Let's beat the credit crunch and warm the cockles of your heart!

[souter girl]

Right - here we go!! One of my favourites (and not original) is
French Onion Soup:
2 tbsp butter, plus a little for the bread (see later)
2 tbsp oil (olive is nice, but not necessary)
700 g onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I like the big sweetiish ones)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 l. stock ( I use either veg stock or beef stock concentrate + water)
6 slices French bread baked until crisp for about 20 mins in a medium oven
225 g Cheese - Cheddar, Lancashire or if you're feeling extravagant Gruyere / Emmental - maybe leftovers?
Seasoning to taste

Heat butter and oil, stir in onions, garlic, sugar and cook over lowish heat until browning nicely, watch sugar doesn't "catch"
Pour on stock, bring to boil, cover and simmer gently for about an hour.
Check seasoning, then spread toasted French bread slices with butter. Place each slice in a fireproof bowl, ladle in the soup and when the bread floats to the top, sprinkle with the cheese. Flash under grill until the cheese is bubbling and browned.
Bon appetit!

[Crocus]

Mr C will like this soup a lot - he is onion crazy. I've never made it before, so perhaps now it's time.

[dragonfly]

Thank you Souter Girl, I have been meaning to make French onion soup for years but never got round to it. I have copied the recipe and will let you know how I get on with it.

Does anyone have a tasty recipe for tomato soup. I hate throwing tomatoes away but can't eat them when they go soft.

[Rustic Pumpkin]

Dragonfly, I don't have any recipes as such, I 'wing' it and make soup nearly every day. If I had a pile of tomatoes too ripe, this is what I'd do, adjusting all quantities to suit the amount of tomatoes

Saute some finely chopped onion (or shallot) with some finely chopped celery and grated carrot. Add the chopped tomatoes (skinned and seeded if you want, but I never bother as this is where the nutrients are) add a little water and stock powder, or stock, but not enough to give a liquidy soup at this stage, and simmer for about 20 mins (remember the longer you cook tomatoes and carrots, the better they are for you). I would then blitz it in a blender to a reasonably thick puree. Add more stock, or milk/cream for a cream of tomato soup until you get the desired consistancy. 'Fraid this is how I concoct the majority of my soups! Courgette is also good in tomato soup, as are corn niblets. And if you like, you can finish it off with a dash of orange juice! Yes, orange juice.

[souter girl]

Like the sound of that, RP! I winder what the orange juice brings to it? must try.
Now come on, Ladies (and Man) how about some rib-sticking stews???

[dragonfly]

Thank you very much for the recipe Rustic Pumpkin, I will give it a try. I have always liked soup but never made my own. This will be part of my new healthy eating.

[Crocus]

A rib-sticking stew, okay, here goes:

Beef and Tomato casserole.
Preheat oven - 170 C.
Season 1 kg of beef (whichever you prefer, but I like to use brisket) with salt.
Roll meat in flour to which you add 1 teaspoon of dry mustard. (About a cup of flour). The flour also helps to thicken the tomato.
Fry in a bit of oil, and put in a casserole dish.
Add 1 kg. sliced or cut tomatoes, a diced onion, and 1 tbs. Of Worcestersauce, brown sugar to taste, (to balance tomato).
Add some sliced carrots and mushrooms and season the whole lot with pepper to taste. Add a little bit of water.
Cover casserole dish and cook for about 1 and half hours, then add about 2 tablespoons tomatopaste, stirring it in thoroughly.
Cook until ready, about another hour or until ready.

[Rustic Pumpkin]

You see, Crocus, I could make that just by tweaking some of the method (not rolling in flour) and by substituting some chestnust and extra mushrooms!

I do apologise to all that I can't give specific amounts because that, I'm afraid, is the way I cook!

Souter, I winced the first time I saw the suggestion of oranges with tomatoes, but they really do work. You don't use a lot, but if you think about it, oranges are citrus and we don't think twice about using lemon or lime.

[Crocus]

Hi RP, it's a very versatile dish and you can add or take away according to your taste. I've got it in oven at the moment. I don't always use the flour as well, but it does help to thicken the dish. You can't taste it or anything. The tomatoes and tiny bit of water can be a bit to thin and watery sometimes, which is why I add the tomatoe paste and occasionally the flour. I have added flour today.

I call this recipe an "open" recipe because one can add or leave out to heart's delight. The important ingredients are the beef and tomatoes and the bit of brown sugar. I've tried it with chicken too, but beef for this recipe is best I think. It adds the "basic" character and flavour so to speak. It needend be expensive beef as well, as I mentioned, I mostly use brisket. xx

[Rustic Pumpkin]

I like dishes that you can chop and change. Today's lunch is in the making as we speak. I'm sauteing half a chopped onion, a chopped stalk of celery with a generous amount of fresh ginger. Shortly I'll add some chunks of roasted pumpkin and about half a cup of water. Once heated I'll blitz it in the blender, dilute to the right consistency with some soya milk, and season with probably miso stock today. I've got some cheese muffins so I'll toast one of those, maybe add some cheese to melt and a teaspoon or two of chilli jam. I'm allergic today and I want chilli and ginger for medicinal purposes!

[keepersdaughter]

Rustic, I also have a recipe for broccoli soup that uses a spoonful of orangejuice. It really does make a difference to the flavour, so subtle you can't really identify it, but without it, it just doesn't taste the same. In fact, I bought a couple of heads of broccoli yesterday and am making it later. When I've dug my recipe out I'll post it. Hope your allergies settle down.

[TIGGYWINKLE]

Souter Girl. Your recipe for French Onion Soup is excellent. The trick is placing the bread in the bowl first, and then pouring in the soup. I learned this in France, yet so many recipes don't do it this way.

[souter girl]

Here's another! Cassoulet
I roasted a piece of pork rib rack cut up into ribs (dirt cheap £2.50 in Waitrose) for 15 mins, put 125g of haricot beans(soaked overnight) in a cast iron casserole along with a large onion cut into thin slices,one clove of garlic, a can of tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, some tomato puree, the meat and some hot (veg) stock. I also deglazed the baking tin with a little boiling water and poured that on. A generous pinch+ of mixed herbs, salt and pepper and then put it in my slow oven (or lowest possible setting in a regular oven.) I left it in overnight, went to London the next day, locked keys in boot of car and didn't get home until 11 pm!!! Not only was it still edible, it was actually even better than usual. I would not recommend the key part of the recipe as it is not necessary(!) but this can cook for 12 hours or more in a slow oven/cooker, possibly a little less in a normal oven, provided the casserole is heavy and has a tight-fitting lid. Total cost of ingredients for 2 meals for 2 and then also a lunch for one, under £5 !!!

[sunflower]

My favourite dish is root veg casseroule with dumplings.
Into an oven proof dish with lid I chop up,
I large onion.
two turnips.
half a small swede.
1 sweet potatoe.
2 parsnips.
Occasionally I add 2 sticks of celery
3 large carrots.
3 veg. cubes. Add boiling water to the veg in dish..almost to the top.
Cook for 1.1/2 hours in middle of gas 4 oven.
My own recipe for quick tasty dumplings is:-
5 TBS of self raising flour.
3oz of sunflower marg
black pepper
milk to mix
Make into dough, then add a flavouring. eg, chopped apple, garlic, cheese.
Roll into balls and place on top of ingredients. Pop back the lid and cook for a further twenty minutes.
This is very warm and tasty on chilly nights. It's also a great dish for vegatarian guests.

[souter girl]

I like the addition of dumplings!! Like Yorkshire pudding, traditionally part of a meal to fill you up and save on meat. They knew something way back.