Feeding the kids...while I'm not here #1

My sister is in charge of childcare while we are in London. There can be no one better than a loving Aunt while Mammi, Daddy and Nan are away.

I am more grateful than anyone could know that my sister is able and wanting to give up a month of her life to look after them for us.

But I am also aware that she is after all only 20years old...and a student.

One of the important things for me is that the kids still get to eat the food they're used to having from me, which of course means - I have to teach my sister how to cook. Yesterday was lesson number one.

Pea and Ham Soup

Now I probably should "big" myself up and make this recipe sound complicated. But in truth if it was complicated - I wouldn't be able to make it myself.

Ingredients:

White Potatoes

Garlic cloves

Onion

Bacon

Frozen Garden Peas

Chicken/Ham/Vegetable stock cubes

Milk

Cooked Ham

Part Baked Rolls

Now if you want exact quantities you're in the wrong place, I work in the trade and it's all guess work with us - when we think we have enough for the amount of people we're cooking for and what tastes right.

Method:

I always start my peeling the potatoes and chopping them in to cubes. How many you need depends on how many you're feeding but you need at least 4 medium size white potatoes. To get dinner on the table quicker I then start boiling the potatoes in a large pan in the stock at this stage (I use Knorr stock cubes which gives 450ml per cube; for us one is enough but if you're making larger quantities then make more stock)

While the potatoes are cooking, chop and onion and three cloves of garlic and fry them in a little oil (whichever you prefer). When the onions are cooked you can begin to fry the Bacon (I use un-smoked, and Asda do a pack with 10rashers which is perfect for the amount I make)

Once the Bacon is cooked I add it to the pan with the potatoes until the potatoes have cooked (they're soft) make sure add the Onions and Garlic too.

When the potatoes are cooked you then need to reduce the heat so that you can add the milk (for this quantity you need half a pint of milk, the more milk you add the thinner your soup will turn out) and the Frozen Garden Peas (for this quantity you need 500g). Keep on the heat until the peas are cooked. This would be a great time to pop your part baked rolls in to the oven so they're ready with the soup.

Take the pan off the heat and add 4 slices of cooked ham (cut in to cubes) in to the soup.

Grab your hand blender and blitz the whole lot.

Serve and Enjoy

GM

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