Onion Soup

Ingredients:

4 medium/large onions - halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 1/2 pts beef stock (I used 2 stock cubes)
1/4 pt red wine
Freshly milled salt and pepper

Method:

Cut the onions in half through the root and then slice thinly into half rounds
Heat the oil in a large pan, add in the onion to gently fry for a few minutes (do not let the onion brown or stick, so stir regularly), a tablespoon of water may be needed so that the onion does not stick
Add a lid and continue to cook very gently for about 10 minutes - stir regularly
Stir in the sugar and then add in the stock and wine
Bring up to the boil and then turn down the heat and cook gently with a lid on, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and thoroughly cooked through
Add in salt and pepper to taste and serve

This amount of soup will serve 4 people

Crustless Vegetable Quiche

Ingredients:
1 medium leek - quartered lengthways and sliced
1 medium courgette - halved lengthways and sliced
3 large broccoli florets - sliced and blanched in hot water
8 thin asparagus spears - 4 cut into small lengths and 4 left whole 
8 baby plum tomatoes - halved
2oz Ossau Irraty cheese - grated 
5 medium sized eggs
30ml semi skimmed milk
1 tsp dried thyme 
1 tsp sunflower oil (plus more for greasing the dish)
Freshly milled black pepper

Method: 
Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan, add the leek and soften for about 5 minutes
Add in the courgette and continue to cook for 5 minutes
Add in the sliced broccoli florets and chopped asparagus, continue to cook gently for another 5 minutes and then remove from the heat
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl 
Add the grated cheese, milk, thyme and black pepper to the eggs and mix
Tip the vegetables into the bowl with the eggs and stir together

Tip the mixture into a shallow, well greased flan dish or tin (mine was about 9 inches)
Add the halved tomatoes and remaining asparagus spears to decorate the top
Place in the oven at 180 degrees and cook for about 30 minutes, until the egg is set and the top is starting to look golden
Remove from the oven and leave in the dish/tin to cool

Serves 6 people
The quiche was sliced and eaten with salad whilst it was still just slightly warm. 
The quiche was made to use up an excess of vegetables from the fridge.

Baked Gnocchi with Beans and Chorizo

Ingredients: 
1 pack ready made gnocchi
1 tin cannellini beans - drained
2 cooking chorizo sausages - cut into slices
1 tin Italian cherry tomatoes
20-25 pitted black olives
1 tsp dried oregano 

Method: 
Cook the gnocchi in a pan of boiling water, as per the instructions, for about 3-5 minutes, until the gnocchi rise to the surface
Place the slices of chorizo in the bottom of an ovenproof dish
Cover the chorizo with the cannellini beans
Sprinkle over the olives 
Once the gnocchi is cooked, strain off the water and add to the dish, spreading out evenly
Cover the gnocchi with the tinned cherry tomatoes
Sprinkle with the oregano
Cook in a pre-heated oven at about 180 degrees for around 20-25 minutes, until bubbling and heated through.

This meal will serve 2 people. 

I used about 3 spoons of the gnocchi water to swill out the juices from the tin of tomatoes as the tomato was very thick.  This was poured over the dish with the tomatoes before the oregano was sprinkled over the top. 

Chicken and Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
carcass of a chicken
2 pts water
2 vegetable stock cubes
2 sticks of celery - finely diced
2 medium carrots - finely diced 
2 sheets of dried egg noodles
2 spring onions - finely sliced

Method:
Place the chicken carcass in the water with the stock cubes, celery and carrot and bring up to the boil. 
Reduce the heat down to a light gentle simmer, cover with a lid and leave to cook for an hour.
Remove the carcass from the liquid, shred any chicken meat from the carcass and return the meat to the pan.  Discard the carcass.  
Break up the noodle sheets into small pieces and add to the pan, cook the noodles for the length of time recommended on the packet (about 4-5 minutes). 
Stir in the sliced spring onion and serve. 

This amount of soup will give 3-4 bowls, enough for a starter for 4 or a light meal for 2-3 people. 

I used a raw chicken carcass.  The chicken had been bought whole and was then portioned.  The carcass had enough chicken left on the bone to make a tasty soup. 
If I did not have noodles in the cupboard, I would have added in a tin of cannellini beans at the end instead.

Quick Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients: 
350g bag of mixed, diced, butternut squash and sweet potato
1/2 pt vegetable stock
2 tsp minced ginger root
1/2 can of coconut milk

Method: 
Pierce holes in the bag of vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes in the microwave
Tip out the veg into a pan, add the stock and bring up to the boil
Add the ginger and simmer for a couple of minutes
Remove from the heat and blend the vegetable mix until smooth
Add in the coconut milk
Return to the heat and gently warm through

Serves 2 for a light lunch, or 4 for a starter

I made this soup as I had the bag of vegetables left over in the fridge.  The whole thing took just over 10 minutes to make.  It could be made from scratch by peeling and chopping the vegetables but this would take a lot longer to prepare and make.