie of Florida. 

There are many tried and true recipes out there, but I like to make 

mine with quality ingredients (organic if possible),extra lime juice and 

a pinch of zest for that added depth of flavour, and fresh whipped 

cream with a kiss of raw honey to balance the sourness. Delightfully 

sweet with the perfect amount of tartness, this creamy bright pie is 

indulgent comfort in every bite.

Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

•    10 graham crackers/digestive biscuits or, in our case, gingernuts

•    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 oz/50gr butter

•    5 tablespoons raw honey 2 oz/50gr castor sugar

•    1/4 teaspoon sea salt

•    1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk 4 dl

•    4 large egg yolks

•    1/2 cup fresh lime juice (juice of 5 small limes)

•    1 teaspoon key lime zest, grated (zest of 5 sm limes, zest limes 

before juicing)

•    2 cups heavy/double cream (1 pkg Dream Topping)

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Finely crush your crackers or 

biscuits and, in a bowl, stir to combine with the butter, 2 tablespoons 

of honey and salt. Grease a 9-inch pie dish with additional butter. 

Pour the crumb mixture into the pie plate and evenly press to form a 

crust on the bottom and the sides. Place in the oven and bake for

15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. 

Note: we didn’t pre-bake, but allowed the crust to set and baked after 

adding the filling.

Meanwhile, add the condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and zest to 

a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pie crust then

bake for 15 minutes, or until set. 

Allow to cool then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably over-

night.

When ready to serve, beat the cream and remaining 3 tablespoons of 

honey together until it holds stiff peaks. (or make up Dream Topping as 

per instructions).

Using a spatula, evenly spread the whipped cream on top of the pie and 

garnish with additional lime zest and a thin slice or two of lime, if 

desired. 

Slice and serve!

Vegetable Quiche

I made this for a little New Year's/Three King's Day get-together with Iris and Johanna this week. Johanna made cheese fondue and arugula salad, and Iris brought the bread, dips and mango salsa. Most quiche recipes consist of several steps, starting with making and then blind-baking the crust, then adding the filling, and baking again. I didn't have time for that, and I also prefer a softer, not crunchy, bottom, so I combined several recipes based on Impossible Quiche. Most recipes for Impossible Quiche use Bisquick, but I didn't have that in the house, so I made substitutions and it worked out fine. I didn't remember to take a photo but I'm making this again soon and will try to remember to take a picture to add!

Vegetable Ingredients:
1 finely chopped small onion (½ medium)
1 small leek, white and green parts (sliced lengthwise to wash then cut into thin half-rings)
½ container mushrooms, sliced (or chopped depending on how much you have to hide them!)
black pepper
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp fresh or dried basil
½ cup frozen spinach
chives from the garden (optional)
¼ cup grated cheese (any kind you like, I used mozzarella) or more if you want it very cheesy
sliced tomatoes for the top (optional)

Wet Ingredients:
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup flour
3 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees F

Sauté onion, leek and mushrooms in olive oil with a little salt until wilted and slightly browned. Add black pepper, parsley and basil.  Add frozen spinach and stir until softened and heated through. Take off heat and set aside. 

In blender, combine milk, flour, eggs, baking powder and a little salt and blend on low for 1 minute. 

Butter a baking dish (I used an 8 inch square aluminum pan). Transfer vegetable mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over. Carefully pour milk and egg mixture over it. Lay thinly sliced tomatoes and the rest of the grated cheese. 

Bake 35-45 mins in the lower to middle part of the oven until golden and a little puffy. Check it after 35 mins, test it with a toothpick (should come out mostly dry). Cool slightly before cutting and serving so it sets up.