a recipe for celery soup

I hope that title didn't put you off reading the post.

If you're still reading, you're in for a treat, because this soup is beautiful, delicate and very warming. Snatched from Jocasta Innes' The Pauper's Cookbook and modified slightly, my recipe for celery soup would make a perfect starter course - or a lovely main course if you bulked it up with lots of bread and maybe a salad with walnuts, pears and spinach.

I myself just ate it for lunch.

Celery soup
(serves 4 as a starter, or 2 as a main course)

500 g celery, chopped small
300 g potatoes, peeled and chopped small
250 ml skimmed milk, heated
30 g olive oil or olive oil spread
1 litre hot vegetable stock (I use Marigold's bouillon powder)
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
salt and black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg (optional, but yummy)

Heat the olive oil/spread in a large pot. Add the celery and the potatoes and stir until they are well coated. Cook for about 5-6 minutes over medium heat.

Add the litre of stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Use a hand blender to puree the mixture; strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any particles from the soup.

Return the mixture to the pan, and mix in the warmed milk, either with a whisk or the hand blender. Heat through. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg (if using); add the spinach and serve through. Serve immediately, or allow to cool before freezing in batches.

Calories: 150 per first-course serving, or 300 per main-course serving (not including any bread or butter).

happy new year -- foods to eat in january

Have you finished your Christmas cake yet? That block of stilton? Last bottle of wine?

I sure have. It's a new year, and time for a new start. I myself plan to take a month or two off of drinking - to cleanse the palette (and so I can get really drunk in March!)

January can be a depressing month, and I say that despite the fact that my birthday was only yesterday! The rich foods of Christmas are gone, and there's not quite as much fresh produce to choose from. But here are a few highlights, which I'll mull over as the month progresses:

Jerusalem artichokes
You probably know this already, but these little things are neither from Jerusalem nor artichokes. Why must we eat this lying veg, you ask? Well, it's a great root veg - really nutty and very tasty. It sometimes has a bit of a side effect - one generally associated with beans, swede and other "hearty" vegetables...

Check back for good recipes with jerusalem artichokes - like roasted Jerusalem artichokes with mushrooms, JA puree, and JA soup.

Scallops
They aren't cheap, but they are certainly lovely. They make a fantastic "treat" meal - for a birthday, Valentine's Day, or even a Tuesday. They taste sweetly of the sea and pair well with meats such as bacon or black pudding.

Some of my favourite scallops recipes include baked scallops topped with shredded sweet potato and courgette, scallops with bacon and peas, and even just scallops pan-fried simply with some fresh veg.

Kale
Kale belongs in the cabbage family - but don't let that turn you off. Cabbage is fab! It's healthy, tasty (provided you don't overcook it), and a great meal-filler.

I like kale steamed lightly on its own, but it also works well with strong flavours like chilli and garlic. Put it in soups, stews and curries, or serve alongside a roast chicken (like I'm doing tomorrow).

Pears
Enjoy them - they're the last of the winter fruits before we reach the often-dire months of March and April. While my husband doesn't really like them, I think good Comice pear goes a long way. I don't really like Conference pears though, I will admit.

Either on their own, poached in red wine, or in a fruit salad, pears are a great snack or dessert. And the gorgeousness of pear tart cannot be forgotten.

Celeriac
A knobbly root veg, celeriac is oft-forgotten amongst the rush for more popular root veg just as potatoes, parsnips and carrots. But this January, I'm bringing back the celeriac.

It tastes great mashed, in a soup, or in a bake with other root vegetables. AND it's cheap - which makes it a winner in my book these days.

Leeks
Although leeks are really just posh onions, I like them. They have a different texture to the average onion and add a bit of much-needed green to a winter meal.

Pair leeks classically with potatoes in a soup, or cream them to compliment a roast chicken. Sauteed, they're marvellous, as are they steamed. You can beat a leek.

Celery
I've saved the best for last. I love celery. I eat it most days - I crave the crunch. But it's extremely versatile - and while many people say it has no taste I beg to differ.

So this month let's break out of the crudite mould and use celery more creatively in soups, stir-frys and salads. Go on, you'll like it!!!

tis the season for december produce

It's the first of December - though the Christmas season began a few months ago, it feels official now. Lights go up on the streets, red and green decorations are found at each turn, and wonderful winter warming foods are on the menu. This morning on Saturday Kitchen, as two-star Michelin chef Michael Caine (recently voted Chefs' Chef of the Year) said, "There should be no red peppers or asparagus on a menu now. There's just no need."

