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Marrow Or Courgette / Zucchini Soup Recipe

Courgette Soup

I’m quite fond of courgette (zucchini), lightly fried with anchovy and pine nut, or steamed, or frittered, but it took getting a 3.5kg (7lb7oz) courgette from a friend of mine recently to get me to try courgette soup, and it is without doubt my favourite soup ever, hands down.

Courgette Soup

It is so simple to make too, that it can actually be whizzed up in no time. If you need a quick and delicious dinner, and don’t know what to do with that end of season marrow, zucchini or courgette surplus, look no further. If you don’t love it, I’ll … well, I’ll eat it!

Personally, I adore this with some cream, but if you’re trying to keep the calories down, I find it quite fresh and thoroughly enjoyable with some salt and pepper.

This also freezes very well,

5.0 from 1 reviews
Courgette Soup/ Zucchini Soup
 
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I can not stop talking about this soup. I'm not a huge soup fan, and eat it largely out of ease or need, but this soup? Well, it can move in, quite frankly! I love it. Serve with fresh home made bread (or not) and top with dehydrated courgette strips, or perhaps crispy bacon.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup, Main, Side, Starter
Cuisine: Autumn Food
Serves: 5
Ingredients
  • 700g courgette / zucchini /marrow
  • 1 onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp stock or a stock cube and 2 cups water (or 2 cups liquid stock, I prefer chicken but veggie works too)
  • 1 cup cream (250ml or a 240ml pot will be fine) = 240g (optional)
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Roughly chop the marrow and onion, and pop in a food processor. If you like chunky chewy soups, lightly blend leaving chunks, if you like a smooth drinkable soup, keep it going for a while.
  2. Add the stock and water, and bring to the boil.
  3. Simmer for 15 minutes
  4. Stir in cream, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and either dehydrated courgette, crispy bacon or croutons, or eat as is, with our without thick chunks of bread and butter.
Thermomix® Instructions
  1. Add the onion and garlic and mix speed 10, 10 seconds
  2. Slice the courgette and place in the Thermomix®.
  3. Add the stock and water and cook speed 2/Varoma/15 mins
  4. Check the texture. If you like chunky chewy soups, lightly blend leaving chunks, if you like a smooth drinkable soup, keep it going 60 seconds, speed 5.
  5. Stir in cream, if using, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and either dehydrated courgette, crispy bacon or croutons, or eat as is, with or without thick chunks of bread and butter.

 

 

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{Book Review} and Grilled Vegetable Quinoa

Apart from my two pregnancies, I’ve always been a meat eater, but after almost ten years of supermarket meat in the UK my husband and I decided that we would rather reduce the number of times a week that we eat meat, and buy organic meat to eat less often. This has worked exceptionally well and the meat we’ve been eating in the last two months has been amazing. In the balance, however, has been more vegetarian meals.

Vegetarian Step-by-Step Grilled Veggie Quinoa

Once upon a time I assumed a veggie meal meant salad with a side of cucumber. Not my favourite. But while it’s taken a few years, I’ve finally grown to understand how good vegetarian food can be.

I was recently invited to be part of the Parragon Books book club, and one of the first books I’ve received to review was the Love Food Vegetarian Step-By-Step cookbook*.

I am loving this book.

It really is ideal for beginner cooks, whether they’re five or 35, as each recipe uses basic, relatively simple ingredients, and a really good step by step guide to the directions.

The book is beautifully illustrated, with all the ingredients laid out in the first picture, what it all looks like in the preparation, and finally, the end result.

Another thing that is absolutely fabulous about this book is the fact that bits and pieces of recipes can be used together or apart. For example I used only the Cheese Pastry sticks bit of the Celeriac Soup With Cheese Pastry Sticks recipe. It’s nicely set out that you can, even as a beginner, choose the bits you want.

I own many cook books, most of which I know I’ll only ever make four or five recipes out of, but in this book, there are no recipes that I can say no, I’ll definitely never make that. It’s set to become a favourite, for sure.

Below is the first recipe I made from the Love Food Vegetarian Step-By-Step cookbook*, and I’m sure there’ll be more!

4.0 from 1 reviews
{Book Review} and Grilled Vegetable Quinoa
 
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A lovely vegetarian dish, ideal on it's own or served as a side to something else. Easily adaptable too, if you don't have the same vegetables feel free to use others. Don't skip the pine nuts though - they totally make the dish. The instructions differ a little from the original, but work out perfectly.
Author:
Recipe type: Main Course
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 2 peppers, deseeded and cut into chunky pieces
  • 1 large courgette, cut into chunks
  • 1 small fennel bulb, cut into slim wedges
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 100g/3.5 oz quinoa
  • 350ml/12 fl oz vegetable stock
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley
  • 40g 1.5 oz pine nuts, toasted
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
  2. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a hot pan and set aside to cool.
  3. Chop vegetables and put in a bowl.
  4. Drizzle over olive oil and mix so that it covers all the vegetables.
  5. Arrange the chopped vegetables in a single layer in a roasting tin.
  6. Roast for 25 - 30 minutes.
  7. Place the quinoa, stock and garlic in a saucepan (or in the Thermomix®), bring to the boil and cover to simmer for 12 - 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and most of the stock has been absorbed.
  8. Mix the quinoa in with the vegetables and top with the toasted pine nuts and flat leaf parsley, and serve immediately.

