Chicken & Mushroom Vol-Au-Vents

There's not much to be said about this recipe other than that my sister has been making these Vol Au Vents for about 21 years.  They are easy, delicious and a family hit every single time. 

Whilst the recipe calls for entree size pastries only, if you have small children you will find that the bite size pastries will be their favorites as they can manage it with their hands and eat it in a couple of bites.  My sister always makes a combination of both entree and bite size and I have no qualms in stealing some small ones, whilst I also indulge in the entree size ones as well.

Chicken & Mushroom Vol Au Vents

36 entree size pastry cases (vol au vents)
800g chicken fillets,sliced as if stir-frying (skin-off)
400g mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2T tomato paste
110g butter
0.5C plain flour
2C milk
Salt & peeper to taste

Method

Annie preparing the chicken.

Melt 50g butter in a large and deep frying pan that has a lid and saute the onions.  Add the chicken and salt and pepper, then give it a stir.  Turn the heat to low, put the lid on and let it cook until the juices from the chicken evaporate.  Stir occasionally.

Add the mushrooms and tomato paste, stir and put the lid back on.  Let it cook until most of the juice from the mushrooms evaporate.  Ideally the mixture remains slightly moist.  Set aside and make the sauce.

Chicken and mushroom mixture.

On low heat, in a small non-stick saucepan melt the remaining butter and progressively add the flour and mix it together.  Add the milk in quarter cup portions and stir well and keep mixing.  It should be a pasty mixture without any lumps.  If there are any lumps just push the mixture through a sieve.

No lumps.

Add the mixture to the chicken in the frying pan, give a good stir so it's all mixed. 

In a large baking tray place the vol au vents and then with a tablespoon fill the cases evenly.

No fancy brand needed, just the
local Coles is good enough.

Annie filling the cases.

Place in the oven at 150 degrees to warm them up and slightly brown the cases.

Vol Au Vents ready to go in the oven.

Serve with green salad and
a chilled white wine.

Enjoy.  I sure did and went back for more.

Orange Torte

After several soup recipe posts, I think it's time for a shift to something wickedly sweet.  Mind you this cake is certainly not for the weight conscious.

Made by my grandmother since she was a young lady, this recipe is approximately 80 years old.  Passed down to my sister, she has been baking it for the last 20 years and perfecting it each year. It has become the traditional birthday cake amongst the family and it never lasts beyond the next day.

Whilst time consuming in the preparation and baking, it is certainly worth the effort for those really special events.

Orange Torte

Cake

10 eggs, separated
300g sugar
200g plain flour
Juice of 1 lemon

Orange Cream

280g sugar
2 full eggs
6 egg yolks
2 tsp plain flour
6T milk
2 orange rinds
300g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes

Method

Cake

Preheat oven 160 degrees.  Separate the eggs into two large mixing bowls.  Add the sugar to the yolk and mix until it has a creamy texture.

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks then gently fold into the egg yolk.  Add the flour and lemon juice, gently fold again.

Beating the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks.

Add the flour and lemon juice
and gently fold till mixed.

Pour the cake mix into a large non-stick springform baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about an hour until the top is golden-brown and the wooden skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake.

Golden-brown on top and the wooden skewer is clean.

Orange Cream

Combine all the ingredients and mix until nice and creamy.  Add the orange rind and transfer into a non-stick saucepan.  Cook on low heat and stir constantly.  You will find as it cooks, the cream will rise in the pot.  Keep stirring.  The cream will start reducing and thickening.  The cream is cooked when the consistency is thick.  Put the saucepan into some cold water in the sink to cool it quickly and stir a couple times.

Combine ingredients until creamy.

The reduced and thickened cream.

Place the cubed butter into a mixing bowl and add the cream mixture from the saucepan.  With an electric mixer, beat until all mixed in, fluffy in texture and the colour is light.

Light and fluffy texture of finished cream.

The necessary taste test.

Cut the cake in half horizontally and spread about half the cream on top of the base evenly.  Replace the top half of the cake and evenly spread the cream on top and the sides.  Decorate if preferred with chocolate sprinkles.

We don't fuss with perfection too much.
We just want to eat it...

