Tag: recipe

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Darina Allen’s Carrot and Mint Soup

Carrot-Mint-Soup-(Carrot-Lovage-Soup)-(Carrot,-Chive

Carrot and Mint Soup

Most people will have carrots, onions and potatoes in their pantry – I’m using the first little shoots of fresh mint to flavour my batch of carrot soup today.

 

This soup may be served either hot or cold, don’t hesitate to put in a good pinch of sugar, it brings up the flavour.

560g(1 1/4lb/3 cups) carrots, preferably organic, chopped

45g(1 1/2oz/scant 1/2 stick) butter

110g(4oz) onion, chopped

150g(5oz) potatoes, chopped

salt,freshly ground pepper and sugar

sprig of spearmint

1.2litres (2 pints/5 cups) homemade light chicken or vegetable stock

62ml(2 1/2fl oz/generous 1/4 cup) creamy milk, (optional)

3 teaspoons freshly chopped spearmint

Garnish

a little lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche

sprigs of spearmint

Melt the butter and when it foams add the chopped vegetables, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sugar. Add a sprig of mint, cover with a butter paper (to retain the steam) and a tight fitting lid.Leave to sweat gently on a low heat for about 10 minutes approx.Remove the lid, add the boiling stock and cook until the vegetables are soft. Pour into the liquidiser, add 3 teaspoons of freshly chopped mint and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adda little creamy milk if necessary.

Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème frâiche and a sprig of fresh mint.‍

Variation

Carrot and Lovage Soup‍

Substitute lovage for mint in the above recipe.‍

Carrot,Garlic Chive Flowers and Seeds‍

Add finely chopped garlic chives instead of mint in the master recipe. Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche,garlic chive flowers and seeds.  Society garlic flowers are also great.

https://www.fromballymaloewithlove.com/recipes/carrot-mint-soup
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Oaty Blueberry Muffins with Ginger and Pear Frosting

fla cup cakes tw jan 16

Serves 16*
*depending on the size of your muffin cases
This is a great recipe to impress when the girls are coming around for an afternoon chat. That said, my children love to bake these with me too. The blueberries give them the added extra goodness. 

Ingredients:

  • 300g golden caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 170ml sunflower oil
  • 100ml milk
  • 280g self-raising flour
  • 100g Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 150g blueberries
  • 1 large pear, peeled and finely diced
For the Topping
  • 150g cream cheese
  • 100g butter, softened
  • 2 pieces stemmed ginger, very finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ginger syrup
  • 350g icing sugar
  • 2 poached pears, thinly sliced for decorating
  • Edible flowers to decorate (optional)

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3.
  2. Place muffin cases in a muffin tray.
  3. Whisk the sugar, eggs, milk and oil together until thick and pale.
  4. Fold in the flour, oatlets, ginger and salt.
  5. Stir in the blueberries and diced pear.
  6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
  7. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until lightly golden.
  8. Place on a cooling rack.
  9. Cream the butter in a large bowl, then add some icing sugar, followed by the cream cheese and the rest of the icing sugar.  Spoon in the ginger syrup.
  10. Pipe or spread over the cool muffins, decorate with chopped ginger and place slices of pear and a pretty edible flower on the top.
Tip: 
If using soft fruit like raspberries, just place fruit in freezer for about ½ hour and they will stay fairly whole when baked.
 http://www.flahavans.ie/recipes/oaty-blueberry-muffins-with-ginger-and-pear-frosting-/247