Recipe Challenge : Kathy's Challenge.

Kathy's Recipe Challenge

Kathy B. submitted her 5 ingredients. This is what she said:

My five ingredients: minced beef or chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions and cauliflower "I actually don't have all those ingredients at the moment, but they are common ones in my house. Just curious what you will come up with as they're pretty bland and boring." - Kathy.

There is nothing nicer than having a soup starter to make a meal special, particularly on a cold evening. I prefer using coconut milk in a can, but I am sure to use one that is Organic and does not have any additives. It is just plain, natural coconut milk. Given the 5 basic ingredients I have chosen a sweet potato soup that is enlivened by fragrant spices.  Then a wholesome satisfying, rainy day Chili. These are the recipes that I have come up with for Kathy:

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup. 

4 Sweet potatoes, peeled
2 Large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 onion- chopped
1 cup almond milk or coconut milk
cumin
coriander
ginger fresh, or ground
Marsala
Add sea salt to taste ( I usually let people add their own when serving)


Method:

1. Peel the sweet potato and carrots, slice and dice them and throw them in a large pot together with 2-3 cups of water and the chopped onion.
2. Add the spices and if you are making it with children in mind,  you can add less spices if you prefer.
3. Once the carrots are soft puree the soup until smooth. Add almond/coconut milk or regular milk and heat through and serve.
   

Note: Sweet potatoes are also high in calcium, folate, potassium and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant which converts to Vitamin A in the body. In addition to that, their high potassium content means sweet potatoes can alleviate muscle cramps which are often related to potassium deficiency.

Cauliflower Chili Casserole.

1 head of cauliflower
1/2 onion 
Extra-lean ground beef 
Bay leaves (whole) 
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder.
2 Chopped tomatoes (fresh) or you can use canned tomatoes as long as they are unsalted.
Garlic
Cumin ( 1 - 2 tsp)
Chili powder ( 2- 3 tsp)
A pinch of Cinnamon
Sea Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
Chopped Baby Carrots
1 can red or black beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed.
2 cups of Water
Optional additions: Mushrooms

Method:

1. In a cast iron pot, saute onions in olive oil, add bay leaves, garlic and mustard powder and spices.
2. Add the ground beef and saute until browned. 
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and some water and bring to boil, once boiling reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes until cooked. Drain the canned beans and rinse very well and add to pot. Simmer until cooked and ready to serve.
4. Serve the sauce over steamed cauliflower. Be sure to steam the cauliflower just enough to make it tender, but not mushy.

Note: Cooking in a cast Iron pot increases the Iron (Fe) content in your food. This is particularly useful to know if you have an iron deficiency or tend to suffer from anaemia.



This is what I did with my left over Chili:

Adding Strawberries to the Spinach salad helps with the absorption of the Iron in the spinach by providing the Vitamin C needed to aid absorption of Iron. I used Balsamic vinegar and Olive oil to dress the salad and added some sunflower seeds.