Author: Scottish Mum

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Soup Maker Recipe: Vegetable and Lentil Soup

Soup Maker Vegetable and Lentil Soup

Lesley Smith
4 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g Mixed Vegetables I used Potatoes, Carrot and Turnip
  • 50 g Lentils
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Spice
  • 1 Stock Pot
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 pinch Pepper
  • 800 ml Vegetable Stock

Instructions
 

  • As simple as can be. Just throw all your ingredients into the pot.

  • Set your soup maker to the smooth setting. As this soup cools, it will thicken a fair bit. It depends if you'd rather make it and eat it fresh, or wait until it has thickened and then re-heat it.

  • Season with other herbs or spices if you'd like a stronger taste.

 

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Soup Maker Club

Soups have begun to take over the blog.  I know a fair few of you visit, just for the soups.  I see many of you subscribing after reading soup posts, but if you’re just after soup recipes, you might not want to read lots of my other posts, articles and sometimes, even my rants over nothing much in particular, but things that bother me at that specific moment.  I’m very happy for you to stay subscribing to all posts here, but if you just want soups, smoothies and shakes, I’ve created a place for those to go.

I plan to keep soups I’ve made and photographed on the Scottish Mum blog, but for those of you who don’t want to read everything else, I’ve started a soup maker recipe specific blog.   All the recipes from here will be added, and there will be lots more recipes, particularly ones I’ve made, but have not got round to photographing.  For those, I might use a stock picture or just no picture at all, but rest assured, every one that makes on on this blog and on the Soup Maker Club and posted by me, will have been cooked up by my trusty Morphy Richards.

The new website won’t just be limited to a soup maker.  The plan is to enjoy soups of all kinds, from a pot, to bubbling in a tin over a camp fire, or even thrown into the microwave.  If you’ve got an unusual way of cooking soup, then I’d love to hear it from you and feature your own recipes over there.

Soupmaker club

All you have to do, is head over to soupmaker.club to find me over there.   Sign up to join the club, and instead of being sent each new recipe as it arrives, I’ll send you a digest of weekly or monthly news, including new recipes on the blog and posts, giving you the choice whether to check them out or not.

If you want to add your own recipes for the soupmaker club, just send them to me, or use the form on the website.  I can’t see my soupmaker being used any less than it is now, well not for the rest of my own life, so I’m hoping to build an impressive backlog of soups for us all to enjoy.

Thanks for listening and for the ongoing support of my readers, as without you, there would be no blog.

Lesley

x

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The House of Fraser Bloggers Recipe Book & My Cheese and Tomato Quiche Recipe

The House of Fraser have been doing some sterling work with bloggers recently.  We much appreciate the time and effort gone into what they do while they work with us.  I’m delighted to show you the results of my recipe in their fabulous book.

I chose one of my recipes that is easy to make and even easier to eat.  Quiche is one of the most undercooked dishes around, and that’s not because people don’t like it.  It’s more to do with it being a pastry dish, and just the thought of cooking pastry, hardens the heart of most home cooks who are trying to make a meal on a budget or within a time constraint.

For me, shortcrust pastry is the one I will make at home.  I know some cooks who will go all out and make their own puff pastry, but that’s one step too far for me.  I like to keep things simple.  For this recipe, I’ve let you off easy, with the option to buy your own, as I begin the process from rolling the dough.

House of Fraser Blogger Recipe Book 1

My recipe is on pages 40 – 45.  I’m delighted with the result and my book stands in pride of place on my bookshelf.  It’s not every day you see one of your recipes in print.

House of Fraser Blogger Recipe Book 2

 

House of Fraser Blogger Recipe Book 3

So here it is, my simple recipe for Cheese and Tomato Quiche.

