Speedy Taco Soup

May 15, 2024 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Managing our food budget is a priority for our family …. but so is eating delicious and nutritious food. Which means we always pack lunches not just for the kids at school, but for the adults too.

And I am excited to have the second of my 2 new winter soups to share with you today

Welcome to Speedy Taco Soup! I crunched the numbers for you – this DELICIOUS batch, even including the oil and the seasonings, cost me a total of $16.80 to make. That is 6 lunches, each with 20g of protein and a great serve of gut loving fibre, for $2.80each. Yay!

500g lean beef mince
400g tin black beans
400g tin pinto beans
820g tin condensed tomato soup
1 medium brown onion
3 cloves garlic (or just measure if with your heart!)
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/4 soup tins boiling water
1 tbsp Mexican seasoning mix

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.

Dice the onion and add to the oil. Cook in medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is golden.

Add in the finely chopped garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the mince to the onion mixture, break it down well and cook until browned all over.

Drain then add the tins of beans, then stir in the seasoning and mix well.

Now add the soup and then boiling water.

Keep at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve warm or divide in to shallow containers and freeze.

Serves 6

Need a bigger meal?

-Double the beans for very little additional cost, but a good serve more of fibre and protein.

-Add a hand full of grated cheese at serving time to the hot soup to boost the fats and protein to help with satiety, or

-Divide the meal into 4. You’ll then get 30g of protein and it will still cost you only $4.20 for lunch.

Enjoy 🙂

Poached Chicken French Lentil Soup

May 3, 2024 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

It’s 2024 and I swear that the grocery prices rise very time I go to the shop 💸

One of the ways we try to manage our food budget is by packing lunches not just for the kids at school, but for my husband and myself too.

We both work in busy jobs so the food needs to be quick and uncomplicated, but it also needs to be filling, tasty and cost effective.

So, as we come into winter we move into soups. I LOVE that I can prepare big batches in advance and have meals ready for the week. And I am excited to have 2 new soups to share with you over the coming weeks.

The first is my delicious Poached Chicken French Lentil Soup. I crunched the numbers for you – this DELICIOUS batch, even including the oil and the seasonings, cost me a total of $15 to make. That is 6 lunches, each with 25g of protein and a great serve of gut loving fibre, for $2.50each. Winner!

2 large chicken breasts (about 500g)
80g dried french lentils
70g pearl barley
2 large carrots
5 sticks celery
160g frozen corn kernels
1 medium brown onion
3 cloves garlic (or just measure if with your heart!)
2 tsp chicken stocks powder (we use Massel brand)
2 tsp olive oil
8 cups boiling water
1 tbsp dried Italian herb mix

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.

Dice the onion and add to the oil. Cook in medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion is golden.

Add in the finely chopped garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.

Finely slice the carrot and celery, add to the onion mixture and cook down for 4-5 minutes.

Add in the barley and lentils, then stir in the herbs and mix well.

Now add the boiling water and chicken stock powder as well as the corn. Bring back to a gentle simmer.

Add the chicken breasts into the liquid and return the lid to the pan to allow the breasts to poach.

After about 10 minutes, turn the chicken breasts over and return the lid for another 8-10 minutes.

Check that the chicken is cooked (juices should run clear or be at 75C), and remove the breasts to a bowl. Slice the chicken.

Stir the soup and check that the lentils and barley are cooked – takes about 20 minutes from the start. Allow to simmer for a little longer if they are not yet soft.

Return the chicken to the pot and stir well.

Serve warm or divide in to shallow containers and freeze.

Serves 6

Gluten free? Switch the barley for brown rice.

Need a bigger meal?

-Double the barley and lentils for very little addition cost, but a good serve more of fibre and protein.

-Add a hand full of grated cheese at serving time to the hot soup to boost the fats and protein to help with satiety, or

-Divide the meal into 4. You’ll get almost 38g of protein and it will still cost you less than $4 for lunch.

Enjoy 🙂

Broccoli and Cream Cheese soup

September 14, 2020August 29, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ 1 Comment

Very simple, inexpensive, easily sourced ingredients. Amazingly good at feeding your super gut bugs. Quick to make, cooks in bulk and freezes well for weekday lunches. Allergy friendly ….. AND YUMMY!!!

400g Broccoli (1 medium size), roughly chopped
600g Cauliflower (1 large), roughly chopped
1 small brown onion (about 120g), diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp veggie stock paste
8 cups boiling water
150g cream cheese (*dairy, soy or nut based – you can even use a light silken tofu here)

If you don’t have stock paste you can use 2 cups liquid stock and then only 6 cups water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan then add in the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and golden.

Add in the cauliflower and broccoli plus the stock paste and stir well. Cook down for about 3 minutes then add in the boiling water.

Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are very soft. *If you need a quicker cooking time you can give them veggies a quick blitz in your food processor first.

Remove from the heat and add in the cream cheese.

Use an immersion blender to blend until the soup is very smooth. If you are using a blender/thermo cooker/bullet machine to blend – BE VERY CAREFUL! Allow it to cool quite a bit first and then do small batches.