...but it was Grandma's birthday,
so we made an effort and junior made
sure we did it right.

Serve with a sweet dessert wine.

Enjoy.

Quinoa & Vegetable Soup

My initial attempt was to make a Minestrone Soup which swiftly derailed once I wanted to add bok choy, quinoa seeds, leek and red bell pepper.  It turned out into a lovely and filling Quinoa & Vegetable Soup. 

I love making soups because they truly are food for the soul.  If you don't feel well, have a soup.  If you want a lightweight meal, indulge in soup.  If you have a bunch of vegies that need to be used, make a soup.

On this occasion I wanted to add some bok choy.  They are readily available in my downstairs mini-mart and they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

The quinoa seeds I used are an alternative to rice, barley or couscous.  A native of South America it was once considered the 'Inca's gold'.  Cultivated in Peru, Chile and Bolivia for 5000 years, the quinoa was a staple food for the native Indians.  The Spanish Conquistadors destroyed all the quinoa fields as a way to control the natives.  It became illegal to cultivate quinoa and it was punishable by death.  As you can imagine the cultivation of quinoa all but disappeared until the 1980s when a couple of Americans discovered the concentrated health benefits of quinoa and began cultivating it in Colorado.  Not sure if they are available in supermarkets but I found mine in the health food store.

Are you wondering what is so great about the quinoa?  Firstly, it is high in protein as opposed to rice which is high in carbohydrates.  The quinoa includes all nine essential amino acids which play important roles in metabolism and serve as the building blocks for proteins.  

Whilst possibly thought of as a grain, the quinoa is actually the seed of a plant related to spinach and beets.

Following several research studies it was concluded that a regular intake of quinoa can aid with migraines, prevention of heart attacks, reduce the risk of childhood asthma and reduce risk of type-2 diabetes, to name a few.  For more detailed information: Quinoa Seeds Profile.

The best part about this soup is its cooking simplicity.

Quinoa & Vegetable Soup

1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 small leek, chopped
0.5 punnet red cherry tomatoes, halved
2 sticks celery, halved lengthways and sliced (I cut them smaller so my little girl can eat them easier)
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into small squares
3 frozen spinach nuggets (or a handful of fresh spinach thinly sliced)
1 small bok choy, sliced (leaves included)
0.5 red bell pepper, sliced and diced
0.25 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
0.5 C quinoa seeds
1.2L stock

Method

Toss all the ingredients in a large soup pot.  Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 25 minutes.  Serve with a slice of toast.  Enjoy.

Toss it all in a pot...

...add the stock, boil, simmer and....

...serve.

Top 10 Juices

As we experimented with different juice combinations and largely relied on The Big Book of Juice and Smoothies by Natalie Savona for inspiration, here is a list of our top 10 juices that we found ourselves going back for again and again.  Toss them all in the juice extractor.  It usually makes for two sometimes three depending on preferred serving size.  Just add more or less to suit your needs.

The juices marked with an asterik are extracted from the abovementioned book.

An Oldie but a Goodie

2 apples
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery

Aids with detox, lower cholesterol, immune boost, skin improvement, digestion and diuretic properties that help dispose of excess water in the body.

An Oldie but a Goodie

Beet Basic*

2 beetroots
2 carrots
1 apple
1 orange, peeled
1 stick celery
1.5 cm ginger root

Aids with detoxing, immunity boost, energy lift and skin improvement.  A yummy and terrific all-rounder.

Beet Basic

Carrot Beet

3 carrots
1 beetroot
4 oranges

Load up on vitamin C, boost the immunity and detoxify.

Carrot Beet

Celery Delicacy*

0.5 bunch of celery
4 pears
1.5cm ginger root

A soothing juice that aids with digestion and detoxing.

Celery Delicacy

Grapefruit Zing

2 pink grapefruits
3 carrots
2 apples
1 nashi
1.5 cm ginger root

Packed with vitamin C, detoxifying and aids with digestion, along with lowering cholesterol.

Grapefruit Zing

Nashi Morning

2 large nashi pear
2 carrots
1 fuji apple
2 sticks celery
1.5 cm ginger root

A nice all rounder with extra energy boost and delicious sweet flavour to kick off anyone's morning.

