TOMATO AND RICE SOUP

Good Morning to you,

I really enjoyed all the festive food, which we ate during the Christmas celebrations, but as lovely as it all was, my palette is now calling for more simplistic flavours.

So today we will be making,

Tomato and Rice soup, which I know with it's tomato, garlic and chilli flavours, will satisfy that need.  

I first came across Tomato and Rice soup in Germany.  Now I am not saying that it is a German dish, as I am not sure, but Germany is where I first encountered this soup.  It was a hit for me and I have been making it ever since.  The only difference is, I add chilli flakes, because I love that little bit of heat that the chilli imparts, but that is a personal choice.  If you are not a lover of too much chilli, then the first time you make this soup, add a pinch of chilli, just as a baseline, and then you can add a little more each time you make the soup, until you have reached the level of heat which is just right for you.

So, it's on with the apron and the music I have chosen today has a lovely story attached to it.  Firstly let me show you who we will be listening to,

yes, the fabulous Dolly Parton.  Do you see the little note attached to the cover, "You have a date with me on June 17th".  Well, I have to take you back to Christmas morning.  Breakfast had been eaten, cups of tea and coffee had been made.  We made our way to where all the Christmas presents were displayed..... around the Christmas tree. We were each given a gift and everyone decided that I would be the first person to open a gift.... that pleased me immensely as I love opening gifts.  I love the whole process of gift opening, from taking off and saving, yes saving, any pretty ribbons and bows and I have to tell you,  at one time I even saved any lovely paper which caught my eye..... but I have been weaned off saving paper now. So back to my present, I unwrapped my gift and there she was, the most fabulous Dolly Parton.... I had been treated to Dolly's greatest hits, which I was over the moon about, because I really enjoy Dolly's music, but do you know, I do not own any of her music, so this was a lovely surprise.... and then I noticed the message, and I thought that as the gift was from George, I would be going out with him on the 17th. I had a blank look on my face as I did not quite understand. Everyone was smiling at me, as they knew something I did not know, and George said, "Read the note out aloud" which I duly did, but the penny still did not drop. Everyone could see I did not know what the note meant, and that is when Natasha, Danielle and George said together, "You are going to see Dolly at the Metro Arena on June 17th". So the blank look on my face, turned into a huge smile, I just did not know what to say, my face was beaming and I have to tell you, there was a tear in my eye.... with happiness of course, as I never imagined I would be able to see Dolly singing live.  I gave George a kiss and a hug and thanked him, as I was thrilled to pieces.  We opened a few more gifts and then towards the end of the present giving, Danielle opened  her final gift and she had received a Dolly Parton cd as well.  She looked at me and I looked at her, with me not realising she had a message attached to her cd as well, when she suddenly jumped from her chair and shouted (yes, honestly, it was shouting with excitement, as this was not a time for courtesies), she ran across the room to cuddle me, well she jumped around the room first and she told me that she was going to see Dolly with me.  So on 17th June, Danielle and I are going to see Dolly together..... how fabulous is that.  I have to tell you, I had a smile on my face for the rest of the day.  

So with Dolly singing "I Will Always Love You" it is time to gather my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg fresh tomatoes

1 red onion

1 teaspoon of chilli flakes

(less if you prefer)

3 small cloves of garlic

(or 2 large cloves)

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1/2 litre of vegetable or chicken stock

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

sea salt

handful of coriander

60g long grained rice

HOW TO MAKE
TOMATO AND RICE SOUP

Slice the onion

Pour the olive oil into a medium sized saucepan

and 

add the onions

then

cook the onions until slightly caramalized.

Add the chilli flakes

and cook for a minute.

Meanwhile

Peel three small

or

2 large cloves of garlic

and

using

1 level teaspoon of sea salt,

crush the garlic

and add to the saucepan

and cook for a minute or so.

Add

the tomato paste

and cook for 

a further minute or two.

Reduce the heat to a very low heat.

Remove the stalks

and 

wash the tomatoes

then

Chop the tomatoes into quarters

and

place the tomatoes (skins as well)

into a food processor

and

blitz

now if you are not partial to seeds and fine

tomato skins, then this is the time to 

sieve the tomatoes,

but I don't mind the skins and seeds

so I do not sieve the tomatoes.

Place the blitzed tomatoes into the saucepan

with the other ingredients

and

add a teaspoon of sugar

(to balance the acidity of the tomatoes)

Add 1/2 litre of vegetable or chicken stock.

