new recipe

The last week has been a bit exhausting, workwise. As a deeply disorganised person I sort of struggle through, hoping desperately that my occasional ability to come up with good shout lines distracts people from my general inability to cope with boring, repetitive, yet-surprisingly-important-when-someone-is-asking-you-about-them tasks. Unfortunately, it appears that this is not the case. My lack of skill where library and paper organisation are concerned has been noted. The combination of this and a rather nasty row with my boyfriend reduced me to a bit of a wreck this evening. When he returns we are to have a Conversation. I'm not looking to this, so decided to cook a soup while waiting and sobering up. Thus I have created a new recipe, and one that, right now, I am quite proud of as it appears to be yummy. The ingredients are thus:

Around 40g butter
1 tbsp olive oil3 large courgettes
about half a cabbage (I had savoy but white will probably do)
Chicken stock to cover, about 450mg (make your own or use a good fake, like Telma)
Black pepper
A handful of fresh basil
about 3 tbsp (to taste - add more if wished) mild curry powder
two tbsp 5 spice powder
1 tsp hot curry powder (optional)
a handful of strips of cabbage (for garnish)
Leftover salami or chorizo or similar, cubed (about 2 handful)
1 small avocado, cubed, with a squirt of lemon and black pepper on top (keep cold in the fridge)

Chop up the courgettes and cabbage (you're going to puree this soup, so you want them small enough to cook quickly but not minced)
Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan
Throw in the courgettes and cabbage and fry for a couple of minutes
Add the mild curry powder and five spice
Fry for about another 5 mins, so that the vegetables sweat but do not brown
Add the stock to cover the vegetables and simmer gently for about 20mins, or until soft. Turn off the heat
Puree the soup with any sort of blender - this is quite smooth soup, so keep going for a while.
Taste the soup, add the hot curry powder if needed, black pepper, salt if needed (but remember we are about to add salami) and torn up fresh basil leaves.
Heat a frying pan till very hot, then add the salami cubes. As they start to brown and release their fat, add the cabbage, along with the last bit of butter if it looks dry. When they are a little browned, throw them into the soup and stir.
Leave for a few minutes - then check temparature and serve, throwing a handful of avocado per bowl.
Serve with crusty bread and maybe some grated cheddar if wanted.

This is quite a fatty soup, but filled with vegetables, which I feel negates all the butter. Plus, it's quite yummy and v. cheap if you already have a stocked spice rack.

It's now the morning after, since I had the Conversation (which took the form of sex, but never mind), but was determined to finish the post! Now, I'm going to go back to bed and read. :)