Sop Buntut Goreng (Fried Oxtail Soup)

Ingredients

1 oxtail, cut at all the joints

6 cloves garlic 

1 brown onion, quartered 

8-12 cloves 

1 tbsp cinnamon powder 

2 tbsp sea salt, divided 

1 yellow capsicum, sliced 

300g (10.5 oz) snow peas, trimmed 

1 brown onion, sliced 

1 punnet cherry tomatoes 

300g (10.5 oz) flour 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp ground coriander 

oil or tallow for frying 

Method 

1. Begin by placing the oxtail into a pressure cooker along with the quartered onion, garlic, cloves, 1 tablespoon of salt, and cinnamon powder. Cover with water, secure the lid, and turn the heat to high. Once it reaches pressure, reduce the heat to medium and cook under high pressure for 40 minutes. 
2. While the tails are cooking, prepare the flour mixture. In a bowl, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, garlic powder, and ground coriander. 
3. Once the tail has finished cooking, carefully release the pressure from the pressure cooker. Then, remove the oxtail from the pot and place it onto a rack to dry slightly. 
4. Bring the stock in the pot back to a simmer and reduce by 1/4. Once reduced, add the capsicum, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, and sliced onions, and simmer for 5 minutes. 
5. Dust the oxtail in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Fry the oxtail in tallow at 350°F (180°C) for 4-5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. 
6. Serve the soup alongside a pile of the fried oxtail and enjoy!

Recipe by Andy Cooks

Tom Yum Goong (Red version)

Ingredients

350g medium sized shrimp, shell-on, head-on if possible
4 cups water (or use 3 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock if not using shell on shrimp)
2 stalks lemongrass, bottom half only (see note)
10 pc galangal, cut into thin rounds
6 kaffir lime leaves
Thai chilies, to taste
½ cup evaporated milk
3-4 cups oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, or another Asian mushroom
¼ cup Thai chili paste (nam prik pao)
3 Tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice
A big handful of chopped sawtooth coriander (culantro) or cilantro

Instructions

1. Rinse shrimp well, then peel and devein them (see video for a cool deveining trick!) and place all heads and shells into a stock pot. Put the pot over medium high heat and saute the shrimp shells until stuff that sticks to the pot starts to brown slightly. It should smell like shrimp on the grill! 
2. Add water, scrape off the browned bits that are stuck to the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Then, use a slotted skimmer to remove the shells, making sure to drain off as much of the liquid as you can. 

If using chicken stock, start from here:

1. Smash lemongrass and cut into chunks. Roughly tear the kaffir lime leaves. Finely chop the chilies or pound in a mortar and pestle into a paste.
2. Bring the stock to a simmer, then add lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chilies (if you pounded the chilies, rinse the mortar with some of the stock to make sure you get all the chili bits into the pot). Simmer for 5 minutes. Note: The herbs are not meant to be eaten, so at this point you can either fish them out, but I like to leave some in there for garnish. Just be sure to tell your guests not to eat them!
3. Add evaporated milk and bring to boil. Add mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes or until mushrooms are done.
4. Add chili paste and fish sauce, and stir to dissolve the chili paste. Add shrimp meat and cook just until done, 30 seconds or so. 
5. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool down slightly, just for a minute, so it is not simmering or boiling. Add lime juice while stirring.
6. Stir in sawtooth coriander or cilantro, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Recipe from Thai Hot Kitchen

Cream of Chicken Soup

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
50 g / 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup / 75 g flour
1 garlic clove, minced
½ small brown onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 red capsicum/bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small celery stick, diced
2 cups / 500 ml chicken stock / broth, preferably low sodium
3 cups / 750 ml milk, any fat %
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, black pepper (“Spices”)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded
Croutons:
2 slices white bread, cut into cubes
Olive oil spray
Salt

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until partly translucent but not browned.
2. Add carrots, celery and capsicum, cook for 1 minute to soften.
3. Add butter and melt. Then add flour and mix until incorporated, and stir constantly for 1 minute.
4. Add broth, mix until flour is incorporated, then add milk. Mix to combine, then add salt, Spices, chicken and peas.
5. Bring to simmer, mixing occasionally to stop bottom of sticking. As it heats, it will thicken – about 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t let it bubble.
6. Once thickened to your taste, adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with croutons and fresh thyme if desired.
7. Croutons: Spray croutons generously with oil, sprinkle with salt, then bake for 5 minutes at 180C/350F or until golden and crunchy.

Video Recipe : https://youtu.be/PG54PMNh6-w 

Notes

1. This recipe was originally published in August 2014 and has been updated. The original recipe was written starting with a homemade condensed cream of chicken soup (that gloopy stuff that comes in cans), but because that only keeps for a few days, I haven't made it in years because it kind of defeats the purpose of having it on hand.
2. I don't make casseroles or pasta bakes using condensed soup so I don't use it for that purpose either. So I removed that recipe and instead recreated this cream of chicken soup recipe to be made from scratch. However, in case you want the Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup recipe, click here to get the recipe.
3. Fill it out - This is terrific filled out with noodles / rice (pre cooked then added into the soup) and more veggies.
4. Storage - leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months (thaw then reheat). Use a touch of water if needed to loosen the soup.
5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings excluding croutons. Each serving is about 1 3/4 cups.

Mulligatawny Soup (Thermomix)

Difficulty : easy

Preparation time : 5 min
Total time : 35 min
Serving size : 6 portions

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
30 g olive oil
150 g onions, quartered
150 g carrots, cut in pieces
150 g sweet potatoes, cut in pieces
210 g dessert apples, diced (1 cm)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric
15 g tomato purée
100 g red split lentils
900 g vegetable stock
2 pinches fine sea salt, or to taste
1 pinch ground black pepper, or to taste
sour cream, to serve

Preparation

1. Place garlic, oil, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes in mixing bowl then chop 4 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula then sauté 5 min/120°C/speed 1.
2. Add diced apples, curry powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric then cook 2 min/100°C/speed 0.5.
3. Add tomato purée, lentils and stock then cook 20 min/100°C/Reverse Spin/speed 1.
4. Taste and season as desired then serve in soup bowls with a spoonful of sour cream.

Pea and Ginger Soup, Lemon Salmon with Broccoli (Thermomix)

Difficulty : easy

Preparation time : 25 min
Total time : 50 min
Serving size : 4 portions

Ingredients
80 g olive oil
50 g soy sauce
½ tsp brown sugar
1 lemon, zest and juice
4 fresh salmon fillets, skinless (150-180 g each)
100 g shallots, halved
1 garlic clove
100 g leeks, white part only, cut in pieces
20 - 30 g fresh root ginger, peeled, cut in round slices (2 mm) (optional)
100 g celery stalks, cut in pieces
350 g frozen peas
450 g water
2 tsp salt
400 g broccoli florets
2 pinches ground black pepper
50 - 100 g double cream, to taste

Preparation

1. Place 30 g olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon zest from half the lemon and 25 g lemon juice in mixing bowl. Mix 20 sec/speed 5. Place salmon fillets in a deep dish and pour marinade from mixing bowl over the salmon. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and continue with recipe.
2. Place shallots, garlic, leeks, ginger (if using) and 50 g olive oil in mixing bowl. Chop 4 sec/speed 4, then sauté 7 min/120°C/speed 1. Meanwhile, line Varoma tray with baking paper.
3. Add celery, peas, water and 1 tsp salt to mixing bowl. Set Varoma dish in position, add broccoli florets to it and season them with ½ tsp salt. Insert prepared Varoma tray, arrange salmon fillets on it, season with ½ tsp salt and ground black pepper and drizzle with marinade. Close Varoma and cook 20 min/Varoma/speed 1. Set covered Varoma aside on a plate to keep warm.
4. Add cream to mixing bowl, insert measuring cup and blend 2 min/speed 5-10, increasing speed gradually. Serve soup for starter (see tip), then salmon fillets and broccoli for main course.

Hints & Tips
A quick, healthy meal with bright flavours and colours, starting with a vibrant green pea soup with zingy ginger, followed by lemon-marinated salmon with steamed broccoli: this recipe can turn a weeknight dinner into a special treat.

If the celery stalks have leaves, place a few leaves on top of salmon fillets before steaming to add extra flavour.
- For a milder taste omit drizzling salmon with marinade in step 3.
- After serving the soup, set mixing bowl and covered Varoma back in position so the main course keeps warm while the soup is served.