Cheese & Tomato Quiche Recipe

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Ingredients
  

  • 700 g Shortcrust Pastry
  • 250 g Cherry Tomatoes Cut Into Thirds
  • 500 g Mild Cheddar Cheese Grated
  • 12 Eggs
  • 200 ml Milk

Instructions
 

  • Taking the dough out of the fridge, flour a surface so that you can roll out the dough to the shape you need. For 8 small dishes, I break my dough into two equal sections, break each of those into two again and then once again half each piece until I have 8 equal sized portions. Set your oven to 160-170C.
  • I use my rolling pin to roll the dough to a slightly larger size than I need for my flan dishes. I used to butter the dish before putting my pastry in, but now I have more professional baking tins, the ones I use for my flans (which came from tesco) don’t need greased before cooking, but I often still spray on some one cal spray or oven release spray.
  • I plop my rolled out piece of dough in the flan dish, press around the bottom and the top, which takes the excess dough off the tin. I'm never precise with this and sometimes have to take some bits that overlap off the top and fill in any gaps. You won't notice it when your flan is cooked.
  • Fill the flan dishes equally with the cheese and half the chopped tomatoes.
  • Break your eggs into a jug and add the milk. Beat the egg and milk together until it is fully mixed.
  • Fill each flan dish to about half an inch from the top with the egg/milk mix, and push the rest of the tomatoes into the top.
  • Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the flans don't wobble if you shake the tray. The tops should be a lovely golden colour. When you take them out of the oven, the flans will have risen in the middle, approximately an inch or two high. They will flatten down after a few minutes out of the oven, and look more like shop bought quiche looks.
  • Serve hot, or put them in the fridge when they are cool, to eat cold on another day.

 

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Soup Maker Recipe: Cream of Aubergine and Butter Bean Soup

Keeping Aubergine Soup simple isn’t as easy as it looks.  The sponge like texture ensures you need to work fast, or it may discolour more quickly than you expect.  Leave peeling your Aubergines till last (or Egg Plants for those across the water).

For this version, I wanted to make it without much preparation, so I went for a can of butter beans that was in my cupboard and fast approaching its sell by date.  It’s as good an excuse to make up a soup as any.  Finished with pink peppercorns on the top, this looked lovely on the table.

Soup Maker: Cream of Aubergine and Butter Bean Soup (Egg Plant)

Lesley Smith
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g Aubergine Egg Plant (Cut into smallish cubes)
  • 200 g Butter Beans
  • 1 Vegetable Stock Pot
  • 1 Herb Flavour Pot
  • 150 ml Fresh Cream (Single or Double)
  • 700 ml Boiling Water Approximately ((or up to your maximum fill level - it could be less than this due to springiness of the Aubergine))

Instructions
 

  • As simple as it can be. Just add all the ingredients to the pot, choose your setting and put your feet up for around 20 - 30 minutes..
  • Be careful with liquid here. You can only fill your maker to its maximum fill lever, which could be less than the ingredients in my recipe needed. Check your appliance. Aubergine soaks up liquid like a sponge, so you need to be extra careful.
  • For this version, I first selected the chunky option, to ensure there was no explosion if the Aubergine swelled up when boiled. Thankfully, it all worked out fine and I could blend it afterwards. You know your own soupmaker, so choose the option that suits you.

 

 

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Soup Maker Recipe: Curried Parsnip and Spring Onion Soup

I find parsnips to be a bit blah on their own.  Ok, so they’re not so bad when they’re roasted, but if I’m making soup, I don’t have time for that, so the addition of herbs or spices is needed here, for it to be palatable.

This version of curried parsnip soup relies on sauteed spring onions to bring out a great taste that compliments the parsnips themselves.  Remember, you can also make these in a pot, but might need some extra liquid due to boil off that doesn’t happen in a soup maker.  Also remember to stir well.  If you’d rather not have a green tinge to your soup, leave out the spring onion stems and add more bulbs or onions.

Soup Maker Recipe: Curried Parsnip and Spring Onion Soup

Lesley Smith
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g Spring Onions Chopped. I also use the green stems.
  • 100 g White Onions Chopped
  • 500 g Parsnips Peeled and Chopped
  • 1 Vegetable Stock Pot
  • 1 Curry Stock Pot (or use 2 teaspoons of curry powder)
  • 900 ml Water Or up to the 1.6 Litre fill level.
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper To Taste.
  • Crushed Chillies To Serve. If you dare..

Instructions
 

  • Saute your spring onions and white onions in the olive oil, vegetable stock pot and curry stock pot until the onions are soft.
  • Add the onions, parsnips and water to your soup maker.
  • Select the smooth setting for a rich soup. Optionally, you can add some cream after cooking for a more luxurious soup.

Curried Parsnip and Spring Onion 2

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Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Chicken enchiladas are a great way of getting some protein into children, by the chicken and cheese, but for me, I wanted to add a little more veg, so the passata was added as a base, and to spoon over the dish.

