Cookbook Review: I Love Soup By Beverly Le Blanc

This is a book review of I Love Soup: More than 100 of the world's most delicious and nutritious recipes by Beverly Le Blanc that was published by Nourish Books on 13 September 2016 and released in Australia in February 2017.

Beverly Le Blanc is a food editor of the UK edition of Readers Digest and has written 12 other cookbooks including slow cooking and student meals.

The name says it all really - this is a cookbook for soup lovers with over 100 recipes for well known and delicious soups, from indulgent and creamy soups, to hearty and filling meal in one soups, to delicate summertime chilled soups it has it all in this a one stop guide for soup lovers.

I really like cookbooks that focus on one dish like this one and with over 100 soup recipes to pick from if you feel like soup then this book is bound to have a recipe for you.

This cookbook is perfect for beginners as the recipes are very easy to follow and there's some fancier recipes as well if you are hosting a dinner party or feel like something a bit more indulgent.

I would have liked to see more images of each recipe there was only images for half the recipes and it's really a necessity for cookbooks to have images of every dish to be inspired to cook them and to see how the finished dish should turn out. Reading this as an ebook was a bit difficult and a hardcopy version of this cookbook is a must to use in the kitchen.

I recommend this book to soup lovers it's a great one stop guide to making soup and a must have for the kitchen shelf at home.

I give this book 3 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read

I Love Soup can be purchased from Nourish Books

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Nourish Books to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image via Nourish Books]

Pin It Now!

My Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes

It's no secret that I absolutely love my slow cooker it is hands down my favourite and most used kitchen appliance.

So today I thought I'd share with you my top 5 tried and tested slow cooker recipes for easy, tasty, slow cooked dinners.

Be sure to check out my Instagram and Facebook pages as I share a lot of recipes on there as well and have included links to more of my slow cooker recipes at the bottom of this post .... happy slow cooking!

Slow Cooked Chicken + Vegetable Curry

I have a Sunbeam Sear and Slow Cooker which means I can brown in it and then slow cook in it as well which is great as it means just one pot to wash up after dinner, it retains all those lovely flavours in the one pot and it makes it quicker and easier to prepare.

For these recipes if you have a normal slow cooker you can just brown in a pan and then add it to your slow cooker.

My Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes

1.  An Old Favourite .... Slow Cooked Apricot Chicken

Apricot Chicken is a favourite dish from my childhood that I have adjusted with some added spices. Remember to always heat up spices before using them as this releases the flavour and brings them to life. 

RECIPE: Brown chicken thighs and chopped onion, celery and carrot. Add the spices - coriander, cumin and garam masala and heat until fragrant. Stir in a packet of french onion soup mix and a tin of apricots in juice and season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove lid and cook on low until sauce thickens. I throw in some extra vegetables at the end like green beans and peas as these don't take long to cook. So tasty served over rice or couscous. 

Apricot Chicken

2.  When You're Feeling Fancy .... Slow Cooked Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore was the first dish I ever cooked for friends I think I was about 20 years old and they were over to watch a Big Brother finale on TV as I recall! I thought it was a very grown up dish as I got to cook with wine!!

RECIPE: Heat oil and brown chicken (thighs or drumsticks) and remove. Cook a chopped onion, celery, carrots and crushed garlic. Add the chicken back in with a jar of tomato passata, 1 cup of red wine, 1/2 a cup of chicken stock, mixed herbs, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Stir well, put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours. Add mushrooms and olives in last 30 minutes of cooking. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes and pour the remaining red wine into a glass and enjoy!

Chicken Cacciatore

3.  Easy As Slow Cooker Pulled Beef or Pork

I never knew how easy it was to do pulled beef or pork in the slow cooker and now that I do there's no stopping me! I make this dish quite often and serve with either hard tacos with salad, cheese, sour cream and salsa or with soft tortillas and a coleslaw.

