Flu buster soup
SocialJoy
Hello everyone and welcome to my November blog and into a 2nd lockdown for the whole month. Sure we will be eager to get to the shops come 2nd December and cheer us all up buying Christmas presents, along with our online shopping too. And back out socialising and enjoying the restaurants and getting into the Christmas spirit.. We did try to fit in a few local eateries before the restrictions though! This time round instead of continuing my exercise with daily online gym classes, I have been changing it up with long puppy walks which has been rewarding. The puppy has doubled in size since she joined our family and still a bundle of fun and energy and looking like a huge teddy bear !
There do seem to be a lot of people walking, cycling and out and about, enjoying the mild autumnal weather and a little socialising. Richmond Park is glorious this time of year with the trees changing colours to reds and oranges and you do not feel as though you are in London with the feel of vast open space of countryside.
WorkJoy
I have been working with a new company called Wellbetter.com which is a platform for looking after your wellbeing, launching on 7th December. They are backed by Amazon and have some substantial clients, which will give me the opportunity to work and develop contacts with some larger corporate clients and enhance my cookery classes at my school.
In lockdown, I have been making some new creative recipes, such as a vegetarian lasagne with a pureed cauliflower & parmesan sauce, lamb chops with anchovy and caper dressing, feta & olive bread, butter beans with preserved lemons and chilli. A tomato and courgette loaf with tomato chutney, a christmas slaw made with pumpkin seeds, grated carrots, grated parsnips and nuts, roasted duck on sliced pots (must admit a Nigel Slater recipe!) with savoy cabbage, plus a clementine and olive oil cake, getting into the Christmas festivities.
I am always intrigued and very excited when I discover a new ingredient. This month it is camu camu powder, which is a berry native to the Amazon rainforest. Its classed as a superfood and extremely high in Vitamin C., in fact 60 times more serving than a large orange. They are tart in flavour and ideal to be used in pancakes, smoothies, on muesli, yoghurts and salad dressings. I am going to make some cookies with them, photo next month!
KitchenJoy
I had to sadly postpone the KitchenJoy classes at my school this month due to lockdown, but hope they will resume in December. But the online classes are still active. This month I had a large online class with a Bank and made Flu buster soup (as per prep ingredients above & recipe below) which consists of shitake mushrooms, goji berries, sweet pots, turmeric, garlic and ginger, so very good for your immune, especially this time of year. Followed by an Asian mixed grain bowl with tahini dressing and date energy balls with cacao chips & matcha green tea.
I have now added new class dates for 2021, up until June. And also added a new online vegan class by popular request!
Gift vouchers are now selling for Christmas. And a few orders flowing in from Not on the High Street. You can contact me directly to buy an E Vouchers for your loved ones or foodie friends!
Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.
FLU BUSTER SOUP
Serves 4
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced, skins left on
1 punnet shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 handfuls goji berries
vegetable stock to cover
salt & pepper
Put the onion, chilli, garlic & ginger in a large saucepan with the olive oil. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 mins.
Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms to the pan along with the goji berries. Stir well,
Then add enough vegetable stock to cover all the ingredients. Simmer well for 10-15 mins,
Until the potato is soft. Season with salt & pepper.
Carefully add the soup to a blender in batches, & blend into a smooth, vivid orange, spicy soup.
. 🙂
Enjoy ……..