I use Marigold Swiss Vegetable Stock

as I find it works very well.

Stir

and bring to the boil,

reduce the heat

and

 simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, 

Weigh out 60g of long grain rice

and 

place in a sieve.

 Rinse the rice under cold running water,

until the water runs clear,

then

cook using your usual method.

I cook my rice in a rice cooker so I cannot

give you timings.

Usually, the information about timings will

be on the packet of rice.

By the time the rice is cooked, 

the soup will be ready.

Before serving,

check to see if the soup needs more salt,

I find the salt which I used to crush the garlic

is sufficient, but it is all about preference of taste.

Pour a couple of ladles of soup

into a bowl

and 

place a tablespoon of cooked rice

into the middle of the soup.

Add a little or a lot of coriander,

which ever you prefer.

I like a little,

George likes a lot.

I would advise, that you don't add the cooked rice to the soup whilst it is in the pan, as the rice will swell and thicken the soup too much and you want a soup, not a tomato rice.

This is not a heavy soup and it is just perfect for lunchtimes and I find that as the soup has rice included, there is no need for any bread.  

That's it,  lunch is  sorted out for today, so it is time to leave you as we are going for our daily walk.  It will be with hoods up today as rain is in the air.

So take care and I will see you on Sunday.

This week I will be joining,

Miz Helen's Country Cottage
and
Connie from Family Home and Life

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Good Morning to you,

Firstly, I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year.... a little late I know, but this is the first time I have been able to find the time to catch up with you.  I know you understand the reason why. It is because I wanted to enjoy every precious moment with my family, over the Christmas period..... and enjoy it we did.... we have created some wonderful memories.

Goodness me, can you believe it is 2014.... I remember getting excited about the year 2000 and here we are 14 years later.... where did that time go.

I have to tell you, our house is very quiet.... there are no chatting daughters or son-in-laws to listen and talk to,  no one dashing in and out of the house, no Phyllis laughing at George's capers (and my how she laughs).  There is hardly any washing up to be done, just a few cups and plates to wash up now..... there is just George and I, a couple again. George and I rub along very well, but I think we both miss Natasha and Danielle and it does take a little while to settle back into life, as we have both loved the hustle and bustle which has filled our home during the Christmas period or as Sadie would say, we have enjoyed "a house full of busy".

.... but we are getting there. The Christmas tree has been undressed, the decorations taken down and packed away for another year and we are settling down to our own lives again.... we will get used to it, but I have to tell you, it will take a little while.

So, I thought it would be a nice idea, to  look back at 2013 and to remember some of the culinary delights which we have made together.

Do you remember when we made 
English Marmalade,

using Seville Oranges.

We enjoyed the delicious Greek
butter bean dish,
Gigantes Plaki

We enjoyed a wonderful trip to
India

with all it's hustle and bustle.

and

the beautiful flora and fauna
of

Chennai

and
 when we returned home,
we made
this

 impressive
Banoffee Cheesecake 

and as

Summer was just around the corner

 we made
English Scones

and

Lemon Curd

and as 
lemons were plentiful,

we also
baked a fabulous
Lemon Meringue Pie

and Summer would not be Summer,

without a few

Strawberries and Blueberries
mixed with a soft meringue and double cream
to make
Pavlova

or

Raspberries
to make a 
Raspberry Summer Dessert

but we also enjoyed

a delicious
Caramel Apple Cake

and

a beautifully citrus 
Lemon Tart

and keeping with the lemon theme,

we 
Preserved some Lemons 

which when ready,

we added to

a wonderful

Tagine of Chicken

We also preserved

a few kilos of tomatoes
to make
Sun Dried Tomatoes
(or should I say, oven dried tomatoes)
then we immersed them in olive oil, garlic and oregano,
to enjoy throughout the winter.

We also enjoyed some,

Spaghetti

with
 red onion, garlic, spinach
and
Parmesan Cheese

and we dressed up some already delicious 
Greek Olives,
with small slices of lemon, oregano
 (which we had dried ourselves)
and olive oil

and if that was not enough, 

we,

started to think about Christmas
 by baking our 

Christmas Cake

We followed that with
 a

beautifully, moist,
Chocolate and Coconut Cake

but we soon returned to our Christmas ~ To Do List

as we made

Sausage Rolls 

with some left over pastry.

