Chick Pea and coriander soup

Ingredients
8 oz (225 g) chickpeas, soaked overnight in twice their volume of cold water
2 small red chillies, halved, de-seeded and chopped
1 level tablespoon coriander seeds
1 x 15 g pack (or ½ oz) fresh coriander, leaves and stalks separated
1 level tablespoon cumin seeds
2 oz (50 g) butter
6 fat cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 level teaspoon ground turmeric
grated zest 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 x 200 ml tub crème fraîche
salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the garnish:
1 mild fat red or green chilli, de-seeded and cut into very fine hair-like shreds Method First of all, drain the chickpeas in a colander, rinse them under the cold tap then place them in the saucepan with 2¾ pints (1.75 litres) of boiling unsalted water. Then bring them up to simmering point, put a lid on and cook them very gently for about 1 hour or until the chickpeas are absolutely tender and squashy. While they're cooking, prepare the rest of the soup ingredients. The coriander and cumin seeds should be dry roasted in a small pre-heated pan for 2-3 minutes, then crushed in a pestle and mortar. After that, melt the butter in the pan, add the crushed spices along with the chopped garlic and chillies and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Now add the turmeric, stir and heat that gently before removing the pan from the heat. As soon as the chickpeas are tender, drain them in a colander placed over a bowl to reserve the cooking water. Transfer the chickpeas to a liquidiser together with a couple of ladles of cooking water and purée them until fine and smooth. Now add the lemon zest, coriander stalks and spices from the pan along with another ladleful of cooking water and blend once more until fine and smooth. Next, the whole lot needs to go back into the saucepan with the rest of the reserved cooking water. Bring it all up to a gentle simmer, give it a good stir, season, then simmer gently for a further 30 minutes. All this can be done in advance, then, when you're ready to serve the soup, re-heat very gently without letting it come to the boil. Stir in half the crème fraîche and the lemon juice, taste to check the seasoning, then serve in hot soup bowls with the rest of the crème fraîche swirled in.  Scatter with shredded chilli and coriander leaves as a garnish.

Red lentil soup

Hearty, filling and comforting - Antony Worrall Thompson's healthy and low fat soup is perfect for a cold winter's evening.

Ingredients

• 55g/2oz unsalted butter
• 1½ tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ¼ tsp each ground allspice, ground cumin, and chilli powder
• ½ tsp each curry powder and ground coriander
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1 parsnip, chopped
• 1 stick celery
• 1kg/2¼lb carrots, sliced
• 85g/3oz split red lentils, rinsed
• 25g/1oz long-grain rice
• 1.7 litres/3 pints vegetable stock
• 400ml/14fl oz tin coconut milk
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander

  
  

  Preparation method

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and add the ginger, allspice, cumin, chilli powder, curry powder, and ground coriander.
  2. Cook over a low heat for three minutes, stirring continuously. Add the vegetables, stir to combine, and cook for a further eight minutes. Stir in the lentils and rice before adding the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the lentils have started to break down.
  3. Blend the soup in a liquidiser or food processor until smooth. Return to the heat and add the coconut milk, lime juice, and coriander. Heat through but do not let it boil again. Serve immediately.

Ultimate chocolate cake

 

Ingredients

• 200g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
• 200g butter , cut in pieces
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml fromage 

1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 125ml/4fl oz cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.
3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mushroom risotto

Ingredients:
50 gm dry porcini mushrooms (soaked in hot vegetable stock)
Assorted mushrooms (shitake, chestnut etc) sliced lengthwise
1 small chopped onion
2 celery stalks chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp chopped parsley
juice of 1 lime
100 gm arborio rice
1 lt vegetable stock
fresh grated parmesan to serve

Heat olive oil in a pan and add the onions and the celery. Fry them till they are tender but not changed in color.  Add the rice and the stock. Then add the soaked porcini mushrooms.Let it simmer till the rice is cooked and there is no excess water.

Fry mushrooms in a separate pan with olive oil. Add the pasley and the lime juice as they are about to be cooked.

Serve the rice on a plate with the mushroom on top. Grate fresh parmesan on top for added flavour.