Instead of finger food, it does take a knife and fork to eat while it’s hot, unless you’re happy to have tomatoey fingers spreading the red stuff everywhere, though as a cold snack, it’s fabulous finger food.

Chicken Enchiladas

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Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g Passata
  • 1 Medium - Large Chicken Pre-cooked and cut up or Shredded.
  • 500 g Cheddar Cheese Grated
  • pinch Parsley
  • Coriander
  • Pepper
  • 200 g Sour Cream or Sour Cream and Onion Dip
  • 100 g Onions Chopped

Instructions
 

  • Pre Heat the oven to around 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C.
  • Pre-Cook your chicken in a pan until cooked through. Add onions, sour cream, half the cheese, some parsley, coriander, pepper and chilli powder to the pan. Cook until the cheese melts into the mixture.
  • Use a large baking dish, layering the bottom with tomato passata. Lay you tortilla's out, so that you get two with each tortilla wrap. Fill each one with mixture, then arrange in your baking dish, on top of the passata. Use a spatula or teaspoon to spoon some passata over the top.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes.

 

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Soup Maker Recipe: Budget Chicken Noodle Soup

Have you ever gone to your cupboard when you can’t be bothered shopping, or you’re in a hurry and no time to get anything, but have some hungry mouths to feed.  This recipe is more or less down to the kids loving noodles, but not having any fresh in the house.

Feel free to change the potatoes with any other veg you happen to have handy in your cupboard.  Granted, this isn’t the prettiest soup on the planet, but it is like having a full meal in a bowl.

Soup Maker Recipe: Budget Chicken Noodle Soup 1.6 Litres

Lesley Smith
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 packet Chicken Noodles Approximately 85g
  • 1 Chicken Stock Cube
  • 250 g Cubed Potatoes
  • 200 g Pre-Cooked Chicken Shredded
  • 1 Dessert spoon Flour
  • 1 l Boiling Water

Instructions
 

  • Open your pack of instant noodles and break them up as you put them into your soupmaker.
  • Add the cubed potatoes, stock cubes and the pack of flavouring from your noodles. Put the chicken in, then stir in the litre of boiling water. Make sure you do not overfill your own machine if it is different from mine.
  • Choose a chunky setting for a bowlful that looks like a casserole, or blend it for a smooth version.

 

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Car That Fits A Wheelchair in the Boot. How Hard Can It Be?

Well, we’ve been at it for nearly a year now, this manipulating an unsteady person anywhere she needs to go.  It’s been a full year since my mother had the first of two nasty infections, from which she’s never fully recovered.

What did change, was her brain.  Damaged, and with significant vascular changes.  Her physical strength and arthritis has deteriorated to such an extent, that she finds it difficult and painful to walk more than a very short distance.  Over the last year, her short term memory had diminished significantly and her confidence to go out is totally shot.

From someone who ‘had’ to go out at least once a day, I’m lucky if I can get her out of the house once a month.  It’s not good for her, and it’s not good for me being trapped in the house so much, only being able to leave her for spells that rivalled elderly dog ownership, as her insulin levels have to be checked regularly.  She’s not safe with medication or her insulin on her own, and if she takes a  hypo, there would be no-one to help her.  She cannot manage her testing kit for herself.

Where I thought I’d have an easy time, was finding a wheelchair friendly car, that would also double as our family car.  Both our cars are on the way out.  The Discovery has given up the ghost and she can’t get up and into it now. anyway, so it would have to go, even if it was still behaving itself.  It’s beside the point that it’s leaking water and the electrics are dodgy.

The man could fix it, but he’s never got the time and he won’t pay for someone else to do what he can do, so it’s at stalemate.  I do love the Discovery, but if it were garage maintained, we’d need a whole new mortgage to keep it up.

Wheelchair

We also have an old Vauxhall family car that has a fault somewhere that keeps draining the battery.  The fix would likely cost far more than the car is worth.  I do need a car that doesn’t need jumpstarted every second day, and I’d like to find the information I’m looking for online, but it’s harder than it looks.  I did consider a Vauxhall Insignia, but they’re too low for her to get in and out of.

All I want is a car that will take a bog standard manual wheelchair, one that’s not too low so that I don’t break my back getting her in and out, and not too high, so that I have to lift her in either.  Oh yes, I also need to fit 5 people in the car, and I don’t want to pay a fortune in road tax every year, nor pay a whack on customising a family car.

