TOMATO PRAWN CURRY

This recipe started life in a Sainsburys recipe book.  It builds on the basics in your kitchen cupboard, and is a great one to pull out when cherry tomatoes are on a two-for-one offer.  Frozen prawns are sometimes on special deal too, so buy them up and stick them in the freezer for the happy day when the tomato special offers come around.     

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

5g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 thumbsize pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 x 400g tin of peeled tomatoes

1 teaspoon of Marigold bouillon powder

1 pack of cherry or pomodorino tomatoes, halved (250g approx)

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 x 300g pack cooked and peeled prawns, defrosted according to packet instructions

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Rice to serve

METHOD

1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the garlic, onion, ginger and cumin.  Cover and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Run a sharp knife through your tinned tomatoes while still in the tin (for some reason they taste better than buying tinned chopped tomatoes), then add them and the halved cherry / pomodorino tomatoes to the onions.  

3.  Stir gently, and add the Marigold and sugar.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Remember to put on your rice.

4. Raise the heat until the mixture bubbles, then simmer for 10 minutes.  

5.  When your ten minutes are up, add the defrosted prawns to the tomato mixture.  Simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes until the prawns are cooked.

6.  Drain the rice, and serve as a bed for the curry.  The original recipe recommends adding creme fraiche or natural yogurt as a topping, and a sprinkling of fresh coriander, which is lovely.  But its equally nice without.  

1... 2... 3... SOUP!

Known as 'Granny Soup' in our house (it's my mum's recipe), this has got to be the quickest and easiest soup recipe in the world.  Fortunately, it's also really tasty, and incredibly easy to remember. 

1 onion, 2 pints of stock, 3 carrots.  Simple.

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion

2 pints (1 litre) of stock, made with 4 teaspoons Marigold Bouillon

3 large carrots

2 cloves of garlic (optional)

1 orange (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

black pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan.  Add the onions and garlic (if using) and cook gently until slightly transparent.

2. Peel and dice your carrots, and add to the pan.

3. Cook the mixture for the length of time it takes to boil a kettle and make stock.  Add the freshly made stock to the vegetables.

4. Bring the soup to the boil, then simmer gently for about 15 minutes.  Your carrots should be softening, but not mushy.

5.  Puree your soup using a hand blender.  You shouldn't need to add salt as the Marigold stock is quite salty (unless, of course, you've been healthy and bought salt-free. In that case, add away...)

6. Your soup is ready.  If you want to add the juice of an orange, this is the time to do it - just before serving.

7. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and serve with Breadline Bread.