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More coming soon...

I'm sorry for the lack of posts. I haven't been able to update as we have been dealing with some issues at home.

To make a long story short, my husband and I had friends staying over while they looked for a place, and yesterday it all ended with the police coming and kicking them out after they threatened to leave my husband bleeding on the corner and send someone after me because we were treating them badly (we asked them to clean up the kitchen after they used it!).

In any case, I feel like a big burden has been lifted, and I'm all ready to carry on writing, posting and cooking.

Cream soups part 4: the bechamel and veloute methods

For a list of all the posts, go to Cream soups part 1.

I decided to go through bechamel and veloute together because they are basically the same, the only difference is the liquid you use.

These two ways of making soups are best for non-starchy vegetables and meats. They are very creamy and a lot less heavy than using a roux.

The only problem is that there is no way out of having to first prepare the sauce and then add it to the soup base, so you do end up with more things to wash.


Tools:

• chopping board
• chopping knife
• a pan (for the sauce)
• pot with lid (for the soup)
• spoon or something to stir the vegetables and the soup with
• blender (any kind, though handheld is probably a safer bet)

Ingredients:

• flour: usually wheat flour.
• for bechamel: milk (or some alternative, soy and almond give a very nice nutty flavour)
• for veloute: stock (usually chicken)
• fat for the sauce (butter is the most common)
• main flavouring ingredient
• aromatic vegetables
• fat for sauteing
• water or stock (for the soup base)
• condiments, seasonings and herbs of choice

Method:

• lightly warm the milk or stock for the sauce and reserve.
• on a very low fire mix equal amounts of the butter and the flour, until it loses its raw taste and smell. Be careful not to brown it, it should remain a light colour.
• add the milk or stock slowly to the roux making sure there are no lumps. The quantity of liquid will depend on how thick you want the sauce to be, for a soup you would use between one and two tablespoons of butter and flour per cup of liquid. Reserve.
• chop your aromatics and saute with your other fat on a low heat until they soften and sweat.
• chop your main flavouring ingredient and add to the aromatics to brown slightly.
• add the water or stock and bring to a boil.
• add the bechamel or veloute sauce.
• simmer until all ingredients are cooked and soft.
• add more water or stock if needed and blend.
• season and enjoy, or you can also season the roux or the sauce if you prefer.

Cream of bell peppers

A yummy soup recipe showing the roux way of making cream soups (the easy lazy way). I'm not a fan of bell peppers (I kind of hate them actually), but the soup is delicious.

Time:

• preparation: 10 minutes
• cooking: 30/40 minutes

Serves:

• 2 cups (about 1 pint or 1/2 litre).

Ingredients:

• bell pepper (your favourite colour, deseeded and chopped): 2 large/2 cups/300 grs
• brown onion (chopped): 1/2 medium/1/2 cup/50 grs
• celery (chopped ): 1 stalk/1/2 cup/60 grs
• olive oil: 2 tbsp/30 ml
• flour: 2 tbsp/20 grs
• vegetable stock: 2 cups/480 ml
• dry mint: 1/2 tsp

Steps:

• Saute the bell peppers, onion, celery and flour in the olive oil on a very low heat, until they start to sweat and the onion browns, between 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to burn the flour.
• Add 2 cups of stock and bring to a boil.
• Let simmer.
• When all vegetables are soft (approximately 20 minutes) blend to desired consistency.
• Add the mint and let simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Some tips: make sure you deseed the peppers properly as they don't blend. It's better to add the stock a little at a time to avoid lumps in the flour. If you happen to have fresh mint on hand, it will taste a million times better than the dry one, just add it before serving; but if you don't, the extra 5 minutes of simmering will release the flavour. For extra punch, add a little bit of chilli pepper and/or garlic. The cremier this soup the better, so blend your heart out.

Cream soups part 3: the roux method

Check Cream soups part 1 for the introduction to the series, and links to all the posts and recipes

The second method I'm covering, and probably the most authentic for creamy soups, is starting with a roux (say it roo in your best French accent).

