Recipe for awesome Pea and Ham soup

I'm afraid I tend to cook by instinct and taste, so what I don't have is a completely prescriptive recipe measured to the nearest gramme. ☺ If you need to follow a recipe like that, you need to look elsewhere. Otherwise, do what I do, and taste what you're making and judge what to use as you go along.

With that out the way, here's some of the best Pea and Ham soup you'll ever make.

Ingredients

• Dried Peas - soaked (the quick variety usually take about two hours to soak)
• Onions - about the same amount as you have peas
• Turmeric - a couple of teaspoons - optional if you don't have it
• Cumin seeds - again, optional - but if you have them, a teaspoon or so
• Coriander leaf - fresh or dried - fresh is obviously best; add enough to make a difference but not to overpower
• Chilli powder - as much or as little as you like
• Black pepper - lots
• Garlic - loads - at least several bulbs, maybe double
• A teaspoon or two of English mustard
• Ham, bacon or lardons; smoked or unsmoked whichever you like about 1 Quarter the amount of peas
• Marigold swiss vegetable bouillon stock powder - seriously, this is the best stock you can get, use it in everything
• Olive oil

Method

Prepare the peas according to the packet (this usually means soak and rinse for a few hours).

Dice onions into small cubes if you haven't bought them pre-diced. Warm the pot with a few spoons of oil olive oil and start sauteing the onions. Also add the garlic, ham, and turmeric. Keep stirring and sauteing to start caramelising the onions. 

After about 5 minutes of good sizzling, add everything else (except the stock powder) and stir is together. I usually keep this going on a the heat for a minute or two before then adding boiling water. 

Reduce to a simmer and keep stirring. Stir in a few spoons of stock powder. Keep tasting and adding as required. Remember that over time and as it cools the soup will taste more salty, so don't go too mad, just keep tasting. But make sure you add enough. Leave to simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, but keep checking on it and tasting. Add more pepper if needed. 

Serving

Usually I part blend mine with a hand blender, just to remove any chunks (especially if you used lardons). Served, of course, with home made chunks of ciabatta bread.

Delish. 

"Low-carb" muffin recipe

I’m really excited to present this recipe - particularly useful for anyone on a low-carb (low carbohydrate) diet such as Atkins. I’ve adapted it (read “improved”) from a recipe I found on a low carb advice website. The measurements given there were in "cups" (is that an American thing?) which seems wholly unscientific and destined to lead to potential failure - I have at least 5 or 6 cup sizes in my cupboard. So, I applied a bit more science and experimentation to come up with some measures that are more accurate.

The recipe is based on "almond flour", sometimes known as "almond meal": though basically it's ground almond. I never knew you could bake with it, but if these come out as they are meant to for you, like me you'll realise you can indeed bake very successfully with almond instead of wheat/flour!

Some notes on modifications to original ingredients

• The original recipe contained salt. After trying it, the cakes were way too salty, so I have eliminated the extra salt. What’s more - I find that when on a low carb regime, I’m far more sensitive to salt. If you want to add it back in, so be it.
• The original recipe suggests that liquid sweetener is preferred - whether this really makes a difference or not, I'm not sure - as these muffins come out just fine with granulated sweetener. Personally I just go for what's simple. 

Ingredients:

• 200g Ground Almond (this is basically your flour)
• 100g dessicated coconut (this is optional - I add it to add sweetness & I like the texture. I think it's worth it!)
• 35g butter - I find regular butter too salty (esp. on Atkins) so I used Tesco "Soft Spread"(which says "perfect for cakes" on the side! - and I agree)
• 4 medium eggs
• 10g of sucralose-based sweetener - e.g. Splenda (though Tesco do their own brand for almost 1/3rd the price) - remember that 10g of this type of sweetener is basically equivalent to 100g of normal sugar. 
• 75mls lemon juice (or you can use water, I guess, but for best flavour go with the lemon)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Flavourings/Optional (I add all off these)

 

• half to 1 capful of orange natural extract 
• half to 1 capful vanilla flavour 
• a sprinkling of something like chopped orange/lemon peel which you can buy in small tubs

Of course, you can vary the flavours and quantities to suit your own taste

Instructions

• pre-heat the oven to a temperature 350F / gas mark 4 - 4.5 / 180C
• thoroughly mix all dry ingredients
• thoroughly mix in all wet ingredients
• spoon into the tin and bake - cooking time 15 - 20mins (if done in a mincepie/yorkshire pudding/muffin tray) - e.g tray with 12 individual portions

The recipe above is perfect to make 12 small muffins.
 

If making 12, I estimate the carbohydrate content of each muffin to be approximately 2.2g based on the manufacturers' measures on the raw ingredients and the respective proportions