pots & vans

It's hard to make a pureed soup look inviting, but this was yum. Soup. When we are wondering what to make up for dinner, putting together a soup with what's in the cupboard or fridge is always an option. Today it was potatoes and cauliflower, but we cranked it up with some Italian sausage and some trusty spices. The Sicilian olives worked well too ... I pulled a bottle out of the cupboard for my second helping! Servings 4  Time about 1 hour.  Equipment I used (main) Saucepan Pan (for sausages) baking dish Chopping boards and knife Wooden spoon, tongs for turning sausages and ladle for serving Measuring 'cup' for stock Bowl (for chopped cauliflower) Blender Grater Ingredients Oil 1 onion, diced (I would have preferred a leek if I had one on the fridge) 2x garlic cloves, diced 1 tbs cumin 1 tbs ground coriander 1 x cinnamon stick  3 x small potatoes 1 x small cauliflower Chicken stock (1 litre) 2 x Italian sausages (or small bottle of pitted Sicilian olives) Pepper and sa...

Risotto is comfort food and is a go-to favourite for us in the van. It's easy to make, ingredients can be flexible depending on what is in the fridge, and it can taste so good, especially when the weather is cool. Servings 2 Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then ~ ½ hour cooking time. Equipment (main) Deep pan Large saucepan (for stock) Chopping boards and knife Spatula and wooden spoon (I find I use two stirrers with risotto because the rice tends to stick.) Ingredients olive oil 1x small onion, diced ½ red capsicum, chopped ¾ cup arborio rice cup of cheap wine wine chicken stock, ~700ml (2 x cubes) handful of mushrooms, chopped good bunch of kale, de-stalked and chopped 2x Italian sausages, cut into pieces parmesan, small pile grated (for a bit of punch) butter, 2 x knobs (for creaminess) pepper to taste Method Cooking risotto requires continual attention, so I prepare all the ingredients beforehand. Once everything has been gathered and chopped ... Bring the stock to t...