AS WE enter the final week of January 2025, how are those New Year’s resolutions holding up? It’s easy to fall off the wagon, but there is still plenty of time to get back on track.
Why not keep things simple this weekend with a favourite of mine: butterbean, tomato and chicken soup?
The ideal food for anyone feeling under the weather, this immune-boosting soup is rich in vitamins and packed with protein, will help you get back on your feet.
The ideal food for anyone feeling under the weather, this immune-boosting soup is rich in vitamins and packed with protein
If you fancy something sweet, my delicious oatmeal flapjacks are a great choice. The perfect baked treat which can be enjoyed at home or at work with a cup of hot tea during those well-deserved breaks.
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Oatmeal flapjacks
Ingredients:
- 125g mixture of dried sultanas, dried apricots and dried cranberries
- 55g golden syrup
- 170g of butter
- 100g caster sugar
- 250g rolled oats
Method:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 170C and grease the bottom of a baking tray with butter. The baking tray should be approximately 20cm x 20cm.
- Then, place the dried fruit ingredients into a bowl and cover with boiling water, leaving to sit for a few minutes until the dried fruit becomes plump. Now that the fruit is rehydrated, drain away the excess water, removing from the bowl and roughly chopping.
- Place butter into a pot, placing onto a hob to allow the butter to melt. Then add in the syrup and sugar, keeping on a gentle heat. Mix until all the ingredients are dissolved.
- Stir in the oats, adding a handful of fruit and stir, coating with the melted butter and sugar mix. Repeat this until all the fruit is added and coated.
- Remove the mixture from the pot, tipping onto the greased baking tray, smoothing out until flat.
- Place into the oven for 30 minutes until golden. At this stage, mark out the slices and remove from the heat and leaving to cool.
- Once cool, turn out and place in an airtight container to keep fresh.
Butterbean, tomato & chicken soup
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 100g butter beans cooked in water
- 50g chickpeas, cooked in water
- 500g ripe plum tomatoes
- 5 red peppers, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 large onion
- Salt & black pepper
- Olive oil
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 1 chicken breast, cut into strips
Method:
- To begin, start by cooking the butter beans. This must be done in a separate pot with unsalted water- salted water will make them go hard and inedible. Do the same with the chickpeas in another pot.
- Preheat the oven to 200C to cook the tomatoes. Once cooked, mix the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onion, seasoning with salt and pepper and cover with a considerable amount of olive oil. Then place in a roasting tray to cook for around 30 minutes.
- Once this time has passed, remove from the oven and place into a pan with vegetable stock. Bring to the boil before allowing to simmer for 10 minutes. Then, using a hand blender, blend the liquid until it’s at a consistency of your choice. I recommend the soup being a little chunky.
- Add the thin chicken strips to the soup, which will poach in the liquid. Cook for five minutes before adding the cooked butter beans and tasting for seasoning.
- Serve with olive oil and enjoy. NOTE: If kept in the fridge for 24 hours, it tastes even better.
