Soup, Snacks and Suffering

Jamie's awesomely easy Minestrone

 Oh, the prices one pays...we'll get to that in just a minute. I shall start with the first dish mentioned in the title: Soup. It is so underrated. Soup is versatile to suit whatever taste you have, is super nutritious and exceptionally easy to make. We as humans have been making soup since the dawn of time so it is certainly tried and tested. 

My littlest, best mate!

 Just the other day, I made Jamie's recipe for Minestrone for twelve or so in only a few minutes, (my little brother thoroughly enjoyed it as you may have guessed), and then this week I made a cream of bean and potato soup which I kind of made up as I went along simply using principles of cooking. Failure was never a fear; what could go wrong? Well, I burned myself on the saucepan which I left unattended albeit for a few minutes, which you should never do, but the soup was excellent. (My sister has a few aloe plants around the house which did the trick on my burn so I highly recommend having one.)

From this...

Now, the easiest soup on the planet goes something like this...

 Time: 40 mins

 Serves: 12-14

 RECIPE:

...to this!

 1) Peel four to five carrots and a large colander's worth of diced potatoes. Saute three onions and two garlic cloves before chucking in your sliced carrots. Plenty of salt and pepper and a sprinkle each of basil and thyme before crumbling four Oxo cubes in a jug of 800mls of boiling water. (Use more if it doesn't look enough.) Add diced potatoes and let the veg cook until tender. Use a hand blender or a food processor before pouring in single cream. Season to taste. 

 Explore and be as creative and adventurous as you like using this as your foundation. I included a tin a kidney beans as when blended they add an interesting red fleck of colour and also a tin of sweetcorn as this adds a delicious sweet flavour. Try other veg, there are loads out there! I love leeks in soup; they're green and have a great flavour. Speaking of leeks, my Mum taught me how to prepare a leek with such a barbaric method that you wouldn't forget. I sure didn't so it worked. Chop his feet off, take his clothes off and then away with his head! I know, don't ask...

The spinach really works well...and it's green!

 Snacks/lunches are a big part of our lives too but finding healthy, nutritional snacks seems to be one of those paradoxes which just cannot be concluded. Well, I say for peanut butter and jam to stand aside for I may just have an answer. This idea came from the need to use some left over Combino tomato sauce and a few other fridge bits and now they have become a family favourite known as pizza bites. 

Green, golden and red. These three in any
dish is usually a good sign.

 Time: 10 mins

 Serves: Yourself!

 RECIPE (if it can be called that...):

 1) Preheat your oven to around 200 degrees. Take a piece of bread, (a tiger loaf works best), and spread with some Combino tomato sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese before placing near the top of your oven until the cheese is browning. Delish! 

`` If you are like me, however, then you will probably want to embellish. I drizzle the bottom of my bread with oil, put sliced meat and/or fresh spinach under the cheese and sprinkle basil and thyme. But it's your choice so do what rock's your boat!

What a cheat!

Seasoned with Servitude,

Jacob

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator  

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly