pots & vans

We've got three go-to soups ... ones that we have made countless times because they always deliver. But they are all meat based, so this original recipe is an attempt to do a simple but satisfying veg soup. It will be nothing like it, but there is some inspiration from Tiamo 's lentil soup (not on the menu anymore from what I can tell), that was a favourite. One of the advantages of this soup will be not having to cook it for as long as we do with chicken, lamb or beef based soups. Recipe will serve 4-6 depending on serving size. Equipment chopping board and knife Decent size pot Ingredients Veg leek, 1 chopped celery, 2 sticks chopped carrot, 2 diced peas, 1 cup green lentils, 300g Spices minced ginger, 1 heaped tbsp minced garlic, 1 heaped tbsp garam masala, 2 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp bay leaves, x4 parsley, handful, chopped pepper and salt liquid olive oil tomatoes, 1 400g tin veg stock, 1 litre Method sauté onion, celery, carrot in oil, wit...

This is a recipe from The Chicken Manifesto  and comes from the Konga Nadu area of India, which I adapted with simplified ingredients for the van. This meant using spices that I had, for example ground cumin rather than cumin seeds. I also added greens (broccoli and beans) and a dollop of yogurt to serve.  We've been in Brunswick Heads for a while, and even though it's not cold, the perpetual rain showers make it feel like soup weather. We're also cooking big pots of food to share with Johanna, Luke and Willow while they wait for a new little human to come into the world. I've been making pots of soup to fill their freezer ... Unlike most chicken soups I've cooked, this one cooks the chicken in water/stock, then adds it later to a paste flavoured broth prepared in parallel. Servings pot of soup, 4-6 people Time 2½ hours, most of that cooking time. Equipment (main) Chopping boards and knife Wooden spoon soup pot, plus saucepan for cooking chicken and rice pan for fry...

After dinner tonight, Maria cleverly suggested we  make some stock from the left over loin chop bones. We sat in the van tonight with it simmering away for a couple of hours with some onion, carrot, garlic, bayleaf, herbs and pepper and salt. Can't wait to use it to enhance a dish sometime soon.

Today was Noosa Farmers Market Day and Johanna introduced us to her favourite stalls. Noosa is one of those markets that has a vibe. It is more than a row of stalls, it generates a local community feeling that  encourages people to slow down and make a morning of it, rather than get in and out to 'get the job done.' It's not quite Mullumbimby but it's good. We spent a few hours around the beach and after some exercise in the ocean we opted for a carby lunch, so on the way back the van we agreed something light and fresh was the go. We had enough other stuff to put together this broth, using mostly produce we'd picked up at the farmers market.  Servings 2 Equipment Chopping board and knife pot for broth pan for frying ladle for serving and tongs for stirring noodles Ingredients 3x stock cubes (we used some freeze dried 'bombs' from the market) 1x sachet of instant miso soup (if I had it I would have used a table spoon of miso paste) Splash of soy sauce peanut...

Many years ago I had an office in Lonsdale St. On one cold day I ventured into a Chinese restaurant near China town to grab some lunch. I stood at the counter and looked at the colourful pictures of the meals on the wall behind it and ordered something called a laksa because the colours looked so good. I'd never had a laksa before that day and my (taste bud) world changed. Since that lunchtime surprise, I have been on the hunt for really good laksas and mostly end up being disappointed. The bar was set pretty high by that first encounter. Early on in my quest I bought one of those laksa packs you get from the supermarket. A mistake, say no more. I'd glanced at recipes every now and again but never really had the inclination to try a proper one having convinced myself I'd be disappointed. And they all looked so complicated.  For my birthday, Maria bought me a wonderful cookbook from a great little book and gift shop in Bangalow; The Chicken Soup Manifesto . It has authentic ...

We had a fillet of deep sea bream which I was going to use last night for dinner but we went out and had burgers instead (!) so had to use for lunch today. It's been raining constantly this morning, so we felt like bunkering down and having something nourishing and warm. Servings 2 Ingredients sesame oil (couple of glugs) dollop of minced ginger decent handful of finely sliced red cabbage decent handful of finely sliced kale 1 litre of miso stock (about a dessert spoon of miso paste) few glugs of soy sauce few dashes of fish oil about 300g of fish (bream), cubed Method sauté the ginger, cabbage and kale in the sesame oil for a few mins add the stock, soy sauce and fish sauce and bring to a simmer add the fish and cook for few mins until the fish is cooked but still tender garnish with sesame seeds and dried shallots

My Japanese style chicken broth has fast become a favourite. Tonight I reckon the broth was the best I've done, so this to note the formula. 4 x chicken thighs browned in sesame oil simmered (slightly uncovered) for 2 hours in 1 litre of miso stock (~ desert spoon of paste) and about ¼ cup soy sauce added 500ml of chicken stock at the end (the kale and purple cabbage were great, and the pickled ginger is the X factor.

So I go on about real food and all that ... so where do instant noodles fit into that??? Truth is we often keep a couple of tubs of instant noodles in the cupboard: post exercise carb load or 'can't be bothered lunch or snack. They usually get spiced up with veggies, cold meat, eggs ... We got home late tonight, not much in the fridge. We were tried (can't be bothered cooking) so we swung past the IGA and picked up some salmon. Maria made a salad, and me ... with some soft poached eggs and celery leaves ... voilà.

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...

Inspired by a lunch dish Johanna had in Maleny a couple of days ago, I decided to have a crack at a style of chicken soup a bit different to my 'go to' traditional chicken soup. The lighter tasting broth seasoned with some soy sauce and the pickled ginger make this a flavoursome and deeply satisfying soup. Very happy. Servings 2 (generous)  Time about 2 hours.  Equipment I used (main) Pan (with simmer pad) Saucepan (for rice) Chopping boards and knife tongs and ladle for serving Measuring 'cup' Bowls (for chopped ingredients) Ingredients Sesame oil, couple of glugs ½ onion, diced 2x garlic cloves, sliced Chicken thighs (1 per person / serving) Vegetable stock (500mls) Water (1 litre) Soy sauce (couple of splashes) Vegetables (I used 6x brussel sprouts, finely sliced because I had some, but soem finely sliced cabbage would be perfect too; and some baby broccoli, cut / sliced into match stick size)  Rice (I used brown jasmine, ½ cup) Pickled ginger (Japanese style, I used...

I first made a variation of this for a family gathering when we lived in Launceston about 5 years ago. There was something about the rich deep flavours and the spice mix that left my mouth singing. It has been a favourite ever since although it varies naturally depending on what is available. Tonight I have decided to experiment by adding some cardamon to the 'usual suspects'. (Yep, it was a successful experiment. It'll be a staple from now on.) There is no doubt that the spices are the stars of this show! Servings 4  (2 for now and 2 to give away or for the freezer) Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then about 2- 2½ hours cooking time. (could do with less, but it takes that time for the lamb to get really soft) Equipment (main) Cast iron enamel pot Simmer pad Chopping boards and knife Wooden spoon Measuring jug Strainer Ingredients olive oil 1x onion, diced (I used 2x small ones tonight) 4x garlic cloves, finely chopped ~500g diced lamb. (I used 3x leg chops I got...