Homemade Vegetable Stock and an iPhone Food-photography Challenge

09/03/201427/04/2014 Moya8 Comments

Stocks are the foundation of many sauces, soups and other dishes and there are times when I prefer to use a homemade stock instead of stock cubes. Making vegetable stock is so easy and with only a bit of washing, peeling (or not) and chopping to do, a pot of vegetable stock will be simmering on your stove top in a matter of minutes. Of course, I wouldn’t be without my handy stash of stock cubes either, which sit next to the stove in a little box.

With homemade stock, you control the flavor, seasoning and intensity and it’s a good idea to double the recipe and store some stock in the freeze for another time. I mostly freeze chicken and turkey stock as they take longer to make. Continue reading “Homemade Vegetable Stock and an iPhone Food-photography Challenge” →

food + drink · posts · soup

Vegetable Soup and a Review of 2013

05/01/201410/10/2016 Moya9 Comments

The festivities have come to an end, many rich foods were enjoyed and now the fridge and freezer are almost empty… simple food is craved once again. With the last remaining vegetables I decided to make a pot of soup. Nothing fancy, no special ingredients just a tasty wholesome bowl of soup, served with thick slices of home-made brown bread on the side. You might say I am kicking off the new year with a healthy start but it more comes down to what’s left on the vegetable rack. The soups flavor is determined by the combination of vegetables used and sometimes I like to throw in a granny smith apple for its sweet-tart flavor. I would have used fresh turkey stock but as my good friend Sarah had taken charge of Christmas Day and did an amazing job (I did boxing day), I had no turkey to cook. Continue reading “Vegetable Soup and a Review of 2013” →

appetizers · Food · food + drink · soup · store cupboard

Butternut Squash Soup with Miso and Togarashi Seasoning

20/10/201305/02/2017 Moya8 Comments

Cooking with butternut squash brings a little bit of Autumn into my kitchen with its vibrant colour of orange. In Bahrain we do not witness the changing colours of Autumn like other parts of the world, which are quite stunning… but we do have some amazing sunsets. Butternut squash is technically a fruit and I love that it is so versatile to cook with. It’s sweetness pairs well with many flavours and I mostly use butternut squash in savoury dishes and on the odd occasion make pumpkin ice cream.

The recipe for this butternut squash soup is simple and I wanted to spice it up with some Togarashi, a Japanese chilli seasoning. Seasonings are a quick way of adding bursts of flavour to food when used as a table condiment. Deciding to make my own togarashi was inspired by an empty jar of the seasoning that I had and taking note of the ingredients printed on the label. Continue reading “Butternut Squash Soup with Miso and Togarashi Seasoning” →