Tom Yum Goong (Thermomix)

Difficulty : easy

Preparation time : 20 min
Total time : 45 min
Serving size : 4 portions

Ingredients
30 g olive oil
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 - 2 fresh long red chillies, trimmed, deseeded if preferred and cut into halves
1 garlic clove
5 cm piece fresh galangal, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 eschalot, cut into halves
1 tsp tamarind paste
½ tsp shrimp paste (optional - see Tips)
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed, bruised and cut into thirds
1000 g water
2 tsp Chicken stock paste (see Tips)
10 fresh Kaffir lime leaves, torn
2 tbsp lime juice
450 g raw prawns, peeled and deveined, reserving heads and shells
230 g fresh mushrooms, cut into quarters
70 g cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 tbsp fresh coriander, leaves only, for garnishing

Preparation

1. Place oil, chilli flakes, chillies and garlic into mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 7.
2. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula and heat 4 min/Varoma/speed 2.
3. Add galangal, eschalot, tamarind paste and shrimp paste (optional) and chop 10 sec/speed 10. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
4. Add fish sauce, lemongrass, water, stock paste, Kaffir lime leaves, lime juice and reserved prawn heads and shells and heat 18 min/100°C/Stir Symbol/speed 2.
5. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain liquid into a jug and discard solids.
6. Place prawn meat, mushrooms and strained liquid into mixing bowl and cook 5-8 min/90°C/Stir Symbol/speed 1, or until prawns are just cooked.
7. Add tomatoes and cook 2 min/90°C/Stir Symbol/speed 1. Divide between serving bowls and garnish with coriander just before serving.

Nutrition per 1 portion

Calories 917.6 kJ / 218.5 kcal 

Protein 26.5 g 

Carbohydrates 4.3 g 

Fat 9.1 g 

Saturated Fat 1.5 g 

Fibre 5.1 g 

Sodium 1231.2 mg

Chicken Cabbage Soup (Keto)

Carbs : 4g

Prep time : 10 min
Cook time : 20 mins

8 servings

Ingredients
110 g butter
2 tbsp dried minced onion
2 celery stalks, chopped
175 g mushrooms, sliced
2 minced garlic cloves
2 liters chicken broth
1 medium sized carrot, sliced
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1½ rotisserie chicken, shredded
150 g green cabbage, sliced into strips

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, over medium heat.
2. Add dried onion, chopped celery, sliced mushrooms and garlic into the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add broth, sliced carrot, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender.
4. Add cooked chicken and cabbage. Simmer for an additional 8-12 minutes until the cabbage “noodles” are tender.

Cream of Leek Soup (Keto)

Serves 5

Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 Tbsp butter
1 large leek, green and white, thinly sliced
1⁄2 onion
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
3 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1⁄2 cup whipping cream
1⁄3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. 
2. Sautee leeks, onion and garlic until soft (approximately 5 minutes). 
3. Add water, herbs (if desired) and bouillon. 
4. Simmer on low for 30-40 minutes. 
5. Puree with immersion blender or blender. 
6. Mix in whipping cream, cheese, and salt and pepper (if desired). 
7. Stir until melted. 
8. Serve.

Bone Broth

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones
2 pounds meaty bones such as short ribs
1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
4 quarts filtered water
3 celery stalks, halved
3 carrots, halved
3 onions, quartered
Handful of fresh parsley
Sea salt

Method:

1. Place bones in a pot or a crockpot, add apple cider vinegar and water, and let the mixture sit for 1 hour so the vinegar can leach the mineral out of the bones.
2. Add more water if needed to cover the bones.
3. Add the vegetables bring to a boil and skim the scum from the top and discard.
4. Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 24-72 hours (if you're not comfortable leaving the pot to simmer overnight, turn off the heat and let it sit overnight, then turn it back on and let simmer all day the next day)
5. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, throw in a handful of fresh parsley for added flavor and minerals.
6. Let the broth cool and strain it, making sure all marrow is knocked out of the marrow bones and into the broth.
7. Add sea salt to taste and drink the broth as is or store in fridge up to 5 to 7 days or freezer up to 6 months for use in soups or stews.

