My Cure Everything Winter Soup

This soup is a real heart-warmer, ideal for colder days or if you're under the weather. My poor mum has been suffering one of the flu bugs that's on the rounds at the moment so I rustled up a huge vat for her and she loved it. This recipe does have weapon strength amounts of garlic and ginger in which can be reduced if wished but I find it adds warmth and depth to the soup plus I'm pretty sure it'll kill anything going!

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 large carrots
1 parsnip
1 small swede
2 onions
2 inch fresh ginger
6 cloves of garlic
generous handful of garden peas
2 tsp stock powder (I use bouillon)
water to cover
4 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Find the biggest pan you have, you're going to need it. Chop all the root vegetables into bite sizes pieces, around 2 cm square and set to the side. Place the pan over a medium heat with the olive oil in. Dice the onion and place in the pan when the oil starts to sizzle. Peel the garlic and either use a garlic press or grate into the pan and saute with the onions. I roughly diced the ginger leaving the pieces around 2 mm, but it could also be grated, and add to the onions and garlic.

Saute until the onions are translucent. Add in the root vegetables and gently fry stirring continuously for a couple of minutes. Add the water and stock and leave to simmer for around 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Take a potato masher and gently mash the soup to break down some of the vegetables leaving some pieces intact. I find this thickens the soup while offering a really lovely texture. Add in the garden peas and simmer for a further 10 minutes until the peas are cooked through.

Served with a huge slice of crusty bread and far too much butter, this will make anyone feel better. If you give this a try please comment or take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Dairy-Free alternatives

I have been dairy-free for the most part since I was a young teenager due to my 'defectiveness' as my charming other half terms it. Over the years I have had some good, and some bloody awful, dairy free alternatives. A lot of people have contacted me recently asking what I would recommend so I thought I would put it all in one easy to use place. When I became dairy-free there wasn't the same availability of products and they were an awful lot more expensive so I have had the advantage of not eating dairy for a while before introducing the free-from products as I'm sure they taste very different.

Milk

As a milk substitute I tend to use Alpro soy milk although other types of Alpro are equally nice. For me it often depends on whats on offer. I have heard reports of some milks splitting when put into tea or coffee but have not found this an issue myself. My one main issue is that I find it really hard to use an entire carton in the 3 days suggested on the pack. I have used it a couple of days after with no ill effects.

Yoghurt

I really love Alpro's new GO ON pots, a yoghurt topping with fruit underneath. Tescos own brand free from fruit yogurts are also nice along with their chilled free from puddings.

Butter

As a baker, butter is a huge part of my kitchen essentials. I use PURE butters, usually the sunflower or soy depending on availability and have found my cakes are lighter and fluffier without compromising on taste.

Ice Cream 

I love ice cream. Give me a tub and a spoon and leave me to it. My favourites have to be Swedish Glace and Alpro. Booja Booja ice cream is heaven but for me its far more of a treat at the price while the new Ben and Jerry's I found over-rated though pleasant.

Chocolate

For me, Moo-Free chocolate and Tescos own free from are the best for a quick chocolate fix while Booja Booja are the queens of the more luxurious truffles. My Moo-Free  favourite has to be their caramelised hazel nut nibs one which tastes like crunchies. Yum!

Cheese

As a vegetarian, cheese was a huge part of my diet so when I had to give it up it was a real blow and the thing I struggled with the most. Violife cheeses in general are fantastic while some of the Tesco free from ones are also good though I would avoid the red Leicester one like the plague, it smells like feet and doesn't taste much better.

I hope this can help some people perhaps going through the same thing I did or just wanting to reduce their dairy consumption. Good luck! 

Mars Bar Crispie cakes

These will always be a firm favourite with adults and kids alike. Incredibly easy to make and quick to put together, these are a great recipe for whipping up. I created my own twist on the classic with a solid chocolate topping and extra mars bar goodness. Who doesn't love something that only has 4 ingredients.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
120g butter
8 Mars Bars
300g milk chocolate
300g rice crispies

Method:

Grease and line a medium sized baking tray with deep sides. Chop all the Mars Bars into bite sized pieces and sample just to ensure they aren't defective. Melt together 6 mars bars and the butter in a non-stick pan stirring constantly ensuring it doesn't stick or burn.

Once they are melted together and smooth, bit by bit add in the rice crispies stirring well to ensure they are well coated. Spoon the mix into the baking tray and press down firmly with a spoon. Pop in the fridge to cool.

While this sets, melt the chocolate over a low heat until smooth and glossy. Pour over the top of the rice crispie mixture and smooth out using a spatula ensuring to get into all the cracks. Scatter the chunks of Mars bar over the top and leave to cool until the chocolate is fully set. Cut into generous chunks and demolish.

I would love to see your creations, tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife