Vegetable Soup With Spinach

It's so cold today. I'm currently sat huddled up under blankets, my fingers and the tip of my nose are icy cold. I don't know if its the weather, or just my piss poor circulation.  What I do know is that the perfect thing for cold days is lots of hot drinks. Soup counts as a hot drink. Mmm. Soup. Vats of vegetable soup and lots of lapsang, and that's me set for the winter!
This recipe for veg soup is one of the best yet, quick and easy, thick and smooth, and tasty. It's simple, and rewarding. You can omit the chicken for a vegetarian option. The choice of spices is up to you, I usually add in an OXO Italian spice cube, salt, and pepper, and nothing else. Here's how to do it:

Topped with croutons, served with herby garlic flatbread.

VEGETABLE SOUP
YOU WILL NEED:
500g chicken breast, cubed
1 Tomato
1 Pepper
1 Carrot
1 Potato
2 Medium onions
1 Chicken/ vegetable stock cube
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 Inch piece ginger, finely diced.
1-2 Green Chillies, diced finely.
Salt and pepper, and your choice of spices (e.g. OXO Italian Spice cube) to taste.
Handful spinach, chopped.

METHOD:

1. Roughly chop the tomato, carrot. pepper, potato and one onion. Boil until softened and cooked, then add in the stock cube and liquidise.
2. Meanwhile, dice the other onion finely. Braise in butter until soft. Add in the ginger, garlic and green chilli. 
3. Add in the chicken and spices, and let it cook until the chicken is cooked through and the water has burnt away.
4. Add the liquidised mixture to the chicken, adding in more water if needed.
5. For a vegetarian option: Boil the vegetables, then add in the stock cube and liquidise. Lightly cook the ginger, garlic and chilli in a little oil, then add in the liquidised mixture. Add in the spices, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for five-ten minutes, adding more water if needed.
6. Lightly braise the spinach in butter until just wilted and warmed through. add into the soup, pour into bowls (or cups!) and serve, alone or with crusty, or flat bread.

On a side note, the best thing to do with stale bread is turn it into croutons. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a choice of dried hers, and slow bake or grill on low heat, tossing occasionally, until crisp. They taste really good with soups and salads, or even on their own as a snack!

Chicken Pot Pie With Herb Scone Topping

Fragrant, warming, and flavoursome.

Cold days demand warm and hearty dishes, such as this one; a chicken pot pie with a herby scone topping. The filling is made of chunks of vegetables and chicken pieces smothered with a fragrant cream sauce, covered with a delicious scone topping flavoured with herbs. Its relatively simple, albeit a slightly lengthy process, so maybe it would be best not to make it when one is in a rush, such as I did. The recipe can be originally found in the DK step-by-step baking book, although I changed it slightly, as is my wont. I cannot stop tampering with things, it is my one weakness...
If you want a vegetarian version of this recipe, simply omit the chicken. You can also experiment with herbs and spices that you prefer. The original recipe calls for parsley, but I found that I had run out, so I used basil instead, and it still tasted lovely.
As always, this recipe serves approximately 6-8, so if you're cooking for less, simply cut down the ingredients. This recipe can be made in individual ramekins if one so wishes. I used a casserole dish, because with a large family, that is easier. If you do decide to use ramekins, simply mix the chicken, vegetables, and cream sauce in a separate mixing bowl, and then spoon into ramekin dishes before topping with scones. I cooked the chicken in crushed ginger and garlic, and green chillies before adding it to the vegetables. You can cook it however you wish.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH HERB SCONE TOPPING
INGREDIENTS
1 litre chicken/ vegetable stock
3 Carrots, sliced into thick chunks
4-5 large potatoes, diced into large chunks
3 celery sticks, diced
175g peas
500g cooked boneless chicken, diced.
60g butter
1 onion, diced finely
30g Plain flour
175ml Double cream
Whole nutmeg, for grating
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
Leaves from one small bunch parsley, chopped

METHOD:

1. Bring stock to boil in a pot. Add the vegetables, and simmer until tender. Drain vegetables, and retain the stock.
2. Place the vegetables in an oven proof casserole dish. (Alternatively, if making  in individual ramekins, place the vegetables and chicken in a large mixing bowl or dish.)
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add onion and cook over medium heat until tender. Stir in the flour and let do for two minutes. Add in the retained stock, stir, and bring to boil. Simmer gently until thickened, then stir in cream, and bring to boil again, and let thicken. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

   

   My star cutter was the closest on
   hand, so stars it was!

   remove from heat and stir in the fresh chopped parsley, or herb of your choice. Combine with the vegetable mixture.
4. Top with scones, then bake at gas mark 7 in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to gas mark 4, and bake for a further 10 minutes until the scones are golden and the mixture is bubbling. Serve immediately.

HERB SCONE TOPPING
INGREDIENTS:
250g Plain flour
1tbsp Baking powder
1tsp Salt
60g butter
parsley, chopped
150ml milk.

METHOD:

1. Mix plain flour, baking powder, salt, and herbs in a bowl.
2. Rub in butter, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in milk until it comes together. The mixture will be quite sticky.
4. Turn onto a floured surface ands knead until smooth. Pat dough out to a thickness of 1cm. Cut out circles (or shape of your choice) and place on top of the filling.
5. Brush scones with milk.

Warm and hearty chicken pot pie.