I'm aware that every winter season I come up with a series of soups to enjoy, but the reason I keep circling back to soup is the fact that there are so many benefits to having soup during the winter months. The obvious reason being that soup is a nice and cosy hug in a mug/bowl that warms up the body instantly. Since soups are mostly liquid, they're a great way to stay hydrated and full. They give your immune system a boost. Soups can help you stave off cold and flu, and they're a great antidote for times when you are sick too! Most soups are loaded with disease-fighting nutrients and making soup from scratch can be very fulfilling. Chopping Up an array of your favourite vegetables and meats, to using all your favourite spices and herbs to elevate your soup, is in itself a ‘flavour of love’. For days when you are tired or don't have much time on your hands, I personally appreciate the new veggie bowl by Rhodes.
There three types; Chickpea and Lentil Casserole, Vegetable and Bean Stew and Vegetarian Curry. This is a nice variety of hearty soup bowls, which everyone can find something they like from. Look out for them in stores soon! The whole house was recently down with the flu that has been doing the rounds and as I mentioned last week, we've all started to get better. I've been more intentional about the meals I'm preparing and one of the first few things I wanted to have, or rather wanted everybody in the house to have, was soup. Whenever I prepare soup I always get taken on a nostalgic journey of remembrance, as I recall reading the book; ‘Chicken soup for the teenage soul’. I also remember there being a series of these books and them just being for teenagers, which was affirming for a young me at the time. I'd love to look around our bookstores and see what is available for the boys. Our second born absolutely loves reading while his big brother is just about to become a teenager and could possibly pick up some gems from reading such books.
The average Motswana is a meat lover and it's no different in my own home. Even the kids can ask me on days I opt for meatless days; “where's the meat?!”. I no longer get surprised when it becomes the topic of discussion at dinners, braais or any function, when it is discovered I don’t eat red meat by choice. Just recently at a gathering, I went to increase my portion ya morogo and I voiced that it’s because its my seshabo to many gasps of surprise and intrigue. As much as the Veggie Bowls are a perfect way to reduce meat eating, for those who insist, I usually either make a side of meat or I chop up chicken or steak and fry it separately before adding it to the soup and bringing together. If a little meat is all it takes for my boys to enjoy soups and veggie bowls, I definitely don’t mind. What to have the Veggie Bowl with?
I recommend any kind of bread that’s available in the kitchen or like me, you can turn to the trusted Nutriday 2 ingredient dough and make flat bread or dumplings. It is an easy dough while both flat bread and dumplings can be prepped and cooked in under 15 mins. My choice this week was Dumplings! After adding cans of Veggie Bowl to a simmering pot, I placed the 2i dumplings on the top of the mixture and allowed them to steam to perfection. The Hinds MoneyInThePotsBW competition where you buy the New Curry Range, cook and upload to the ChellzKitchen Fb page, is on and entries are super exciting. Note ke le kopise; you can add some curry to one of the Veggie Bowls on the stove top to make a variation, as much as they are ready to warm and consume upon opening, its also encouraged to use them as a base to create even more flavour complex dishes. Now lets learn how to make this foolproof Nutriday yoghurt dough with 2 ingredients and use it on everything from pizza crusts to bagels, focaccia, cinnamon buns and DUMPLINGS! Not only is this the simplest dough recipe ever, but it also has the perfect texture, it’s bouncy and pillowy.
INGREDIENTS 1 ½ cup Nutriday Plain yoghurt 2 cups Cake flour 4Tsp Baking Powder INSTRUCTIONS Sift the flour to remove any clumps. Add baking powder and a pinch of salt In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and Nutriday Yoghurt. Using your hands, press the mixture into a dough ball. Then, transfer it to a floured surface and use it as desired. Create small to medium sized dumplings and place on top of the Veggie Bowl on the stove top and allow to stream for 15min. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center till it comes out clean. It depends on your recipe, but generally, a 2-ingredient dough takes 17-20 minutes to cook.
For recipes that use smaller portions of the dough (like donut holes), the cooking time will be less. For bigger recipes that use the entire portion (like my 2 ingredient pizza dough recipe), the cooking time will be closer to 20 minutes.
