Ridiculously simple recipes that never fail.

My soupmaker makes for ridiculously easy soup. Took a little trial and error, and I love smooth, veg soup. Put in splash of oil, about 600grams veg including some potato, stock cube, flavourings (herbs, spices), water to ‘max’ line. Turn on, 21 minutes later I have enough soup to last me 4 lunches.

Been doing it for years now. Change is in the veg, the garnish (sometimes). This week it’s pea and mint, next up is (defrosted) cauliflower with some milk powder stirred in at the end.

Forgot to say, you can eat the chicken seperately or shred the meat back into the soup.

Boil a leg or two of defrozen chicken for every person you are making soup for in a moderate amount of water.

When you have scummed the soup, add some chopped onions, leeks and root celery, or whatever else you happen to have of suitable vegetables in the freezer, plus salt and pepper.

Turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for an hour or so.

Steep a couple of slices of dry bread, or a handful of home-made croutons in water.

When the soup has boiled long enough for the meat to be cooked through and tender, remove from the heat. Take the chicken pieces out and drain them. Sieve the soup,

Chop three or four cloves of garlic finely and sauté them in cooking oil over moderate heat in a clean saucepan. Add the sieved soup and the bread, after you have drained it of water and crumbled it.

Check whether the soup needs more salt and pepper.

If you already have stock, this soup can be made very quickly. Otherwise it takes a couple of hours all in all.

Sopa de ajo y pollo - or Garlic and chicken soup.

Camelotclub

Is that fizzy or still lemonade?

Also what cream for the lemonade scones?

Thank you all, this thread is a life saver, my cooking has gone to pot recently. Someone mentioned saving the thread, how do I do that? I need it. One thing I have discovered - when making casseroles in the slow cooker I dilute the stock a bit more than usual and throw in instant gravy granules 30 -40 minutes before serving. Thickens nicely and gives flavour boost

Is that fizzy or still lemonade?

Seafood pasta. Cook pasta add prawns one minute before pasta is finished, drain then stir in Philadelphia cheese with chilli. Done!

What do you mean?!

For cheese sauce use full fat creme fraiche

This is a brilliant thread I’ve got so many ideas from it. Cheese sauce and figs are my favourites. Thank you.

@nanna8 would that be single ot double cream

Has not as ...

Fantastic thanks. I shall definitely try that. It makes sense because the fat and the milk is present (in the cream). Grated cheddar as potato starch in it, so there's the thickening agent. Result! Thank you.

No recipe is so simple that it never fails.

Ooh I love that cheese sauce one- thanks so much shysal. Also try microwave marmalade
I lemon and 4 oranges. Chop them up or food process them . Add about 200 ml water and microwave about 10 mins until softened. Add 3 cups sugar, stir and microwave about 10 mins, stir and then another 5 to 10. Pour into sterilised jars. Don’t overcook it or it ends up like my first lot - orange concrete!

fevertree

Shysal thank you and I'm not sure whether I've missed something or just being dim, but do you mean that you make cheese sauce (e.g. for cauliflower cheese or macaroni cheese) simply by taking a tub of cream and adding grated cheese?

Yes, just heat gently in a saucepan, probably best not to boil, although I haven't tried.

This is my type of thread! Thanks ladies. My cooking is rubbish these days. I think I make it more complicated than it should be. Also can’t resist throwing more flavours into a recipe and ruining it because they don’t gel. ?‍♀️ I’m saving this thread for later use!!

Shysal thank you and I'm not sure whether I've missed something or just being dim, but do you mean that you make cheese sauce (e.g. for cauliflower cheese or macaroni cheese) simply by taking a tub of cream and adding grated cheese?

fevertree

Melt cheese in what cream though?

I don't think it matters. I use Elmea double light.

No-bowl choc-bit slice

Ingredients
90 gram butter, melted
1 cup (125g) sweet biscuit crumbs
1 1/2 cup (185g) choc bits
1 cup shredded coconut
400 gram can sweetened condensed milk

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
Grease a 23cm square slab pan, cover base with baking paper; grease paper.
Pour butter into prepared pan, sprinkle evenly with biscuits, Choc Bits, coconut and nuts. Drizzle with condensed milk.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool in pan before cutting into squares; store in refrigerator.

What fantastic ideas, can't wait to try them out!

Very easy starter - cut a cross in a fig, stuff the openings with a couple of nubs of goats cheese then wrap the fig in a slice of parma ham; put in oven for 5 mins (or until parma ham has crisped up). Serve on a bed of rocket and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Loving these!

I’ve tried that pizza recipe, easy, make base and put in a hot griddle pan. I use ready made pizza topping, then put on cheese, onion (I microwave the onion) then whatever is in the fridge, yummy!

Carb free cheese sauce…….I use half hat crème fraiche. To avoid it splitting in macaroni cheese,add the cheese and crème fraiche to the warm,cooked pasta and mix thoroughly.