He's right - with such fantastically fragrant and vividly-coloured root vegetables, the menu possibilities are endless. Read on for how to make the best of December's gifts:

celery
I know a lot of people who dislike celery, but I love it. It's fresh, crunchy and palate-cleansing. As I explained to a friend once, celery works on its own but also as a medium for other foods, like cheese, in place of other, more fattening snacks like crisps. There are plenty of ways to get the best of celery's pungent aroma and fun crunch.

-On a cheeseboard with blue cheese and apples

-Celery risotto (which I'm making this Friday)

-Chop it and serve it in a cold salad with tuna and white beans

-Served with peanut butter, smeared down the middle (great for kids).

red cabbage
This vegetable practically screams winter to me. It must be the vivid royal red of the leaves. An amazing vegetable cooked for three hours or served raw in a salad.

-Braised it, sliced, for an hour with chopped apples, red wine vinegar, cloves, bay leaves and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Gorgeous served with duck and turnips (which, incidentally, I plan on cooking for Sunday lunch tomorrow)

-Served in a salad with raw root veggies (use a mandolin or the side of a grater).

-Pickled cabbage (it takes awhile if you make it from scratch), in a chicken salad or sandwich

turkey, duck and goose
There's a reason poultry is on the holiday table. While turkey is the leanest and most common of these three, duck and goose have an intense richness to them.

-Roasted turkey is a beautiful thing to behold. But after Christmas, turkey sandwiches are the order of the day, with avocado and spinach leaves.

-I love pan-fried turkey steaks in any season with the best vegetables of the month.

-Duck is a stronger meat which needs rich flavours like wild mushrooms or citrus sauces to slice through the taste. Try pan-fried duck breast (though I would remove the fat before serving) with sauteed wild mushrooms and plum sauce.

-I have to admit, I've never cooked goose. This recipe for roast goose with apple and prune stuffing sounds really interesting.

-Many chefs hail using goose fat for perfect crispy roast potatoes. It doesn't strike my fancy, though perhaps for a Christmas treat, it's not a bad option.

sea bass
I'll always choose fish, on any menu. Although sea bass isn't cheap, the creamy flesh makes it worth it.

-This fish works well with eastern flavour combinations like ginger, citrus and spring onions. Marinate and roast it for 30 minutes and serve with seasonal vegetables.

-Fennel, for some reason, is one of the best accompiaments to sea bass. There are two options that immediately come to mind. Either bake in a foil packet with sliced fennel, or grill a whole sea bass and serve with a fennel, parmesan and lemon salad.

swede, celeriac, turnips, parsnips
Root vegetables are the quiet stars of the season. I must admit, I haven't used potatoes in ages - who needs them when you've got such a selection?

-I love the mix-and-match approach to these roots. Parsnip and celeriac soup has a flavour that can't be replicated anywhere else - this sum is so much more than the addition of its parts.

-Whip up a soup with a mixture of roots, including squash. Then add fennel and radishes. Here's where I admit it is a Gillian McKeith recipe - but erase her image from your mind and focus on the fact that it's a very tasty soup indeed.

-Use the roots anywhere you might use potatoes. Purees and mashes really carry us through those winter months - I have to admit, I don't get bored with them at all. Experiment with different earthy spices in the cupboard and winter herbs like rosemary and sage. (One warning: should you want to roast swede, prepare to wait awhile - I recommend at least 75 minutes.)

-Swede and carrot, finely diced and steamed, is such a fun, colourful side dish. Or, mash them together and use as a topping on shepherds pie.

-I ate braised turnips as a side dish to venison recently and loved it. Braise in a stock for added flavour.

-Grated celeriac works beautifully in salads. Yesterday, I ate a salad with grated carrot, celeriac and beetroot mixed with sliced mushrooms, chopped parsley, lime juice and seasoning.


beetroot
I have been converted to this strangely sweet vegetable. I believe it works best in simple applications.

-Beetroot and goats cheese is a tried-and-true combination. Serve with walnuts and green salad leaves and dash of lemon juice and pepper.

-You've heard my beetroot soup stories before. Here's one.

-Beetroot is a great way to bulk up a salad in place of heavier carbohydrates. I like to make sardine, feta and beetroot salad in a soup-and-salad combination. Use a root vegetable for a soup - spicy pumpkin is a great option.

chestnuts
You can buy this holiday nut in the shells, or in tins or vacuum packs. Determine which one you need based on the recipe.

-Roasted chestnuts have an amazing aroma and are an ultimate holiday treat.

-Chestnut stuffing is a divine option on the Christmas table. I made this one last year and loved it.