Nashi morning

Nashi Sweetness

1 large nashi pear
2 oranges, peeled
2 fuji apples
2 sticks celery

Aids with detoxing, digestion, skin improvement, lower cholesterol, immunity boost and has diuretic properties that help dispose of excess water in the body.

Nashi Sweetness

Orange Zest

1 pineapples
2 oranges
1.5cm ginger root

Rich in vitamins and minerals the pineapple's alkaline nature is complimentary to the oranges more acidic form.

Orange Zest

Pineapple Basic*

0.5 pineapple, peeled
1 apple
3 carrots
1 stick celery

A full on booster in energy, detox, immunity and digestion. 

Pineapple Basic

Pineapple Yum

0.75 pineapple
2 apples
2 oranges

Aids with digestion, immunity boost, detox and lower cholesterol.

Pineapple Yum

Wellbeing & Weight Loss Journey - End of Week 4

And the end of this journey has arrived.  Four weeks of juicing and souping.  Throughout this month I broke my diet once on Mother's Day to have a tuna salad and indulge in a coffee macaroon.

I kept up the water intake of 2-2.5L per day until last week when I started feeling water logged.  I cut it back to 1-1.4L per day.

Recovering from a bad flu this last week, I managed to exercise twice but with limited energy.

Knowing the end was near, for the last few days I've been hankering a meal that required chewing.  Looking forward to my breakfast and lunch outing today.

Was this month worth it?  Having dropped nearly 6kg in total, I think so.  My clothes fit better and I feel better.  I also sleep better since I am not loaded with my usual 3-4 cups of coffee per day.  However, this is only just over the half way mark and there's still another 5kg to go.

So here are the final stats:

Age - 42
Height - 170cm (5"7')
Weight - 65.3kg (lost 5.9kg)
Natural Waist - 74cm (lost 7cm)
Waist around navel - 77.5 (lost 8.5cm)
Hips - 103cm (lost 7cm)
Thighs - 58cm (lost 5cm)
Bust - 90cm (lost 5cm)
Calf Muscle - 37.5cm (lost 2.5cm)

Where to from here?  It's a good question indeed.  I have another week before I fly to Australia visiting for six weeks and I am not quite sure how I will manage this next phase of my weight loss regime.  Perhaps just be conscientious about what I eat and leave the next phase for when I get back home.

Am I concerned about falling back into bad habits?  Yes I am, but fingers crossed that I have learned enough about myself to know better.  Thankfully I am not into fast foods or fizzy drinks so that is one less problem to deal with.

Whilst blogging about this journey was meant to end here, I think a follow on blog of how I am faring may be worthwhile.  Stay tuned...

Lentil and Vegetables Soup

I am a big fan of pulses such as lentils, chickpeas and beans.  Besides the fact that I enjoy their flavour they are packed with protein, nutrients and fibre, are low in fat, have no cholesterol and has a low glycemic index.  A terrific alternative to meat or for vegetarians to boost their meal.

With over 1800 species, the pulse crop has been sustaining humans for more than 5000 years.  It is an important source of protein in developing countries and an excellent food source for people wanting to manage their weight, diabetes, heart disease or coeliac disease.

The following soup recipe is one of many different versions I make but the best part is how easy it is to prepare.  Chop, toss in pot, boil & simmer and it's cooked in 25 minutes.

Lentil and Vegetables Soup

2 small leeks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 C green beans, cut into 2.5cm pieces
1 C brown lentils
0.5 C parsley, finely chopped
1.25L stock
Salt & pepper, to season

Method

In a big pot add all the ingredients along with the stock, bring to boil and simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  That's it.  Enjoy.

Toss in the ingredients...

...add the stock...

...and voila, time to indulge.

Wellbeing & Weight Loss Journey - End of Week 3

As the third week rolled by I settled into my routine with juice in the morning and evening, soup at lunch and nuts for snacks.  Many of the juice recipes are now recirculating and we are narrowing down the favorites.  At the end of this month look out for the Top 10 Juices post, should you be interested in trying them.

My water intake is steady at around 2-2.5L per day.  Who would have ever thought I would replace my much beloved coffee for water.

