To warm your heart . . . and your tummy!

Woke up to a very cold, frosty morning – and we have only a sprinkling of snow  compared to other parts of the country!  My poor hens looked frozen so after giving them a big warm dish of meal, the best thing to do was to get back in my lovely warm kitchen and start cooking!  John’s gone fishing and will be back soon complaining of cold and hunger so obviously the best thing to do was soup!

Most of this blog is all about getting you to love cooking, even if just for yourself, so I have tried to avoid “make some and freeze some” recipes but it’s a bit difficult making soup for one! So enjoy the below today, freeze some for another – or even take some round to a sick friend or elderly neighbour.  It’s so full of goodness, it practically does cartwheels by itself!

SATAY SWEET POTATO SOUP

• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks (save peelings*)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 garlic clove (more if you like it)
• 1 inch fresh root ginger, grated
• 1 – 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 60 g red lentils
• 1 pint vegetable stock
• juice of a lime (don’t miss this out as it really makes a difference! )
• 2 dessertspoons peanut butter
• optional – a teaspoon of red thai curry paste – if you like some heat!

Heat the oil in a pan and fry onions, garlic and carrots to soften. Add ginger and chilli, potato chunks, tomatoes, lentils, stock and lime juice. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Add the peanut butter.  You can leave it chunky or whizz up with a blender, adding more water if needed to loosen.  Serve in big bowls with crisp peelings* and lime wedges.

* to crisp peelings, scatter them on a baking tray and toss through some oil and seasoning.  Bake at 200c for 15 minutes until golden.

DO NOT DO what I did which was get them to the perfect stage, switch off the oven but leave them in there – so that when you go back to them they are black cremated offerings!  Pride/smugness comes before a fall!