Healing Soups ~ 100 Healthy Recipes

Homemade soup has it's benefits by allowing one to control the amount of additives and sodium and homemade soups do retain much of their vitamins and minerals as the ingredients cook and become part of the broth. Therefore soup may boost your vegetable intake. 

This lovely cookbook targets different aspects of ones health, well being and or aliments by offering soup recipes for the mind, body, health, and beauty. There are 3 chapters appropriately titled: Soups for Looking Good and Feeling Good, Soups for Recovery and Recuperation and Soups for the Soul and Spirit. At the beginning of the book there is a brief glossary of soup making equipment, essential ingredients and finishing touches. It covers the soup basics... the broth... by offering 4 types of broth recipes fish, chicken, beef, and vegetable. 

Every recipe is one page and has a quip "science bit" about an ingredient, vitamin, herb or vegetable related to the recipe. Recipes are easy to follow and provide you with nutrients to help soothe, comfort and nourish you. At the end there are a few Seasonal recipes, again appropriately titled... Spring Renewal, Summer Coolers, Autumn Boosters, and Winter Warmers. There are many easy and inspiring recipes to choose from and here are  two delicious recipes from the cookbook you may want to try.    

Haitian chicken & orange consommé - for colds 

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serves 4

1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) chicken stock

500ml (17 fl oz) freshly squeezed orange juice, strained

2 cloves

2 star anise

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

orange slices, to garnish

Put the chicken stock, orange juice, cloves, star anise, and peppercorns into a large saucepan, and simmer gently, cover for 30 minutes.

Strain the soup through a sieve and serve in bowls. Garnish with thin orange slices. Alternatively, chill and serve cold.

Orange juice provides Vitamin C and combines perfectly with the restorative properties of homemade chicken stock. if you feel the need for a little extra nutrition, you can add thin strips of carrot and ginger and some shredded cooked chicken.


Armenian Lentil Soup - for stress
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serves 4

50 g (2 oz) red lentils, rinsed
50 g (2 oz) dried apricots
1 large potato, roughly chopped
1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper
roasted cumin seeds and slivers of orange rind, to garnish


Put all the ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Blend the soup until smooth.

Ladle into bowls and serve with sprinkling of roasted cumin seeds and a few slivers of orange rind.

Lentils are a good source of vitamin B5 and B6, which are vital for healthy adrenal function and energy production. 

Hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying the week. - JD     

Farmer's Martini

This martini lingers with a clean, sweet fruity taste. Perfect, after a long day.  

Farmer's Martini

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makes 2 cocktails

6 oz Gin

1 oz Dry Vermouth

1 oz Sweet Vermouth 

5 dashes of Grapefruit Bitters 

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a lemon twist if you wish.

Have a lovely weekend everyone! - JD 

Robert Burns Night Dinner ~ Slow Cooker Cock-a-Leekie Soup

A lovely soup to warm the cockles of one's heart and remember the late poet, Robert Burns. 

"But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, it's bloom is shed;
Or, like the snow-fall in the river,
A moment white, then melts forever."

- Robert Burns, Tam O'Shanter 


Slow Cooker Cock-a-Leekie Soup

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4  boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 leeks, washed and sliced

3 - 5 carrots, chopped

1/3 cup barley

1 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh springs
salt and pepper to taste
2 boxes (900ml each box) low sodium chicken broth

1 shot of Scotch whisky
dried prunes, diced 
3 to 4 julienne slices of lemon peel - optional

Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add the leeks, carrots, barley, onion, bay leaf, thyme and prunes to slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over all the ingredients. Add the whisky, prunes and lemon peel. Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours. When done, remove the chicken breasts and shred each one. Return the meat back to the soup. Serve with oatcakes or a rustic bread. 

Notes: You may placed the diced prunes on top when serving rather than in the soup.

Savoury Vegetarian Hand Pies

The recipe may seem intense however these are far from that. Once, in your groove, you can create these scrumptious morsels at ease. Using ready made puff pastry is fine and saves  time, if you are like me and haven't quite mastered the art of puff pastry; although shortcrust pastry I have. On their own or served with a salad either way these are simple and delicious. 