Serves 8.

If Macros are important to you, here they are for 1 serve.

Enjoy 🙂

Simple Pumpkin Soup

August 10, 2020August 9, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Hooray for soup weather!

This is a soup-er simple meal, really inexpensive and delicious. A pretty mild soup, so it is very kid friendly too.

400g Cauliflower (1 medium size), roughly chopped
1.2kg Butternut pumpkin roughly chopped
1/2 small brown onion (about 60g), diced
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
2 tbsp veggie stock paste
10 cups boiling water
225g cream cheese (*dairy, soy or nut based – you can even use a light silken tofu here)

If you don’t have stock paste you can use 3 cups liquid stock and then only 7 cups water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan then add in the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and golden.

Add in the cauliflower and pumpkin plus the stock paste and stir well. Cook down for about 3 minutes then add in the boiling water.

Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are very soft. *If you need a quicker cooking time you can give the veggies a quick blitz in your food processor first.

Remove from the heat and add in the cream cheese. Use an immersion blender to blend until the soup is very smooth. If you are using a blender/thermo cooker/bullet machine to blend – BE VERY CAREFUL! Allow it to cool quite a bit first and then do small batches.

I love to serve mine topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and pine nuts (switch hemp seeds for nut free) …. Just pop the seeds in a hot, dry frying pan and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until they are golden brown. Sprinkle on the soup and if you want a little extra kick … sprinkle on a little pinch of chilli flakes!

Serves 12.

If Macros are important to you, here they are for 1 serve (roughly 2 ladles of soup) , worked out for the dairy based cream cheese – not including the seed topping.

This will last several days in the fridge, or it freezes and defrosts well.

Enjoy 🙂

Enoki Miso Soup … Cheating style!

February 8, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

So … I’m clearly not of Asian descent and I certainly did not grow up eating Miso in any form!

As such, I make absolutely NO claim to this being an even vaguely authentic (or even correct?!) way to make Miso soup 😆

However, it was delicious, easy, comforting and nutritious so I’m running with it!

Actually, if I’m honest, the first time it wasn’t quite as delicious … I waaaay overdid the chilli and I couldn’t feel my lips 😬 that is fixed now!

If you haven’t used Miso before, it is a rich, fermented soy bean paste with a deep savoury or umami flavour. It is also thought to be a great gut health food, being rich in fibre and high in protein and antioxidants. You can find it in big supermarkets, Asian grocery stores and health food shops.

To make the soup you’ll need:

1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
70g white miso paste
1 heaped tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp dehydrated chilli flakes (check their heat!)
250g Enoki mushrooms (cut their gritty ends off before you weigh them)
4 cups hot veggie stock
6 cups hot water
A good handful of diced sugar snap peas, snow peas or green beans per serve

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil, then add in the miso paste, ginger, aminos and chilli.

Cook, stirring for a few minutes until well combined and fragrant.

Add in the mushrooms and stir them through the miso mix so they are well coated. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add in the stock and water then stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.

Place your fresh, chopped peas or beans in a bowl and top with the very hot soup.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

I freeze the leftovers of the soup for lunches, but I don’t add the peas or beans to the freezer – they keep their crunch best when you add them in fresh.

Enjoy 🙂

Thai pumpkin soup

May 24, 2019 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Hello soup weather!

I’ve been making this delicious, comforting soup for the past couple of years.

It is an absolute winner with Peter and I and Will. I’ll be honest though … It isn’t a favourite with the other small ones. 2 of them tolerate it … One of them will have a taste but that’s as far as it goes. 🤦

Ah well, you can’t win ’em all … And I’m delighted to have a freezer stocked with lunches!

1.5kg butternut pumpkin
400g sweet potato
2 heaped tbsp sunflower seed butter
1 heaped tbsp red thai curry paste (I like the Ayam brand)
200ml coconut cream
2L hot veggie stock

Place the curry paste into a hot saucepan and stir until fragrant.

20190520_183609 — Home grown veg plus curry paste home made from homegrown lemongrass, chillies, onion and garlic – makes me SO happy!!

Add in the diced pumpkin and sweet potato and stir to coat the veggies in the paste.

Add in the stock and bring to a gentle simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are very soft.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut cream and the seed butter.

Use an immersion blender to blend until silky smooth.

We like to serve with fresh damper 😋

Makes about 10 serves and it freezes and defrosts well.

Enjoy 😊

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

March 24, 2018April 24, 2019 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

As the cooler weather rolls around I am SO looking forward to soups featuring weekly on our dinner menu again.

I love soups for so many reasons; they are inexpensive, fast to make, you can make them in serious bulk for quick and filling lunches during the week, you can absolutely pack them with veggies, they can help you avoid food waste by using up your veg that might be otherwise past its best and they are easy to adapt for food allergies (I have even seen vegan, low FODMAP stock powders recently!)

This is one of our favourites … With a few little tricks it is a creamy, velvety comfort soup …. With none of your normal creamy ingredients 😉 as well as its serve of fabulous dietary fibre, it’s also got some decent fat and protein to keep you going.