RECIPE: Coat the beef or pork roast in a dry rub made from chilli powder, mixed herbs, salt and pepper (do this the night before if you can for extra flavour). Heat oil and brown the meat all over and then put in the slow cooker, lid on and cook on low for 6 hours. Just before serving remove the meat and shred with forks and then return shredded meat to slow cooker so it can soak up any juice in the pot and be delicious and tender. You can find my detailed recipe for Pulled Pork here.

Pulled beef tacos

Pulled pork tortillas

4.  Not Just A Sunday Roast ... Slow Cooker Turkey or Beef

Roasts are no longer just a Sunday treat we are now enjoying a roast and vegetables midweek because it's so easy to prepare. I am a fan of the chicken and turkey rolled roasts (like this turkey roast) as they're stuffed it keeps the meat tender. You must brown the meat well before slow cooking so it holds its shape - if you don't brown the meat it will fall apart and be more like shredded meat.

RECIPE: These roasts turkey (first photo) and beef (second photo) I cooked with the same method. Heated oil and browned it well all over and sat it on top of roughly chopped carrots, potatoes and onions. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours. I use some of the lovely cooking juices to make gravy and keep the rest of the juices to use as stock (it's a delicious stock to add to soup).

Rolled turkey roast with vegetables

Beef roast with vegetables

5.  Best Ever Pasta Sauce ... In the Slow Cooker

I can whip up a pretty quick pasta sauce on the stovetop but a pasta sauce slow cooked all day tastes amazing as it makes all the difference letting the tomatoes cook out for hours. 

RECIPE: Heat oil and cook crushed garlic, chopped chilli, finely chopped onion, carrot and celery. Add chopped chirozo or bacon for extra flavour and some Italian style sausages (skins removed and cut into bite size pieces) and brown. Add a cup of red wine, tin of tomatoes, jar of tomato pissata, mixed herbs and fennel seeds. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours. Add a handful of olives in the last 30 minutes. Cook pasta, drain and mix into your delicious tomato sauce and serve topped with cheese.

Sausage, Tomato + Olive Pasta

I have not given exact measurements for these recipes feel free to add a bit of this and a bit of that you can't really go wrong with one pot dinners like these. If you have any questions or want to know quantities please leave me a comment :)

What is your favourite slow cooker recipe?

Check out my other slow cooker recipes:

Best Ever Bolognese Sauce in Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Sausage Stroganoff
Slow Cooked Old Fashioned Curried Sausages
Slow Cooked Chinese Chicken Hot Pot
Slow Cooked Beef in Orange and Soy Sauce
Sear and Slow Cooker Recipes


Sharing with link parties:
Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner
The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[All images my own]


Pin It Now!

Cookbook Review: The Pho Cookbook By Andrea Nguyen

This is a book review of The Pho Cookbook: Easy To Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam's Favourite Soup and Noodles by Andrea Nguyen that was published by Ten Speed Press on 7 February 2017.

Born in Vietnam, Andrea Nguyen is a cookbook author, food writer and cooking teacher now based in San Francisco. Andrea has a brilliant website Viet World Kitchen with lots of great recipes.

This is a cookbook with both easy and adventurous recipes for Vietnam's favourite soup and noodles - pho.

There are lots of different ways to make pho and this shows you 50 different recipes from quick weeknight cheats to five hour weekend feasts.

It also includes recipes for snacks, salads and accompaniments to go with the pho including Vietnamese coffee (which I have become addicted to thanks to my brother's Vietnamese girlfriend!).

There are lots of helpful hints and tips about preparing pho and Vietnamese cuisine in general which I found really useful.

The photographs of the finished dishes are beautiful as are the photos taken on location in Vietnam which add interest to the book. Reading this as an ebook was a bit difficult and a hardcopy version of this cookbook is a must to use in the kitchen.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Vietnamese food and wants to make this cuisine, especially pho, at home.