nutrition

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Raw Nutty Chocolate Mousse

I’ve been teasing people with this recipe for two days now, not because I’m mean, but because I simply haven’t had the time to write it up, but here it is. We’ll call it version one, because I have some changes I want to make to it, but my husband taster said that’ll make it a different desert, so maybe I can justify having two chocolatey puddings close to each other. No one minds, right?

Raw Nutty Chocolate Mousse

First thing to remember with this desert is that despite it’s sugar free, dairy free, wheat free appearance, it’s still really high in calories, so pace yourself. On the up side, it’s so incredibly rich a few tablespoons each should do you just fine. My friend Emily wanted to top it with lemon shavings for decoration. I hadn’t thought of that, but good point, Emily! Next time.

Despite the high calorie count – see the nutritional information at the end of the post – they are at least good calories, and good for you, filled with healthy stuff.

Either way, it is utterly delicious. It absolutely ends any sugar cravings, and fulfills the sweet tooth, completely. I left this a little bit nutty, but you can make it entirely smooth by blending it longer.

Let me know what you think!

Raw Nutty Chocolate Mousse
 
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A gorgeous summery, delicious, healthy desert that blows your sweet tooth and chocolate cravings out the water.
Author:
Recipe type: Raw, Desert
Cuisine: Raw
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cashews (500ml)
  • 4 dates - more if you prefer a sweeter desert
  • ¼ cup coconut oil (80ml)
  • ¼ cup cacao powder(80ml)
  • ¼ cup (80ml) + 2 tablespoons syrup of choice
  • ½ cup water (125ml)
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients in the order listed, and blend until smooth.
  2. In the Thermomix®, that's speed 10 for about 90 seconds. If you want a smoother texture, blend longer.
  3. Scoop into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least fifteen minutes to cool it down and allow the coconut oil to set a little.
  4. Enjoy!

nutrition

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Raw Pecan Pie

raw pecan pie

Raw Pecan Pie
 
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Mmmmmm Pecan Pie! I was in a cooking mood (Well, technically 'Uncooking' hehe) but my cupboards were looking rather bare. Pecans! I had loads of pecans. So naturally the first thought to pop into my head was PECAN PIE. Yum. But not any old fatty, creamy pie, this pie is raw, sugar free, vegan, gluten free, made with a couple of wholesome, healthy ingredients. You can make them as big or small as you want. You could double the recipe and make one big pie or lots of mini ones. I put mine into silicon cupcake cases and it's a great size and made them easy to take out, Perfect!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert or Snack
Cuisine: Raw
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • For the base:
  • 1 Cup Nuts - I used half cashew, half almond and that worked well
  • 3 Medjool Dates - Or if not medjool, use a few more and soak in water for 30mins before using
  • Pinch of salt
  • For the Filling:
  • ½ Cup Pecans
  • ½ Cup Medjool Dates (about 6) same as above if not using medjool
  • ½ Vanilla bean pod, scrape the seeds out - or a couple of drops of vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tbsp Water - enough to make the paste soft and smooth
  • Also don't forget some extra Pecans for the top - amount varies on how big or small you make your pies
Instructions
  1. For the base : In a Thermomix® or food processor combine all of the ingredients and blend until the pieces are broken down and stick together when pressed. Spoon evenly into your desired pan or cupcake cases. I used silicon to help with removal.
  2. Press down gently to create a thin, even crust on the bottom and sides.
  3. Put them in the freezer while making the filling.
  4. For the filling: Place the dates, vanilla & pecans in a Thermomix® or food processor.
  5. Add about 1-2 tbsp fresh water and blend until smooth and gooey, scraping down the sides often.
  6. Spoon into the chilled crusts and top with extra pecans.
  7. Place in refrigerator and allow pies to set for at least 1 hour.

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Apple Strudel Smoothie with Maca Powder

Apple Strudel Maca SmoothieFor ages I kept hearing about the benefits of Maca powder and its superfood powers. I finally got around to getting some and was full of excitement and dumped a good heaped tablespoon of it into my smoothie…YUK! Lets just say Maca has a strong flavour. So when first starting out with it, less is more! I then cut down the amount I used and it still seemed to overpower most things. It does have a slight caramel taste to it so I paired it up with these ingredients and it makes for a really yummy, comforting, but super healthy smoothie. Enjoy!

