Indian Potato & Pea Soup

From The Easy Way Vegetarian, Parragon Books, 2012.

A spicy soup sounded just what I felt like.

Two medium potatoes were peeled and diced, an onion was chopped and a garlic clove was crushed. These went into a saucepan to be sautéed on a low heat for about 5 minutes. Spices then went into the pot: a teaspoon each of garam masala, ground coriander and ground cumin. These were cooked for another minute when the aromas began to emerge strongly.

Now 800ml stock was added with a chopped green chilli. The recipe called for a red chilli but I only had green. When the liquid had come to the boil it was turned to a simmer for 20 minutes. Now a cup of frozen green peas was added. They were cooked for another 5 minutes. When I tasted it it did not need any further seasoning.

When served a dollop of mascarpone was placed on the centre of the soup. Yoghurt was called for but I used the mascarpone that was in the refrigerator. Chopped coriander was sprinkled over the surface.

This was spicy with a touch of heat, a little thinner than I had expected but next time that can be rectified by a little more potato.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Honey and Rosemary Roast Plums

From The Easy Way Vegetarian, Love Food, 2012.

I commenced this by making the liquid mix in which to roast the plums. I took half an orange, zested the skin and juiced the fruit. I mixed the juice and zest with 5 tablespoons honey until smooth.

I now took 3 plums, halved them and took out the stones. The plum halves were placed in a baking dish and some sprigs of rosemary were laid alongside them. The roasting mix was poured over. The dish was covered with aluminium foil and placed in a 190ºC oven for half an hour.

Meanwhile ½ cup cream was whipped until reasonably firm. The same amount of Greek style yoghurt was folded into the cream and it went back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve, the plums were placed on dishes, the cream mix placed alongside and the sauce poured over. A little muesli was sprinkled over.

This was a reasonable dessert. I’m not a great fan of fruit cooked, preferring it raw, but I did not mind this. The plums were slightly sharp with the hint of rosemary coming through, the creamy tang from the yoghurt and, over all, the sweet honey sauce.

This is the first time I have used this book. It looks as though it should prove to be a good one. There is one recipe per double page spread with photographs on one side and instructions on the other. It is clearly set out and many of the recipes come with extra hints. Cooking times are included and, what should please many, there is nutritional information listed per serve.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔✔