Pasta With Sausage & Cheese

Hey! Hey you! Feeling hungry? 

Want something a little decadent that you can get to the table in a flash and will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling in your tummy? I have just the thing for you!

As the autumn nights set in I find myself craving a little comfort food and this cheeky wee pasta dish really hits the spot. So quick and simple, it delivers maximum joy for very little time and effort.

I recommend splashing out a bit on some really good sausages and cheese as they will lift this dish from being just your average week night supper to something truly special!

Here's what you will need:

• 8 oz pasta - something that will pick up the sauce like penne or farfalle
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 oz good quality sausages, casings removed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1oz crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano
• Grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper to serve

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta til al dente, approximately 9 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add sausages and cook, stirring to break up into nicely browned yummy bite size pieces.
3. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by a quarter, roughly 2 minutes.
4. Add the cheese, cream and oregano and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the cheese has melted.
5. Stir in the pasta and season with salt. If you think the sauce is a little thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta water.
6. Serve, either in individual bowls or one large serving bowl, and top with Parmesan and black pepper.

As you can see, this recipe requires little preparation and by the time the pasta is done you should have your sauce all ready to go.

A trained observer will note from the pictures that I sliced the sausages here rather than crumbling them, but I really wish I had crumbled them as the little chunks would have been more evenly distributed through the pasta. 

Quicker, easier and way better than take-out!! Enjoy!!

Fried Cauliflower "Rice"

I have probably mentioned this before, but I love cauliflower and am always looking for more interesting ways to prepare it. I was, therefore, super excited when this little number from thekitchn.com popped in to my inbox yesterday morning!

Fried rice is one of my ultimate comfort foods and I could literally eat it every day and never get bored. I love that it can be made as healthy or as fatty as you care to make it, and can be a main dish all by itself as well as a great accompaniment. 

Aside from the bacon in this recipe, this really is about as healthy as fried rice can get and I have a feeling that this will be on a weekly rotation in my house from now on as it will be perfect to keep in the fridge for lunchtime.

I kept it simple and (mostly) followed the website recipe, and it is easily adaptable to accommodate whatever veggies or proteins you happen to have lying around. I am looking forward to trying it with black beans or edamame beans next time for an extra protein punch.

Anyway, enough of me prattling on. Here is what you will need for around 4 to 6 portions:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 8 slices bacon (if you're in the UK, use streaky bacon or 4 slices regular bacon)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 cup of corn, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup of peas, fresh or frozen
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced (or spring onions, for UK readers)
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 2 to 3 tbsp soy sauce

1. Chop the cauliflower into florets and discard the inner core. Working in batches, pulse the florets in a food processor until chopped into rice sized pieces
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over a medium heat until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside on some paper towels to drain. Once bacon is cool, chop into bite sized pieces. 
3. If you want to use the bacon fat for the rest of the recipe, drain off all but a teaspoon and reserve the rest for the next step. If not, substitute for vegetable oil.
4. Beat the eggs and add to the skillet, either scrambling them or making an omelet to cut into strips or chunks. Remove eggs from skillet and set aside.
5. Wipe the skillet clean and add one tablespoon of bacon fat or vegetable oil, and return to a medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Next, add the carrots and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower, carrots and peas and mix thoroughly.
6. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
7. Uncover, then stir in eggs, bacon, green onions, cashew nuts and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Taste and add more soy sauce as required.
8. Eat and enjoy! :-)

So, notes for next time - this is not something that you will hear me say very often, but I think there was a little too much bacon. My taste tester pointed out that between the bacon and the soy sauce this dish was quite salty. I think maybe halving the bacon next time would still provide enough fat for cooking, and yummy bacon-y joy and leave room for some beans or some other interesting flavors.

My taste tester also suggested using less veggies next time as he felt that they crowded out the cauliflower and he couldn't really taste it. I must say, this wasn't a problem for me but it is still worth noting.

Finally, be vigilant when you are making the "rice" as I think I pulsed mine a little too much in the food processor and it came out more like large couscous than rice. Again, not that big of a problem, but I will be interested to see what difference there is with larger cauliflower pieces.

Well, that's it for today. I will most definitely be trying this again in the very near future, and rather than making a new post about any changes or improvements I will probably just provide updates on the Puurple Kitchen Facebook page so please make sure you visit the page and click Like to make sure you don't miss out!!

Until next time .....

Corn & Black Bean Salad

After a couple of weeks of awesome yet fatty cooking I found myself craving something a wee bit healthier this week. I may have mentioned this before, but I'm not generally a fan of salads - the ones that do appeal to me usually have about the same amount of calories as a cheeseburger, and I invariably find myself hungry again half an hour later!

I first made this salad for my friend's baby shower a couple of weeks ago and it was so popular I knew it would be making an appearance here before too long. The recipe below is a tweaked version of the one I found on my beloved seriouseats.com 

It was a great dish to make for a party as it was easy to double it up for a larger crowd, and it actually benefits from being made the day before, leaving you free to attend to other pre-party chores.

The black beans and avocado provide enough protein that you can eat this salad by itself for a fulfilling lunch or snack, or it makes a perfect side dish for many main meals. Using leftovers from the baby shower, it also made some really tasty quesadillas! Last night I chose to serve it with some rotisserie chicken for a quick and healthy dinner.

Anyhoo, here is what you will need for roughly 6 to 8 servings:

• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 ears of cooked corn, kernels cut from cob
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• zest of one lime, plus 6 tbsp of fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 avocados, chopped

1. Put beans, corn and bell pepper in a large bowl.
2. Whisk garlic, shallot, salt, cayenne, sugar, olive oil, lime zest and juice, and cilantro in a medium bowl to make the dressing.
3. Pour 2/3 of the dressing into the beans, corn and bell pepper and toss to coat well. Taste, and determine if you need to add more dressing. (The first time I made this I added all the dressing at once and found it a little wet for my liking. This time I added maybe 3/4 of the dressing and reserved the rest to use on a different salad this week)
4. Cover and chill salad for at least half an hour, and overnight if you have time.
5. Before serving, add avocado and toss gently to avoid squashing the avocado. Serve at room temperature.
   
   
   

Officially on Facebook!

Just a quickie to let you know that The Puuurple Kitchen now has its own Facebook page - hurrah!!

As well as being the new home for issuing Facebook notifactions about blog posts, I would love for the page to be a place for general foodie chat and nonsense, feedback on any recipes you may have tried, suggestions for changes you might have made, and also any challenges or recipes you would like me to explore.

If you would like to be a part of the fun, please click here and like the page.

Thank you! :-)

Chicken With Bacon & Sherry

Here's a favorite of mine that is so simple it is literally idiot-proof and never fails to impress. Using mostly ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge or cupboards (and if you don't, then I recommend stocking up!) this dish provides maximum taste for minimum effort!

I like this dish for casual entertaining as the rich flavor hints at something that requires a lot more effort, while the oven time lets you relax with your guests and not be running around in the kitchen at the last minute (which I usually am when I'm hosting a dinner party!)

I forget where I originally found this recipe or what it's official name is, so I'm just going to go with Chicken with Bacon and Sherry as that is basically what it is! The quantities below will make 3 hearty portions or 4 smaller ones, depending on your appetite.

Anyway, here is what you will need:

• 1/2 cup of flour
• 6 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
• 4 slices bacon, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry or medium dry sherry
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1.  Heat oven to 350F (180C or gas mark 4)
2. Place flour in a bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour. Set aside.
3. Heat a large ovenproof skillet or saute pan over a medium high heat and add bacon. Cook, stirring, until the fat renders, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Add olive oil to the pan then brown the chicken on both sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
5. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Then add the stock and sherry, and return the chicken to the pan. Sprinkle with the bacon and parsley, then dot with the butter.
6. Cover and transfer the pan to the oven for around 40 minutes, removing twice to baste the chicken

This is definitely a meal to file under "Comfort Food" as between the bacon, bacon fat and butter it is not particularly healthy! To complete the comfort theme, I like to serve this with mashed potatoes and peas, but you could also serve it with some crusty bread - just make sure you have something to soak up all that lovely sauce!

Moroccan Chicken

Here's another little treasure from thekitchn.com which I have made a couple of times now - the first time at a dinner party earlier this year and it went down a treat. 

It's a simple recipe that requires little hands on time but will simmer away slowly until the chicken is lovely and tender and falls apart easily, and is as easy to make for a larger group as it is to make for one person - leftovers will keep perfectly in the fridge for up to a week.

For the dinner party I was cooking for 8 people so I followed the recipe to the letter as it was to serve 6 to 8. I felt then that the dish was quite dry so last night I decided to use half the chicken and kept the amount of sauce the same. The end result was better but surprisingly I still felt that it was a little dry.

Here's what I did, to serve 3 to 4

Chicken Tagine With Apricots, Almonds & Chickpeas

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, skinless & boneless
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled & minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• chopped cilantro to serve

1. Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot, or tagine if you have one, over a medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown. Remove to a clean plate.
2. Saute the onions with half a teaspoon of salt until they are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then sprinkle in the garlic, coriander, cumin and cinnamon and cook for about a minute.
3. Stir the chicken stock and apricots into the pan, scraping up any seared bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the chicken back in the pan and bring the liquid back to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 50 to 60 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
5. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate and tent with foil. Add the honey, almonds and chickpeas to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Bring the stew to a rapid simmer and cook until it has thickened slightly. Taste the sauce and season if required.
6. Serve the chicken on top of couscous with a portion of the sauce on top, and sprinkle with the cilantro.

So like I said above, there still wasn't enough sauce for my liking and next time I think I will try using 50% more of the ingredients from garlic through to honey, but keep the amount of almonds and chickpeas the same. 

I love a nice slow cooked stew, one that allows the meat to cook gently until it is so soft it will fall apart at the first touch of the fork, and gives the spices enough time to slowly come together until they blend seamlessly. I am not a fan of dried fruit, (it's a texture thing) but the slow simmer here gave the apricots time to break down until they were barely noticeable except for the wonderful fruity sweetness they add to the dish.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and I am looking forward to playing around with it to get it just to my liking. As you know, I will keep you posted ....

BTW - I tweaked my guacamole recipe last weekend to much success, and if you are interested you can read about it at the end of my post here

Butter Paneer

Ive been a little uninspired in the kitchen for a few weeks, and quite frankly the couple of new things I tried came out a bit crap and were definitely not blog-worthy.

This recipe looked like it had potential, though, and I was very pleased that I gave it a try. I found it on another of my favorite foodie websites - Serious Eats - and I wholeheartedly recommend that you check them out and sign up to their mailing list as the newsletter is full of wonderful dinner and cocktail ideas.

This was my first time cooking with paneer, an Indian cheese, and I had actually only tried it once before in a curry which I really enjoyed so I was quite excited about trying this recipe out.

So, I shall confess now that this was supposed to be a Butter Paneer with Spinach, but as I was blanching the spinach I turned my back for about 30 seconds too long and was left with a soggy pile of green awfulness that promptly went straight in the bin! I didn't have enough spinach left to do a second batch, but I did have some peas lurking in the freezer and they went perfectly with the dish, and I think I enjoyed it a lot more with the peas than I would have the spinach.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

Butter Paneer

Please pretend the bag of spinach is in fact a bag of peas!

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 3-inch knob of ginger, chopped - approx 3 tbsp
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• salt
• 1 28oz can tomatoes, preferably fire roasted (the original recipe called for whole tomatoes but I used diced and it came out fine)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream, to taste
• a couple of handfuls of peas (they all fell out of the bag straight in the sauce when I was pouring them in, but I estimate it was a couple of handfuls!)
• 1 lb paneer, diced into small cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. In a medium pot, melt the butter then stir in onion, ginger and jalapeno. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of salt and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.
2. Add tomatoes, cinnamon and salt. If you are using whole tomatoes, use the spoon to squish them and break them up a bit. Cook uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and there is only a little liquid left.
3. Transfer sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Wipe the pot clean and pour the sauce back into the pot through a fine mesh sieve. Add salt and cream to taste - I went for the full 1/2 cup of cream as I LOVE creamy sauces.
4. Add peas and paneer to sauce and stir gently. Cook for about another 5 minutes - enough time to warm the paneer and peas. Add half the cilantro, and use the other half as garnish.

