Leek & Potato Soup

A perfect winter warmer. Quick, cheap & easy. 

Ingredients

2 large leeks

3 medium potatoes

1 carrot

Salt & Pepper

Optional: Onion, thyme, bay leaf, stock 

Estimated time: 1hour

Method

1. Peel and chop the potatoes and carrots. Chop the leeks.

2. Heat some oil in a pan then gently fry the leeks for 3-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Boil the kettle. 

3. Add the potatoes and carrots and stir. 

4. Pour the boiling water into the pan until it covers the contents. You can add a stock cube (chicken/veg) to this if you wish.

5. Season the soup with salt, pepper and herbs. I chose thyme and I also added a bay leaf for some extra flavour. 

6. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30-40minutes until the water has reduced and the veg is soft.

7. Take the pan off the heat and remove the bay leaf (if used).

8. The sensible thing to do next is allow the soup to cool before you blend it, however if you can't wait (like me), allow it to cool slightly then blend with a hand blender.  Hold a tea towel around the blender to avoid splashes/hot soup in your face.

9. ENJOY! Add cream/cheese to the top if you wish. 

Italian Style Hot Chocolate

After trying hot chocolate in Italy I really wanted to recreate the deliciousness at home. Mike and I adapted a recipe from Nigella Lawson and even though the end result was tasty, it was nothing compared to the way the Italians make it. Maybe you need the atmosphere to make it better and probably better quality chocolate. Also Nigella actually describes this recipe as chocolate pudding, I would say served hot this was more hot chocolate style and served cold was more a mousse/pudding.

Ingredients

250ml full fat milk
125ml double cream
60g caster sugar
15g cornflour
35g cocoa powder
30ml boiling water
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g dark choc

Estimated time: 30 mins

Method

1. Grate the chocolate.
2. Mix the milk and cream and warm it in the microwave. Boil the kettle.
3. Put the sugar and cornflour into a pan, sieve in the cocoa powder and mix in the boiling water until it becomes a paste.
4. Put the pan on a low to mid heat and mix as it cooks. Stop when the mixture is to your required thickness (usually 3-5mins).
5. Turn off the heat and add the grated chocolate. 
6. Serve either hot or cold and with cream if you want to.

I think next time I would use better quality chocolate with a stronger cocoa content in order to give a stronger taste. Also I would take the mixture off the heat slightly sooner as small bits had started to stick. Overall we were pleased with the result but not a complete match for the Italian made variety!

Weekend Ideas

When I visited Rome in January I had my first experience of an italian hot chocolate. It was AMAZING, so this weekend I am going to attempt to make my own :) (along with some kind of cake most likely!)