Recipes

Leek in a soup !

It's a tasty potato and leek soup this time:

Leek is related to garlic, onions, shallots and scallions. Trey look like large scallions. They have a small bulb and a long, white cylindrical stalk of superimposed layers that flow into green, tightly wrapped, leek should be firm and straight with dark green leaves and white necks. Good quality leek will not be yellowed or wilted, nor have bulbs that have cracks or bruises. Since overly large leeks are generally more fibrous in texture, purchase only those that have a diameter of one and one-half inches or less.

Before preparing leek, clean them thoroughly to remove any soil that may have got caught within the overlapping layers.

Leek is a good source of manganese, vitamin C and iron. Since leeks are related to garlic and onion, they contain many of the same beneficial compounds found in these vegetables.

A high intake of these vegetables helps reduce total cholesterol and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels while, at the same time, raising HDL or "good" cholesterol levels. Now, for a recipe.

Potato and leek soup

Ingredients:
Butter: 30 gm
Leek, sliced: 2
Onion, finely
chopped: 1, medium
size
Garlic, crushed: 2
cloves
Potatoes, peeled and
cut into small and
equal size cubes:
500 gm
Vegetable stock: 3
cups
Cream: 150 ml

Method:

Melt the butter and saute the leek, onion and garlic for five-10 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for an extra five minutes. Add the stock and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are tender. Puree the mixture. Return to heat and add cream, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and serve hot.

The Hindu

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Thai fishcakes with sweet sauce
Ingredients
100g salmon fillet
100g skinless white fish fillet
175g prepared cuttlefish
25g red chilli paste
4 lime leaves , shredded
50g beans , trimmed and finely
chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 egg white
1 tbsp oyster sauce
vegetable oil , for deep frying

For the chilli sauce
5 tsp vinegar
85g sugar
3 red chillies

To serve
1/4 cucumber , diced 25g roasted peanuts , chopped

Method:

Put the salmon, white fish and cuttlefish into a food processor, then whizz until smooth. Add the chilli paste and pulse until well mixed. Place all the other ingredients, except the oil, into a large bowl. Add the fish mixture, then knead together for five minutes until smooth and elastic.

Shape into small flat discs about five centimetre across. Heat oil in a wok until it shimmers, then fry the fishcakes in batches for two to three minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Can be chilled for up to one day, then reheated in a hot oven for five minutes.

For the chilli sauce, place the vinegar, sugar, two tbsp water and the whole chillies in a small saucepan, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain, saving one tsp chilli, then stir in the saved chilli and leave to cool. Can keep in the fridge for up to one week. Serve fishcakes with the chilli sauce, cucumber and peanuts.