Malaysian Oxtail Soup

Ingredients

3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
600 gm oxtail (cleaned, fats cut off, chopped into bite-size pieces)
3 medium size potatoes (peeled, whole)
2 small carrots (peeled, cut into chunks)
2 stalks of celery (cut into chunks)

Spices to be grounded into paste
3 cloves garlic
3 shallots
2 stalks lemongrass
1 cm ginger
1 tsp powdered coriander
1 tsp powdered cumin
1 tsp powdered fennel

Whole spices
2 cardamoms
1 small cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 star anise
1 tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns

3 Tbsp tomato paste
1.5 litre filtered hot water
sea salt
a small bunch of coriander leaves (chopped roughly)

Method

1. Heat a pan, drizzle with oil and brown the oxtail. Drain and set aside.
2. Saute the spice paste, whole spices and spice powder until fragrant and add in tomato paste. Add a few Tbsp of water to stir the paste.
3. Transfer the paste into a soup pot, add oxtail and filtered water and bring to boil.
4. Turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour then add in the vegetables and continue to simmer for another hour or until oxtail is tender.
5. Add sea salt to taste and garnish with coriander leaves.
6. Serve hot.

Note : For a stronger spice soup, add 2 more cardamoms, 5 more cloves and an additional star anise to the soup. Soup can also be garnished with crispy fried shallots and chopped chili padi.

Oxtail Stew

Ingredients:

2.5 kg oxtail, chopped into 4cm chunks
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
2 medium leeks
2 stalks of celery
4 medium carrots
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 fresh bay leaves
4 cloves
2 heaped Tbsp plain flour
2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes
275 ml porter or red wine

Optional:
1 litre organic beef stock
Worcestershire sauce

Method:
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Place a large roasting tray in the oven to preheat.
Carefully remove the hot tray from the oven, then add the oxtail. Season and drizzle over a lug of olive oil, then toss to coat and place in the hot oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden and caramelized.
Meanwhile, trim and halve the leeks and celery lengthways, then chop into rough 2cm chunks. Peel and chop the carrots into 2cm pieces, then place into a large ovenproof casserole pan over a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pick, roughly chop and add the thyme and rosemary leaves, then add the bay and cook for around 20 minutes, or until soft and sweet, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, remove the oxtail from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
Add the cloves and flour to the veg, stirring well to combine, then pour in the tomatoes and porter (or wine, if using). Add the oxtail and any roasting juices, cover with the beef stock or 1 litre of cold water and stir well. Turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil, then pop the lid on and place in the hot oven for around 5 hours, or until the meat falls away from the bone, stirring every hour or so and adding a splash of water to loosen, if needed.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Using rubber gloves, strip the meat from the bones and return to the pan, discarding the bones. Add a good splash of Worcestershire sauce, season to taste and enjoy with creamy mash and seasonal steamed greens.

Tip:

Turn this stew into soup by adding a good splash of boiling water and simmering to your desired consistency. I also love this stirred through pappardelle and served with a grating of Parmesan on top – incredible!

Sop Buntut (Java Traditional Oxtail Soup)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. oxtail
3 inches of ginger, unpeeled but smashed
3 nutmeg seeds, roughly broken
20 cloves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
3 carrots, halved and chopped into 1 inch chunks
2 leeks, chopped into 1 inch chunks
1 scallion, chopped into 1 inch chunks
2 medium all-purpose potatoes, chopped into 8 chunks each
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cup chopped celery, with leaves.
fried shallots
1 Tbsp butter or vegetable oil

Method:

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the oxtail generously and add the ginger. Bring the water to a boil, add the oxtail, and boil for three minutes. Pour out the water and discard the ginger. Refill the pot (still with the oxtail) with cold water and bring to a boil. Add the cloves and nutmeg, and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. Remove from heat, cool completely, and refridgerate overnight. Skim the congealed fat from the surface.
Bring the soup back to a simmer. Heat butter/oil in a pan over medium heat, add carrot, leek, and scallion and saute for 3 minutes, then add to the soup along with the potatoes, pepper, and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Ladle into bowls and garnish with celery, tomato slices, and fried shallots.
The recipe would probably be even tastier if, before you started, you rubbed the meat lightly with vegetable oil and roasted it for an hour or so at 425 degrees, then deglazed the pan with water, used that for the soup base, and skipped the initial boil-and-dump phase.

Chicken and Rice Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
1 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method: 

1. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breast tenders on the grill pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked completely through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cut into ½-inch pieces. Set aside. 
2. Heat the canola oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook 5 minutes until the vegetables become tender. 
3. Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables in the pot, and add the rice, rosemary, and black pepper. 
4. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer just long enough to warm the chicken.

