Monday evening, 09-09-24 and a soup recipe

Good evening, everyone!  

It's not been a very nice day today, all damp and dull and a bit chilly, so I made soup because that's what you do, isn't it?

I decided to make a big potful and put most in the freezer as a base soup so that I can ring the changes when I fancy a portion.

I've rambled on for ages about what I did in The Extra Bit at the bottom.  Why can't I be succinct when I write out a recipe?  I dunno!!

Totally different - in SlimWin (Facebook, look it up, it's great) yesterday, Roe mentioned about a raspberry vinaigrette, shop bought, that she uses.  It seems that it is quite easy to make so maybe I will have a go at some time.  It has to be better for me than a commercial one, wouldn't you think?  

What I ate today

The usual fruit with yogurt underneath.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a tsp pumpkin seeds with a sprinkle of sweetener.

One syn for the seeds.

Later on, I had an apple.

Soup for lunch on a damp and gloomy Monday and it was really nice.  Details down below in The Extra Bit.

No room for dessert straight away.

One healthy extra A for 30g hard goat's cheese, one and a half healthy extra Bs for the focaccia and two syns for the oil.

A close up!

Later on, I had an apple.

I found the dinner recipe in a publication from Woman and Home - Mediterranean Air Fryer Recipe Book (more a thick magazine really).  It's called Spanish Chicken Bake and I wasn't sure.  I found the timings and the temperature a but off - air fryers differ so much - and I used stock because I didn't have white wine but it was lovely.  The onion, tomatoes and oil made a lovely deep sort of sauce and I decided to team it with a salad.

Definitely making that again, for sure.

Six syns for a tbsp oil and one and a half for olives.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one and a half healthy extra Bs

eleven syns, eight of them for olive oil

My meal plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit, yogurt, seeds

L: tuna, bean and walnut salad; fruit

D:  baked prawns with feta, salad or vg; fruit

Exercise:  

The Extra Bit:

I haven't made a hearty bean and veg soup since - well, last winter, I think.  I used to make it a lot when I went over to Mum and Dad's because they both liked it, I could ring the changes with the flavours, it froze well and it was something that Mum could manage as it didn't take much chewing.

Like many soups, it is an idea rather than a recipe, very ad hoc depending on what you have in the  house at the time but, for me, the key parts are:

veg (definitely onion and whatever else)

pulses (mixed or single, what you fancy or have)

stock and seasonings

And, for me at the moment - olive oil!  You could use spray oil or other oil.

It makes a sort of 'base soup' to which you can add whatever.

This time, my base soup had

two tbsp olive oil (12 syns)

onion

the snapped off bits of asparagus - I just cut off the very bottom bit

broccoli stalk - I cut off the florets for another time

sweet potato

carrot

edamame beans for extra protein!

chicken stock from the freezer - I had rather a lot so a good way to use some up

a mix of haricot beans and chick peas - I didn't need them all but tomorrow I am having a bean and tuna salad and on Wednesday I have hummus planned.  There was a bit left so that went in a poly bag in the freezer.

Plus salt, pepper, vegetable all rounder and garlic.

Apart from the oil, the rest is speed or SW free food.

I softened the onion, added the rest of the veg, all chopped up into dice, then the squashed garlic, put in the stock and the mixed pulses, brought it all up to a simmer and just let is bubble away until everything was soft.

I didn't bother to check the seasonings because it was mostly going in the freezer and this is a base so less is more.

It made six portions so two syns per portion.

One portion stayed out and to that I added some bulgur wheat, mushrooms, tomatoes and extra seasoning plus some grated cheese for an A and focaccia for one and a half Bs