How to make fresh and healthy tomato and basil soup

Lately, I think about what I put in my mouth a lot more than I ever have. It's probably because of people close to me who have been diagnosed with cancer. I am making conscious decisions to eat less processed, preserved food pumped full of colours, chemicals, antibiotics and hormones. We have started going to the markets more and buying fresh foods.

A few weeks ago I found this recipe and tried it out. Today I am sharing it with you!

First, boil water and put your tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds and right after that in icy water.

Skin will peel off beautifully!

Turn the oven to about 220C.

Also quarter some onions and put them in the oven with the tomatoes.

Sprinkle over oil (I used macadamia oil but olive would do just fine), sesame oil (I love the kick that it adds but if you don't have it, I don't think that it's a deal breaker), salt, pepper, and I sprinkled over some soy sauce.

Put everything in the oven for about 30 minutes. Get some chicken stock and put it on stand-by.

Once onions and tomatoes are ready, take them out and put them in a blender with the stock. Get some crusty, fresh bread and cheese in the oven.

Add a handful of basil and the stock in the blender with the tomatoes and put it on the stove to warm up. I also added a bit of thickened cream to make the soup smoother.

Once that's all ready, warm the soup up but don't let it get to boiling point. Dish it up and serve it. It's beautiful and tastes even better when you know you are putting in your body something fresh and healthy!


Ingredients:
Tomatoes (about 9)
Onions (2)
Basil
Salt, pepper, sesame oil, olive oil
Chicken stock
Bread
Cheese

Love cooking. Cooking love.

What is it about eating a meal prepared by someone that makes you feel loved? Maybe it’s just me, but when someone makes me a meal, it is not just food that fills my belly, it is love from that person that I swallow with every bite. It tastes so good!

I remember those mornings when Rochelle and I lived together, when I woke up and coffee was gurgling and smelling so good in the coffee machine and she had made fresh muffins for breakfast. Or Sarah making some goodies and leaving a note saying “feel free to have some”, or mom making breakfast with eggs and bacon when I visit, or Lynn, Neil’s mom, experimenting with delicious salads and dinners when we were staying with them. I remember those times and they are so much more than just eating – they make me feel so loved by those people.

I have borrowed some cooking magazines from the library and some of these recipes seemed really interesting to me. Feel free to look through them and make someone feel loved. Or just read them and be inspired to do some delicious cooking today!



Little pea omelets in ciabatta
Serves 4
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
1tblsp extra virgin oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs
½ cup chopped mint leaves
4 small ciabatta rolls, split
12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the peas in a pan of boiling salted water –5 mins for fresh and 1 min for frozen. Drain, rinse put aside.

Preheat the grill on high. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan, set aside. Add the onion, cook until softened.

Place the eggs and mint in a bowl and season, whisk to combine, pour the mixture on the onion. Add the drained peas, place the frying pan under the grill. Grill for 1-2 mins until just set.

Cut into quarters.

Fill rolls with mint, tomatoes and a wedge of omelet.

Spinach, avocado and pumpkin seed salad
250 baby spinach leaves
½ cup pumpkin seeds
2 small avocados
1tsp pumpkin seed oil
2tbsp peanut oil
Zest and juice of 1 lime

Combine it all! 

Avocado dip
Fresh 2 avocados
Juice of ½ lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 vine ripened tomatoe, seeds removed, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
¼ bunch coriander

Serve with chips and carrot sticks

Chunky Hummus Dip
800g canned chickpeas
½ cup (125ml) lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1tbsp tahini

Serve with chips or veggies!

Coconut, chocolate, banana mini muffins!!
125 g unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup (165 g) caster sugar
3 ripe bananas, roughly chopped
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (300 g) self raising flour, sifted
½ cup (45g) desiccated coconut
½ cup (100g) dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 200C and grease the muffin pan.

Process butter, caster sugar, banana, eggs and vanilla in a food processor.

Place flour, coconut and chocolate in a large bowl, then fold in banana mixture.

Bake for 15 mins or until golden brown.


