Gastronomic tours with Swiss Cheese

Ok, Pea soup isn't necessarily the most exotic dish around, but I really like it on a cold day, and I think I've found a combination of ingredients that go well together, so here goes.

Note that my recipe isn't vegetarian, but it's easy to modify for a vegetarian version. The following makes two cups.

Ingredients

• ½ Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp ginger & garlic paste
• 1½ cup chicken stock (use vegetable stock for a veggie option)
• ½ cup water
• 1 Tbsp goat cheese
• 1 Tbsp mint leaves chopped up
• 1½ cup peas (I used frozen peas)
• ¼ tsp salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan
2. Lower the heat and add the ginger & garlic paste and fry for 10-20 seconds
3. Add in the stock, water and salt and turn up the heat
4. Before it comes to a boil, add in the goat cheese and stir till it dissolves
5. Once the mixture starts to boil, add in the peas. If frozen, add a few at a time to avoid a sudden change in temperature
6. Bring to a boil again and lower heat to medium
7. Stir in mint leaves
8. Turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes
9. Serve with croutons

Some people don't like their peas whole. If you don't, then put the mixture into the blender after step 7.

It came out better than I'd expected. The goat cheese and mint flavours worked well together.

Floyd's India is a somewhat entertaining TV show and book about Keith Floyd's food adventures in India. Unable to pronounce the names of the ingredients or follow a recipe, his preparations often look nothing like what we'd make at home. He's fairly amusing to watch, while at the same time clarifying why you wouldn't normally eat British food.

Made this yesterday, and I do have pictures, but currently no way to get them off my camera, so that will have to wait for later.

Ingredients:

• 250gm (8oz) shrimp. shelled, deveined and cooked (steam or boil it)
• 1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves chopped up (note the difference)
• 1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce leaves (use the hearts for a different variation)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 Tbsp Maggi hot and sweet tomato chilli sauce (or equivalent - you need something sweet and spicy, so try mixing tabasco + tomato, or use thai sweet chilli sauce)
• 2-3 tsp honey (this is only if your sauce is too spicy for your liking)
• One navel orange (we use this for garnish and for its juice)
• A few mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Combine sauce, honey, shrimp, lime juice and coriander in a bowl and mix until shrimp and coriander are well coated. You should be able to smell the lime.
2. Add chopped lettuce on a large plate.
3. Add shrimp mix over lettuce.
4. Sprinkle a few drops of orange juice over the salad.
5. Garnish with orange rings and mint leaves.
6. Serve chilled.

It came out really well.