1 1/2 large heads cauliflower (approx 1.2kg), chopped
2 tbsp garlic olive oil
1 medium brown onion, diced
6 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 400g tin butter beans, drained
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
Pinch pink salt flakes
few grinds black pepper
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
100g sunflower seed butter
8 cups hot veggie stock (Massel for store bought)
Optional: fist sized piece of sweet potato, peeled and diced

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add in the onion and celery.

Fry, stirring regularly until onion is golden.

Add beans, cauliflower and herbs. Sweat down for about 3-4 mins. Add sweet potato at this point if you’re using it.

Add stock and bring to simmer, roughly 15-20 mins (until you can slide a fork easily into the veg)

Add salt, pepper, yeast and seed butter then use an immersion blender until the soup is perfectly smooth.

Makes about 10 serves. Delicious on its own or serve with fresh crusty bread of choice.

This one tendss to separate a little if you freeze and thaw but comes back together with a good stir.

Enjoy 🙂

Moroccan Lamb Soup

April 6, 2016August 3, 2016 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

This morning it actually felt a little cool in Perth – hooray!! Cooler weather in my book means soup! Out comes the slow cooker!

We are getting to the last 2 weeks of our 3 months of meat bulk buy so I am starting to need to get a bit creative with the cuts left and my pantry staples. Thankfully I have had an abundance of pumpkins in my garden so that has helped.

This delicious, hearty soup got rave reviews from my husband, the small one and the 2 big boys (both gave it 9/10) …. miss fussypants refused to even try – but that’s not unusual!

Such a great way to use a really cheap ‘left over’ cut of meat so about $4 of meat makes enough for our family of 6 twice over – hello easy freezer meals!

1 medium butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced
1 large gold sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 400g tins chic peas, drained and rinsed
400g tin crushed tomatoes
4 cups very hot chicken stock (I used Massel)
800g lamb soup bones
2 tsp Moroccan seasoning ( I make this one)

Place the pumpkin, potato and chic peas in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add in the tomatoes, stock and seasoning. Mix well.

Add the bones to the mix and press them down so that they are covered with liquid.

Place on the lid, and set on low. Leave for 8 hours.

Remove the bones from the soup and use a fork to pull off the meat.

Return the meat to the pot.

Use a stick mixer to blend until smooth (or a blender/processor/thermal mixer in smaller batches – please be VERY careful blending hot liquid inside a confined space!!). Season with salt and pepper to taste – I didn’t need to add any tonight.

Serve immediately – it’s particularly yummy with warm garlic bread damper (see recipe below)

Enjoy 🙂

For the garlic damper process (Speed 5, 15-20 seconds) together 3 cups spelt flour (I did wholemeal and white), 3tsp GF baking powder, 1 tbsp Nuttelex/Vegan butter, 1 cup milk of choice and 1 tsp garlic salt. Bring together to a rough disc, press on to a lined baking tray, use your hands to rub 1 tsp of garlic olive oil over the top and sprinkle with flaked salt, slash the top and place into a preheated moderate oven for about 25 minutes or until golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

July 6, 2015June 7, 2019 ~ desertcook ~ 2 Comments

This soup in its original form was a regular feature on my Mum’s winter menu as I was growing up.

I seem to remember taking great effort to convince my younger brother that the rice vermicelli in it was dried eels brains … and for ages he believed me! Rotten sister!

It is such a comforting winter food that it is still a favourite of mine.

4 large chicken thighs, very finely diced*
4 tins corn kernels, drained and rinsed
200g rice vermicelli
12 cups hot chicken stock
1 large brown onion, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp freshly chopped thyme
pepper
2 tbsp Port or coconut aminos
1 large head of broccoli, chopped

In a very large saucepan heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently until the onions are golden.

Add in the chicken* and season with pepper, thyme and port. Cook stirring until lightly browned

Add in the stock, stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, take 2 of the tins of corn and place them in the food processor. Process until it fairly smooth. (You can just used 2 tins of creamed corn for ease if your diet allows, but the ‘extras’ in tins of creamed corn do not agree with Ellie).

Add in the now creamed corn and the whole kernels of corn and stir well. Add in the broccoli here.

Break up the rice vermicelli and add to the soup.

Heat until noodles are soft and serve.

This makes a very large quantity – love my giant 12L saucepan!! Go with a half batch if your saucepan isn’t quite so big!

Soup freezes well and keeps in the fridge for about 4 or 5 days.

*If you have some left over roast chicken it works really well here in place if the chicken thigh, just chop it and add it in at the same time as the corn and broccoli.

Enjoy!

Beef, barley and lentil stew

June 17, 2014June 20, 2016 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

I love winter time – the cold, grey days give me energy … I know, I’m strange!

One of the things I love is making delicious comfort food that warms and fills you up. I love that I can cook huge quantities of soups, curries, stews and casseroles that are packed with veggies and freeze them for easy meals. This is one of those meals.

It is quick and easy to make (about 10 minutes to start and another 5 later), is really cheap – about $8 for the entire 6L pot and the left overs freeze and defrost really well.