-Chestnut soup is still on my to-try list. I can't wait to cook this one.

pears
I went on and on about pears last month, so I won't subject you to it again. But, it's now Pear Month in the States, and as the pears are starting to soften quickly in the fruit bowl, it's time to use them in purees, juices and desserts.

That should be enough to keep us busy for a month, eh?

Five ways with celery

An underappreciated vegetable, celery is great for many reasons – it is grown all year long in the UK (though it’s best in December) and it is extremely versatile. Cold and crunchy, celery works well in snacks, sandwiches, salads and soups. (Not to mention that rumour that the act of eating celery burns off any calories incurred through eating it.)


Update a classic

Waldorf salad was originally created over 100 years ago and includes celery, apples, walnuts and mayonnaise. Apples traditionally dominated the salad. Update the salad with more celery to increase the fruit and vegetable count.

(serves 2)

2 apples of your choice
1 pack of celery hearts
a handful of walnuts, chopped
4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
lemon juice
4 pieces of cos lettuce

Core the apples and chop into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice to keep from browning.

Chop the ends and the leaves off of the celery and slice into 1-cm sized pieces. Mix the apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise and serve on a leaf of cos lettuce. Sprinkle with a little sugar if desired.



All aboard

Use celery as “boats” and stuff with fun fillings. These snacks work well for kids, who will enjoy the activity.

(serves 4 children)

1 pack of celery hearts
4 tbsp hummus
4 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp cream cheese

Chop each of the celery hearts into two separate sticks.
Use a butter knife to fill up the celery with the individual fillings.
If you don’t like one of the fillings, simply use more of one of the others.

Make it light: use reduced-fat versions for a lower-calorie treat.


Cheeseboard sandwich

A cheeseboard doesn’t just have to be eaten after a posh meal. It makes an excellent sandwich as well.

(serves 1)

2 slices of seeded bread
2 stalks of celery, shaved or sliced thin
a bunch of grapes, sliced in half
20 g of farmhouse cheddar
20 g of stilton or blue vinney
butter, margarine or mayo
How to do it:

Smear a bit of your spread on the bread.
Stack the celery, then the cheese and finally the grapes (with the cut side against the cheese).


Modern tuna salad

An old sandwich filler gets a clean update with fresh tuna and butter beans.

(serves 2)

2 pieces of fresh tuna
1 tin of butter beans, drained
6 celery hearts, chopped or shaved
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Heat ½ of the oil in a saucepan until very hot, then add the tuna, searing for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Chop the tuna into thin slices.
Add the tuna, celery, butter beans and the rest of the oil. Sprinkle with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Serve in individual shallow bowls.


One-pot risotto

Almost any vegetable tastes great in a risotto – so why not celery? Add it to this vegetarian one-pot dinner.

(serves 2)

4 stalks of celery, trimmed and sliced thinly
1 onions, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoons of olive oil
½ litre of hot chicken or vegetable stock
100 g Arborio rice
50 g parmesan shavings

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently sauté the onion, celery and garlic over a medium heat until soft. Add the rice into the pan and allow the oil to coat, sautéing for a further few minutes.
Add the stock from a measuring jug bit by bit, allowing only enough to just cover the rice. Stir often, and keep adding the stock until the rice is soft and creamy, about 25 minutes.
Stir the parmesan into the risotto and serve in bowls.

If the stock runs out and the rice is not yet done, just make up some more stock.

Five ways with celery

An underappreciated vegetable, celery is great for many reasons – it is grown all year long in the UK (though it’s best in December) and it is extremely versatile. Cold and crunchy, celery works well in snacks, sandwiches, salads and soups. (Not to mention that rumour that the act of eating celery burns off any calories incurred through eating it.)


Update a classic

Waldorf salad was originally created over 100 years ago and includes celery, apples, walnuts and mayonnaise. Apples traditionally dominated the salad. Update the salad with more celery to increase the fruit and vegetable count.

(serves 2)

2 apples of your choice
1 pack of celery hearts
a handful of walnuts, chopped
4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
lemon juice
4 pieces of cos lettuce

Core the apples and chop into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice to keep from browning.

Chop the ends and the leaves off of the celery and slice into 1-cm sized pieces. Mix the apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise and serve on a leaf of cos lettuce. Sprinkle with a little sugar if desired.



All aboard

Use celery as “boats” and stuff with fun fillings. These snacks work well for kids, who will enjoy the activity.

(serves 4 children)

1 pack of celery hearts
4 tbsp hummus
4 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp cream cheese

Chop each of the celery hearts into two separate sticks.
Use a butter knife to fill up the celery with the individual fillings.
If you don’t like one of the fillings, simply use more of one of the others.

