Noodles with Beef, Leeks and Courgette

The mystery box always provides lots of opportunity for being inventive.
It's almost like being on Masterchef, but without any pressure.
And yes, I probably watch way more Masterchef than I should...

The box I received two weeks ago had some beautiful beef and gorgeous leeks. I figured the best way to use the beef strips were in a stir fry. Throw in a courgette, some noodles, lots of spices and dinner is served.

Leek and Celeriac Soup - the Very Basic Version

The rapid change in weather brought the cold and all of a sudden I found myself craving warm, comforting soup.

Soup that warms you up from the inside and makes you feel satisfied.

Leek and celeriac soup felt like just the right combination for this cold and rainy day. I decided to make a very basic version, since my ingredients were limited. It has pretty much only four ingredients: vegetable oil, leeks, celeriac and vegetable stock. That is it.

Take three large leeks, wash and trimmed, and then slice them into pretty rings. Peel and dice the celeriac. Add a dash of vegetable oil to a casserole dish (or whatever you happen to be using to make your soup in) and heat up the oil for a minute. Then place the leeks and celeriac in the dish and saute for a couple of minutes. Now add a litre or so of vegetable stock to the vegetables and season as per your personal taste.

Let is simmer for 30 - 45 minutes, stir occasionally and add water if necessary.

Once all the vegetables are nice and soft, take a hand blender and blend until you have a smooth consistency. Serve with fresh bread and enjoy.

Leek and Celeriac soup

Soup is good.
It is easy and healthy.
Some days it is the only way I can get Heidi to eat her vegetables. She loves her soup and I love it when she eats vegetables.

Celeriac is an interesting vegetable.
Let's face it. It is ugly.
You almost feel sorry for it.
Even the teenager working behind the till in the supermarket didn't know what it was...
Don't let its looks deter you from using it though, it is great in soup or roasted or mash it with potatoes for an excellent twist on mash potatoes.

Here is my recipe for leek and celeriac soup.
Try it, modify it, do whatever you like but have some soup!

Ingredients:
One big leek, one celeriac, two cloves of garlic, 3 carrots, one medium sized potatoe
600 ml vegetable stock
Seasoning (Salt & pepper)
One tablespoon of safflower oil

Method:
Peel the celeriac and carrots, wash the leek.
Chop up the vegetables in even sized chunks - don't let the celeriac sit peeled too long since it will colour.
In a large pot (I use my casserole dish) heat up the oil and add the leek. Stir for a minute or two.
Add the carrots, celeriac and seasoning.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Let it simmer covered for 40 to 50 minutes.
Once all the veggies are soft and the lovely aroma fills your kitchen, let it cool down slightly and then blend. I use a handblender - it should become silky smooth.

Serve with delicious wholewheat bread.