No Time? (Make a few minutes to bake bread and make delicious soup and stock)

There is a pot of vegetable soup simmering on my hob.  Hardly remarkable, however, it took me less than ten minutes to prepare.

So many people say they have no time to cook.  It baffles me really.  How long does it take to chop a few vegetables and throw in some stock or water?

Here's how.

I roasted a chicken the other day. We got two days out of it. I saved the bones from the first meal and when the carcass was picked clean I threw it and the bones in a big pot with water and put it on to simmer really gently while I went in to watch tv. Hours later when a smell of chicken wafted into the room I remembered it.  I put the pot into our "walk-in-fridge" or it could also be called the lazy fridge.  It's just a small "sun" porch that is effectively freezing.

Next day I strained the homemade stock into two plastic containers and froze them. I gave the dogs the bones and carcass now softened from the long cooking time, so no sharp edges (very happy dogs).

So today I chopped my vegetables and softened them in some rape seed oil.  The vegetables I had were onion, garlic, leek, carrot, a potato and celery including some leaves.  Salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of red lentils were added in along with the 500ml chicken stock.  Add in another 500ml water and cover and gently simmer while you go off and watch tv or whatever.

So how did this take time? It took less time than it takes me to have a bath or wash my hair or clean the bathroom.  I also used up a carcass that most people throw in the bin.  I saved an outrageous amount on buying stock cubes ( calculate the price per kg if you don't believe me) for salty, fatty water.

I now have a delicious pot of homemade soup which will serve 2 people lunch for 3 days.

The Bread is also easily made in a few minutes.

Recipe Simple Soda bread

1 mug of wholemeal flour

1 mug plain flour

2 tbsp oat bran

1 level teaspoon bread soda (bicarbonate)

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Buttermilk to mix to a fairly wet consistency

Mix dry ingredients sieving the bread soda.  Add buttermilk.  Remove to a floured surface and just gather lightly into a round (do not knead or be heavy handed). You can also use a pastry cutters to cut out scone shapes.  Cut a cross in the loaf (not necessary in individual) and put on a floured tray in a pre-heated oven 190 degrees for approx. 35 minutes or about 10 minutes for individual rolls. Cool on a wire rack.  

Tags: Chicken stock  Vegetable soup  Poppy seed bread  Simple soda bread