Admiral Ackbar yam soup

I bought a yam. It was big. It was cheap. After a while I realised it also looked like Admiral Ackbar ... Which didn't stop me chopping him into tiny tiny pieces for an overly feisty soup. 

ACKBAR SOUP

1 x Ackbar head sized yam ($2, bargain!), peeled and chopped into wee tiny pieces

5 cups veggie stock

1/2 Tbs sea salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper (yes, this was too much. Halve it next time)

1 tsp paprika

1 x can coconut cream

METHOD

Put on some good tunes and comfy shoes. Spend a leisurely hour peeling and chopping Admiral Ackbar's head. I sliced it into as fine pieces as I could manage, so I could try and fit the entire yam in the pot. I succeeded. 

Omit the onion: it won't fit and will have to wait for another day. 

Add everything else into the pot gently. 

Simmer over medium ish heat, stirring frequently ... And gently. 

When Ackbar bits are cooked to softness, remove from heat. 

Blend when it has cooled enough. 

Stir in the can of coconut cream. 

Serve yourself a nice big bowl, and marvel that 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper carries more kick than expected. 

My sinuses are very clear. 

If you aren't vegan, I think some feta cheese would go well sprinkled on at serving time. 

Due to the yam being on sale (0.49c/lb), this was incredibly good value soup. 

$2 yam

$2.70 coconut cream

$0.50 stock cube 

~$0.25 spices from the cupboard

I used all organic ingredients, because I prefer that where possible. Clearly that's your choice though! 

I think I'll get 7-8 serves from this pot, so that's about $0.75 per serve. Win! Good for carbs and healthy fats, so remember to balance your protein for the day accordingly. 

And don't get too excited with the cayenne. My sinuses are really very clear. 

Preserving for the first time

Preserving has never been part of my history or heritage ... Most likely due to the fact that when the yummy things are available to preserve in Perth the weather is too obscenely hot to want the stove on all day. But Kaedra and Larissa had planned a Canstravaganza with their spouses and invited me along. I helped. 

This was all new to me! Riss had an amazing book that provided not only recipes and canning instructions, but included serving ideas - very smart. 

We ploughed through 8 recipes in two days, all of them successful:

Spicy dilly beans

Curried summer stone fruit

Blueberry compote

Blackberry ginger marmalade

Peaches in simple syrup

Rhubarb orange chutney

Strawberry jam

Garlic dill pickles

So ... How many do I store in the cupboard and how many do I start eating NOW?

Ha!

I remembered my password, and downloaded the app!