Recipes - Soups & Starters

(Most recently added recipes display first.)

Colourful Fresh Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

  • 500g equivalent sized, trimmed fresh green, white and purple asparagus.
  • Hollandaise Sauce
  • 40 g unsalted butter
  • 2 beaten egg yolks
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 50 ml lemon or lime juice

Serves 2 – 3

Preparation

  • Place prepared  and rinsed asparagus on a 30c.m. round ovenable glass platter in a circular configuration with tips pointing into the centre.
  • Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
  • Place butter in 500ml ovenable glass jug and cook on low 30- 40 % until the butter melts.
  • In a bowl whisk the egg yolks, seasoning and lemon juice until blended.
  • Whisk this mixture into the melted butter.
  • Place jug off the centre of the turntable and cook on Defrost (30%) in 20 second bursts whisking at each break, until thickened.
  • Cover  to keep warm.
  • Cook prepared asparagus on High (100%) for 3 – 4 minutes depending on the wattage of your oven.
  • Serve asparagus warm with Hollandaise sauce.

Caviar & Blinis

Ingredients

  • ½  cup plain flour
  • ¼  cup buckwheat or rice flour
  • 1 teasp. Baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 50g caviar
  • 100g sour cream or crème fraiche
  • Chives, chopped to garnish

makes 36

Preparation

  • In a bowl combine plain and buckwheat flours with baking powder and salt
  • Stir in milk, eggs and butter mixing w ell to form a batter
  • Stand 20 minutes
  • In a warm frying pan heat a little oil and make small bite sized blinis, cooking 1-2 minutes each side
  • Transfer warm blinis to a platter and serve with sour cream and caviar garnished with chives

NB:  Recipe tested with Rice Flour.

Cuban Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 x 440 can chickpeas drained & rinsed
  • 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp  each fresh parsley & thyme chopped
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 400 g (4) Pontiac potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
  • 1 litre chicken consommé
  • 100 g lean bacon, chopped
  • 100 g chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Serves 4-5

Preparation

  • Place the first 8 ingredients into a large saucepan, cover and bring to the boil.
  • Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
  • Heat a non stick frypan and sauté bacon and chorizo sausage.
  • Stir into the cooked bean mixture.
  • Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
  • Garnish with coriander and serve with crusty bread.

San Choy Bow (lettuce parcels)

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp plum sauce
  • 1 tbsp light oil
  • 250g lean pork or chicken mince
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 4 spring onions, sliced diagonally
  • 4 lettuce cups, chilled

Serves 4-6

Preparation

  • Mix together the soy and plum sauces in a small jug.
  • Add the oil to the microwave safe container.
  • Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the man and garlic.  Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 3-4 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
  • Add the spring onions and sauces.  Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 1 ½ minutes.
  • Serve in the lettuce cups.

Tip
Finely ground lean mince produces the best results in microwave cooking and is a healthier option.

Variation: add a can of drained and sliced water chestnuts to the pork stir-fry in step 3.

Chilled Tomato & Basil Soup *

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 ½ cups vegetable stock
  • 1 kg tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 20 fresh basil leaves a few drops of balsamic vinegar
  • juice of ½ a lemon
  • 2/3 cup natural (plain) yoghurt
  • granulated sugar and salt, to taste

For garnish

  • 2 tbsp natural (plain) yoghurt
  • 8 small basil leaves
  • 2 tsp basil flowers, all green parts removed

Serves 4-6


Reduce tomatoes to 750g add 250g red capsicum or cucumber, seeds removed, flesh chopped.
For extra flavor add a good pinch of ground chilies to taste.

Preparation

  • Place the first 10 ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
  • Chill for 2 hours.
  • Serve swirled with yoghurt and garnished with basil.