I also can’t face the Citreon Berlingo, nor the boxy cars.  It’s my car.  I know we all have different ideas of what is nice and what’s not, but I don’t want to saddle myself with what I see as a horrible looking car, just because I need one that fits a wheelchair in the boot.  Selfish, maybe, but it’s my money, and I should be able to spend it on something that suits our family, not something we’re stuck with because there’s nothing else.

Can I find the information I need online?  Perhaps I’m looking in the wrong places.

There’s a large proportion of the population who need wheelchairs, so I can’t believe how difficult it is to find out if a car boot can take one.  You’d think with the money spent on advertising and lovely glossy brochures, that there would be something in them.  A line somewhere that gave an indication of suitability for wheelchairs.  Yes, I can see boot dimensions, but given the angle of some boots, they can look big enough in theory, but if it narrows in the wrong place, a wheelchair won’t fit in, and I’d like to carry some shopping at times too.

Before I go to look at a car, I want to know it will fit the wheelchair, otherwise I’m stuck to lugging the thing around with me and taking it out at every car dealership, which is a pretty daft way of going shopping.  Why do they mention cup holders, bluetooth connection, seat warmers, and neglect to add a pretty basic feature?  Perhaps wheelchairs just aren’t sexy enough, or, as I said before, I’m looking in the wrong places, but if I am, then shouldn’t it be easier to find the right places?

I will say though, that I do like the look of the hybrids.  I’m tempted to look for a Toyota Prius, or the smaller ones along those lines.  I did consider the Nissan Leaf, but the driving range would drive me round the bend, though guess what…I don’t know if they’re worth looking at, as I don’t know if a wheelchair will fit in the boot……..and I can’t be bothered going to find out.

I may just pick up a banger from the car mart to tide me over,  because I can’t decide, and don’t have time to visit dozens of showrooms to find out.

Have a good day all, and hope you all stay safe in the windy weather.

 

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Soup Maker Recipe: Carrot and Coriander Soup

This is a luxurious and tasty, not to mention creamy soup, intended for soupmakers up to 1.6 litres.

If you think it may be too rich for you, replace the cream with more boiling water or stock and away you go with the low calorie version.

Soup Maker Recipe: Carrot and Coriander Soup

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Course Soup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • 200 ml Fresh Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
  • 800 ml Boiling Water
  • 1 Stock Pot Vegetable or Chicken
  • 600 g Carrots Peeled and Sliced or Chopped
  • 75 g Onion Chopped
  • 75 g Potatoes Sliced

Instructions
 

  • Saute the onions in the olive oil, adding your stock pot as the onions soften.
  • In the pot, add your onion mix, and the rest of your ingredients. Make sure to stir well before switching it on. It really does help to avoid soup sticking to the base of your soup maker if you don't have a non stick surface.
  • Select the smooth function for this option.
  • Serve with croutons.

 

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Soup Maker Recipe: Winter Vegetable Soup

This usually just involves whatever you have in your vegetable drawer over winter.  Don’t be too strict with your choice of ingredients, just enjoy the soup when it’s ready.  This version is red onion, potatoes, leek, turnip and carrot.

Soup Maker Recipe: Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe – 1.6 Litres

Lesley Smith
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 150 g Red Onions Sliced
  • 150 g Leek Chopped
  • 100 g Carrot Sliced
  • 100 g Swede or Turnip (Chopped)
  • 200 g Baby Potatoes Washed and Thrown In Whole
  • 50 g Butter
  • 1 Chicken Stock Pot
  • 800 ml Boiling Water or Stock

Instructions
 

  • Saute your onions and leek for a couple of minutes, until they're soft, but still light in colour.
  • Add all your ingredients to the pot, stir well and select your chosen setting.
  • We like smooth soups most, so we chose the smooth option on our Morphy Richards. If you are going for chunky soup, you might prefer to chop your vegetables smaller and peel your baby potatoes.
  • Serve hot with fresh bread.

 

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Review: New Morphy Richards Sauté and Soup Maker

I bought this Morphy Richards Sauté and Soup Maker with Serrated Blade recently, to replace my older Morphy Richards Soup Maker.  I love the quantities and ease of cleaning with the Morphy Richards soup makers, so there was not even a discussion in my mind as to whether I should get one or not.    I was lucky enough to get mine from Costco at a great price, though Amazon seem to have them for around £52.