It was then the turn of my small knife skills

to peel lots of small onions. 

to make

Pickled Onions

which everyone enjoyed.

We ticked off the

Christmas Pudding

and 

Mince Pies

from our Christmas ~ To Do List

and amongst all that sweetness

we also enjoyed making

Saag Aloo

 The finale of 2013

was the

icing of the

Christmas Cake

Which, I have to tell you was a huge success.

It has been fun looking back and recounting the cooking, baking and preserving which we have done together..... and it surprises me, the range of lovely food we have created  throughout the year, I suppose it is because it is what I do on a daily basis, so it feels normal. Do you know, it has made me realise, just how much fabulous food George has enjoyed eating..... I think he is just a tad spoiled....but I have to tell you, he tells me, he knows he is spoiled as he says I have always cooked lovely food and he absolutely loves it...... isn't that a lovely compliment.

It has been fun for me and I have really enjoyed sharing my recipes with you.

So here's to another year of culinary adventures..... I wonder what we will be creating in 2014.

It's time for the thinking cap.

Take care of yourself and I will see you very soon.

CHRISTMAS "TO DO LIST" ~ ICING THE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Good Morning to you,

How are your Christmas preparations going?  I am on the final rung, I just have to finish icing my Christmas Cake, which I am doing today.  Afterwards I will be making a Stifado,  which I know all my family will enjoy on Christmas Eve and then I am done..... well maybe just a few more presents to wrap..... don't you find, there is always just a few more presents to wrap.

Today, Natasha and her husband are in town doing their last minute Christmas shopping and George has gone to the butchers to collect the Christmas turkey and Christmas ham, so I am going to take this opportunity to ice my Christmas Cake.

Today, I do have some music to share with you.  Do you remember I mentioned that I was going to see Kate Rusby at the Sage, in Gateshead..... well I went with Natasha on Thursday and what a treat it was.  

Kate's voice, well, it was just so beautiful and we were both mesmerized by her singing.  She sang so many beautiful songs, but the one which stuck in my mind was "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem".  If you get the chance, see if you can find Kate on UTube and I promise, you will be so pleased you did.  As you can see, we were so thrilled with her performance that we bought Kate's Christmas cd to enjoy at home.

So with Kate's wonderful voice filling the kitchen, my apron is on and I am ready to ice my Christmas Cake.  

INGREDIENTS

2 x 450g ready to roll icing

1 tablespoon (approx) of boiled and cooled water

METHOD

Dust your work surface and rolling pin

with icing sugar.

Remove the icing from the packaging

and

gently knead the icing together

to form a round.

Gently roll out the icing, so that it covers

the entire cake, both the top 

and the sides, as we are going to

drape the icing over the cake.

Using a pastry brush, gently brush the

cooled, boiled water onto the marzipanned cake.

This will allow the icing to adhere to the marzipan.

Using a rolling pin, gently lift the rolled icing

and 

drape over the cake

(isn't the sunshine just beautiful)

Gently smooth the icing onto the cake

and cut away the excess.

Using green food colouring,

colour enough icing to make the

ivy leaves..... be patient as this does take

quite a while. A little green colouring

at a time, and a little kneading 
each time, does the trick.

When you are pleased with the colour,

repeat the process with 

red food colouring.

Cut enough ivy leaves for your design.

When you are ready to create your design,

place a little water on the back

of the ivy leaves, as this  helps the

leaves to adhere to the icing....

and have fun

with the design.

When you are pleased with the

cake decoration,

return the Christmas Cake to a cool place until

Christmas Day,

when you can bring it to your table

for all the family to enjoy.

This year I have added Ivy leaves to my Christmas Cake, in honour of Ivy, my grandmother.  I felt that as all my family are with me, to celebrate Christmas this year,  it would be lovely to remember Ivy and to recount my memories of  her on Christmas Day. Phyllis will be with me,

so,

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! will be together for Christmas this year.

Before I go, I just wanted to tell you, how thrilled I am, that you enjoy reading about my cooking adventures and that you take the time to return each week and to leave such lovely comments.  Your comments, really make my day.

So, however, you are spending your Christmas, have a wonderful time and I will see you in the New Year.

With Love and Very Best Wishes,

from

Ivy, Phyllis and Me!

This week I will be joining,

Natasha from Oz for Christmas in July