Tomato With Roasted Garlic And Basil Soup

This delicious Tomato with Roasted Garlic and Basil Soup is made with just canned tomatoes, a few cloves of roasted garlic, onion, carrots, and lots of freshly picked basil. A healthy and yet tasty soup that's great just by itself or as a starter to any meal. Try it.


Tomato With Roasted Garlic and Basil Soup

Ingredients

 
2Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
4 Cloves Roasted Garlic, finely chopped

1 Can/Tin (28 fl oz/791ml) Diced Tomatoes
3 Cups Chicken/Vegetable Stock
1 Bunch (About 20 leaves) Fresh Basil Leaves, torn

Sea Salt to taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper



Method



Heat the olive oil in a large pot; add onion and carrot with a pinch of salt. Cook the mixture until soft and translucent but not brown in color. Then turn the heat on high and mix in chopped garlic, tomatoes, and basil. Sauté the mixture for a minute or 2, and add the chicken or vegetable stock. Then bring it to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly before you puree it with a handheld blender. Bring the soup back to the boil and season with some salt and pepper. Serve warm with some freshly grated black pepper.

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

These Steamed Shrimp Dumplings makes a wonderful light meal. You can find the dumpling wrappers at the chiller aisle of any Asian supermarket in your neighborhood. The dumplings are steamed on a bed of cabbage and served with a light soy and vinegar sauce.


Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Ingredients

454g/1 lb Peeled White Shrimps/Prawns, chopped
100g(about 4 leaves) Chinese Cabbage, finely sliced
50g Chinese Chives, finely chopped
½ tsp Minced Ginger
1 Red Chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Sugar

¼ Sea Salt

A few dashes of White Pepper
1 Tbsp Corn flour



1 Packet (50 pieces) Dumpling Wrappers
Chinese Cabbage Leaves, for steaming



Light Soy and Vinegar Sauce
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Vinegar

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1 ½ tsp Chili Flakes



Method


Mix the cabbage with 1 tsp of sea salt and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then, drain and squeeze out all the excess water.

Make the stuffing: Place the chopped shrimp, Chinese cabbage, chive, ginger, chili, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, sea salt, white pepper, corn flour in a bowl, mix well and marinate for about 30 minutes.

Make the dumplings: Place about 1½ teaspoons of stuffing into the center of each dumpling skin. Fold the skin gently in half and, starting at one end, join the two sides together with a series of pinches/pleats. Place the finished dumpling on your work surface, pushing it slightly to give it a flat base.

Set the steamer over high heat. Place a few cabbage leaves in the steamer and top with a layer of dumplings. Steam the dumplings for about 8 to 9 minutes. Remove and serve immediately with light soy and vinegar sauce.


Roasted Vegetable Curry

This is a delightful, mild, and creamy Roasted Vegetable Curry which is delicious served with just some steamed rice. For the vegetarians and vegans readers, if you like curry, you will love this recipe! Try it.

Roasted Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

Curry Sauce
Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Cashews
Fresh Coriander Leaves

Curry Sauce
3 Tbsp Peanut or Canola Oil
6 Medium-Sized (180g) Shallots, peeled and finely sliced
1 ½ tsp Chili Powder
2 ½ tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Black Pepper
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Cup of Water or Vegetable Stock
400 ml Coconut Milk
1 Large Lime, juiced
Sea Salt, to taste

Roasted Vegetables

1 Small Cauliflower, cut into florets, blanched and drained
1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled and diced~about ¾ inch
3 Mixed Color Bell Peppers, seeded and diced~about ¾ inch
1 Zucchini, diced~about ¾ inch
1 Eggplant, diced~about ¾ inch
12 Okra, halved
1 ½ Peanut or Canola Oil
1 tsp Chili Flakes
Sea Salt

Method



Preheat the oven to 450˚F. In a large roasting pan, combine cauliflower, onion, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, okra, chili flakes, oil, and sea salt. Roast in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until all the veggies are fully cooked and golden in color. 


Meanwhile, prepare the curry sauce. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and set over medium high heat. When hot, put in the shallots. Cook until the shallots are light brown in color. Then add the chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and turmeric. Cook briefly until they are fragrant. 

Add the water, coconut milk and bring the curry sauce to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every now and then. Mix in the roasted vegetables, stir and cook briefly. Season the curry with sea salt and lime juice. Serve the curry warm with some roasted cashews, fresh coriander, and steamed Basmati rice.

Fresh Raw Corn Salsa

Summer is here again and the fresh corn available this time of the year is just super sweet. It's the perfect time to make this healthy Fresh Raw Corn Salsa. This salsa is so refreshing, spicy, and tangy; a perfect side dish to complement any barbecue meat or seafood meal.

Fresh Raw Corn Salsa

Ingredients

3 Large Fresh Sweet Corns, husked, silk removed
2 Large Red & Orange Peppers (Bell/Capsicum), seeded and small diced

1 English Cucumber, small diced
¼ of Medium Red Onion, finely diced
½ tsp of Chili Flakes

Juice of 1 Large Lime

Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Tbsp of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Method



Using a large, sharp knife carefully cut the kernels off the corncobs. 

In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, peppers, cucumber, onion, chili flakes, and season with lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Refrigerate the salsa mixture until ready to serve.