Savoury Vegetarian Hand Pies

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1 carrot, washed and peeled 

1 small zucchini, washed, with the skin on

1 medium potato, washed with the skin on

1 shallot

half a block of frozen spinach, defrosted or thawed and water gently squeezed out

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

a few splashes of low sodium vegetable stock

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 box of ready made frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package 

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line a baking tray with baking parchment paper set aside. 

Dice the shallot, set aside. Grate, the freshly washed, carrot, zucchini, and potato; gently squeeze out any excess water from the vegetables, if there is any. Place all into a large bowl and set aside. Prepare the spinach, as stated above.    

In a large fry pan, add the vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the diced shallot. Stir frequently. Allow the shallot to become tender. Then add the vegetable mixture. Stir to combine. Allow to cook and become tender. Stir in the spinach. Add the few splashes of vegetable stock; stir, then sprinkle in the curry powder and turmeric. Stir to combine and allow the vegetables to be coated in the seasoning and the liquid to be absorbed. You may add more curry powder, if you wish as it will depend on your taste. Sauté for a few minutes then remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool. 

Once the filling has cooled it is time to make the pies...  

Ready made rolled sheets of puff pastry work well for this recipe as they will save a bit of time, if you can not find them and all what is on hand are ready made puff pastry blocks, you'll have to prepare them according to package directions... essentially roll each one out. 

On a clean surface, lay out the sheet of ready made puff pastry with the backing paper still on, this will make it easier to release the puff pastry, and using a 2 3/4 inch (69mm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as the sheet will allow, approximately, 6 to 9, take the other sheet of ready made puff pastry, every box should come with 2 sheets, lay out the sheet and cut out the same amount of rounds as you did for the first sheet. You should have an even amount of puff pastry circles, one for the bottom and one for the top. You can collect the scraps of discarded puff pastry and reshape and roll to cut out more circles.  Making  approximately 12 to 16 circles in total.

Fill half the circles with a tablespoon of the savoury vegetable mixture. 

Using your finger, lightly wet the edges of the cut rounds with water. Cover the tops with the remaining circles, pressing the two dough halves together. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal. You may need extra water for the fork crimping.  

In bowl, beat the egg with the water. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash. Use a sharp knife, cut a ventilation hole, or a slit, into the top of each formed pie. Arrange the pies on the prepared baking tray.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Serve warm.   

Notes: Be creative try different vegetables and seasonings. Add cheese. Make them with fruit. If shortcrust pastry is what you prefer then try using that, the baking time may vary although the prep and assembling will remain the same. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! - JD 

Blue Moon

This is such a unique and mesmerizing cocktail. A crisp bouquet with just a hint of citrus.    

Blue Moon

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makes 2 cocktails

4 oz gin

1 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 oz Créme de Violette 

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a cherry, if you wish.

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Guava Cubes

Visiting our favourite Latin American shop we found these delicious guava cubes. Solid pureed fruit cubes, reminiscent of jelly, rolled in sugar. These make for a lovely after dinner treat.   

Before I could take a photo, idle hands had already dived in and were enjoying the naturally sweet taste.


Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD    

Gingerbread Cake

Ginger cake is one of those desserts that you can have anytime of the year. Spring and Summer with a simple sticky lemon drizzle or soothing ice cream; and Fall and Winter with lashings of sweet caramel sauce or warm custard. This cake is pure gingerbread sweetness in every slice. 

Gingerbread Cake

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3 cups (750ml) all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting

3 tablespoons (45ml) cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon (15ml) ground ginger

2 teaspoons (10ml) ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons (10ml) baking powder

1 teaspoon (5ml) baking soda

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) salt

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon (1ml) ground cloves

2/3 cup  (150ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (375ml) sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup (125ml) molasses

1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract

2 cups  (500ml) light sour cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and grease a 9 or 10 inch ( 23cm or 25cm ) bundt pan; dust with some flour. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.

In a separate bowl, using and electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in molasses and vanilla. 

Using mixer on low speed, alternate beating in the flour mixture and sour cream, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of sour cream and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Invert onto a serving plate and dust with icing sugar, or your favourite topping. Serve.

Notes: Ovens vary therefore I baked the cake for a bit longer... possibly for an additional 10 minutes. Checking is key!

Violet Fizz

Dreaming of summer? A cloudy pale floral drink to refresh and clear the mind. 

