Mexican Corn Soup

I've become slightly addicted to Pinterest! It is perhaps slowing down my actual blogging (and my actual life) but I have so many ideas floating around my head!

One of the many recipes I have pinned waiting to try was this Mexican Corn Soup from the Vanilla Bean Blog. The picture in the Pin had gorgeous subdued autumnal colours - I was a bit surprised when mine had an incredibly bright vibrant summertime yellow. (Perhaps different corn? We don't seem to have the varieties I saw in the US here in Australia.) In any case it was still a beautiful colour.

My next surprise was how quick and easy it was to make - the cooking time is a fraction of many soups. (So on an evening with a dentist appointment, a long wait at the doctor for a sick child, some last minute shopping for school cooking tomorrow and some homework I still managed to get this on the table by 7pm.) 

The final surprise was how delicious it was and that the whole family felt the same!

This one will definitely be made again.

Mexican Corn Soup - served 4 (just)

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups corn kernels (This was 8 fairly small cobs of corn)
1 cup vegetable stock
60g (4 Tb) butter 
1/2 cup cream

1 1/2 cups milk 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 large green chili, seeds removed, finely sliced
a dash of Tabasco sauce
1 cup tasty cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste 
1 large avocado, diced  
1 lime

few sprigs of coriander (cilantro) Optional


Method

In a blender or food processor, puree 3 1/2 cups corn and the stock, thoroughly, until smooth. 

Melt the butter in a stockpot. Add the corn puree and simmer over low heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in the milk, cumin, and garlic. 

Heat to boiling, reduce heat and stir in green chili and Tabasco sauce. 

Add shredded cheese and remaining 1 cup of corn to the simmering soup, and stir until the cheese melts. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Top soup with avocado which has been tossed in the lime juice and some coriander leaves (cilantro). 
Serve with Tortillas.

Enjoy

Nicola 

Salmon & Prawn Laksa

Last Night we had a rainy night in (without Eva). This means comfort food and the possibility of eggplant, zuchinni, coconut or more chilli - the things Eva is not so keen on! We settled on a laksa I have done a couple of times - the first time being on a girls weekend away with my friends. It was delicious and fit the bill, the three of us happily slurping big bowls on our laps!


The recipe originally came from Valli Little in delicious magazine. - February 2008, Page 65 but we modified it quite a bit to make it more like a laksa. Below is our version of the recipe. It serves 4 with generous sized serves

Ingredients 

• 2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 1 jar Valcon Laksa Paste
• 2 * 400ml can light coconut milk
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 8 kaffir lime leaves (see note)
• 4 x 125g salmon fillets
• 400g green prawns, peeled 
• 4 tbs lime juice
• 4 tbs fish sauce
• 100g snow peas
• 200g bean vermicelli noodles
• 16 tofu puffs (optional)
• big handful of beansprouts
• Coriander leaves, to garnish

Method

1. Heat 1 Tbs oil in a wok or large, deep frypan over medium-high heat. Add paste and stir for 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, stock, sugar and lime leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Season fish. Fry for 1-2 minutes each side until cooked but still pink in the centre. Set aside. Add prawns to pan and cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Put Vermicelli and snow peas into a large bowl, cover with boiling water, cover and let sit for about 3 minutes, then drain.
4. Add lime juice and fish sauce to broth, then remove from heat. 
5. Divide noodles, tofu puffs (if using) and snow peas between large bowls
6. Place prawns on top, then pour over broth 
7.  Top with bean shoots, salmon fillets and coriander.

Nicola