What`s for dinner Clarey?: Love pie and Love soup

What`s for dinner Clarey?: Love pie and Love soup:  I just  realised that 2023 was a complete old mother Hubbard year for my recipe blog. I wrote a cook book" Love on a Plate" for M...

Love pie and Love soup

 I just  realised that 2023 was a complete old mother Hubbard year for my recipe blog.

I wrote a cook book" Love on a Plate" for Manna House the homelessness prevention charity I work for. I was recuperating and healing from having a hip replacement . I cooked about 750 free lunches for my lovely Manna House clients. In short I've been busy.

I've also been happy and pain free now my hips don't lie, thankyou Shakira . You cannot underestimate the power of a simple, happy pain free existence. When I was a physical wreck my friends and loved ones helped me manage the pain and reminded me not to be one! It's a privilege to help feed people who need a boost . To me a home cooked meal or homemade cake is love on a plate.

Being proudly Northern, I love pies, homemade soup and a nice cuppa with a delicious sweet treat, If I can share this with others, make them feel joy then that makes my day.

Two yummy recipes from this week and a day after Valentine galentine tiffin recipe too...

Love Soup

So good for you, this is bottom of the fridge soup  made from leftovers.

In a pan fry a large chopped onion and a couple of leeks  until golden. Add some leftover mashed potatoes, leftover frozen peas and a couple of chicken stock cubes , 330ml of boiling water and 330ml of double cream. Simmer for 20 mins and then blitz with a soup wand. Season with salt and black pepper and a tsp of sugar. Swirl with cream and serve in a warm bowl with some hot buttered toast.

Love Pie

Brush 5 sheets of filo pastry with melted butter

Top with 3 blocks of feta cheese crumbled

Add a bag of spinach that has been wilted in garlic butter and a couple of beaten eggs.. Dot with caramelised onions, 4 red onions caramelised in muscovado sugar and a dash of cider vinegar. Top with more filo pastry brushed with melted butter and sesame seeds.

Bake in a medium hot oven for 30 mins until golden and Crispy. 

Galentine tiffin

Good use of leftover chocolates (as if!)

Crush up 30 digestive biscuits or any you like chocolate hobnobs work too!

In a pan heat up 250g  butter, 4 tbsps golden syrup, 4tbsps soft brown sugar and 2tbsps cocoa to make a wicked chocolate sauce. Pour over the crushed biscuits and combine and press into a lined baking tray. Then top your tiffin with chocolates, press them in whilst it's still slightly warm . Chill in the fridge and cut into squares to share with your besties with a cuppa.

There you go inexpensive , delicious recipes , if you make anything for someone with love  it always tastes better. I made some croutons for the soup with a heart shaped cutter and popped them in the air fryer...my new love.

One minute you're young and sexy, the next you're obsessed with your airfryer. Happiness rests on such little things as a heart shaped crouton on a Winters day or making it for someone special to remind them they are loved 365 days a year.