The week began on a good note, with a 50 minute session at the bicycle station.  It hard to start with as I was overcoming stiff muscles from a treadmill session a couple of days prior but after 20 minutes of wincing and groaning, the muscles warmed up and the rest of a breeze.

Rather satisfied with my effort in working out every second day, I did not anticipate catching the flu and spending three days knocked off my feet.

As a result of my sedentation, it was reasonable to expect that not much movement would take place on my weight or measurements, however, it is not completely disappointing since I managed to remove another kilo from my body.

Age - 42
Height - 170cm (5"7')
Weight - 67kg (lost 4.2kg)
Natural Waist - 74cm (lost 7cm)
Waist around navel - 79.5 (lost 6.5cm)
Hips - 104cm (lost 6cm)
Thighs - 60cm (lost 3cm)
Breast - 91cm (lost 4cm)
Calf Muscle - 38cm (lost 2cm)

Grateful to have made it this far, I am already tasting my celebratory lunch next Sunday at a most divine organic salad bar.  It will be a nice way to ease back into solid foods without shocking my system.

Pumpkin, Leek and Sweet Potato Soup

The power of pumpkin and sweet potato are in their anti-cancer and antioxidant properties, whilst the leek is a good source of potassium and iron aiding with arthritis, gout and bladder stones.

Stuffed with Vitamin A, carotenoids, complex carbs, fibre, folate, B1 & B3, calcium, iron and more, makes this soup not just tasty but nice and healthy.  The sweet potato "boosts resistance to infection and helps maintain optimum energy levels"; the pumpkin "helps prevent the formation of cancer cells and helps promote healthy skin"; and the leek "is a diuretic, laxative, antiseptic and excellent for a healthy digestive tract" (extracts from The Complete Guide to Nutritional Health).

There are several varieties of sweet potato worldwide but they can be easily classed into two types.  The white type which has a chestnut-caramel flavour and the yellow/orange type which is sweet and watery.  I used the white version in the soup to reduce the sweetness and give it that chestnutty flavour.

The sweet potato pre-dates the normal potato by nearly 500 years.  It was cultivated in prehistoric Peru and is a staple food in the Caribbean and southern US.  It reached Polynesia and NZ in the 14th century and thanks to Columbus' exploring he introduced it to Spain and finally made its way to England mid-16th century just in time for the infamous Henry VIII to indulge in it.

Making its first appearance in the 17th century, the pumpkin most likely inspired Perrault's "pumpkin turned into a golden coach" in his Cinderella story.  Originally from the US, the pumpkin is steeped in Thanksgiving and Halloween traditions.  A winter vegetable (but found all year round), the pumpkin stores well for long periods of time in a dark, cool place.

With a long history, the leek was once considered a sacred plant in ancient Egypt and highly enjoyed by the Romans and Greeks of that time.  It seems to have fallen out of favour during the 16th-18th century.  According to Wikipedia, "the leek is also a national emblem of Wales.  Legend says, Saint David ordered his Welsh soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field".

Pumpkin, Leek & Sweet Potato Soup

1 large leek, chopped
1 garlic, peeled and chopped
0.5 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 kg pumpkin, peeled and chopped
600g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp minced ginger
3 tsp ground cumin
1.5L water or vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season (I used water instead of stock and hence added 1tsp of sea salt)
Natural yoghurt, optional

Method

In a saucepan, saute the onion, garlic & parsley with 0.25C of water for 5 minutes (add a bit more water if it evaporated).

Add the pumpkin, sweet potato and coriander, stir well and cook for a further minute. Add the water or stock, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Let it cool and blend until smooth. Add a tablespoon of yoghurt for a creamier flavour. Season with sea salt & freshly ground pepper.

Wellbeing & Weight Loss Journey - End of Week 2

Day 8

Breakfast - 3/4 pineapple, 2 apples, 2 oranges & 1 tsp psyllium husk (absolutely delicious)
Lunch - cabbage, carrot & apple soup
Dinner - carrot, pineapple, cucumber, lemon & celery juice with LSA
Snack - half mango, small glass of 100% black cherries juice, mixed nuts and seeds
Exercise - nil

I struggled with my sleep last night.  My body temperature dropped and I was shivering under my sheets in 26 degrees heat.  Kept waking up to add more clothing till I had a nightie, T-shirt, pyjama bottoms and long-sleeve bolero jacket that goes with my nightie.  I kept waking up on and off with strange thoughts and dreams (not that I remember what they were).  Somewhere in the course of my sleep my body temperature changed and I started sweating, so off came the bolero jacket but I kept the rest.  In the end I woke up with a very stiff neck from rollerblading and mild headache but my body temperature was back to normal.

