Cook Green Split Pea Soup with Ham

There are many ways of preparing this soup and you can use split green peas or yellow ones, depending which you prefer, or which you have in your store cupboard. Personally I prefer the green ones and use the yellow ones to make fava, which is a dip rather like hummus.

You can leave the soup chunky or puree it until it is thick and smooth; it is entirely up to you. I like to add cumin seeds and coriander seeds which have been dry-fried to bring out their flavor and a dried red chili, but you don't have to use these things.

If you do want a spicier soup than usual, use a teaspoon of coriander seeds and 2 of cumin seeds, dry-fry them for a minute or two until they release their aroma and add them to the soup when you add the water. The dried crumbled red chili pepper can also be added at this time. This recipe is for the traditional green split pea soup with ham. I hope you like it!

Ingredients

750 gr of ham hock or knuckle, washed and rinsed
500 gr green split peas, cleaned to remove any dirt or grit
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and halved
4 medium carrots, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, halved
2 large sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
8 sprigs of parsley either curly or flat-leaved
2 bay leaves, torn but still intact
10 black peppercorns
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4-6 allspice berries (optional)
sprigs of parsley to decorate each bowl if desired

Method

Put the ham hock or knuckle and peas in a large pan and cover with 2½ liters of water A and bring to the boil. Remove any scum which comes to the surface.

You can either fry the onion, garlic, and carrots gently in olive oil, or simply add them to the pan after the scum has been removed along with the herbs and spices.

Partially cover the pan and cook, simmering, for an hour and a half.

Check that the peas are cooked and if necessary cook for half and hour more with the lid on firmly.

When the soup ingredients are cooked, remove the ham hock and allow it to cool before removing the skin and then flake the meat from the bone with a fork. Return this to the pan and mix well, then blend the soup in batches until it is smooth.

Reheat the soup and serve in warm bowls and decorate with parsley sprigs if using. Bon appetit!

Delicious Cheese Soup Recipes

Soup is one of my favorite foods. I love soups that have cooked slowly for hours but I also enjoy soups that I can throw together in a hurry and have a delicious bowl of hot soup in minutes. Here are some very tasty, easy soup recipes.

BEEFY BROCCOLI & CHEESE SOUP


2 cups chicken broth
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 to 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup milk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4-oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp oregano
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce to taste, optional

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; add broccoli and onions. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.

While the above cooks, brown the ground beef in a small skillet and drain well. Rinse with hot water to rid of excess fat and drain in a colander.

Gradually stir the flour into the milk in a small bowl until well blended. Slowly stir into the broccoli mixture, add the drained beef and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add the shredded cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, and hot sauce if using.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

HOMEMADE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP


6 tbsp butter
1 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp cornstarch
4 cups beef bouillon
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups cream

Melt butter in a large saucepan; add the onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, stirring to keep from burning. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend the cornstarch into the mixture until well coated. Slowly stir in the bouillon while stirring constantly. Add the cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper and nutmeg.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

BEEFY BARLEY SOUP


1 lb boneless beef sirloin, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp dried basil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup quick-cooking barley
1 can (14 1/2-oz) diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic (Italian-style)
1 cup peeled baby carrots sliced diagonally
1 cup low-sodium beef broth (or vegetable broth, if you prefer)
3 cups water
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley for garnish, if desired

In a pie plate combine the basil, flour, salt, and pepper; dredge meat to coat.

Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven; add the steak and cook until browned all over. Stir in any remaining flour mixture and continue stirring to avoid scorching. Stir in the tomatoes, including the juice, barley, carrots, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the carrots and meat are tender.

Yield: 4 servings

Note: Top each serving with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley leaves for garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!

Spanish Soup Recipe : Gazpacho Soup

Gazpacho originated in southern Spain. It is a cold soup and requires no cooking. Moreover, it is cholesterol free, low in calories and high in vitamin C.

The main ingredient of Gazpacho is tomato, which grows in abundance in southern Spain. But as you might imagine, being Spanish in origin, it also contains onions, garlic and olive oil. Again, these are readily available and, of course, inexpensive.

Tomatoes provide the sweetness, as well has being high in vitamin C, and paprika gives the soup a bit of spice.

