Domestic Goddess my arse!

These are the recipes I'm good at... quick, simple, out of the store-cupboard and onto the plate fare. I never spend more than 30 minutes faffing in the kitchen. So there.

This will be my recipe & homemadey remedy diary.

If you have those 'OMG! It's lunchtime and all I've got is a parsnip and a packet of boil in the bag rice.' moments, then you're a kindred spirit and you know that bad planning is often the mother of great food. So welcome to fast slurpy soups and 'really?' salads made from what's left in the fridge.


Never, ever believe there isn't something wonderful to make from the last 3 ingredients in your kitchen. Unless those ingredients really are fairy liquid, eggshells and dead flies.

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Weightwatcher Friendly | Lively Butternut Squash Soup

Making soup has got to be the quickest way to a healthy, hearty lunch or supper. If you're a weightwatcher then you'll be after the holy grail - Zero Point Soup. For me I feel, that for the sake of a couple of points saved - you're missing out on some extra, uber delicious, flavour and nutritional wonderment.

So I unashamedly claim that this soup is WWer friendly - but it isn't zero points. To give it a fair shout-out, it isn't high in points - but it does have delicious, nutritious hemp oil in it - and if you are really going to do it justice - a gert big dollop of hummous too!

There I've laid my cards on the table. 

Successful soup is all in the base and the fixings - that said. We can get on with the recipe...
Soupy Essentials |

3 sticks celery chopped
1 leek, chopped (all of it - no being a wussy with the dark green bits).
1/2 small bns, peeled and chopped.
4-5 carrots, chopped small
1tspn chilli flakes (more if you like it spicy)
3-4 tablespoons lemon (or the juice of two fresh lemons - and sling in some of the grated peel too).
Whole sea salt flakes (to taste - you can miss this out if you don't like to add salt).
Black pepper
olive oil
1ltr chicken stock

Fixings: add one/two/three of these depending on how hungry you are!

  • couple of slices of chorizo quartered
  • tablespoon dollop of hummus (don't you dare buy low-fat)
  • 2x tablespoons cooked pearl barley
  • hemp oil
Do it like a Luli*:


Boil the water for the chicken stock - or use bought/home made stock if you're really going for it!

Sweat the celery, leek and chilli flakes in some olive oil for about 5 mins. (use spray if you like).

Add the chopped bns and carrots and sweat for a few more minutes.

Now add the stock and bring to a soft rolling boil. Cover and let it simmer until the carrots are tender. This will take around 10 - 15 minutes, longer if you have cut your veggies chunky. I cut mine small - to speed up the cooking time.

I also stick the lid on across a wooden spoon to avoid the soup boiling over. It works for me.

When the veggies are cooked. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice.

You can leave this now until you are ready for it.

Whizz with a hand-held blender until smooth. (You don't have to do this - if you like chunky soup - it's ready to go just as it is. I just like blended soup).

Ladle soup into bowls  and add seasoning and fixings - I would deffo suggest the hemp oil - and you could add some toasted pumpkin seeds too.

Serve with Pumpkin Seed & Ermenthal dr Kargs, or lovely seedy, organic bread from the bakery. Or make your own. That'd be really flash!

*an Aussy friend once told me that being 'a right Luli' means being proper bonkers in Aussy parlance. I'll wear that hat!


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