I chose to serve it with brown rice which was perfect for soaking up that lovely creamy sauce, but it would also be delicious with a naan or some other kind of flat bread. 

I won't lie, between the butter, cream and copious amounts of cheese this was not a healthy dish! It was thoroughly enjoyable, though, and I loved the texture of the paneer - kinda creamy but still with some bite - which paired wonderfully with the peas.

 

This was a super easy recipe to make, even though it took a bit longer than the suggested half hour. I only have one criticism, and that was that it was a little too sweet. I will definitely be making it again, but next time I think I will put less honey in, and maybe a little less ginger. I'll probably also throw an extra jalapeno in to give it a bit of a kick.

I'll let you know how that goes ....

Edamame & Cauliflower Pasta Salad

Last night's dinner came from one of my favorite sources of inspiration - thekitchn.com. This is an amazing website which is full of delicious seasonal recipes - both local and exotic, great tips and how-to guides, and useful kitchen planning and gadget ideas. I signed up to their mailing list a couple of years ago and it would take me another couple of years just to get through all the recipes I have printed off and not gotten around to so far!!

I was very happy that I got round to this little number! I dont really eat salads as I find them quite boring and usually find myself starving again an hour later, and pasta salads usually conjure up an image of soggy overcooked pasta drowning in mayonnaise. *shudder* However, with the California summer upon us, I thought it was worth exploring some salad-esque options.

I am a huge fan of edamame, and they are such an awesome source of protein so I am always looking for new and yummy ways to use them. I also love cauliflower but find it can be a rather dull vegetable so I was (quite tragically) rather excited to have an excuse to try something new. 

The recipe on the website was for a party size portion, serving 8 to 10 people, so I decided to half it as I was just looking to get dinner and a few lunches out of it. Personally, I would probably half it again as it still made a gargantuan bowl full of salad - after feeding me and my friend last night and sending him home with another couple of portions, i am still left with about 3 lunch size portions!!!

Anyways, here is the recipe for the quantity I made:

Edamame & Cauliflower Pasta Salad

• 1/2lb pasta - I used Camapanelle as it is pretty, but whatever you have in the cupboard will do
• 8oz shelled frozen edamame
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite size florets
• 40ml olive oil (1/6th of a cup, or 2tbsp + 2tsp)
• 1/2tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2tbsp soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
• 1 bunch green onions (spring onions) green parts only, finely sliced
• 4oz feta cheese, crumbled

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. Drain and put in a large bowl, then add the frozen edamame and toss to combine. The heat from the pasta will defrost the edamame, and the edamame will cool the pasta so both will be perfect when you are ready for them - genius!!
2. Refill the pot with salted water and bring back to the boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and let cool.
3. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce and maple syrup in a jug, then pour over the pasta and edamame and toss to coat.
4. Add the mint, green onions, feta and drained cauliflower and toss well.
5. Taste, and add salt and pepper as required

You can serve this warm, at room temperature or chilled - I have tried it at all three stages and it was delicious each time. According to the recipe, it will keep well in the fridge for a week or more.

I'll admit, I was a little dubious about some of the ingredients on paper - when I think of soy sauce I think of something really salty, and maple syrup as overly sweet - but when they were combined they all complemented each other perfectly, and made a very fresh summery pasta salad, with just the right amount of bite coming from the feta. 

I will definitely be making this for my next party or pot luck offering!

