pea soup recipe

Pea soup with garlic recipe 

If you keep peas in the freezer, you can
rustle up this delicious soup in minutes.
If has a wonderfully sweet taste and smooth
texture and is great served with crusty bread
and garnished with mint.

Ingredients :

1 garlic glove,crushed
900 g/2 lb/8 cups frozen peas
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups chicken  stock

FROM THE STORE-CUPBOARD

25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter
salt and ground black pepper

Preparation :

1- Heat the butter in a large pan and add
the garlic. fry gently for 2-3 minutes, until
softened , then add the peas. Cook for 1-2
minutes more, then pour in the stock.

2- Bring the soup to the boil, then reduce
the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook
for 5-6 minutes, until the peas are tender.
Leave to cool slightly, then transfer the mixture
to a food processor and process until smooth
(you may have to do this in two batches).

3- Return the soup to the rinsed pan and heat
though gently. Season with salt and pepper.

couscous recipe

Couscous with pear and vegetable tagine recipe : 

Preparation time : 20 minutes
Total cooking time : 1 hour
Serves : 4-6

For this recipe we need :
Ingredients :

½ preserved lemon
3 tablespoons oil
2 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of saffron threads
1.5 kg (3 lb) vegetables ( eg. carrot,
    eggplant,parsnip, potato, pumpkin),
    cut into chunks
400 g (13 oz) can peeled tomatoes¸
1 cup (250 ml/8 fl oz) vegetable stock
100 g (3½ oz) dried pears, halved
50 g (1¾  oz) pitted prunes
2 zucchini (courgettes), cut into large chunks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
300 g (10 oz) couscous
⅓ cup (30 g/1 oz) flaked or slivered
   almonds, toasted

Preparation :

1- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
Remove the flesh from the preserved lemon
and thinly slice the lemon rind.

2- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large
saucepan or ovenproof dish, add the onion
and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes,
or until soft. Add the spices and cook for
3 minutes. Add all the vegetables, except
the zucchini, and stir until coated with the
spices and the outsides begin to soften. Add
the lemon, tomatoes, stock, pears and prunes.
Cover (if using a saucepan transfer to an
ovenproof dish) and bake for 30 minutes.
Add the zucchini and cook, uncovered, for
15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the cinnamon stick, then stir in the parsley.

3- Cover the couscous with the remaining oil and
2 cups (500 ml/16 fl oz) boiling water and stand until
all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and
serve on the outside of a platter, with the vegetables in
the centre. Sprinkle with the almonds.