• Thai Pumpkin Soup

• Tuna & Sweetcorn Bisque

• Basic Tomato Sauce

• Chicken Soup

• Carrot and Orange Soup

• French Salad Dressing

• Grazer Pumpkin Soup

• Salad Sauce á la Anita

• Mediterranean Marinade

Thai Pumpkin Soup

- Broenwynn

3-4 large white potatoes

1-2 large white or yellow onion

1 32 oz can pumpkin

1 16 oz can squash

4 tbsp fresh minced/grated ginger (do not use powder!)

6-7 cloves minced garlic

1-2 tbsp cumin

1-2 tbsp ground mustard

2 tsp lemon juice

5-6 dashes Tabasco sauce

2 tsp coriander

½ pint cream

Sour cream

Dice peeled potatoes into 1-inch squares. Place in large saucepan filled with water to 1 inch above the potatoes and boil until tender (like you were making mashed potatoes). Roughly chop onions and sauté until tender (use oil sparingly or use cooking spray). Place cooked potatoes and onions in food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to large saucepan and mix in pumpkin and squash over med-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, cumin, mustard, lemon juice, Tabasco and coriander. Keep over med-low heat, stirring frequently until hot (approximately 30-45 minutes). *Pumpkin boils at a low temperature, so there will be bubbles long before it is hot, but do not increase burner temperature significantly or you risk scorching the pan/mixture. About 20 minutes into the heating process, add the cream and mix thoroughly. Serve hot and top with drizzled sour cream. Seasoning can be varied and increased to intensify flavour. Scallions or fresh chopped coriander are excellent garnish. Black pepper is also a good addition.

Tuna & Sweetcorn Bisque

This soup is great on cold damp evenings when you need something fast. Warming, filling and, best of all, easy, this soup goes great with fresh warm baguette with plenty of butter.

The original recipe essentially made the white sauce from scratch as part of the recipe, but the packet option here makes this a no-brainer. I remember the first time I tried the original recipe I spent ages trying to get lumps out of the sauce. With the packet mix this is easier, but still watch out...nothing will ruin this soup like getting a lump of un-dissolved white-sauce mix while eating.

The curry powder I generally use for this is Sharwoods Madras, but you can substitute any other you wish. A good tumeric-based curry powder will give the soup a marvellous colour. Add more or less powder depending on how hot the curry powder is, and how spicy you like your soup - JC

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 15 mins

1 pkt White Sauce

1 tin tuna (175 - 200 g), preferably in brine, but oil will do.

1 medium tin baby sweetcorn

3-4 tsp curry powder

350 - 500 ml milk

sunflower oil (or some other light cooking oil such as rapeseed)

Heat some oil in a saucepan (or just heat the pan if the tuna is in oil). You only want a medium to medium-low heat for this.

Open and drain both the tuna and the sweetcorn

Add approx 2-3 tsp of curry powder to the heated pan, and fry gently for a few seconds to release the flavour.

Add the tuna, and fry for about 30 seconds

Add the sweetcorn, and fry for an additional 30 seconds

Add approx ¼ of the milk, and stir well to mix in the curry.

Slowly add the white sauce mix, stirring well. If you see lumps forming, stop adding, and stir them out. Then proceed more slowly. This usually takes about 30-60 seconds for the packet.

Bring to a low boil (being careful not to boil the milk), and add the remaining milk until the soup is at the desired thickness. Remember that the white sauce will continue to thicken it until the milk is at a low boil.

Allow to simmer for about 3 mins.. Add the remaining curry powder during this time if necessary.

Once the corn is heated and cooked thru, serve and enjoy

Basic Tomato Sauce

This sauce is used in Piccata Alla Milanese (page ), Stuffed Peppers Á

La Oui (page ) and call also be used for Bolognese - Anita

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30-60 mins

6 tomatoes

1 tbsp flour

½ l red wine

4 cloves garlic

2-3 bay leaves

3 tbsp tomato puree

Basil or oregano

Salt/Aromat and pepper to taste

Dice the tomatoes and garlic and fry with the butter. Add in the flour and stir thoroughly to avoid lumping and add the red wine.

Add the tomato puree, herbs, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.

Let the sauce simmer on low for up to an hour, but stir it now and then (hint: put the lid on the pot if you don't want your kitchen floor to gain a reddish paint)

Chicken Soup

This recipe is a bit time consuming but well worth the effort. This to me is the ultimate in winter warming comfort soup. The recipe originated from my Grandmother, she used to make this soup at Christmas using turkey stock, we still do that at home, but this version is more applicable to everyday living. A good flavoured stock is the basis of this recipe, hence the importance of making the stock from scratch. You can make the soup using stock cubes, but it won't be the same.

This recipe works well with chicken, turkey or lamb stock. I usually make it with the left over carcass from a roast chicken, including any of the chicken meat that wasn't used. Chicken wings, drumsticks, lamb shanks, turkey carcasses, wings or drumsticks (with meat still on them) all make great stock. I have found though that the best results are obtained by roasting the meat prior to making the stock - Paula

Serves:4

Preparation time: 5 hours

1 carcass of a roast chicken

1 l water

1 dsp oil or butter

2 onions finely chopped

2 carrots finely chopped

2 of one of the following - celery sticks, parsnips or leeks

If you have roasted the chicken yourself then place your roasting tin on the cooker over high heat and pour in half of the water. Bring the water to the boil and stir well to dissolve all the chicken juices etc. from the pan.

