Butter Bean Soup with Crispy Bacon

It's February and its hot, so why soup you ask.....well why not I ask!  With temperatures in the mid 30's, something quick to make and tasty is the key to spending more time outdoors. 

With one day to go before a trip to the Farmers Market to stock up on food, it was a case of scratching around in the grocer cupboard and the freezer for something to eat.  While a loaf of Irish Soda Bread bakes in the oven, the soup can be made and they will both be ready at the same time.  Serve the soup with the bread and an ice cold cider....way to go!!

 

 

Butter Bean Soup with Crispy Bacon

 

Serves 2 as a starter or 1 as a main meal.

 

Ingredients

 

1 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 T butter

1 onion, chopped

1 t fresh thyme leaves

375ml chicken stock, I use homemade out the freezer

4 slices bacon

Parsley to garnish

 

Method

1. Pan fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel and cut into small pieces.
2. Melt the butter in a pot, add the onion and fry until soft.
3. Add the beans and the thyme.
4. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Blend in a blender until smooth, and then pass through a sieve into the pot.
6. Reheat gently, pour into bowls, and sprinkle on the bacon and chopped parsley.
7. Serve with freshly made bread.



 

 

 

Sweetcorn Soup

Sweetcorn brings back memories of lazy afternoon lunches after school, straight out the pot sprinkled with salt and lashings of butter.  We poked forks into the ends to serve as handles, and tried hopelessly not to get a face full of the melted butter.  These of course are always best eaten outside under the trees on a hot summers day, or sitting in the sun on a warm winters day. 

 

So on reading various recipes to make sweetcorn soup, I found this the best for us. However I had to adapted it for my daughter who has gluten and dairy allergies. I used margarine instead of the butter. The cream (50ml) was only added into my bowl and we shaved some goats Parmesan cheese over hers for flavour.

 

Sweetcorn Soup

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

 3 Cobs of fresh sweetcorn

1 litre of chicken stock

40g butter/margarine

1 small leek finely chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

100ml cream

Popcorn kernels

Oil

Small basil leaves

 

Method

1. Cut the sweetcorn off the cobs using a sharp knife.
2. Bring the stock to a boil and keep it simmering gently. I use homemade stock but you can use store bought chicken or vegetable stock.
3. Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan, add the leeks and garlic and sauté over a medium heat. Stirring all the time until the leeks are translucent. 
4. Add the sweetcorn and the bay leaf and cook for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the stock to the sweetcorn mixture, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the corn is tender.
6. Stir in the cream and remove from the heat.
7. Blend the soup in a blender, and then pass through a sieve into a large saucepan.
8. Pop the popcorn in a little oil and set aside.
9. Reheat the soup gently when ready to serve.
10. Garnish with the popcorn and small basil leaves.

 

 



Peri-Peri Chicken

There is nothing quite like getting stuck into a plate of Peri-Peri Chicken.  Forget the knife and fork, make sure you have lots of serviettes and use your hands, it's messy but oh so wonderful!  

Pili pili (Peri-Peri) was introduced to the Portuguese settlers to Mozambique by the locals and they in turn brought it to South Africa.  Pili pili means pepper pepper in Swahili.  Growing up down the road from the very first Nando's was a treat.  Who can resist their flame grilled Peri-Peri chicken!! 

Like all good things there comes a time to try making it yourself,  so here we go.....

 

Prepare the day before as it needs to marinate overnight.

 

Chicken thighs 8 to 16 (the marinade is enough to coat 16)

1 - 2 lemons, sliced in quarters

 

Marinade

 

300ml olive oil

30g tomato puree

1 large red onion, peeled and diced

5 cloves garlic, peeled

25g fresh ginger, peeled and grated

100g chillies (red and green), sliced, no need to take the seeds out

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons cumin, ground

20g coriander, ground

30g fresh coriander

salt and pepper

 

Method

 

1. Place all the marinade ingredients into a blender and blend until combined.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Marinate the chicken well and cover. Place in the fridge overnight.

4. Braai over hot coals until cooked through. Alternatively you could grill them in the oven.

5. Squeeze lemon juice over and enjoy.