Victor's cream of Mushroom soup

When the twins came home from school and told us they were going to do a project: "Create a healthy dish!"
I thought it was time to carry on the family tradition, how to "pimp" a recipe. All chefs do it, take inspiration from others cooks or books and turn it into their own.

So Victor found a Heston Blumenthal free recipe in Waitrose. And together we turned it from Heston's fat version, into a much lighter Victor's healthy version. So here it is!!

Victor's Cream of Mushroom soup

Set  oven to 150 degrees. Bake 20 grams of dried porcini mushrooms for 5 minutes.

Chop up fine : 2 onions, 800 grams of fresh mushrooms and 2 leeks.

Remember to wash the vegetables; you don't want soil in your food!
Melt 50 grams of butter in a large pot and start frying of first onions and leeks.
Peel and grate 1 large baking potatoe and throw that into the pot as well.
Now add 1,5 litre of vegetable stock.
Grind the baked dried mushrooms, we used a coffee grinder, and into the pot. Now cook this for 10 minutes or more.
Now fry all the fresh mushrooms on a frying pan. When they are going soft and start to take colour into the soup pot.
Add some salt and pepper - not too much! Remember you can always add, but you can't take it out of the soup again.
Add 250ml. soya cream, much lighter in calories and a source of protein. Let it cook for another 5 minutes.


Now blend the soup with a handheld blender. Be careful with this!!
And don't do it for too long, you want a few bits to chew on.
Taste again!  Add more salt or pepper if needed.

Serve the soup with some crusty brown bread. Bon Appetit!

Aubergine and Sundried tomato "Bolognese"

Have you heard about meat free Monday? A group of veggie celebrities is trying to promote eating more vegetables, look after your health and the environment at the same time.
Read more about this at  http://www.meatfreemondays.co.uk/
I found a recipe on this website which is one of Linda McCartney's - bless her soul! But sorry Linda, not even you will be spared from being pimped by me.

This is a very tasty and slightly spice pasta sauce, that will spice up a dark winter evening and make you go : "Uhmmmm!!!"

Aubergine and Sundried tomato "Bolognese"

Soak 50 gr sundried tomatoes in some boilling water. If your sundried tomatoes comes in oil use 100 gr, and skip the soaking offcourse.
Chop 3 shallot onions and 2 cloves of garlic - fry in some olive oil.
Chop up a medium aubergine in to small cubes and into the pot with the onions.
Let it soften for about 5 -8 minuts. Now add some dried and/or fresh herbs of your choice. I like oregano, basil and some fresh parsley. But a herb de provence mix is ok as well.
Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and a finely chopped small chili.
Be carefull with the chili in this recipie, you don't want to overpower the other flavours.
Now turn down the heat to low and let it simmer with lid on, for about 10 min.
Then add 1 carton of either soy or oat cream. You can use cream fraiche if you like, but I don't do dairy.
Add 1/2 tsp of smoked spanish paprika, 2 tbsp tomato puree and salt and pepper.
Cook for another 5 min. Take of the heat and put this into a food processor and pulse 4 to 5 times!
PULSE not Puree!! You want the sauce to keep lots of texture - No baby food!
At this state you might think :"It looks like dogs mess!" . But I promise you it taste wonderfull.
Serve this with some wholewheat pasta - Bon appetit!