I think I'm currently going a bit Jamie crazy! I do love most of the recipes of his that I've tried - and after writing about the June 2013 Jamie Magazine on Friday I was inspired to have a go at one of the recipes over the weekend. I decided to try to make 'Tomato Soup with Orzo' (which appears on pg 119) as it uses storecupboard ingredients which I already owned. Plus, I had a box or orzo which has been sat in my cupboard unused for months (probably a year or so actually!) and I didn't really know what to do with it until now. It's basically pasta that looks like rice....
Recipe - Tomato Soup with Orzo
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp dried mint
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
750ml chickent or vegetable stock (I used chicken)
100g orzo pasta
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a big saucepan and add the onion, garlic, mint and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over a medium high heat until the onions soften.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Use a stick blender to blitz the soup until smooth.
3. Add the stock and the orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the orzo is tender.
4. Serve! I added a couple of roughly torn fresh basil leaves too on serving, just because I love the tomato/basil combo.
A quick and easy recipe to make a filling and tasty soup!
Lisa x
As I mentioned earlier in the week, I received some free Suttons sweet basil seeds with my copy of Jamie Magazine this month. I also picked up a 'Pat Parsley Seedpod' for £3 at the Foodies Festival in Clapham last week - meant for kids but who cares?!? I've never been particularly green-fingered so a kit aimed at kids is probably my best chance at making some herbs grow!
So this morning I decided it was time to plant my seeds and attempt to grow some tasty herbs. I chose to plant my 'Pat Parsley' first as the kit seemed pretty straightforward and all you needed to do was add water!
The kit included some gravel, a 'coir' (a natural fibrous bi-product of the coconut husk - an eco-friendly soil), the seeds and instructions. You use the plastic Seedpod box to plant the seeds which is handy!
Firstly I emptied the gravel into the Seedpod box, followed by the coir. I then added 70-80ml of water (the lid of the box can be used to measure the water - 1 capful). The soil then expands and you can plant 5 or 6 seeds into the soil. You need to leave the pod (without lid) in a warm, light position so I left it on a ledge in my kitchen.
I then dug out a plastic plant-pot from our shed, filled it with some compost and planted a small amount of the basil seeds. I left them on the kitchen ledge next to my parsley, in a small foil pie tray which I can top up with a little water from time to time. Not quite as pretty as the parsley Seedpod, but you've got to work with what you've got!
According to the Sutton's instructions basil should be sown anytime between mid-Feb and mid-June (so I got it done just in time) and can be harvested between June and October.
Fingers crossed my herbs sprout, I will keep you updated on their progress (and hopefully not their lack of it!)
Lisa x
Just a quick post about the June 2013 edition of Jamie Magazine - I picked up my copy last week for £3.99 and it has 2 good freebies included - a packet of Suttons Sweet Basil seeds and a liqourice and peppermint Teapigs tea bag.
I adore Teapigs and peppermint tea so was pleased to be able to try this flavour before deciding whether or not to buy myself a box. I've also been thinking about attempting to grow my own herbs from seeds (having just bought myself a parsley Seedpod kit) - so will have a go at planting the basil seeds at the weekend.
As for the magazine content this month, it's an Italian themed issue - one of my favourite cuisines! I'm definately keen to try the lasagne that Jamie is holding on the cover, and there is a recipe for chicken panzanella - not something I'd previously heard of, but it sounds amazing! The recipe includes a ciabatta loaf which soaks up the herby juices from a roasted chicken to create delicious crunchy croutons.
There is also a recipe for a tomato soup with orzo that looks really simple - I have some orzo in my cupboard and I've been unsure what to do with it up until now! So think I'll be giving this one a go in the next few days.
Finally, there are some really tasty looking chocolate dessert recipes that aim to 'evoke the spirit and sweet tastes of Tuscany', including a milk chocolate torte and white chocolate panna cotta - both of which I will be adding to my Sweet Treats recipe file for future use (see here!)
Just flicking through this magazine makes me hungry!
Lisa x
