Turkey, leek and spinach noodle soup

This is one from my new Wagamama cookbook which a colleague got me for Christmas. I thought I’d try it out because we have three tons of turkey left over and we’re still going strong! The original recipe calls for chicken but since we have all this turkey I thought I’d use that instead and save some time. It’s quick and simple and most importantly delicious!

150g soba noodles
500mls chicken stock
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sake
A few handfuls of cooked turkey meat
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped

– Cook noodles according to the instructions on the packet drain and then refresh under cold water.
– Bring the chicken stock to the boil.
– Add the leek, soy sauce, fish sauce and sake.
– Cook for 10 minutes until the leek is soft.
– Add the turkey and the spinach bring back to the boil and then remove from heat.
– Divide the noodles between two bowls and then pour over the soup.
– Garnish with chopped spring onion if you like.

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Orange Refrigerator Cookies

I had a plan.  It was a good plan too.  I was going to put a post up on Mondays and Fridays.  Nice and easy, get a bit of organisation going on and keep my cooking mojo going.  Life doesn’t seem to agree with me though.  First I lost the recipe I was going to post, then I got the mother of all stinking colds and was out of action for a week.  However, here I am ready to roll (although, admittedly snuggled up in bed as it’s miserable outside and I’m still a bit unwell).

This recipe is an old favourite from childhood.  The main selling point is basically, cookies on demand! You make the dough, bung it in the fridge (or freezer) and then when you want cookies you simply slice however many you want off the log and bake them. 15 minutes later you have cookies! What’s not to love about that?

Makes about 48

125g butter
150g caster sugar
zest of 1 orange
1 egg
250g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
100g plain chocolate chips

– Cream together the butter and the sugar.
– Add the orange zest (I like to zest my orange over the bowl so that you get all the lovely orange oil too for really fragrant biscuits).
– Beat in the egg.
– Sift in the flour and baking powder and add the chocolate chips.
– Mix until it forms a dough.
– Shape the dough into two logs about 2″ thick.
– Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to one week.
-When ready to bake heat the oven to gas mark for and slice however many cookies you require from the log and place them on a baking tray.
– Bake for 15 minutes then leave to cool on the tray for 2 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.  (Or eat warm with a glass of milk for utter comfort food!)

Nigella’s Chocolate Guinness Cake

My neighbour first introduced me to this lush, rich, deliciously moreish cake last year.  I’m very glad that she did because I probably would never have baked it myself if I hadn’t found out how delicious it was.  I’d have seen “Guinness” and thought “Bleurgh!”.  It pays to be reminded that first impressions aren’t always accurate. Don’t judge a recipe by its title etc. I will say again, This cake is DELICIOUS!

Visually I find it very pleasing with the overall Guinness look with that cream cheese frosting “head” on it.  The tanginess of the cream cheese frosting is not to be missed out on (although, if you absolutley must do without it it’s still damned good cake!).  Overall another corking recipe from Nigella, but what else do we expect?

Serves 12 min.

Cake:
250ml Guinness
250g butter
75g cocoa powder
400g caster sugar
142ml creme fraiche (Nigella says Sour Cream… I never buy Sour Cream yet always have Creme Fraiche)
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Frosting:
300g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml double cream

– Heat the oven to Gas 4/180C and prepare a 23cm springform cake tin.
– Take your largest saucepan and pour in the Guinness.  Cut the butter up and add that too.
– Heat until the butter’s melted then whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
– In a separate jug mix the creme fraiche, eggs and vanilla together.
– Pour into the pan.
– Whisk in the flour and bicarb.
– Pour the mixture into your greased and lined cake tin and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Check that the middle is totally cooked by using a skewer to test and that it is springy when touched or it will sink in the middle.
– Leave to cool in the tin.
– To make the frosting beat the cream cheese until smooth then sift over the icing sugar.
– Beat together then add the cream and beat til smooth.
– Spread over the top of the cake.