Suma Bloggers Network - Chickpea, Kale and Leek Curry

Carrying on from my earlier post in relation to the International Year of Pulses, I wanted to share another recipe using pulses. I was hoping to share a baking recipe but its not quite perfected yet! Hopefully over the next few days I'll be able to tweak it so I'm happy with the finished result and then share with you as a bonus recipe.

I absolutely love houmous, but I don't use chick peas very often in cooking, this is about to change. With the weather taking a turn for the worse, and getting colder, I wanted something warming and filling. I've been fighting off a lurgie of some sort for nearly 2 months now, and when everyone around me is dropping like flies I've kept going, just. 

I know my last Suma recipe was a type of curry, but when the weather is miserable and I'm feeling low curry is what lifts my mood and warms me from the inside out. I've never made a chick pea curry before, but I'm sold, and I'm sure more chick pea curry recipes will be created. For this recipe I teamed the chick peas up with a couple of ingredients from my allotment, leeks and kale and it was a perfect combination.

Ingredients - Serves 2 hungry people but will stretch to 4 servings

1 Small onion 
1 Red Chilli
1 Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled
3 Garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tsp (heaped) Garam masala
1 tsp (level) Ground coriander
½ Tsp Ground cumin
½ Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp and 1 Tbsp Oil of choice
½ Tsp Black mustard seeds
250g Leeks, sliced
1 Tin Chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
100g Kale, shredded
1 Tin Coconut milk
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1) Roughly chop the onion, chilli, ginger and garlic and add to a blender.

2) Add the Garam masala, cumin, coriander and turmeric and the 1 Tsp of oil and mix till it forms a coarse paste.

3) Add the other 1 Tbsp oil to a wok and the black mustard seeds. Heat slowly until the mustard seeds start to pop, about 2-3 minutes.

4) Add the curry paste and stir through the mustard seeds, cook over a low heat for a minute.

5) Add the leeks and stir, cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, adding a little water if the leeks or curry paste start to stick.

6) Add the chickpeas and soy sauce and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the coconut milk. If the coconut milk has separated into the liquid and 'cream', stir to make sure all the coconut 'cream' has melted.

7) Add the kale and cook over a low heat for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8) Add the salt and pepper to taste

9) Serve over wholegrain rice

TV Tuesday - Bridget Jones Diary Movie

Once again today's daily theme is TV Tuesday, where you cook a meal from a movie or TV show.

Today I have chosen the one and only Bridget Jones Diary. Everyone must have seen this movie, but if you haven't its a film about Bridget, an average woman struggling with her age, job, having no boyfriend and her weight. (Remember the big pants scene?) One New Year she makes a resolution to take control of her life and records each day in her diary where she has to tell the truth. The film has some quirky, eccentric, charming and disreputable characters throughout and poor Bridget is stuck in the middle. She is a 32 year old woman who just can't seem to find the right man, is gaining weight and keeps making an idiot of herself at public events! The movie is a lot of fun and every girl can find a similarity with Bridget and if not they're lying! 

My favourite scene is where Bridget takes her date home the charming Daniel and he discovers her enormous pants! Very funny!

My favourite quote is related to the recipe I'm going to recreate (but hopefully mine won't be blue)! 

Bridget: How's it look?

Mark: Uh, great. It's, um, blue.

Bridget: Blue?

Mark: No, but, blue is good. if you ask me there isn't enough blue food.

Bridget: Oh, shit! It must be the string.

Mark: Oh, it's string soup?

Bridget: What are we going to do about this dinner, then?

Mark: We have blue soup to start, orange pudding to end, and, well, for a main course you have uh, congealed green gunge!

The blue soup was actually leek and potato soup, but I'm replacing the potato with yep you've guessed it beans! Two types of beans, butter and runner beans. Green is a better colour for food then blue wouldn't you agree?

This recipe is super easy!

Ingredients
400g Leeks
Splash of Olive Oil
500g Runner beans, top, tailed and cut nto pieces, about 400g once prepared
1 Tin butterbeans - drained and washed thoroughly
1½ Litres Vegetable stock. I used Marigold Bouillion powderSalt & Pepper

Method
Slice the leeks and saute in the olive oil until the leeks are soft, about 5 minutes. 

Next add in the runner beans and saute for a further 5 minutes. 

Pour in the stock and add the butter beans and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and pepper to taste and cook for around 15 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and let cool for a while, before transferring to a food processor to blend. 

Transfer the blended soup to a clean pan and gently reheat before serving. I enjoyed mine with a lump of crusty bread, delicious.

New book
I have heard on the grape vine that a third Bridgett Jones book will be released 10/10/2013 and it is set in present day London and represents a totally new phase in Bridget's life and its called mad about a boy. 

Bridget is older, she is still keeping a diary, but she is also immersed in texting and experimenting with social media, with an emphasis on 'social'! I for one can't wait to see what mishaps she gets up to. Think about it Bridget drinking and texting = madness!

Leek, Kale & Butterbean Soup

Three weeks ago I blogged about the top 5 nutritionally-dense vegetables, which are broccoli, cabbage, spinach, leeks and kale. I've shared a few of my recipes on this blog which showcase these veg, the last being earlier this week; Kale Chips!

I've been feeling very drained lately, I'm always tired and I have no reason why this is. I know I have had a lot on my plate with the majority of my family being poorly, and being extremely busy at work, but I have been looking after myself! OK maybe I've eaten too many vegan crisps! So today I'm turning a new leaf and trying to eat fresh and not processed foods. 

Today it felt like Spring had finally arrived and I even put a pair of sandals on for work, bearing my toes, which have been kept hidden away for what feels like ages! Even though the weather was warmer I fancied soup and I felt like it needed to include some of the op 5 nutritionally-dense vegetables to help with my tiredness.

I made up a batch of leek, kale and butterbean soup which is a take on leek and potato soup without the potatoes!

Ingredients
2 Leeks
2 Garlic cloves
1 Tin butterbeans - drained
Handful of kale, shredded
600ml Vegetable stock
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Parsley
1 Bay leaf
Splash of olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Method
Finely shred the leeks and saute in the olive oil with the bay leaf and thyme until the leeks are very soft, about 10 minutes. Next add in the finely chopped garlic and saute for a further minute being careful not to let the garlic burn. Pour in the stock and add the butterbeans, oregano and parsley and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and pepper to taste and add the shredded kale and cook for around 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a while, before transferring to a food processor to blend. Transfer the blended soup to a clean pan and gently reheat before serving. I enjoyed mine with a lump of crusty bread, delicious.