Lentil & Mushroom Bolognese

This is a staple that I have been making for a few years, and as far as I am concerned is every bit as satisfying as the meaty version. It is hearty, healthy, budget friendly and really easy to make - all things I look for in my everyday cooking. So here's how it goes

• olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 fat cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 oz mushrooms (I use button or portabella), chopped to desired size
• 1 cup lentils, well rinsed
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 3tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Knorr stock cubes
• 2 cups water
• 1 glass red wine
• 1tsp dried basil
• 1tsp dried marjoram
• 1tsp dried oregano

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat and saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a minute more. Add mushrooms and saute for a couple of minutes more.
2. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, water and wine and bring to the boil. Throw in the herbs and the stock cubes, then season to taste. After 5 minutes or so give it a little taste and see if the seasoning needs any adjustment.
3. Reduce heat to very low, cover and leave to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. At this point it would be ready to eat, but I like to leave it off the heat for about another hour so that the lentils soak up any additional water and become more tender.
4. Serve over pasta and topped with as much parmesan cheese as your diet allows :-)

I would usually try and use all fresh herbs when making this as it does taste so much better, but this was a spur of the moment dish rather than planned and it still tastes amazing with dried herbs. I did have a small bunch of fresh basil in the fridge though so I threw that in and reduced the dried basil to 1/2 tsp. 

I would also recommend doing a taste test about half an hour into the cooking to see if it requires any more seasoning, and possibly a wee pinch of sugar although that was not required today.

This batch makes about 6 hearty portions and keeps well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, although I bagged up 4 portions and put them in the freezer to save for a lazy hungry day.

Enjoy!! x

Sangria Sundays!!

After a couple of margaritas on Saturday night my friend Heather and I decided that it was a genius idea to start Sangria Sundays. Brilliant, don't you think?!?! 

Ive had a few sangria recipes that I have been waiting for an excuse to try and Heather quite rightly pointed out that Sunday was as good as excuse as any!

So allow me to present the first in what I hope will be a regular segment for The Puuurple Kitchen.

My first foray into the wonderful world of sangria comes from the Better Homes and Gardens website, and was a rather delicious sparkling sangria. 

Sparkling Golden Sangria

• 3 cups white grape juice, chilled
• 1/2 cup Cointreau
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 medium nectarine, chopped
• 1 orange, quartered and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup sweet cherries, pitted and halved, or canned mandarin sections, drained
• 3/4 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 bottle prosecco, or other sparkling white wine

1. In a large pitcher or punch bowl combine grape juice, Cointreau, sugar and honey. Stir until sugar has dissolved
2. Add the fruit and herbs and stir. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally
3. Just before serving, add the prosecco
4. Drink!!

This was a very tasty and refreshing drink to enjoy on a warm evening, although it was a little sweet for my taste (which probably means it would be crazy sweet for a lot of people!) I couldn't find cherries so I used the mandarin which may have made it a bit sweeter so I would definitely like to try it with cherries next time. I think I will also play around a little with the amount of sugar and honey next time.

To accompany the sangria, I also knocked up a little guacamole - another first for me as my friend Katy makes such good guacamole I would always make something else to bring to the table.

A quick search took me to the Food Network website and this recipe sounded good to me.

Guacamole

• 3 Haas avocados, halved seeded and peeled
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (the recipe only called for 1/2 a jalapeno but I was feeling brave!)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (I used about 3 tablespoons as I LOVE cilantro)
• 1 clove garlic, minced

1. Place the avocado and lime juice in a large bowl and toss to coat. Drain and reserve the juice
2. Mash the salt, cumin and cayenne into the avocado
3. Fold in onions, jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro and garlic
4. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice
5. Cover and leave to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving

The recipe actually makes about twice this much, but I forgot
to take a photo at the start - whoops!

Again, this was a successful first attempt at making guacamole, but again there are a couple of changes that I would make for next time. The onion made it a little too sweet so I think I would either reduce the amount or use red onion instead. I would also increase the seasoning as it could have had a little more character. Maybe try an extra 1/4 teaspoon of cumin and cayenne and see how that goes?

All in all, they were the perfect accompaniments as Heather and Kelly joined me to watch the Monaco Grand Prix last night and I look forward to making both of them again, as well as bringing you the next installment of Sangria Sundays!

UPDATE 06/24/13

I got to make the guacamole again for a World Cup party last weekend and made it with 3/4 tsp each of the salt, cumin and cayenne, and I reduced the jalapeno to 1/2 a pepper. This time it had a much punchier taste and still just the right amount of kick, and is definitely how I will be making it in future!

Mexican(ish) Bean Soup

To launch me back into cooking, I thought I would start with one of my old favourites - my bean soup.

I love soup. I eat it all year round, even when it is 90 degrees outside! I used to make this soup every couple of weeks before my husband became ill (sadly it was too spicy for his stomach) and would eat it every day for lunch, then stash half of it in individual portions in the freezer for emergencies.

A freezer is the single person's culinary best friend, and I intend to help you stock it full of yummy meals that can be defrosted and served in a jiffy for those nights where you dont have time or simply cant be arsed cooking!

Anyway, back to the soup. The wonderful thing about this soup is that the recipe below is merely a guideline. You can literally put in whatever veg you have in the fridge or need to use up quickly. Here's what I used today:

1 onion

1 red bell pepper

1 zucchini

1 pack of mushrooms

5 carrots

All chopped to your desired size

Also

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp chili powder (I prefer chipotle chile powder)

3 Knorr vegetable stock cubes 

4tbsp tomato puree

2 cans chopped tomatoes (I prefer fire roasted tomatoes)

2 cans beans (I use 1 of pinto and 1 of black, but you can use whatever you prefer)

* Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and fry the onions for about 5 minutes.

* Add the garlic for a minute, then add your vegetables and saute for another 5 minutes or so.

* Add the herbs and spices, tomatoes and puree, and stock cubes. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency. (I would usually just add two stock cubes at first then test in a few minutes to see if it needs another.)

* Bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat. Dont forget to give it a taste to see if you need to adjust the stock, spices or tomato puree, and then season as you see fit.

At this point, you can adjust the cooking time to suit your hunger level and vegetables of choice. If you are short on time you could simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, then stir in the beans and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. 

I usually make this soup in the afternoon with plenty of time to spare so I like to turf the beans in sooner and then turn the heat down low and leave it alone for a couple of hours to let the veg get all yummy and mushy and all the flavours blend together.

Serve in a bowl (obviously!) with a big dollop of sour cream on top. Heaven!!

This batch made about 10 hearty portions, 5 of which went straight in to my freezer for future happiness. One thing that was missing today was sweetcorn - mainly because im an idiot and forgot to buy some. Fresh corn is always best if you can get it, but I will be stocking up on canned sweetcorn on my next grocery run to ward against future stupidity!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this first little foray into my new kitchen! If any of you give this a try please let me know how you get on - I would be very interested to hear your thoughts and what variations you use.

Happy cooking!! :-)

Introductions

Welcome to The Puuurple Kitchen!! My name is Andrea and I will be your host and chef! 

Before I moved from Scotland to California 3 years ago I could barely boil an egg and my poor husband had to do all the cooking. Once we arrived I was lucky enough to find myself a lady of leisure and used the time to teach myself to cook. I loved nothing more than spending hours in the kitchen creating new and interesting dishes to present to my husband when he came home from work.

Sadly, at the beginning of the year my beloved husband passed away, and I no longer have the desire or motivation to push myself in the kitchen. But a girl still needs to eat, and as much as I love grilled cheese sandwiches, pizzas and takeout from Chipotle, there comes a point when enough is enough! I hope that this blog will help restore my motivation.

Here I intend to explore the art of cooking for one. At the moment, when I do venture into the kitchen I look for recipes that are quick and easy to get to the table, but I am also a fan of leftovers and stocking the freezer with individual portions of soups and stews. I hope to discover and share with you lots of delicious, healthy and budget friendly meals that will keep dinnertime interesting without being a pain in the ass!

Along the way I will also throw in some dinner party ideas, as I do still love to cook for friends, and indulge my passion for baking and desserts, as we all need a little decadence from time to time! ;-)

Well, that about covers it for now! I'm off to do some research and decide what my first recipe will be. See you all soon!!