I spent at least $75 on eating out this week, including two days when I purchased breakfast, lunch AND dinner.
It wasn’t my worst week, but it wasn’t my best week either.
Working full time means having money, more money than I did for the five years I spent at university. Having money means I tap my grey and yellow debit card without a great deal of concern – I always know there’s money in there. But I’ve realised I’m becoming careless. Careless is dangerous. Careless is being lazy and buying breakfast and lunch at work. Careless is spending $75 on food.
So today I was inspired. Cue an afternoon of cheesy movies and cooking up a storm of soup.
Mainly for my record keeping, recipes below.
Creamy Pumpkin soup with a dash of cream
(Adjusted in classic-Mel style from Taste.com.au‘s Creamy pumpkin soup)
Dash of olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
600g peeled, chopped butternut pumpkin
1/2 sweet potato, chopped
2 carrots, roasted then chopped
1/2 leek, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
dash of thickened cream
1. Saute onion and garlic. Add vegetables and nutmeg, then toss to coat. Meanwhile roughly chop some carrots, drizzle with oil and season. Roast until mostly done or you’re impatient.
2. Add stock and 2 cups (500ml) water, then bring to the boil. Add roasted carrots sometime. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Cool slightly.
3. Blend the bajeebers out of it until smooth. Stir in the dash of cream, then season.
Tomato and roasted capsicum soup
(Mainly made up with the assistance of I’m a star tomato soup and Roasted capsicum soup.
Dash of olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic gloves, diced
1 potato, peeled and chopped
2 cans of tomatoes
~500mL of chicken stock
random assortment of Italian sounding herbs
1/2 red capsicum, big slices
1/2 cup of macaroni or another random small pasta
Dash of balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sugar
1. Saute garlic and onion. Add tomatoes, stock, potato and herbs. Simmer.
2. Drizzle capsicum with oil. Roast until skin is black-ish and peels off.
3. Remove skin (most of it anyway) and add to pot. Simmer until potato is soft.
4. Cook up some pasta. Drain.
5. Blend that baby. Add pasta. Season with sugar, salt and pepper.
Cauliflower soup without crispy panchetta
(My Kitchen Rules recipe without panchetta because it had funky green growth).
1L (4 cups) chicken stock
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, peeled, diced
1 small leek, sliced
1 garlic glove, peeled, diced
Dash of thickened cream
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1. Place stock and cauliflower in large saucepan. Boil. Reduce heat and simmer until soft.
2. Heat butter and oil in frypan. Saute leek, onion and garlic. Add to cauliflower saucepan.
3. Add dash or two of thickened cream. Blend like crazy.
4. Add mustard. Season.