This method is best for light non-starchy vegetables as the roux can be quite heavy and dense. It can also be used for meats for a very creamy result.

There's two ways of preparing a cream soup using a roux: the proper one and the easy one, I'm going to write both and let you decide (me, I'm lazy, so I mostly use the easy one). Apparently people who do have a palate (rather than just being hungry like me) can tell the difference between the two.


Tools:

• chopping board
• chopping knife
• a pan (if you are preparing the roux first)
• pot with lid
• spoon or something to stir the vegetables and the soup with
• blender (any kind, though handheld is probably a safer bet)

Ingredients:

• flour: a typical roux will use wheat flour, but for variations any can be used, cornflour is a very popular alternative.
• some fat: again, a typical roux uses butter, but it can be replaced by other fats (lard, oils...) for different textures (the more liquid the fat, the lighter the roux will be).
• main flavouring ingredient
• aromatic vegetables
• a bit more fat for sauteing (only needed for the French way, not the easy one).
• water or stock
• condiments, seasonings and herbs of choice

Method 1 (the real French way): first you prepare the roux with equal amounts of butter and flour

• melt the butter on low heat and add the flour, stirring and making sure there are no lumps, and cook until the flour losses it's raw flavour and smell. For a nuttier roux, keep on cooking until the roux browns (but be careful not to burn the butter). And, reserve.
• chop your aromatics and saute with your other fat (only a small amount) on a very low heat until they soften and start sweating.
• chop your main flavouring ingredient and add to the aromatics to brown slightly.
• add the water or stock and bring to a boil.
• add the roux.
• simmer until all ingredients are cooked and soft.
• add more water or stock if needed and blend.
• season and enjoy, or you can also season the roux.

Method 2 (the quicker easier way): you saute and make the roux all at once.

• chop your aromatics and saute with the fat and the flour on a very low heat until they soften and start sweating.
• chop your main flavouring ingredient and add to the aromatics to brown slightly.
• add the water or stock and bring to a boil.
• simmer until all ingredients are cooked and soft.
• add more water or stock if needed and blend.
• season and enjoy, or season while making the roux.

Check tomorrow for a recipe of cream of bell peppers using this method.

Cream of cauliflower

As an example of the starchy way of preparing cream soups here is a cream of cauliflower.

It's very easy to make and very low on calories and salt. It doesn't really have any protein in it, so you should have some on the side or afterwards.

This one is a good baby meal as well (especially since it's so low on salt), my 1-year-old had half of it and was asking for more.

Time:

• preparation: 10 minutes
• cooking: 30/40 minutes

Serves:

• 2 large bowls or 4 small bowls.

Ingredients:

• cauliflower (florets only, chopped small): 1 medium head/4 cups/400 grs
• brown onion (chopped): 1 medium/3/4 cup/100 grs
• potatoes (chopped small): 1 medium/1 cup/130 grs
• olive oil: 1 tbsp/15 ml
• water: 2 cups/480 ml and 1 cup/240 ml
• salt: 1/2 tsp
• curry powder: 1/2 tsp

Steps:

• Saute the cauliflower, onion and potatoes in the olive oil, until they start to sweat and the onion starts browning, approximately 15 minutes.
• Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
• Let simmer.
• When all vegetables are soft add remaining water blend to desired consistency.
• Season with salt and curry powder.

Some tips: don't peel the potatoes and you'll keep all the minerals, vitamins and fiber (and they taste better as well); don't throw away the core of the cauliflower, use it for a kinpira instead, and the leaves can be used in a sauce or soup; and for a shorter cooking time, chop all the veg very small and pre-boil the water in a kettle (you'll be saving some energy as well).

Cream soups part 2: the starch method

For the first post in the series, check Cream soups part 1: introduction.

I thought I would start the cream soup series with one of my favourite ways of preparing, and probably the easiest (and cheap!).