Apple Strudel Smoothie with Maca Powder
 
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For ages I kept hearing about the benefits of Maca powder and its superfood powers. I finally got around to getting some and was full of excitement and dumped a good heaped tablespoon of it into my smoothie...YUK! Lets just say Maca has a strong flavour. So when first starting out with it, less is more! I then cut down the amount I used and it still seemed to overpower most things. It does have a slight caramel taste to it so paired it up with these ingredients and it makes for a really yummy, comforting, but super healthy smoothie. Enjoy!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • 1 Granny smith apple, cored and quartered
  • 3 Dates
  • ¼ Cup Walnuts
  • ½ tsp -1tsp Raw, Organic Maca powder
  • ½ tsp Organic Mesquite powder
  • ¼ tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Small banana
  • 1-2 Cups of Milk, I usually use almond milk.
Instructions
  1. Put everything into the Thermomix® or blender and blend until smooth.
  2. I start with one cup of milk and add more if it's too thick for my liking.
  3. Or add 2 cups and share.

 

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Goji Almond And Sprouted Buckwheat *mostly* Raw Balls

Goji BallsThese Goji, Almond and Sprouted Buckwheat balls are mostly raw, other than the choc chips. You can make your own coconut oil chocolate and then it’s completely raw! They can also be made nut free by swapping the almond meal for seeds like sunflower or pepitas. Other wise they are Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Refined sugar free, Yeast free & Corn free. Can’t get much better than that!

They do call for some organization as the buckwheat needs to start the sprouting process a day or 2 before they are ready. But it’s totally worth it! These are so lovely, sweet and the buckwheat makes a nice change than just regular old nuts in the usual bliss balls (ed: the Australian version of these date balls) I make. It’s cheaper too 🙂

Goji Almond & Sprouted Buckwheat *almost* Raw Balls
 
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These balls are mostly raw, other than the choc chips. You can make your own coconut oil chocolate and then it's completely raw! They can also be made nut free by swapping the almond meal for seeds like sunflower or pepitas. Other wise they are Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Refined sugar free, Yeast free & Corn free. Can't get much better than that! They do call for some organization as the buckwheat needs to start the sprouting process a day or 2 before they are ready. But it's totally worth it! These are so lovely, sweet and the buckwheat makes a nice change than just regular old nuts in the usual bliss balls I make. It's cheaper too 🙂
Author:
Recipe type: Snack
Cuisine: Raw
Serves: 16-20
Ingredients
  • 1 cup medjool dates, pitted [about 14]
  • ⅓ cup almond meal
  • ½ cup raw buckwheat grouts, sprouted [yield: 1 cup sprouted]
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup goji berries
  • ¼ cup carob/chocolate chips, cacao nibs or home made chocolate or even some dried fruit like sultanas
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch Himalayan rock salt
Instructions
  1. To sprout buckwheat: place the raw buckwheat grouts in a glass container and fill with water. Place a lid on it and store it in the fridge overnight to soak. In the morning, drain and rinse.
  2. Drain thoroughly and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  3. At the 12 hour [or so] mark, fill with water and drain again and follow the steps above.
  4. Your buckwheat should be ready at around 24 hours.
  5. Spread out onto a kitchen towel to make sure most of the moisture is removed.
  6. To make balls: place dates, almond meal, buckwheat, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor.
  7. Process until desired consistency is met.
  8. Drop mixture into a large bowl and mix in goji berries and choc chips.
  9. Wet hands and roll the mixture into balls.
  10. If the mixture is too sticky, out it in the freezer for a few mins to harden up
  11. Store in a container in the fridge or freezer

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Buckwheat Banana Bread

A lovely, sugar free banana bread, perfect for a healthy, nutritious snack.

Buckwheat Banana BreadI don’t use artificial sweeteners, and I certainly don’t let my children consume Aspartame. The problem with anything ‘sugar free’ or ‘free from’ is that to replace the sugar, they usually put a list of chemicals in it’s place. When that’s the case, I’d rather just have the sugar.

A great substitute for sugar in baking, is dates. Pureed with just a little water to help the machine, I often replace date puree for sugar at a one for one ratio. Try it, and see what you think!

Despite the ‘wheat’ in the name buckwheat, there is no wheat in it – it’s entirely wheat free. The consistency is a little different than normal flour and it may take a little getting used to, but it’s entirely worth it!

 

Buckwheat Banana Bread
 
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Buckwheat and bananas? yum, yum, yum, and guilt free too, with it's sugar-free and gluten free ingredients.
Author:
Recipe type: Muffins, snacks,
Serves: 50
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 1 ½ cups buckwheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅓ cup date puree (1/3 cup dates, covered with hot water and blended)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger spices
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter and set aside.
  2. Whip the bananas until they are smooth and airy.
  3. Add the date puree, egg, vanilla, spices and butter to the bananas.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and pour into a cake or muffin pan
  6. Bake at 180C or 350F for about 30 minutes for cupcakes, 40-45mins for bread or cake