Cauliflower and Cumin soup

one head cauliflowerm
cumin
garlic
onions – two or three
chilli powder
paprika
chicken stock cubes
water

roughly chop onion, throw it in with as many peeled but whole garlic cloves as you want. I use brown shallots usually but they push it over ten dollars cos they aren’t as cheap. brown in a bit of butter for a while, then throw in the broken oup cauli, a few litres of water and all the other ingredients plus salt and pepper to taste, cook it til the cauli is mushy and the water has reduced down to the level suitable for how thick you would like the soup. blend the lot, salt and pepper to taste, and at this point if ive made it too runny i add a couple of potatoes and then blend it again once they are cooked. tastes like it has cream in it and is very cheap and healthy!!!

Red Lentil Soup

It’s winter time and what better on a cold cold night than a steaming bowl of soup!

RED LENTIL SOUP

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
Cracked black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup red lentils
1 litre vegetable stock
2 red onions, finely sliced
1 bunch (90 grams) coriander

Method
Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan and add diced onion, ginger and pepper. Cook over a medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the carrot, lentils and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add red onion. Wash coriander, and finely chop coriander, including roots, setting aside the top leafy bits for the garnish. Add the chopped coriander roots and stems to the red onion in fry pan and continue to cook, until the onion has caramelized.

To serve, ladle the soup into four soup bowls, garnish with a sprinkling of coriander leaves, then top with a spoonful of the caramelized onion. Yummy!

From Marie Claire – Kitchen

Lentil Burgers

I’m sure this could be made gluten free easily – I have made these before and they are very tasty.  

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1/2 cup (130g) low-fat plain yoghurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
• 2 tbs tahini*
• 1 cup cold mashed potato
• 400g canned brown lentils, rinsed, drained
• 1 tbs mild Indian curry paste (Check for gluten free)
• 4 spring onions thinly sliced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (made from day old GF Bread – just whiz in the food processor)
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 4 wholemeal buns (Gluten Free) (Or serve them witha salad)
• 4 slices tomato
• Snow pea shoots, to garnish

Method

1. To make the dressing, place the yoghurt, lemon juice and tahini in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then set aside.
2. Place the mashed potato, lentils, curry paste, spring onion, egg and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to bring the mixture together.
3. Divide the mixture into 4 patties, using additional breadcrumbs to help shape the patties.
4. Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and warmed through.
5. Serve on wholemeal buns with tomato slices, snow pea shoots and yoghurt dressing.

Notes & tips

• * Tahini is from supermarkets and health food shops.

Source

delicious. – October 2004 , Page 148

Recipe by Chrissy Freer