I give this book 4 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read

The Pho Cookbook can be purchased from the author here or Ten Speed Press - Penguin Random House

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Ten Speed Press to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image via Penguin Random House]

Pin It Now!

Cook Book Review: The Perfect Blend By Tess Masters

This is a book review of The Perfect Blend: 100 Blender Recipes To Energize and Revitalize by Tess Masters that was published by Ten Speed Press on 27 December 2016.

Australian born Tess Masters otherwise known as the blogger behind The Blender Girl is a writer, actor, voiceover artist and self-professed blendaholic. This is Tess' third blender cook book and she has been featured on many publications and websites both internationally and locally. Tess lives in LA with her partner.

I love my blender - I've been using it every day since I bought it to make breakfast smoothies and juices. I haven't attempted anything other than liquid drinks so I was really excited to get hold of this recipe book and make something different in my blender.

This is a really great recipe book with 100 recipes you can make in a blender - from smoothies to snacks, salads, sides and soups there are lots of different recipes. I will definitely be trying the soup recipes once the colder weather is here and there are recipes for nachos, curries, burgers and pasta sauces which all look amazing.

The recipes are geared towards the health conscious and instead of sections for snacks and soups as most recipe books do this has sections for energy, detox, weight loss and so on and so you turn to that section of the book to see what recipes there are.

The recipes are based around American food sources and so it may be a challenge to find some of the ingredients here in Australia as there were some I didn't recognise.

I wish there were images for each recipe as that is what tempts me to get busy in the kitchen seeing what the finished dish should look like. Reading this as an e-book was also difficult and a hard copy version of this book is a must.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a blender it will give you some great ideas for different dishes you can make with it.

I give this book 4 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

The Perfect Blend can be purchased from the author here or Ten Speed Press - Penguin Random House

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Ten Speed Press to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image via Penguin Random House]

Pin It Now!

Book Review: Cooking For Picasso By Camille Aubray

This is a book review of Cooking For Picasso by Camille Aubray that was published by Harper Collins Australia on 1 September 2016.

Camille Aubray is an Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship winner and a writer in residence at Karolyi Foundation in the South of France and studied writing at the Humber College School of Creative Writing Workshop in Toronto. Camille divides her time between Connecticut and the South of France. This is her first novel.

This is a story told in parallel chapters in different time zones across a family generation - from the grandmother as a young woman and then the granddaughter learning about her family's history.

Set in 1936 a 17 year old Ondine who helps in the kitchen in her family cafe in France is to bring meals to the famous artist Picasso every day. I both loved and loathed Picasso but found his art very interesting and even learning of his womanizing ways was quite intriguing. Ondine was such a strong woman for her time and lived an interesting life and I loved her part of the story.

Set in the 21th century young Celine who is Ondine's granddaughter and lives in New York tells the other part of the story. When Celine's mother becomes ill she travels back to France to learn the history of their family particularly about her grandmother. Add to this an entertaining cooking school with a famous chef and Celine on a soul searching mission and you have yourself a very interesting modern day story.

The chapters flowed seamlessly together and were told by such strong and likable female characters, the writing was just brilliant and it kept me engaged and interested until the very end. I admit I was drawn to this book initially because of the element of food and it really delivered on that -  from traditional French cooking to a modern day cooking school - this really added a point of difference to the story and will appeal to food lovers.

Being that the story is set in France this is a perfect holiday read and on my recent Indonesian holiday it was my faithful poolside companion!

I recommend this book to anyone who likes art, food and the romance of France - you will love this book.

I give this book 5 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

Cooking For Picasso can be purchased from the author here or Harper Collins Australia

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Harper Collins Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[1st image via Harper Collins Australia and 2nd image my own]

Pin It Now!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Asian Beef, Veggies + Rice

I love cooking with Asian flavors but usually I make a quick stir fry so I thought I'd make a stir fry style dinner in my slow cooker, that way I can set it in the morning and forget about it until dinner time.

This Asian Beef turned out so good, really tasty sauce, melt in the mouth tender meat, and with veggies added in the last few minutes and tasty garnishes, served on rice it is a simple and healthy mid week meal.

Slow Cooker Asian Beef, Veggies + Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large brown onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

500g chuck steak, thickly sliced

1/2 cup soy sauce (I use the salt reduced one)

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tbs ginger, finely grated

1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

1/2 tsp white pepper

To serve

1 cup frozen peas

Bok choy, stalks sliced (you can use any Asian green vegetable)

3 spring onions, sliced

1/2 cup cashews, lightly toasted

Fresh coriander leaves

Sesame seeds

Cooked rice

Method

Note: I have a sear a slow cooker which I fry/brown in first - you can use a frypan first and then transfer everything to the slow cooker (always brown the meat first to seal in the flavour and so it holds its shape and doesn't fall apart while slow cooking).

1.  Heat oil and brown meat on both sides, remove and set aside.

2.  Heat oil and fry onion and garlic for a few minutes.

3.  Add beef back into slow cooker.

4.  Add soy sauce, beef stock, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, Chinese five spice and white pepper. Give it a good stir.

5. Put lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

6. When you're ready to eat add the bok choy and peas to slow cooker and cook on low for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. Once the veggies are cooked through it's ready to serve.

To serve add cooked rice to bowl, top with Asian beef and veggies being sure to ladle lots of the lovely sauce over the rice, garnish with spring onions, cashews, coriander and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. 

Enjoy!

Sharing with link parties:

Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[All images my own]

Pin It Now!

Recipe: Making Risotto In A Rice Cooker

Today I'm sharing two of my favourite risotto recipes that I make in my rice cooker.

Risotto in a rice cooker isn't as creamy as the traditional stove top risotto method but it still tastes delicious, it's quick to make taking less than 30 minutes and you can pretty much set and forget it without any wrist aches from stirring for hours! 

RECIPE

Bacon, Mushroom + Zucchini Risotto in the Rice Cooker

Measure out aborio rice, rinse and set aside. Measure out water, remove 1/2 a cup of water and substitute with 1/2 a cup of white wine, add chicken or vegetable stock powder and set aside.

Turn on rice cooker and heat a little oil and butter in rice cooker dish. Fry a finely chopped onion and a clove of crushed garlic, add a handful of sliced mushrooms, a few rashers of chopped bacon and half a diced zucchini. Fry for a few minutes. Add to the mix the rice and stir well.

Reset rice cooker to cook rice, add 1/2 a cup of liquid and close lid. Every 5 or so minutes open lid and if the liquid has absorbed add another 1/2 cup of water. Continue until all liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked.

It's important to wait for the liquid to absorb before adding more just like the traditional risotto method or it will go gluggy. 

As you are opening the lid you may need to cook the rice for a bit longer. When the rice cooker is finished and the rice is cooked add 1/2 a cup of frozen peas, cracked pepper and the juice of half a lemon and give it a final stir. Close the lid for 5 minutes so the heat cooks the peas.

You're now ready to serve the risotto into bowls, top with grated parmesan and squeeze remaining lemon over the top - the lemon really enhances the flavour of this dish.

RECIPE

Chicken, Lemon and Herb Risotto in the Rice Cooker

As above, measure rice and liquid.

Turn on rice cooker and heat oil and butter and fry chopped onion and crushed garlic for  a few minutes. Add rice and stir until grains are coated. Add liquid gradually as stated above. Half way through (after 10 minutes) add chopped cooked chicken, fresh herbs (such as oregano, parsley and mint), grated lemon rind and cracked pepper. (Add some greens like spinach or peas at this stage too if you like).

When rice cooker finishes and rice is cooked spoon risotto into bowls and squeeze over some fresh lemon, garnish with extra lemon rind, fresh herbs and grated parmesan. 

I have also made this with peeled raw prawns instead of chicken which takes just a few minutes to cook, garnish with spring onions and fresh chilli.

Do you use a rice cooker? 

What's your favourite rice dish?

Sharing with link parties:
Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner
The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[All images my own]

Pin It Now!

Recipe: Fish Poached In Coconut Sauce

I have made this fish dish poached in coconut milk and spices a few times now and it is the perfect way to cook fish. Poaching is a quicker method than a traditional curry but you still get a delicious flavour without the fish drying out.

This is a perfect mid week dinner it's quick to make, with just a few ingredients and is super tasty - the coconut sauce will have everyone begging for seconds guaranteed!

Fish Poached In Coconut Sauce

Serves: 4
Original recipe source: Taste (this is my tried and tested and amended version of the recipe) 

Ingredients
1 tin coconut cream
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp sambal oelek (chilli paste)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 brown onion, finely chopped
4 x fillets of firm fish, cut into small chunks

To serve
Spring onions
Fresh coriander
Steamed Rice
Vegetables (I add mixed vegetables green beans, peas, cauliflower and broccoli)

Method

1. In a large pan heat oil and fry garlic and onion for a few minutes. Next add sambal oelek and cook for a few minutes.

2. Add to pan a tin of coconut cream, finely grated lemon zest and juice, fish sauce and brown sugar and turn up heat to bring to the boil, stirring often.  

3. Reduce heat to low and put the lid on and cook for about 20 minutes so flavours come together. 

4. Add fish and simmer gently, put the lid on and cook for about 10 minutes until fish is cooked through.

5. Meanwhile, cook steamed rice and vegetables (I add my vegetables to my rice cooker half way through and they cook perfectly).

When ready to serve spoon the rice into a bowl, top with vegetables, the fish and sauce and don't be shy about ladling on some extra spoonfuls of the delicious sauce, top with spring onions and fresh coriander.  Enjoy!

What's your favourite way to cook fish?


Sharing with link parties:
Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner
The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image my own]

Pin It Now!

Cookbook Review + Preview: Food52: A New Way To Dinner By Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs

This is a book review and sneak preview of Food52: A New Way To Dinner - A Playbook of Recipes and Strategies for the Week Ahead by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs that is due to be published by Ten Speed Press on 18 October 2016.

Amanda Hesser has been a food columnist and editor at the New York Times for more than a decade and has written a number of cookbooks. Merrill Stubbs is a freelance food writer and editor and runs her own catering business.  Amanda and Merrill are the co-founders of food52.com and they both live in Brooklyn with their husbands and children.

This cookbook shows you how to plan meals, food shop and cook base dishes on one day and then turn those dishes into meals for the week ahead.

This is an ideal cookbook for anyone that likes to meal plan and prepare meals ahead and be an organised home cook.

There are menus for the 4 Seasons of the year which is a good way to save money buying produce in season is less expensive and it's always fresher and better quality when in season.

There are 2 menus for each Season as well, one by Amanda and one by Merrill.

I menu plan for the week ahead but would really like to start getting more organised with my planning so that I prepare some of the dishes ahead of time to make it easier for mid week meals. This cookbook is just what I need to do this.

Whilst this is an American cookbook the ingredients look like they can be found here in Australia pretty easily.

I found the recipes very easy to follow with simple set out with instructions.

As well as recipes there are lots of tips for storing, freezing and reheating meals as well which will be necessary to do if you are cooking mostly on one day for the week ahead.

I watch a cooking show on Foxtel - Rachel Ray's Week In A Day where she shows you how to cook all your meals ahead for the week in just one day - 1 day of cooking for 5 days a eating. I'm so happy to now have a similar cookbook which has the same concept as I can refer back to the cookbook and hope it will inspire me to give this method a try.

My only gripe is that I would have loved to have this cookbook in hardcopy format as it would be much easier to follow, read and cook from than this e-book version.

I recommend this cookbook to busy people who want to meal prep and cook the bulk of their meals in one day and enjoy stress free meals during the week.

I give this book 4 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

Food52: A New Way To Dinner can be purchased from the authors here or Ten Speed Press - Penguin Random House

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Ten Speed Press to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[All images via Food52]

Pin It Now!

Recipe: Chicken + Vegetable Laksa

I made this Chicken and Vegetable Laksa for dinner the other night and it was a winner - it was quick and easy and delicious so it's been added to my menu plan rotation as a tasty mid week dinner. 

With the added vegetables it's a hearty and filling meal in one and you can always add more spice and chilli if you want to warm up your belly on a cold night in!

Chicken + Vegetable Laksa

Serves 4

Ingredients

Peanut oil

Half a bbq chicken, shredded

2-3 tbs of laksa paste (or more if you like it hot!)

Red onion, sliced

2 cups of chicken stock

1 can of coconut milk

1 tbs palm sugar, grated

1 tbs fish sauce

2 tbs lime juice

200g dried vermicelli rice noodles 

Cup of mixed vegetables (I used green beans and chopped cauliflower, broccoli and carrot)

2 cups of bean sprouts

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

3 spring onions, finely sliced

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add laksa paste and cook stirring for a few minutes until fragrant. Add onion and cook for a few minutes. Stir in stock and bring to the boil.

2. Cook noodles in boiling water, drain, rinse and keep warm.

3. Add to the stock mixture the coconut milk, chicken and vegetables. Stir in sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until mixture is heated through (do not let boil) and the vegetables are cooked.

4. When ready to serve divide the cooked noodles amongst soup bowls, ladle the soup over the noodles, top with a generous amount of bean sprouts, spring onions and fresh coriander.

I can't get enough of soup during winter and it's nice to find a spicy variation to traditional soup recipes.

What's your favourite belly warming soup?

Sharing with link parties:
Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner
The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday
Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Images my own]

Pin It Now!

Cook Book Review + Preview: Clean Soups By Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson

This is a book review and sneak preview of Clean Soups: Simple Nourishing Recipes For Health And Vitality by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson that  is due to be published by Ten Speed Press on 6 September 2016.

Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson have paired together and written many healthy cook books and Clean Soups is their latest. Rebecca is the senior chef in residence and nutritional educator at one of America's leading cancer wellness centers. Mat Edelson is an award winning medical, science and sports journalist.

The author Rebecca use to cook for seriously ill people and came to realise how energising a delicious and healthy bowl of soup can be. The healing qualities of a bowl of soup have been known for many years and I know myself when I'm feeling under the weather I'll make a big pot of soup with lots of fresh and healthy ingredients in the hope to feel better.

In this beautiful cook book are 60 recipes for soups to cleanse, renew and restore the body. The recipes are easy to follow and understand with a mix of simple and more complex recipes as well as a full blown two day soup cleanse (the weekend jump-start cleanse). There's a soup tool kit on the basics of soup making at the beginning which is useful and then the book is split into sections for broths, blended soups, traditional healing soups and finally soup toppers.

There are some interesting soup combinations and delicious sounding soups that I can't wait to make: Thai coconut broth, Avocado Citrus Soup, Ruby Red Beet Soup, Hot and Sour Shiitake Mushroom Soup, Summer zucchini soup with basil; and my all time favourite Mulligatawny.

What I really liked about this cook book is that there are images of each recipe (always a necessity for cook books in my opinion!) and lots of beautiful images throughout which make you want to get in the kitchen and get your soup on!

I recommend this book to soup lovers and anyone looking for healthy and healing soup recipes.

I give this book 5 stars out of  5

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read

Clean Soups can be purchased from the author here or Ten Speed Press - Penguin Random House

Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and Netgalley

Disclosure:  NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Ten Speed Press to review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For exclusive extras and daily updates ... follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

[Image via Penguin Random House]

Pin It Now!