Spent most of the day on the couch due to lethargy.  John took charge as I ambled at an extremely slow pace and managed another unpleasant headache.  Nor did it help that each time I bent to pick something up my head would kick in worse than ever and I would be dizzy as well.  Back on the couch I fell.  Caught up with lots of TV series.

Day 9

Breakfast - beetroot, carrot, celery, apple, orange & ginger juice & 1 tsp psyllium husk
Lunch - spicy cauliflower soup
Dinner - freshly squeezed juice with LSA
Snack - spicy cauliflower soup after swimming
Exercise - 500 m swimming at moderate pace

Got out of bed feeling somewhat refreshed and felt as if I was on my way to my normal self again.  Very little headache through the course of the day but I was definitely on the way up.

Day 10

Breakfast - pineapple and nashi pears & 1 tsp psyllium husk
Lunch - spicy cauliflower soup
Dinner - beetroot, apples and celery
Snack - mango and orange juice at our local hawker's market after blading
Exercise - 60 minutes rollerblading with our daughter at slow to moderate pace

I know I am back to my normal self now.  Cleaned the apartment (which has suffered due to lethargy or jetlag), reorganised my working space (I now have my desk near the window and have a terrific view each time I am contemplating what I'm about to write), socialised and went out blading.  No more lethargy, no more headaches.  Woo-hoo.

Day 11

Breakfast - cherries and pineapple juice & 1 tsp psyllium husk
Lunch - broccoli, carrot & celery soup
Dinner -carrot, celery, red capsicum, cucumber, apple, orange & ginger
Snack - mixed nuts and seeds, prunes
Exercise -1km swim (60min)

The 1km swim was a feat for me since I am pretty much a self-taught swimmer with perhaps not the best techniques but I have seen worse here, so I'm okay with my capabilities.  There was a time some years ago when I couldn't even complete a 50m lap.  It was personally satisfying to know I can manage that.  It may be slow but I got there in the end.

The daily weigh is indicating a slow down on the weight loss with a shift every couple of days of approximately 500g.  Not much happening in the way of measurements either, except for my waistline around the navel area. 

Day 12

Breakfast - carrot, celery & apple juice & 1 tsp psyllium husk
Lunch - plain cooked corn on the cob, cooked mixed vegies with a bit of egg
Dinner - cucumber, carrots, red capsicum & tomatoes
Snack - mixed nuts & seeds, prunes
Exercise - nil

Lived through another birthday cake.  This was much tougher because the lovely Veronika made things that I would usually devour, returning for seconds.  The cake looked divine, light and spongy with cream in between.  I just stood aside and kept drinking my water.

Day 13

Breakfast - 2 carrots, 2 apples, 2 oranges & 1 nashi pear juice & 1 tsp psyllium husk (another super delish juice)
Lunch - broccoli, carrot & celery soup
Dinner - beetroot, carrot, celery, apple, orange & ginger juice
Snack - small handful of cooked unsalted red kidney beans
Exercise - rollerblading for 60 minutes

Day 14

Breakfast - watermelon, nashi pear, apple & half a lemon juice & 1 tsp psyllium husk
Lunch - tuna nicoise salad with boiled egg & potato, greens, seared tuna and dressing (early Mother's Day celebration)
Dinner - commercial 100% cherry juice, orange, celery, nashi pear & apple juice
Snack -coffee macaroon (indulging on Mother's Day), mixed nuts & seeds
Exercise - a combination of jogging and power walking for 40 minutes.

It must be the month of birthdays in my condo area, as I just barely managed to get through another birthday.  I did taste test Zuzana's delightful stuffed chicken and desperately wished I could have a serve. Never mind, John made sure he had two serves (one of them for me).

