Lime and Coconut Icecream - Recipe

Put the lime in the coconut and drink 'em both up......

Oh yes - it's that time of year when the sun is finally coming out and we all think that it's summer!

This recipe is quick to whip up and only takes 4 ingredients. The hardest part is being patient while it freezes but you could be supping on Pimms and gobbling burgers straight off the BBQ during this time.

Ingredients
2 Limes (the picture below shows 3 but I found it was very limey so 2 will do just fine. Unless you like limes then crack on!)
120g caster sugar
400ml carton of coconut milk
300ml carton of double cream

Method to the madness

Grate your limes so you have lots of lovely smelling zest

Put all the ingredients into a pan and heat (yes I know - bloody mental!) for a couple of minutes until all the sugar is disolved. Allow to cool. 

Once the mixture is cool pour it into a decent sized tupperware or old icecream tub (the mixture will expand as it freezes) and pop in the freezer.

Remove from the freezer after an hour and mix it all together using a whisk. When it’s fairly smooth, return to the freezer for a further hour, whisk and then for a final time you need to put it back in the fridge for an hour. After that 3rd hour is up your icecream will be ready. I left mine in overnight just to make sure it was set but there really was no need!

Serve with some lime wedges to make you look like you know something about presentation.

xxx

Coconut Chicken Soup - Recipe

I don’t really like soups. There I said it. I don’t know what it is but I just can’t get on board with liquid for a meal, it doesn’t feel like I have eaten. What I do like however is broth. Basically, flavoured water with food in it. There is a lovely Thai restaurant in the Leicester Sq area that does a beautiful coconut chicken and mushroom broth and I crave it so much I thought I would try and make my own and do you know what – I think it’s almost as good. 

Ingredients

100g brown rice

1.2l chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 tbsp finely root ginger (or cheat like I did and get it out of a jar)

1 stalk of lemongrass, thinly sliced (same as above)

2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

250g skinless boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced

175g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

The juice of 2 limes

2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)

200ml carton coconut cream

a handful of chopped spinach

NOTE: I have included rice in the ingredients for this recipe but when I made it originally I didn’t make it with rice. Instead I just kept it as a brothy soup for a light lunch. Later in the week I cooked rice and added to the soup so we could have this for dinner and it was a bit more filling. It is gorgeous whatever your soup preference.

Method to the madness

(If using cook the rice in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes, until tender, then drain and set aside).

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a large pan, add the lemongrass, galangal or ginger, lime and chillies and simmer for 5 minutes. Next add the chicken and mushrooms and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lime juice, fish sauce and coconut cream and simmer for 5 minutes more. Scatter over the spinach and serve (with a little cooked rice spooned in if desired).

Honestly the best soup in the whole world. Try it and you will see!

xxx