I have six people to feed, and my mother, who had dementia, is also diabetic.  To get good food into her, the soup maker is just so easy.  I throw all the ingredients into the pot, then twenty minutes later we have bowls of great tasting soup for her.

I did find that trying to sauté ingredients with my old maker was a bit of a faff, as it had to be done separately, so another pan to clean.  Because of that, I rarely bothered, unless I wanted a specific taste.  I did get a bit of a surprise when I switched on the Sauté and Soup maker, to find out just how quickly that it heated up the integrated sauté function.

The inside of the soup maker has a coating, which you can effectively fry onions, butter, garlic and any vegetables you fancy on it.  The smells that come off are amazing and to be honest, they really do make any soup taste much more appealing.

morphy richards saute and soup maker featured

The secret to good soup is always great stock, but there are ways to cheat with good herb and stock pots.  You have to find a way that suits you.

Here’s a little about the maker.

Sauté 

Just pop a little butter or oil into the bottom of the jug and throw in onions, bacon bits, some herbs, garlic, ginger or spices and let them fry for a minute or two.  I use a wooden spoon to give the vegetables a little stir around while they’re cooking.

Morphy richards saute and soup maker 3

Settings

We can choose which settings to use.  Smooth takes the soup into a quick pureed state, while chunky is just that, although it takes a few minutes more for the soup to be ready.  There’s actually even a pause setting that allows you to remove the lid and add some seasonings before the cooking starts again.  There’s a blend function for if the soup isn’t smooth enough for you, and the last one is the juicer function, which I have to admit, I haven’t used with this soup maker yet.

Morphy richards saute and soup maker 4

Serving Capacity

1.6 litres, or 1.4 litre options.    The booket says for servings up to 4 people, but I manage to get enough with one kettle full for three adults and three children.  And if we need more, it only takes 20 minutes to make it, so I can have another pot brewing while we eat our first bowlful.

Non stick coating

This is a fabulous addition to the soup maker.  I’m not sure what more I can say.  It is easier to empty the soup immediately out of the soup maker and rinse it off there and then.  Dried on soup is harder to remove afterwards and you don’t want water to get into the electrical points.

Morphy richards saute and soup maker 2

Making soup is a dawdle in a soupmaker.  It even means that I can just leave it to get on with the job while I do something else.  Anything that saves time foodie wise is a bonus in my eyes, and I don’t have to worry about a pan drying out or boiling over.

A soup maker is the one item, apart from an oven obviously, that I will replace time and time again in my kitchen when one fails.  I can’t say more than that really.  Have I said before how fabulous these are?  Maybe so, but I’ll probably repeat myself for the rest of my life on this item.

I have a fair few soup recipes online.  You can find them here if you’re interested, or check the soups section on the menu bar.

 

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Christmas Tree Napkin Fold Tutorial

Christmas Tree napkin Fold Tutorial 1

This is so simple to do, and looks great on a table, or place setting.  It’s something a little different and personalised for your Xmas day guests.  Napkin folding is not something new, but we all appreciate the little touches that made Christmas Day that little bit more special.

Christmas Tree Napkin Fold 2

Here’s how to do it for yourself.

Step 1

Take your regular napkin from a pack and lay it flat.  Most napkins will come out of the pack ready to go, but just in case yours isn’t, you’ll need to fold it into a square.

Turn the napkin towards you, so it looks like a diamond shape, with the loose ends under your fingertips, like the image above.

Step 2

All you have to do is take one layer at a time and fold it upwards, so that it rests around half an inch or so from the top, and fold the line.  Do this with all four layers until you have the same shape as below.

Step 3

Turn the napkin around.  It should resemble a boat shape.

Christmas Tree Napkin Fold 11

Step 4

The aim is to have the point shape at the centre of the bottom of the napkin.  Fold the right hand side over to mid way on the opposite side and fold over.  Do the same for the left hand side.

Step 5

The point shape at the bottom should be in the right place.  When the sides are folded over, turn the napkin around again, and set it this way up.

Christmas Tree Napkin Fold 15

Some people will stop here, but if you want to have the full effect, simply fold each layer back on itself, and tuck it into the one above.