Place the chicken carcass in a saucepan with all the water, place a lid on the saucepan and simmer for several hours. If I make this stock in the evening after dinner I usually leave it simmering until I'm going to bed, then finish off the soup the next day.

Note - check the stock every half hour to make sure too much liquid isn't evaporating, if it is add more water.

Allow the stock to cool slightly and strain it off. At this stage I would pick through the bones for any pieces of chicken meat, especially if I have left full drumsticks on the chicken carcass. Keep this meat for use in the soup later.

At this stage you may notice a layer of fat on top of the stock. Adding ice cubes to the stock will start to set the fat and allow you to skim it off with a spoon. Alternatively you could leave the stock in the fridge till set (it should turn jelly like) and the fat will set and lift off the surface easily.

This finished stock will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days and freezes very well, however it should be boiled rapidly for 3 minutes prior to use.

Finishing this soup off is very easy. Over medium low heat sweat the vegetables in the oil or butter in a covered saucepan for 10-15 minutes. They should not colour.

Add the stock, and any chicken meat retained. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Check for seasoning, add a stock cube dissolved in some boiling water if you need more liquid/flavour. Serve.

Carrot and Orange Soup

This is a favourite of mine (courtesy of my Dad again), ideal hot and steamy on a cold winters day, but works equally well served chilled in the middle of summer - Paula

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 45 mins

1 fairly large onion chopped

2 oz butter or margarine

1 lb diced carrots

1 lt chicken stock

½ tin concentrated orange juice (to taste)

Salt, pepper & pinch of ground coriander

For the garnish:

150ml cream or natural yoghurt

finely grated rind of orange (parsley on St. Patrick's Day!)

Heat the butter until foaming and just soften the vegetables in it but on no account let them colour. Add the stock and let it simmer, covered, until the carrots are well cooked. Then puree in a blender. Season to taste with approx. half tin of concentrated orange juice mixing it in gradually, so that it does not overpower the carrot flavour. Add the salt,pepper and ground coriander and stir.

Serve hot with dollop of cream or yoghurt and sprinkled over with the orange rind (or parsley).

To serve cold, mix in yoghurt and add a little cream when taking from the fridge. Scatter with rind.

Can be served with brown bread spread with butter which has had the grated rind of orange mixed into it.

French Salad Dressing

Like most salad dressings this is based on a flavoured mixture of oil and vinegar. I've bought and tasted plenty of salad dressings, but this has to be among one of my favourites, probably because it's one of those recipes I've been making or helping to make since I was old enough to help my Mum in the kitchen. It keeps so well in the fridge I'm never without some - Paula

Makes 500ml

100 ml vinegar (I usually use a wine or cider vinegar)

300 ml oil (rapeseed works rather well - olive oil can overpower this if it is too strong in flavour, so be careful on your choice of oil)

1 cherry tomato (2 if they are very small)

1 shallot

1 clove garlic

5 peppercorns

pinch salt

½ tsp dried mustard powder or 1 tsp grainy mustard

½ tsp sugar

Blend everything together in a food processor or blender. Taste for seasoning, adding more sugar, mustard or vinegar as necessary. You should get a think dressing.

Grazer Pumpkin Soup

- Anita

Serves: 4 as a main meal

Preparation time: 40 mins

300g pumpkin

1 medium onion

1 tblsp butter

1.4 l water

1 sprig parsley

1 bay leaf

2 tblsp cornflour

Crème fraiche

Paprika, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Cut the pumpkin into slices, take out the seeds, cut off the rind and dice it into chunky bits.

Dice the onion and fry it with the butter, add the pumpkin and stir fry it for 1 min. Then add in 1l of water and let it simmer for 20 mins.

Blend or mash the pumpkin mixture to make a smooth soup. Mix the cornflour with 4 dl of cold water (watch out for lumps) and add to the soup. Add the chopped parsley, bay leaf and the spices and let simmer for another 10-20 mins. If the soup is too thick add some more water, similarly if it is too thin add more cornflour.

Server with a dollop of crème fraiche in the middle and brown bread on the side.

Salad Sauce á la Anita

Vinegar Danger Zone - Anita

Serves: 1 head of salad

Preparation time: 10 mins

1-2 tblsp sunflower oil

5-6 tblsp vinegar (white wine or distilled malt)

1 tblsp French mustard

½ tblsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tblsp milk

chives

salt or aromat, a pinch of black pepper and garlic powder to taste

Maggi (liquid seasoning made by Knor - typically Swiss, but you can find it in Ireland)

Put the oil in a bowl and then gradually stir in all the other ingredients, adding in the vinegar last.

Mediterranean Marinade

For Duck, Rabbit, Lamb or chicken. You will need a mortar and pestle for this - Anita

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 2 mins

1 tblsp French mustard

1 tblsp Dijon mustard

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tblsp of thyme, rosemary, sage (preferably fresh)

2 bay leaves

2 juniper berries

1-2 tblsp soy sauce

1-2 tblsp of lime/lemon juice

2 tblsp olive or peanut oil

seasalt to taste

1 tsp crushed coarse black pepper

If the herbs are fresh slice them, otherwise throw all together in a mortar (assuming it is big enough...) and blissfully bash and crunch it with the pestle.

To use

Pour it into a bowl and place the meat in it. Cover the bowl and put into the fridge. Let it sit for 1-3 hours.

Take out the meat and fry in a grill pan.