Violet Fizz

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makes 2 cocktails

2 oz Gin

1/2 oz Créme de Violette

1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 oz simple syrup

chilled club soda

ice cubes

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the gin, crime de violette, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake really well. 

Fill a highball glass about three quarters full with ice cubes. Strain the mixture into the glass. Fill the glass with the chilled club soda, stir well, and drink. 


Notes: It is unfortunate that the pale violet colour, of the drink, did not show up quite so well.

Plunging temperatures, a balmy minus 40! has been the norm throughout this week. Stay warm and have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Toast: The Cookbook

Toast is simple and the recent surge of mashed avocado on toast has brought toast into the limelight.   

Toast has been gracing breakfast tables for decades. So why not make toast inspired lunches, dinners and desserts all part of our regular culinary repertoire. This cookbook has 50 different ways to inspire one into doing just that. Mouthwatering photography compliment each one page recipe. Broken down into the 4 seasons, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer with approximately 13 recipes for each; this cookbook will simply revolutionize your thoughts on toast. Toast is and can be flexible, creating such plates as savoury, sweet, vegetarian, vegan, and meat laden. 

The recipes in this book offer culinary inspiration for the home cook and chef in ways of being simple and sophisticated, comforting and nourishing as well as effortless and chic. 

As the rise in the popularity of avocados, cauliflower has been flourishing as well. So even more reason to share this recipe from the cookbook. 

Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce
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1 small head cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/355ml) porter or stout beer
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, plus extra for serving
1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz/170g) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Toast:
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Four 3/4 inch (2cm) thick slices rye bread
Fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)


1. Make the cauliflower: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and 2 teaspoons of salt and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, 4 - 5 minutes. Drain, then turn the cauliflower out onto a tea towel to cool.

2. Make the cheese sauce: In a saucepan used for the cauliflower, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in the mustard sand cayenne. Drizzle in the beer in a slow stream, whisking constantly to ensure the mixture remains smooth. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir using a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens a bit, 30 seconds - 1 minute. Add the Cheddar, a little at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Once all of the cheese is added, remove from the heat, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Make the toast: While the sauce cools, preheat the broiler (grill) to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the bread on the sheet and broil until golden brown on both sides, 1 1/2-2 minutes per side.

4. To serve, top each toast with a few cauliflower florets. Ladle a generous amount of the cheese sauce over each toast, splash with a few shakes of Worcestershire, and serve with parsley, if desired. 


Hope everyone has been keeping warm! - JD 

Coconut Pie

I made this during the holiday season although it may be made anytime. A rich, eggy coconut pie that is semi-sweet and voluptuous . 

Coconut Pie

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make homemade pie pastry 

or use 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup flaked coconut

2 eggs

1/2 cup hot water

grated lime pee of 1 lime

juice from 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

whipped cream, optional

fruit, optional

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Make your favourite pie crust and form the crust into a deep pie dish. Prick holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack. If using a ready made deep pie shell do the same as just stated.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF. In a large bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut, eggs, water, lime peel, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour into crust.

Bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with whipped cream or fruit, if you wish. 

Notes: Ovens vary therefore I found I had to bake the pie for an additional 20 minutes, for a total bake time of 50 minutes.

The winter break is over. Time to settle back into a regular routine. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! - JD 

French Rose

This lovely cocktail has a very fragrant taste... floral with an almond, tonka bean tartiness. A blossoming rose to sip.   

French Rose

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makes 2 cocktails

2 oz dry gin

2 oz cherry brandy

1 oz cherry liqueur

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into martini glasses.

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD

New Year's Eve 2017 & New Year's Day 2018

New Year's Eve we took a lighter approach and enjoyed oven baked herbed salmon with mushroom couscous and steamed carrots. 

It is all about balance... dessert was leftover ginger cake soaked in rum with lashing of custard. Champagne flowed hours later to ring in the New Year!   

Buttery sweet scones with raspberry chia seed jam and fresh fruit brought New Year's Day brunch together nicely and carried us through to dinner. 

As the plummeting temperatures of the past few days... minus 40!, started to rise towards zero, New Year's Day dinner was a comforting bowl of slow cooker stew. 

Followed by a decadent selection of Fortnum & Mason's Glacé Fruit for dessert. Sweet and indulgent worth sharing. It is all about balance.  

Hope everyone had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year and are looking forward to 2018 and what it will bring. We are! - JD