We also celebrated Mother's Day a day early to avoid the crowds and I indulged within reason.  The Tuna Nicoise Salad at our favorite cafe Coffee Beanstro at Marina Bay Sands is a regular order of mine.  Usually I get through it all but on this occasion I only managed half of it.  It looks like my stomach has shrunk plenty.

Here are my stats for end of week two.  The losses recorded are reduced from the original measurements not from last week's results.

Age - 42
Height - 170cm (5"7')
Weight - 68kg (lost 3.2kg)
Natural Waist - 75cm (lost 6cm)
Waist around navel - 81 (lost 5cm)
Hips - 105cm (lost 5cm)
Thighs - 60.5cm (lost 2.5cm)
Breast - 94cm (lost 1cm)
Calf Muscle - 38.5cm (lost 1.5cm)

I am happy with the progress as it is nice and steady and easily manageable beyond this month's program.  Along the way, I am learning about calorie intakes, good foods vs bad foods, steadily increasing my exercise routine and in general figuring out what I will need to do once I resume normal eating. 

Broccoli, Carrot & Celery Soup

Originating 2000+ years ago from the Northern Mediterranean, the broccoli is an Italian vegetable that was highly regarded by the Romans.  It spread into France in the 16th century, followed by England in the 18th century, then the US in the 19th to early 20th century.

Broccoli's health benefits abound which makes this very light and soothing soup a desirable recipe in a cook's collection.  Packed with vitamins, the good ole broccoli just like the yummy cauliflower is full of antioxidants. 

According to Healing Foods for Special Diets antioxidants neutralise free radical chemicals which are released in your body when "...oxygen is processed through the bloodstream and into the tissues".  Whilst the free radicals are in your body for only a couple of seconds it seems to be sufficient time for them to "...cause all kinds of damage in the body including taking hydrogen electrons from molecules in body tissues and damaging the tissues in the process". Top up with plenty of antioxidant inclined foods such as broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage and you can keep those free radicals on holidays. 

More reasons to indulge in broccoli are: aids with detoxing, energy and strength boosting, protects the health of the heart, skin, nerves & muscle tissue, and has anti-cancer and anti-stress qualities.

Broccoli, Carrot & Celery Soup

1 broccoli (about 400g)
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sea salt
1.2L water or stock

Method

In a saucepan, saute the carrot, onion, celery, garlic & ginger with about a cup of water for 10 minutes on low.  Add the broccoli and saute a further 5 minutes (add a bit more water if the previous has evaporated).

Sauteing carrot, celery, onion, garlic and ginger.

Adding the broccoli and sauteing a further five minutes.

Add the water/stock and salt, then bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer on low for approximately 20 minutes or until the vegies are cooked.  Blend till smooth and serve.  Add a dollop of live yoghurt, if desirable.

Finished soup before blending.

Served with cracked pepper.

Spicy Cauliflower Soup

I found this soup recipe on the New York Times website and it looked more interesting than my more basic recipe. 

Just like cabbages, the cauliflower along with the broccoli are rich in antioxidants and apparently believed to reduce the risk of certain cancers, ie lung and colon cancer.

Here is what the book, The Complete Guide to Nutritional Health, says: "encourages antibody and haemoglobin production and protects against allergy, asthma, migraine and depression.  It improves the health of the skin and mucous membranes, helps maintain energy levels and regulate blood-fat concentration".

Off course once you cook the raw vegetable much of these benefits are either reduced or lost.  The soup below, I have reduced the recommended cooking time to 15 minutes, simply because I found that the cauliflower was sufficiently cooked for me to blend and still maintain some of the nutrients as opposed to cooking them into oblivion.

Spicy Cauliflower Soup (Serves 4)

1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1tsp finely chopped ginger
1tsp curry powder
1tsp ground cumin
500g cauliflower, chopped
600ml water or vegie stock
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

In a saucepan add the onion and a bit of water and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly.  Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and cumin and regularly stir for a further minute.

Add the cauliflower, water or stock, and salt to taste and bring to boil.  Cover the saucepan and simmer on low for 15 minutes. 

You can serve as is or blend the soup, grind some fresh pepper and serve.  Add a tablespoon of live yoghurt (optional).

Mummy's little helper.