Chilli con carne with cornbread muffins

Ingredients:

For the spiced butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp tomato ketchup
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp Marmite
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the kidney beans
500ml brine (50g salt dissolved in 500ml tap water)
150g dried kidney beans
500g cherry tomatoes on the vine

For the chilli
Olive oil
450g minced beef
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 star anise
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, de-seeded and diced
30g tomato purée
375ml red wine
50g spiced butter (or more if desired)
3 medium tomatoes, diced
500ml beef stock

For the cornbread muffins
120g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
120g cornmeal
20g baking powder
1 tsp salt
40g unrefined caster sugar
280ml buttermilk
100ml whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
3 preserved jalapeño chillies, diced

To finish and serve
2 red peppers, de-seeded, roasted and peeled then chopped
Salt and black pepper
Finely grated zest and juice of 3 limes
Spiced butter
Grated cheese
Soured cream

Method:

1. To make the butter, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the cumin and chilli powder for a couple of seconds. Pour into a bowl and add the smoked paprika, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Marmite and butter. Mix together thoroughly, cover and keep in the fridge until required (for up to a week), or freeze for a month.
2. For the beans, put the brine in a container, stirring until dissolved. Add the beans, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
3. Place the tomatoes and 50ml water in a pressure cooker, reserving the vines. Put on the lid and place over a high heat. When it reaches full pressure, cook for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before taking off the lid. Place the pan over a high heat, stirring frequently until the liquid has reduced by half (approximately 10 minutes).
5. Leave the tomatoes to cool, then tip into a container, adding the vines to infuse a fresh tomato flavour.
6. To cook the beans, strain them and place in the pressure cooker. Remove the vines from the tomatoes and add the tomatoes to the beans. If necessary, add some water so that the beans are covered in liquid.
7. Put the lid on and place the pressure cooker over a high heat. When it reaches full pressure, reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely before opening. Add this mixture to the chilli when completed.
8. To start the chilli, coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil and place over a high heat until smoking hot.
9. Add the mince, in batches if necessary so that it browns rather than stews, and cook until evenly coloured. Remove and drain the meat
10. Add a little water to the same pan to deglaze it, and tip the water and bits in with the drained meat so none of the flavour is lost.
11. Turn the heat down to medium and add another thin layer of olive oil. Add the onion and star anise and cook over a medium-high heat for approximately 7–10 minutes until the onion begins to colour, then add the carrot, garlic and green chilli. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the carrot is soft.
12. Add the tomato purée, stir and cook for another 5 minutes until everything turns a brick-red colour. Pour in the red wine and allow to reduce by two-thirds. Remove the star anise and discard.
13. Stir in the spiced butter (for mild-medium heat), the browned mince, diced tomatoes and stock, and simmer over a low heat for 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally.
14. To make the cornbread muffins, preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Mix the buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter together and pour into the well. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Stir in the chillies.
15. Butter and flour a 12-hole muffin tin and fill the moulds three-quarters of the way up. Bake the muffins in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, de-mould and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
16. To finish the chilli, fold the beans and chopped peppers into the chilli, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, lime zest and juice, and stir in more spiced butter to increase the heat. Serve with grated cheese, soured cream and cornbread muffins.

Lobster & Brie Soup

Ingredients:

3/4 pound lobster tail or 1 pound lobster claws
1 ½ cups Samuel Adams® Hefeweizen or Samuel Adams® White Ale
3 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon thyme, finely crushed
3 cups half & half
4 tablespoons butter
3 shallots, finely minced
3 cups heavy cream
½ pound Brie cheese, with skin, cut into 6 chunks
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish

Method:

1. Shell the lobster reserving shell for stock. Split tail meat length-wise and refrigerate. 
2. To make stock, combine the Samuel Adams®, water, thyme, and lobster shell. Bring to a slow boil, cover, and simmer on low for 40 minutes.
3. Strain then simmer to reduce broth to 2 ½ cups. Add half & half and continue simmering until reduced by half again. Cover and set aside.
4. In a heavy skillet, melt butter on medium. When foam subsides, add shallots and sauté for 1 minute. Add lobster meat and sauté briefly until the lobster turns pink. Remove and cool. Pull the lobster meat into long shreds.
5. Add heavy cream and Brie cheese to the reduced broth, stirring constantly over medium-low heat. When the cheese is almost melted, mix in shredded lobster and shallot mixture, add pepper to taste, simmer gently for 2 minutes. Garnish with paprika and serve immediately.

