Fun and Scrumptious Spicy Roast Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup

Struggling to decide what to make for dinner, I thought about what I already had in my cupboard.  Paprika, oregano, sage, garlic, chillies and stock cubes.  Granted, combined they wouldn’t be very filling but what could I add to make a really tasty dish?!

I wandered the aisles of the supermarket and found myself staring at the reduced section for inspiration.  On the first look there were only microwave meals but my timing was impeccable.  A lovely fleeced gentleman wheeled across a trolley full of reduced meat just before I gave up my search.

On the trolley: lamb (didn’t need to look at the cut, as you’ve read before, to me lamb tastes like the smell of sweaty old men – that’s out!), stir frying pork (looked a little shabby) and British pork sausages. 

“Mmm, yes, I do like a good sausage,” I thought.

With my decent girth sausages in my basket I was thinking casserole.  Hmm, not so great with the chillies that needed using up. 

Cue light bulb…“soup!”…

I then purchased a 1kg bag of sweet potatoes and a bag of split red lentils.  I spent 6 to 7 minutes battling with the self-service check out machine (don’t bother using your own bag, the machine gets VERY angry…and the shop assistants will follow shortly after!) and headed back to my flat for some wintery cooking.

 

Spicy Roast Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup

Ingredients (serves 4):

3 British pork sausages (or more, depends how much you like sausage really!)

6 small sweet potatoes (or roughly 1kg)

200g of red split lentils

2 beef stock cubes

2 cloves of garlic

1 large red chilli

2 tbsp ground paprika

1 tbsp dried oregano

6 large fresh sage leaves (or equivalent)

Salt and olive oil

Natural yoghurt (for dressing)

Method:

1)    Start by turning up the TV in the lounge so you can hear it in the kitchen (Masterchef the Professionals was on and it’s the finals!!!).  Or, recruit someone to stand and talk to you in the kitchen (I’m running out of willing volunteers for an ear bashing…apparently I talk a lot?!?!).

2)    Rinse the lentils in a sieve.  Fill a large saucepan with water and drop in the lentils.  You should have roughly 5 parts water to 1 part lentils but if anything add more water than necessary.  Bring the lentils to boil for 10 minutes then allow them to simmer for 20 minutes.

3)    In the meantime, preheat your oven/grill to 200°C.  Make 3 small cuts into each side of your sausages and pop them until the grill.  They will need to cook for around 20 minutes to allow the fat the drain and the outsides to turn a nice crispy brown colour.  Once cooked, remove from the grill and set to one side.  Turn off the grill element of the oven at this stage to prevent burning your potatoes.

4)    Peel your potatoes and cut them into chunks.  Place them evenly spread out on a baking try and sprinkle both sides with a small about of salt and olive oil.  You don’t need a lot of oil, sweet potatoes roast very easily.  Pop these into the oven on a shelf under the sausages and cook for 20-30 minutes until the outsides are turning crispy and the insides are wonderful and soft.

5)    Finely slice your cloves of garlic and add these to the roasting dish with your potatoes for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

6)    Once the lentils have been simmering for 20 minutes, stir in the chilli (finely sliced), oregano, paprika, roasted garlic and roughly chopped sage (keep a small amout of sage for serving).

7)    Make 1 ½ pints of beef stock and stir this into the lentils.

8)    I do not intend this to be a blended soup as I like a little texture to my food, so at this stage, mash your sweet potatoes and stir them into the saucepan.

9)    You will probably need to add a little salt at this point but taste your soup and add as much or as little as you think is necessary.

10) If you would prefer a blended soup, pour the mixture into a blender and once blended smooth, return it to the pan.

11) Cut the sausages into bite-size chunks and add these to the soup.  Stir the soup until heated through.

12) Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt and a little sage. 

 

 

Some useful hints and tips I have learned from experience:

1)    Remember that you have cut a chilli before doing any of the following:

a.    Touching your face

b.    Removing your contact lenses

c.    Eating something with your fingers

d.    BOYS ONLY – taking a pee (this is not one from MY OWN experience!)

2)    Try not to:

a.    Eat too many chunks of sweet potato before adding them to your soup

b.    Eat too many chunks of sausage before adding them to your soup

3)    Do:

a.    Have some honey in the cupboard to finish off your pot of natural yoghurt for dessert

b.    Have left-overs for your work lunch or freeze some for later

4)    Being healthy:

a.    Substitute a more lean mean for the sausage

b.    Leave out meat entirely to make a tasty Spicy Roast Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup

 FINALLY...enjoy my recipe for Spicy Roast Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup!!!! J

SUPER HEALTHY WINTER VEGETABLE CHILLI RECIPE

In winter we need something warm, hearty and healthy to keep our spirits up and to help us fight off those winter bugs. 

This vegetable chilli is spicy and full of vitamins and anti-oxidants.  So, go get changed from your outdoor clothes. Throw on your sloggies and cosy slippers and get ready for a winter warmer meal in front of the fire.

Ingredients:
 
1 seasonal squash
 
1 carrot
 
1 red peper
 
1 yellow pepper
 
1 green peer
 
1 medium onion
 
1 can of red kidney beans in chilli sauce
 
400g (1 can) of chopped tomatoes
 
1 red chilli
 
2 cloves of garlic
 
2 tbsp ground paprika
 
2 tbsp ground chilli powder
 
salt, pepper and olive oil
 
4 handfuls of rice

Method:
 
1) Slice the onion into semi circles around a £1 in width and finely chop the garlic.  Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a deep saucepan and add the onion and garlic on a medium to high heat until the onion is softening and the garlic is beautifully fragrant.
 
2) Chop the squash and carrot into chunky cubes and roughly chop the peppers into similar sized chunks.  Add these to the pan with the onions and garlic and turn the heat down to medium.  Cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes.
 
3) Finely slice the chilli and add it to the pan.  Sprinkle the paprika and chilli powder over the vegetables and stir to ensure they are envenly covered.
 
4) Pour the chilli beans and chopped tomatoes into the pan and stir.  Place the lid on the saucepan and allow the chilli to cook for 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are cooked through), turning the heat down if the sauce begins to stick.  Taste the sauce occasionally and add salt and pepper to taste (or leave out the salt for a healthier version).
 
5) Whilst the chilli is cooking add the rice (basmati or brown rice for a healthier alternative) to a pan and cover with water.  The water should easily cover the rice.  Bring the rice to boil then turn the heat down and allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
 
6) Sit down, put your feet up and watch trash TV for 10 minutes.  Before serving your super healthy vegetable chilli with rice.

 

 



 

Healthy Meals for one in less than 15 minutes

Tired from work? Bored of cooking for one? Looking for something quick, cheap and easy (a meal I mean!)?

If you’re anything like me (always hungry), having walked two miles home from work in the cold, tired and fed up, you just want a quick healthy fix to feed you up.  You want it to be tasty and you aren’t too fussed what it looks like.

Here are a few fast meals I like after work.  You don’t need many ingredients.  Each dish costs less than £2 to make.  Bulk ingredients can be used for more than one meal.  AND they all count towards your FIVE A DAY!

Ham, Cheese and Onion Omelette with Salad (Monday)

Ingredients:

2 medium free range eggs

2 slices or a handful or grated cheese (any you like really but something which doesn’t take too long to melt, a mild cheddar maybe)

½ medium onion (sliced)

1 slice of cooked Ham roughly cut into chunky pieces (I like a good slice of honey cured or breaded ham from a deli or butcher but packet ham will do just fine too)

1 salad tomato

Salad leaves

Tbsp of olive oil and a little to drizzle on your salad

Salt and pepper

Option: low fat coleslaw

Method:

1)    Mix the eggs in a bowl or cup to combine them.

2)    Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium to high heat.  When the oil is hot put the sliced onion into the pan and fry until beginning to soften.  Put the onions to one side.

3)    Pour the eggs into the frying pan covering as much of the base of the pan as possible without leaving gaps in the egg.  Turn the heat down to medium.

4)    Leave the egg to cook for a minute or so until there is a small area still uncooked in the middle of the omelette.

5)    Whilst the egg is cooking put a handful of salad leaves and the tomato (cut into 6 or 8 pieces) onto one side of a plate and drizzle with olive oil.  (Option: pop your coleslaw on the side if you want it too)

6)    Scatter the onion and ham around the omelette and sprinkle over the grated cheese or place the cheese slices on opposite sides of the omelette.