Make it light: use reduced-fat versions for a lower-calorie treat.


Cheeseboard sandwich

A cheeseboard doesn’t just have to be eaten after a posh meal. It makes an excellent sandwich as well.

(serves 1)

2 slices of seeded bread
2 stalks of celery, shaved or sliced thin
a bunch of grapes, sliced in half
20 g of farmhouse cheddar
20 g of stilton or blue vinney
butter, margarine or mayo
How to do it:

Smear a bit of your spread on the bread.
Stack the celery, then the cheese and finally the grapes (with the cut side against the cheese).


Modern tuna salad

An old sandwich filler gets a clean update with fresh tuna and butter beans.

(serves 2)

2 pieces of fresh tuna
1 tin of butter beans, drained
6 celery hearts, chopped or shaved
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Heat ½ of the oil in a saucepan until very hot, then add the tuna, searing for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Chop the tuna into thin slices.
Add the tuna, celery, butter beans and the rest of the oil. Sprinkle with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Serve in individual shallow bowls.


One-pot risotto

Almost any vegetable tastes great in a risotto – so why not celery? Add it to this vegetarian one-pot dinner.

(serves 2)

4 stalks of celery, trimmed and sliced thinly
1 onions, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoons of olive oil
½ litre of hot chicken or vegetable stock
100 g Arborio rice
50 g parmesan shavings

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently sauté the onion, celery and garlic over a medium heat until soft. Add the rice into the pan and allow the oil to coat, sautéing for a further few minutes.
Add the stock from a measuring jug bit by bit, allowing only enough to just cover the rice. Stir often, and keep adding the stock until the rice is soft and creamy, about 25 minutes.
Stir the parmesan into the risotto and serve in bowls.

If the stock runs out and the rice is not yet done, just make up some more stock.

roasted mushroom soup

Mushrooms are the ultimate earthy ingredient. I’m not sure I could think of a vegetable that I associate more with the land. They also have the wonderful tendency to soak up all the flavours they are combined with, so that the result is juicy and mouthwatering.

I have had many a wonderful mushroom soup in my day, but I don’t make it at home often. No particular reason, really, it’s just that there’s always something else to make. But last night was different. Over the weekend we stocked up on piles and piles of chestnut mushrooms from East Anglia and, given the recent weather and the reports that we are due for more chill and shower, earthy mushroom soup seemed perfect.

I decided to roast them without their stems with garlic and olive oil to really pull the flavour out. The stems were finely chopped, along with shallot, spring onion and celery for the base of the soup.

Roasted mushroom and garlic soup
(serves 3)
500 g chestnut mushrooms, stems removed and chopped, heads kept whole
2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1.5 litre water + 1 tbsp Swiss Marigold vegetable bouillon powder
1 bay leaf
1 bouquet garni
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp reduced-fat fresh cream
Fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Combine the mushroom heads, garlic and 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season with black pepper in a roasting tin lined with foil.. Allow to roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the other vegetables. Allow the oil to heat in a large pot, and once heated, add the mushroom stems, celery, shallot and spring onion, stirring to allow it all to coat with oil. Sautee for up to 10 minutes on a medium heat.

Slowly, add the stock, bay leaf and bouquet garni. Allow the soup to come to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

By now, the mushrooms in the olive will be soft and dark with many juices. Remove the tin from the oven, and pour the mushrooms, juices and all, into the pot, reserving 3 of the mushrooms. Allow the soup to return to a boil and then reduce to a simmer again for another 5minutes. Season to taste.

Remove from heat and extract the bouquet garni and the bay leaf. Use a hand blender to puree the soup. Add the cream and stir through, and put the pot back on a low heat to keep warm.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with chives, black pepper, and one of the sliced roasted mushrooms.

Calories per serving: 150.

(Obviously, this soup isn’t quite enough for a dinner meal. I served it with a salad of greens, shredded beetroot, sliced plum tomatoes, reduced-fat mature cheese – which complemented the beetroot marvellously – and lemon juice. I also had a slice of wholemeal bread for mopping up the juices.

My husband also had the salad and three pieces of bread.

With soups, I always try to make at least three reasonably generous servings, in case a) whomever you are serving is still hungry or wants seconds or b) the soup would make an excellent lunchtime meal the following day.

The other trick is to keep the use of cream to a minimum, allowing just enough to make the soup that bit richer, but not so much that the calories would suffer. I did garnish my husband’s bowl with a bit of extra cream, which is a great last-minute way to bulk up the soup for someone else without adding much work.