Here’s a simple but absolutely delicious recipe that I found in one of the Stone Soup PDF cookbooks. They make the point that you could go ahead and make this without Smoked Paprika but it really does make it extra tasty.

Perfect for a quick fix any time of the year.

Ingredients [Serves 2]

• 2 cans of chickpeas (400g each)
• 1 can tomatoes (400g)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Preparation

Place, chickpeas and the canning liquid, tomatoes, paprika and chilli in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. I did this gently over 30 minutes to concentrate the flavour.

Crush the tomatoes to break them up a little with a spoon.

When you feel the soup has thickened up enough, cover for 2-3 minutes or until the soup is lovely and hot.

Taste and season with soy sauce, a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with some peppery extra virgin olive oil for some richness.

Smile.

Here’s an extra delicious treat to go with your breakfast from the Innocent Smoothie Recipe Book.

Ingredients [Serves 1]

• 1/2 an apple (or 25ml of fresh apple juice if you’re feeling lazy)
• A punnet of blueberries
• 2 dessertspoons of maple syrup (the real stuff not maple “flavoured” syrup if possible)
• 250ml of bio-yoghurt
• A small handful of oats
• Pecan nuts to serve [if you wish]

Preparation

Cut the apple into wedges and put through the juicer.

Add the apple juice, blueberries and the maple syrup to the blender and whizz until smooth.

Add the yoghurt and oats then pulse twice.

Serves sprinkled with chopped pecan nuts.

Enjoy

I was doing some searching for a meal to entertain a guest last week and I stumbled across Raymond Blanc’s recipe for Thai Green Curry with Mussels & thought it would be great acompanided by Nick Nairn’s recipe for sticky coconut rice.

The meal was absolutely fantastic, filled with classic Thai flaviours, creamy coconut rice & extra tastey mussels. I would definately recommend this to anyone without a shadow of a doubt.

Ingredients for Sticky coconut rice [serves 4]

• 170g/6oz creamed coconut
• 220g/8oz basmati rice
• 500ml/17fl oz hot water

To Serve

• garnish with fresh coriander leaves

Ingredients for Thai green curry with mussels [serves 4]

For the curry paste

• 1in lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped, preferably snub nose or Rio Grande varieties are ideal
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• ½ garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)
• 10g/½oz fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, finely chopped

For the mussels

• 1.6kg/3lb 8oz mussels
• 100ml/4fl oz dry white wine
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
• 100ml/4fl oz coconut milk
• 20g/1oz fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Preparation method for Sticky Coconut rice

Place the creamed coconut, rice and hot water into a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally and adding any extra water if necessary.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl or serving plate to serve.

Garnish with coriander.

Preparation method for Thai green curry with mussels

For the curry paste, grind all the ingredients except the coriander with a large stone or granite pestle and mortar.

Add the coriander stalks and leaves and continue grinding until you have a smooth paste. Store in the fridge covered with cling film or in an airtight jar if you are not going to use the paste immediately.

Wash the mussels under cold running water in a sink, removing any beards and barnacles. Do not scrub the shells as the colour will transfer during cooking giving an unappetising grey colour to the curry. Discard any mussels that float or remain open when tapped, drain the remaining mussels and set them aside.

Boil the wine in a small saucepan for 30 seconds to remove the bitter taste of the alcohol and leave only the fruity, acidic qualities of the wine. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Place a large, lidded saucepan on a high heat and add the butter, onion, curry paste and wine. Stir and cook with the lid on for one minute to soften the onion.

Add the mussels, replace the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the mussels open.

Add the coconut milk and chopped coriander and stir. You will not need any seasoning as the mussels will release a little salt water when they open, which is just enough to season the dish perfectly.

You could serve the mussels in a large warmed dish or four soup plates, or simply put the pot in the middle of the table for everybody to help themselves. The coconut rice was a perfect addition to help soak up the wonderful juices.

Enjoy.