The ingredients are:

25 g fresh breadcrumbs

2-3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon paprika

225 g tomatoes

3 spring onions

small clove of garlic

1/4 of a large cucumber

1/2 red pepper

1/2 yellow pepper

Juice of a lime

450ml tomato juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method: Boil 150 ml water and add to it the breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a bowl. Remove the skins from the tomatoes by dipping them in hot water. Cut the tomatoes in half so that you can remove and discard the seeds. Then chop the flesh. Trim and dice the spring onions, and peel the garlic and cucumber. The peppers should also be diced. Keep back some of the diced vegetables to place in the middle of the soup when it is ready to be served.

Blend together until fairly smooth the mixture of breadcrumbs, cucumber, peppers, onions and garlic. Stir in the lime juice. Then add this mixture to the tomato juice and chopped tomatoes, season and chill for at least an hour.

There are different ways of making Gazpacho and this is likely to vary from region to region. I suspect this recipe is quite a modern variation on traditional ones as I have had Gazpacho in Marbella on the south coast of Spain and I am certain there was no bread in it. Nevertheless, this is a tasty, healthy and inexpensive dish with plenty of vitamin C, not only from the tomatoes but the peppers too. Red and yellow peppers contain four times as much vitamin C as oranges. Garlic is good for many things including the immune system and circulation, infections and so on.

As regards where the word Gazpacho comes from, this is more vague. I once read it was to do with "edible treasures" but apparently it comes from the pre-Roman Mozarab word caspa, which means "fragments" or "flakes", as in small pieces of bread.

Two Tips That Can Make Your Soup Amazing

Really good soups all have two things in common flavor, and that special something taste they do not normally find in soup.


I have to share with you two things that I do on my budget to make my soups outstanding. I believe that the freshest ingredients on sale at my local grocery store help make a great soup but, sometimes my soups are a combination of whatever is leftover at the end of the week.

The base, I like to slow cook my soups in my slow cooker. The base of any soup can be made with water. Where I live the water has a terrible taste and must be filtered. A few months ago I started keeping the liquid I used to cook pork roasts and chicken in my slow cooker. I was not sure at the time what I would do with this liquid so I froze it in 2 cup containers. Soon after I began taking these frozen 2 cup portions and putting them in my slow cooker as the base liquid. The flavor given by the frozen broth was amazing. I could use the same ingredients from one soup but change the flavor simply by going from a chicken based frozen broth to a pork frozen broth. The best part is there was no additional expense of having to purchase broth from my grocery store. The next best part is, all the extra work I had to do was simply pour the broth into containers. Wait for the broth to freeze then pop them out of the container and put the frozen pucks in a freezer bag until such time as I needed one.

The second important flavor enhancer that I like to use is the BBQ. My preference for BBQ is charcoal. The only part that annoys me about charcoal is the wasted charcoal left over that is still hot and will continue to give off heat and flavor until it turns to ash.

After the main course has finished cooking and removed from the grill I now fill the grill with vegetables I can use in future soups. Tomatoes that have been sitting on your grill will enhance the flavor of a roasted tomato soup with that smokey goodness. Celery, carrots, corn, onion, garlic and squash all absorb the flavor of your grill and can be added to your soup. There really is not any kind of vegetable or meat when added to the grill after cooking your main dish that will not enhance the flavor of your next soup.

Grilling your vegetables this way has other benefits. The vegetables cook slowly while you are enjoying your fantastic meal. The hardest part is remembering to get them off the grill before you go to sleep for the evening.

Rick and his wife have been able to reduce their grocery budget by almost 50% since they started this challenge in 2010. Their 15 years of grocery shopping for the family has led them to start a blog with very creative tips to using leftovers to save money. There are great tips about meal planning, cooking utensils, recipes, and grocery lists.

You can follow their blog, post comments and find our latest book 60+ Tips To Feed A Family Of 4 With Less Than $100 A Week.

Do you Think Energy Drinks Really Works?

What are "Energy Drinks"?

Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages with the addition of so-called 'energy enhancing' ingredients. They claim to increase alertness and improve mental and physical performance. There are different variety of brands that are mainly available at supermarkets, convenience stores, vending machines, and even bars.