Caprese salad
2 large ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 large fresh mozzarella or bocconcini ball, thickly sliced
Handful of fresh basil leaves
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Overlap tomatoe and cheese slices.
Scatter over the basil leaves
Drizzle over the olive oil.
Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Minestrone
Serves 10 (about 3.5 l)

½ cup dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water for 6 hours overnight
½ cup dried borlotti beans, soaked in cold water for 6 hours overnight

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 leek (white part only), finely chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1cm cubes
¼ small pumpkin (400 g) cut into cubes
2 medium potatoes
½ large kumara (200g)
2 L (8cups) vegetable stock
2 dried bay leaves
2 zucchini
4 oven roasted tomatoe halves
1 cup broccoli or cauliflower florets
¼ cup (65g) basil pesto
½ cup finely chopped basil leaves

Cook chickpeas for 50 mins and beans for 30 mins in separate pans.
Cover with cold water and set aside.

Heat the oil ina large pan. Add the: onion and leak. Cook, stirring for 5 mins.
Add carrot, pumpkin, potatoe, and kumara. Cook stirring for 5 mins.
Add stock, bay leaves, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes and 2 cups (500 ml) boiling water. Bring to simmer.

Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 mins, until veggies are tender.

Add the drained beans and chickpeas with the pesto, basil and enough extra boiling water to cover the veggies. Cook for another 3-5 mins.


Tomatoe & chickpea soup
Serves 6

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
400 g canned chopped tomatoes
400 g canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained
6 slices ciabatta

The the oil. Cook onion until soft
Add garlic, cumin and thyme, stir for 1 min.
Stir in tomatoes and 1 cup (250 ml) water, season to taste.
Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 mins.

Pour half the soup into processor and blitz a few times.
Return blended soup to pan with chickpeas and simmer over low for 2-3 mins.

More mmmm recipes

Vegetable Satay soup

450 g/1lb new potatoes
1 carrot
175 g/6oz green beans
1 vegetable stock cube
100 g/4oz podded broad beans (or frozen or canned)
330ml jar satay sauce
175 g/6oz cherry tomatoes, halved
pitta bread, to serve

1. Cut the potatoes up, quarter carrots longways, then cut them across in small pieces. Trim the beans, cut them in short sticks

2. Put the potatoes and carrots in a medium pan with 850 ml/1/2 pints of water and the stock cube. Bring to biol, stir to dissolve the cube, simmer covered for 10-12 mins, tip in the beans and simmer for 2 mins

3. Pour the satay sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Serve with pita bread.

Pumpkin soup and cheese puffs

Yesterday Judi and Graham invited us over to their house for dinner once again. I tell you, these people have really treated us like thier own children. Needless to say that we are loving it! Anyway, they whipped up this dinner while we were there and so I remember I will share the recipe with you. A good way to get your daily veggie portions and to eat pumpkin. I have noticed that grilled pumpkin is very popular in salads here. Mmm.

Pumpkin Soup
One onion sliced
Put the onion in a saucepan and add butter, let it start cooking while you are
seeding and skinnign about half of medium green pumpkin, cut it in about half inch chunks
add the pumpkin in the saucepan
let it cook for a little while in the butter
add salt and pepper
add water so everything is covered but not like floating in the water
leave it to cook for about half hour
when the pumpkin is cooked, take the saucepan and whip all the contents with the handblender so it's all mushy

add some soured cream and call everyone to dinner

Cheese Puffs
While the soup is cooking take 2 cups of flour
2 cups of grated cheese
in the measuring cup put in 2 eggs and add milk in the egg cups so that the measuring cup is full (while the eggs are still in it)
mix it all together
grease the big muffin baking tray
put in the contents and stick it in the oven

The soup and the cheese puffs compliment each other wonderfully!

Lasagna inspired by Italy

Actually, it's inspired by my co-worker who gave me the recipe on the way home from work. It turned out b e a u t i f u l!!! Try it if you're in the mood for some Italian.

For starters pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy it while cooking (my addition).



