dimanche 24 juillet 2011

Recette 5: Soupe de cresson (Watercress Soup)

La soupe de cresson est mon dejeuner prefere pendant l'ete, alors “Cuisine Au Lit” (ou “Cuisine Holly”) partage la recette avec vous et j'espere que vous l'aimerez aussi. Vous pouvez manger la soupe chauffee ou froide.

Watercress soup is my favourite lunch in summertime, so "Cuisine Au Lit" (or "Cuisine Holly") is sharing the recipe with you and I hope that you will enjoy it too. You can eat this soup heated or cold.


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 shallots
250g celeriac
1 litre of weak chicken stock (or weak vegetable stock if the soup is for vegetarians)
Freshly ground black pepper
175g watercress
Salt to taste
Single cream (optional – for serving chilled)

Equipment:
Container for the stock
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Deep non-stick pan with lid

Tablespoon
Wooden spatula
Small plate

Hob (gas or electric)
Heatproof surface
Hand-held blender (optional – can replace with kitchen scissors and a potato masher)


Method:

1. Finely chop the shallots and chop the celeriac into 2 centimetre cubes.

2. Place the pan on the hob and turn the heat to medium. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and the shallots. Brown the shallots until they are soft, then empty them from the pan onto the small plate.

3. Return the pan to the hob on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and the celeriac. Use the wooden spatula to turn the celeriac and ensure that it is evenly browned. This should take approximately 3 minutes.

4. Add the cooked shallots back to the pan of celeriac, then the stock. Add the lid to the pan and reduce the heat to low.

5. Simmer for 15 minutes then check whether the celeriac is all soft (if not, keep simmering until it is).

6. If you do not have a hand-held blender, while the stock mixture is simmering, remove the toughest, thickest stems from the watercress, then use kitchen scissors to cut up the rest as finely as possible.

7. Remove the pan from the heat. Leave to cool for up to 5 minutes. Then add a generous seasoning of freshly ground black pepper.

8(a) If you do not have a hand-held blender, use a potato masher to mash the stock mixture in the pan and get rid of any lumps. Then add the cut watercress and mix in gently with a tablespoon.

8(b) If you do have a hand-held blender, add the uncut watercress to the pan, submerge it gently in the stock mixture and blend the mixture until it is smooth.

9. Taste the finished soup. If desired, add a little more freshly ground black pepper and or salt to improve the flavour. Then serve!

10. If you prefer to serve the soup chilled, leave it to cool completely, then refrigerate it for up to 48 hours then take it out 30 minutes before serving. You may wish to swirl a little chilled single cream into each portion of soup before serving it cold.


xx




Cuisine Au Lit - pour ce qui ont les petites oreilles...

Recette 5: Soupe de cresson (Watercress Soup)

La soupe de cresson est mon dejeuner prefere pendant l'ete, alors “Cuisine Au Lit” (ou “Cuisine Holly”) partage la recette avec vous et j'espere que vous l'aimerez aussi. Vous pouvez manger la soupe chauffee ou froide.

Watercress soup is my favourite lunch in summertime, so "Cuisine Au Lit" (or "Cuisine Holly") is sharing the recipe with you and I hope that you will enjoy it too. You can eat this soup heated or cold.


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 shallots
250g celeriac
1 litre of weak chicken stock (or weak vegetable stock if the soup is for vegetarians)
Freshly ground black pepper
175g watercress
Salt to taste
Single cream (optional – for serving chilled)

Equipment:
Container for the stock
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Deep non-stick pan with lid
Tablespoon
Wooden spatula
Small plate

Hob (gas or electric)
Heatproof surface
Hand-held blender (optional – can replace with kitchen scissors and a potato masher)


Method:

1. Finely chop the shallots and chop the celeriac into 2 centimetre cubes.

2. Place the pan on the hob and turn the heat to medium. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and the shallots. Brown the shallots until they are soft, then empty them from the pan onto the small plate.

3. Return the pan to the hob on a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and the celeriac. Use the wooden spatula to turn the celeriac and ensure that it is evenly browned. This should take approximately 3 minutes.

4. Add the cooked shallots back to the pan of celeriac, then the stock. Add the lid to the pan and reduce the heat to low.

5. Simmer for 15 minutes then check whether the celeriac is all soft (if not, keep simmering until it is).

6. If you do not have a hand-held blender, while the stock mixture is simmering, remove the toughest, thickest stems from the watercress, then use kitchen scissors to cut up the rest as finely as possible.

7. Remove the pan from the heat. Leave to cool for up to 5 minutes. Then add a generous seasoning of freshly ground black pepper.

8(a) If you do not have a hand-held blender, use a potato masher to mash the stock mixture in the pan and get rid of any lumps. Then add the cut watercress and mix in gently with a tablespoon.

8(b) If you do have a hand-held blender, add the uncut watercress to the pan, submerge it gently in the stock mixture and blend the mixture until it is smooth.

9. Taste the finished soup. If desired, add a little more freshly ground black pepper and or salt to improve the flavour. Then serve!

10. If you prefer to serve the soup chilled, leave it to cool completely, then refrigerate it for up to 48 hours then take it out 30 minutes before serving. You may wish to swirl a little chilled single cream into each portion of soup before serving it cold.


xx




Cuisine Au Lit - pour ce qui ont les petites oreilles...

samedi 23 juillet 2011

Recette 4: Charlotte aux mandarines (Mandarin Orange Charlotte)

Je suis vraiment desolee de n'avoir pas publie en ligne une recette depuis quelques semaines. Alors, maintenant, un dessert delicieux pour vous de "Cuisine Au Lit" (ou "Cuisine Holly") - une charlotte aux mandarines.

I'm sorry not to have posted a recipe for a few weeks. So, now a delicious dessert for you from "Cuisine Au Lit" (or "Cuisine Holly") – a mandarin orange charlotte.


Ingredients:
1 litre tin of mandarin oranges in syrup
1,5 litres of fromage blanc
35-40 sponge finger (“ladyfinger”) biscuits
This will serve 6-8 people.

Equipment:
Tin opener
Milk pan or other very small saucepan
Clingfilm
Tablespoon
Plate (diameter wider than the top of the saucepan)
Refrigerator

To serve:
Large plate
Sharp knife
Kitchen paper


Method:

1. Line the small saucepan with clingfilm

2. Place the sponge fingers, standing upright, around the sides of the pan, with the sugar coated sides of the biscuits facing outwards (touching the clingfilm)

3. Cover the bottom of the pan with sponge fingers – you will need to cut them

4. Add 1 third of the fromage blanc, then 1 third of the mandarins in a layer and drizzle one tablespoon of the mandarin syrup over the top

5. Add a horizontal layer of sponge fingers on top

6. Make another layer of fromage blanc, mandarins and mandarin syrup, then sponge fingers, then fromage blanc, mandarins and mandarin syrup, then sponge fingers

7. Drizzle two tablespoons of the mandarin syrup onto the sponge fingers lining the edge of the pan

8. Cover the top of the pan with clingfilm, then place a plate on top, pressing down lightly on the charlotte

9. Place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours or, preferably, overnight

10. To serve the charlotte, remove the pan from the refrigerator, remove the plate and clingfilm on top of the pan, hold the serving plate, upside down, securely over the top of the pan and up-end the whole thing. Lift off the pan and carefully remove the clingfilm. If any liquid has not been absorbed by the sponge fingers, soak it up with kitchen paper before serving. Use a sharp knife to cut the charlotte like a cake.


xx




Cuisine Au Lit - pour ce qui ont les petites oreilles...