These drinks contain important amounts of caffeine and sugar. Caffeine fuels most energy drinks "boost".
The other ingredients are generally herbs (botanicals), amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Some herbal ingredients commonly found in energy drinks are taurine, guarana, green tea and ginseng. Research on these ingredients is ongoing, but evidence of health benefits is limited at this time. Guarana contains caffeine. Taurine is an amino acid naturally found in meat and fish with no special benefits. Green tea extract contains caffeine. Studies of ginseng have not shown any benefits. Experts recommend herbal ingredients to be consumed in moderation, if at all, until we have more information about their safety.

Are Energy Drinks Dangerous?


People definitely vary in their sensitivity to caffeine. Most experts agree that consuming 300 mg of caffeine (about three cups of coffee) per day is fine for most adults. However, there are important differences between a cup of coffee and a can of energy drink. The first is that a lot of energy drinks contain at least twice the amount of caffeine in a typical cup of coffee. For example, Facedrink has three times the caffeine as a cup of coffee. The second is that while your average Joe drinks his coffee over a newspaper, your average rock star chugs his can over two more cans of Rockstar.

Moreover, energy drink labels do not include the caffeine amount naturally found in some of the herbal or tea ingredients. Thus, when more than one can is consumed in a day, it's easy to drink too much caffeine and as you can imagine anything in high doses is bad for you.

What are the Side Effects of Energy Drinks?


Although energy drinks provide an initial jolt and increase alertness, there are evident down sides to high caffeine and sugar consumption. If you regularly consume large volumes of energy drinks, you may experience increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, dehydration, sleeplessness, irritability and increased urination. The combination of heart palpitations and high blood pressure has also been proven to cause anxiety.
A Regular 16 ounce can has 50 to 60 grams, or 13 to 15 teaspoons of sugar! Sugar just adds calories, and unnecessary calorie intake may result in weight gain. In addition, research shows that a high sugar intake may make it more difficult for the body to lose weight.

Also, some energy "shots" contain an excess amount of niacin (Vitamin B3). A recommended daily intake of niacin is 14 mg for women and 16 mg for men. Energy shots contain 30 mg in one 2-ounce serving. Niacin intake at about 35 mg or above may cause flushing, and higher doses may cause adverse health problems.
Caffeine and Adolescents

Children have no need for caffeine in their diets. Parents must avoid giving energy or other caffeinated drinks to children. Students can consume energy drinks to stay up late or study, but they always neglect to notice the total amount of caffeine they get in a day. Studies have clearly shown that high caffeine intake in adolescents can result in serious difficulty sleeping and tiredness in the morning, as well as the previously mentioned side effects. Adolescents should understand that energy drinks are no substitute for sleep and rest. Moreover, it is important for teens and their parents to control caffeine consumption and look for healthier options for staying energized, such as getting adequate rest and physical activity.

Do Not Mix Energy Drinks and Alcohol


Never mix alcohol with energy drinks. When these two beverages are consumed together it greatly increases the possibility of dehydration and reduces a person's ability to realize they are intoxicated. Indeed, the energy drink masks the effects of alcohol therefore this combination has adverse health effects and inhibits good decision-making.

What's a Better Way to Feel Energized?


• Eat well. Eat a balanced diet; chances are your energy levels will not need any extra boost!
• Get plenty of sleep. When your body gets the rest it needs, you're less likely to feel drowsy during the day. Most teens need 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night and most adults need 7 to 8 hours. You will be more alert and concentrate better with adequate sleep.
• Just drink water to stay hydrated. Dehydration is going to make you feel weak and it is dangerous for your health.
• Move it. When you feel yourself growing tired while studying or working, go for a 10-minute walk or do some exercises to make you more alert. It's known to all that regular physical activities will also improve your energy level. Children need 50 minutes of physical activity each day and adults need at least 20 minutes.
• Drink coffee and/or tea in moderation. Coffee and tea both contain caffeine. You can try having just one 8-ounce cup and see if your body really needs more caffeine. You may want another cup, but you certainly won't need an energy drink!
• Cut back on caffeine slowly. If you find yourself dependent on highly caffeinated drinks, just reduce your consumption progressively.