Then, cut up and fry in olive oil the following:
3 mushrooms
1 carrot
1 onion
you can add some garlic but not necessary

Add ground beef (about half a kilo)
1 can of chopped tomatoes
3/4 can of tomato sauce
instead of salt I added soy sauce
1 cube of beef stalk (bouillon)

For the cheese sauce:
1 oz butter (I was told that the trick is NOT to use margarine)
1 oz flour
3/4 pint milk
add in grated cheese slowly
Slowly mix everything together on slow fire until it all melts together

Put in the pan the meat first, then pre-cooked lasagna, cheese sauce - continue until the pan is full. I also added bread crumbs and grated cheese on top.

I put it in 180C for 45 minutes (we have a fan oven so it might vary if yours is different). Until it was bubbling and crusty golden brown and looked delicious.

When it's all done and ready and you are bubbling yourself from polishing about half a bottle of wine by now, enjoy this low calorie, nutritious meal. (yeah right!)

Three Minute Spelt Bread

My mom in law is the healthiest eater I have EVER seen. They are not just vegeterians, they are also vegans, which means they don't eat milk products or eggs. I know what you are thinking - boring! But while living with them for a week when we first arrived, I realized that there is so much good and delicious you can make with just the vegetables and seeds and sprouts that it really opened my eyes to a whole new world. Whenever we go to their house for dinner, Neils first words are "Mom, did you add sausages to that???" I do have to say that at 55 she looks better then I at 28 and father in law at 67 goes to the doc less often than I do.

I am sharing one recipe she gave me to make bread in the oven. It tastes really good and it doesn't need the rising yeast. Enjoy!

500g spelt flour
10g fast-acting dried yeast
Half tspn sea salt
50g sunflower seeds
50g sesame seeds
50 linseeds (flax)
500ml warm water

Preheat oven 200C / gas mark 6.
Combine all ingredients, adding the water last. Mix well and turn the
dough into a greased 2lb loaf tin. Put straight into the oven and
bake for an hour. Remove the loaf, turn it out of the tin and then
return it to the oven without the tin for a further 5-10 minutes.

if you remember, i am the same chick who had trouble toasting bread. well, i don't set the fire alarms in the house anymore. i just took the batteries out of them and the toast comes out nice and cruchy!

i do have to say that i have taken a whole new liking to cooking. it seems like there was this barrier i had to get past to start actually enjoying it. and now, when i look back, i don't think that the problem was bad cooking (neil would probably disagree with this) i think the problem was my lack of confidence.

somewhere along the lines i made cookies that looked like french pancakes and some other creations that even i couldn't name, that was salted with a bit of sarcasm from those who saw (rarely did anyone dare to try it actually) and i refused to try again.

then i was sort of thrown into the deep end and had somewhat of heart pulpitations when i had to think of making a dinner for neil. until last time when i went shopping and bought all kinds of meats that i had never even heard of - like brisket. a who? it was on sale and i got it anyways. i typed in for recipe ideas on the internet and to my not surprise at all, pretty much all the sites said that it's one of the hardest to cook meats. great! but i did try it and made in the crock pot and actually liked it. today i am after something new again - chicken parmesan, i have no doubt that it will be wonderful, once again. if no one else, at least i will think so...

the cooking lesson i've learned is that it's not in the chef, it's in the confidence - anyone can cook. it's just finding who will eat the cooking... :)

if it has the words "easy" and "meat" in it

i tell you what, people. you get married and all of a sudden you have to cook. i've survived on tuna in cans and spinach and gourmet bake-from-a-box, on special occasions, for the last 10 years but now i have this new "hobby".

i visit the grocery store about 5 times a week because i am always out of something. and when i go to get the "staples" there are all these sales on all these goodies that there is never enough space to get everything home. yeah, try to carry 5 full plastic bags of food home. aha, i thought so.

but don't be smirking there, i did the crockpot dinner and it was good if you discount the meat that needed knife to be hammered in to cut it but i blame it on a bad chunk of meat. and i did mashed potatoes and fish WITH GRAVY!!!! and it was made from a scratch - i added the milk and hot water and that, my friend, counts for something!!!! and i did a pizza, which was seriosly good and who cares that the crust was already done! and today i have found a recipy with magic words that satisfy both me and my husband: easy meatballs in mushroom sauce. well, i might not have things like onions and cooking oats but who cares - they are not NECESSARY. are they?