Short-Rib Beef Stew with Ale

Ingredients:
½ cup flour
2 Tbsp hot paprika
2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
4 strips thick-cut beef bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bottle (12 oz.) brown ale
1 can (14.5 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved
2 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes
2 large carrots
1 pound turnips (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Combine flour, hot paprika, smoked paprika, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of black pepper in a large bowl. Dredge the short ribs in the flour mixture.
2. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook beef bacon until fat renders. Transfer beef bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels and reserve.
3. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the beef bacon fat from pot. (Do not pour down the drain or you will clog your drain when the fat hardens as it cools.) Add short ribs and brown on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
4. Chop reserved beef bacon and set aside. Transfer short ribs to a plate and reserve.
5. Add the onion and ½ tsp of salt to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ale and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes and their juices and reserved bacon. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Return short ribs to pot, cover, put in the preheated oven, and cook two hours.
6. Peel potatoes, turnips (optional), and carrots, and cut into 1-in. pieces. Add to short ribs, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender and meat pulls away easily from the bone, about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Spoon off excess fat (or use a fat separator). Remove the bones if you want, before serving.

Serves 8.

Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients:
1.4kg Beef Chuck Roast, trimmed of excess fat & cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Large Onions, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
6 Stalks Celery, chopped
6 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
6 Red Potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Cup Red Wine
1 Can (800g) Diced Tomatoes with juices
1 Can (800g) Tomato Sauce
6 Cups Beef Broth
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
4 Bay Leaves
Oil, for browning the meat

Method:

1. In a large heavy stock pot (at least 6 quarts or larger) over medium high heat add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, heat until just smoking. Liberally season the meat with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown half of the meat stirring occasionally until a dark crust forms, remove from the pot, add more oil if necessary and finish browning second half of meat and remove from the pan. 
2. Next add the onion and garlic and cook until just starting to get tender, a few minutes. 
3. Add the celery and carrots and continue to cook until they are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. 
4. Next, deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up all browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. 
5. Add the potatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. 
6. Turn heat down and simmer on low stirring every 30 minutes until beef is tender, about 3 hours. 
7. Remove the bay leaves and serve with fresh chopped parsley as a garnish if desired.

Asparagus Cappuccino

Ingredients:
25 g unsalted butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 baby fennel bulb, chopped
1 medium potato, chopped
1 tbsp chopped tarragon
375ml chicken stock
350 g (about 12 spears) asparagus, woody ends trimmed, chopped
300 ml thick cream.

Method:

1. Heat the butter and oil; fry the onion, celery and fennel for 1 minute.
2. Add the potato, tarragon and stock and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add the asparagus and cook for a further 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
4. Set aside to cool slightly then place in a blender and process until smooth.
5. Season well with salt and pepper and add the cream.
6. Just before serving reheat the soup gently, and you can blend with an electric hand blender to froth the soup. Pour into serving cups.

Serves 8
Adapted from ABC Delicious: Let's do Lunch

Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients:
2½ pounds lamb shoulder or shoulder blade chops, bone-in
2 lb potatoes, peeled, quartered
2 large onions, quartered
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch segments
1 turnip, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp pearl barley (omit for gluten-free version)
1 tsp dried thyme OR 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 qt water or lamb stock, warmed

Method:

1. Heat a large (6 qt) thick bottomed Dutch oven on medium heat.  On medium high heat, heat 2 Tbsp oil & working in batches, brown the lamb pieces on all sides.
2. Layer the meat and vegetables in the pan. Start with a layer of meat, add a layer of potatoes, turnips, onions & carrots, add another layer of meat and top with another layer of vegetables. 
3. Add barley, thyme, black pepper, and a teaspoon more of salt. Add water or stock to the pot. 
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a bare simmer. Let simmer, covered, but with the lid slightly ajar, for 1½ to 2 hours, until the meat is falling off the bones.
5. Skim any excess fat from the stew. Use tongs to pick out and remove bones. Adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

Irish Beef Stew

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
1¼ pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (NOT extra-lean)
6 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 cup of Guinness beer
1 cup of fine red wine
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½" pieces (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups ½" pieces peeled carrots
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Lightly salt the beef pieces. Working in batches if necessary, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over. Continue to cook in this manner until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. 
3. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. While the meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step 3 has simmered for 1 hour.
5. Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. 
6. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. 
7. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. 

Serves 4 to 6.

Note
Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.