7)    As the cheese starts to melt use a spatula to fold one side of the omelette onto the other so you are left with a half-moon shape.

8)    Serve immediately with your side of salad.

 

Chorizo and Pancetta Egg Fried Rice (Tuesday)

Ingredients:

70g of sliced chorizo roughly cut into chunks

2 slices of pancetta, prosciutto or bacon

2 medium free range eggs

½ a can of petit pois

½ a can of sweetcorn

½ a medium onion (sliced)

1 clove of garlic

2 tbsp of olive oil

Soy sauce or hot sauce

Method:

1)    Place your rice in a saucepan over a medium to high heat.  Bring the rice to boil then turn down the heat and let it simmer for around 10 minutes (the rice packet should guide you here).

2)    Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium to high heat.  When the oil is hot, fry the onion until almost softened.  Crush in the clove of garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant.

3)    Add the petit pois and sweetcorn to the pan and stir. 

4)    Push the vegetables to one side in the pan and crack one egg onto the clear side.  Stir it quickly to combine the white and the yolk and allow it to scramble.  Once scrambled, stir the egg and vegetables to combine.

5)    Reduce the heat to medium and add in the chopped chorizo.  Stir so that everything is evenly combined.

6)    Now heat the remaining oil in another frying pan.  When sizzlingly hot, crack in one egg for frying.  Flip the hot oil over the egg with a spatula.  Add the two slices of pancetta and leave both to fry.

7)    When the rice is cooked, drain and add it to the frying pan with the vegetables, stirring to bring everything together.

8)    Once combined, put the fried rice on your plate and top with the fried egg and pancetta.

9)    Pop a little soy sauce or hot sauce on the rice to your taste.

 

Chorizo and Black Olive Noodles (Wednesday)

Ingredients:

(At least) 70g of sliced chorizo

1 pepper (or the equivalent made up of yellow, red and green peppers)

12-15 black pitted olives

Tsp Oregano

Tsp Basil

400g (1 can) of chopped tomatoes (buy these ready mixed with herbs to avoid having to add the oregano and basil they’ll still taste good)

1 nest of egg noodles (I use these because they’re lighter on the stomach than pasta and they cook much more quickly but spaghetti will work great!)

Salt and pepper

Method:

1)    Bring the noodles to boil in a pan of salt water (just a pinch of salt).  Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes (don’t let them get soggy or sticky).

2)    Place a frying pan on medium to high heat and pop in your sliced pepper(s).  You don’t need oil as there is enough juice in the pepper to prevent it burning but you can add olive oil if you prefer.  Cook the peppers until they are starting to soften a little.

3)    Cut the olives in half and add them to the pan. 

4)    Add the chopped tomatoes (and herbs if you have bought separate herbs) and allow the sauce to simmer until the excess juice from the tomatoes has reduced.

5)    Cut your chorizo slices into chunks and add them to the sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

6)    Once the noodles have cooked, drain them and return them to the empty pan.  Pour the sauce over the noodles and stir.  Serve whilst hot.

 

Sardine Penne Pasta (Thursday)

Ingredients:

1 can of grilled sardines in brine

12-15 pitted black olives

400g (1 can) of chopped tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Two handfuls of penne pasta (fresh or hard is fine)

Method:

1)    Bring the penne pasta to boil in salt water (just a pinch of salt) then leave simmering for 8-10 minutes.  Remove and drain the pasta when it is just cooked or to taste.

2)    Cut the olives in half and add to a saucepan on medium to high heat.  Add the tomatoes and reduce to a nice thick tomato sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3)    Once the sauce and pasta are almost ready add the sardines to the sauce to allow them to warm through.

4)    Add the drained pasta to the sauce, stir to cover the pasta and serve.

5)    If you would like a richer sauce, add 2 tbsps of light double cream to the sauce whilst it is simmering.

 

These dishes are incredibly simple, cheap and quick.  They are perfect for one but just multiply the ingredients for more people.  They should keep you going Monday to Thursday…then…it’s time for the WEEKEND!!!