The starch method of making cream soups

This method involves making the soup creamy by using a starchy vegetable, usually potato. Yam is a good replacement, as the flavour is quite neutral. Turnips, sweet potatoes or parsnips can be used as well, but they change the flavour a bit (sometimes for the better, sometimes not so much).

The starch can also be added with cooked white rice or cooked beans (very handy if you have a small amount left over taking up space in the fridge). Or, you can use a combination of all three options.

This method works for vegetables and meats, as long as it's not a very starchy vegetable (or you would end up with basically a watery mash), and it's the best way of making a cream soup that will keep its texture in the freezer (so make a big batch and keep for when you don't feel like cooking).


Tools:

• chopping board
• chopping knife
• pot with lid
• spoon or something to stir the vegetables and the soup with
• blender (any kind, though handheld is probably a safer bet)

Ingredients:

• main flavouring ingredient: whatever you are making the cream of, the amount will depend on how flavourful the ingredient is.
• aromatic vegetables of choice: most common ones include onions, carrots, bell peppers, celery, chillies, garlic, ginger, leeks. As a rule of thumb make it between a fifth and a third of your main flavouring.
• starchy ingredient of choice.
• some fat (usually butter or oil) for sauteing.
• water or stock: chicken stock is the most common, followed by vegetable.
• condiments, seasonings and herbs of choice: salt and pepper are the most common.

Method:

• chop your aromatics and saute with your fat on a very low heat until they soften and start sweating (about 15 minutes), and people start coming to the kitchen saying "mmmm... what are you cooking?". A bit of salt added at this point helps the softening. You are sweating the aromatics on their own first to bring out thier flavours and aromas.
• chop your main flavouring ingredient and your starchy ingredient and add to the saute to brown slightly (especially important if you are using meat as it will give more depth of flavour).
• add the water or stock and bring to a boil.
• simmer until all ingredients are cooked and soft.
• add more water or stock if needed and blend until you get the consistency you want (from velvety to chunky). Be careful when opening if you are using a conventional blender as the steam can burn you, if you can use a hand-held blender, or wait until the soup has cooled down and then reheat it.
• season and enjoy. Seasoning at this point prevents under (or worse) over seasoning as all ingredients will be cooked and blended already and will taste exactly as they will on the plate.

Check tomorrow for a recipe of cream of cauliflower using this method.

Cream soups part 1: introduction

Soup is one of the most basic foods there are, and yet it's so easy to mess it up. One of my favourite soups are cream soups. They are especially amazing during a cold winter day when it's raining or snowing outside and you don't have to do anything other than sit on the sofa watching television or reading a nice book (which happens to be a very common thing if you are a stay-at-home mum who lives in London).

There are many ways of making cream soups, some very French-technical, some more homely, some more expensive, some cheaper. I will try to cover them all.

What is a cream soup?

Technically a cream soup is a soup that:

• has a main flavouring ingredient
• has something to make it thick
• is blended (or pureed)
• has cream (or some substitute)

Most times we call cream soups to soups that don't actually have any cream (or cream substitute). Those should be called puree soups, but since they are siblings and on a daily basis we don't really make a difference, I'll cover both.

The same happens with soups that have cheese. We shouldn't really call them creams, but we do usually consider them to be in the same group, so I'll go through those as well.

I will probably be writing about 8 or 9 posts on all the different ways to prepare cream soups, I'll link them here as I post them.

The series:
Part 2: the starch method: using potatoes, rice or beans.

• Cream of cauliflower recipe

Part 3: the roux method: using butter (or oil) and flour.

• Cream of bell peppers recipe

Learning food

Cooking. One of the few activities we can't get away from. No matter if we love it or hate it, we all have to cook at some point (or points) during the day, if only to spread some butter on toast.

I am one of those who love cooking, but doing it day in day out, three times a day can be taxing (and boring). So I decided to bring the spark back to cooking and learn as much as I can and share as I go.

I am quite a good home cook, and I do try to learn as I go, but I've never done it in a systematical way. A few months ago, I decided to become a nutritionist, and cooking just goes hand-in-hand with it.

Hope you'll join and learn with me.