Leek And Broccoli Food

LEEK AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350FGas Mark 4.
• Cook the leeks and broccoli seperately in a little boiling water for about five minutes. Drain well. Arrange the broccoli and leeks in an ovenproof dish.
• Melt 40 g of the margarine in a frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the breadcrumbs and fry until golden. Stir in the yoghurt, season to taste. Mix in half the cheese.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and dot with the margarine. Cook in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, then brown under a hot grill if wished. Serve immediately, sprinkled with paprika.

LEEK & BROCCOLI SOUP WITH CHEESY SCONES

Steps:

• Tip the leeks, potatoes and garlic into a large pan with the bouillon. Pour over 800ml boiling water, stir well, cover and simmer for 15 mins.
• Add the broccoli to the pan, then cover and cook for 5 mins more until just tender. Blitz with a hand blender until smooth, then pour in the milk and blitz again. Add a little stock if the soup looks too thick.
• To make the scones, heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl with the all but 1 tbsp of the parmesan and all the mustard powder. Gradually add the milk and oil, stirring with a cutlery knife until the mixture comes together. Shape into a log, about 16cm long and 6cm wide, and press the remaining parmesan on top. Cut in half along the length, then halve each of those pieces again to create four wedge-like scones. Arrange the scones on the tray and bake for 10-12 mins until golden.
• If you're following the Healthy Diet Plan, reserve two of the scones for another day. Will keep covered for up to three days. Halve the remaining two and top with half the goat's cheese and half the tomato. Ladle half the soup into two bowls and serve with the scones. The remaining soup will keep chilled for up to three days.

LEEK, POTATO & BACON BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the stock in a large pan, bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and the leeks. Bring back to the boil for 5 mins, then drain well, reserving the stock in a jug.
• Meanwhile, butter a large baking dish. Layer up the potatoes and leeks higgledypiggledy, seasoning as you go, then scatter the bacon over the top. Season well, pour over 200ml of the reserved stock, then spoon over the cream (if using) and cover with foil. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and chilled. Bake for 40 mins, uncovering halfway through so that the bacon crisps.

BROCCOLI, LEEK, AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Stir the bacon and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until the bacon has turned golden brown and released its grease, about 7 minutes. Add the butter, leeks, onion, and celery. Cook and stir until the leeks have softened, about 7 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken stock, potatoes, herbes de Provence, coriander, fennel, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just beginning to turn tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, and simmer 5 minutes. Add the milk, and continue simmering until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes more.
• Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper; sprinkle with chopped green onions to serve.