by Chef
It’s now been a few months since our dear friend Nigel Watson died. On the internet forum “northcyprusforum.net”, launched and mainly operated by him for a long time, there is a section that was very close to his heart, cooking recipes. Under the pseudonym “Chef”, Nigel published a whole range of tasty recipes, some of which I want to call back to life. Readers being interested in “northcyprusforum.net”, please click the link before and become members of the forum.
Mexican Tortilla Soup (Tortilla Corbasi)
Ingredients
3-4 piece 6 inch corn tortillas
¼ cup canola oil (rapeseed oil)
1 onion, chopped
2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 medium pepper, chopped (mix chili and pepper if desired)
4 cups chicken broth/stock
1 ½ cups tomato, diced
1 ½ cups cooked chicken, shredded (or buy grilled chicken and take the breast and thighs)
½ cup mild melting cheese (Monterey Jack/Cheddar), shredded
1 cup corn kernels (optional)
1 ripe avocado
Chopped cilantro/parsley/dill
1 lime/lemon, cut into wedges
¼ tsp cumin (optional)
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt to taste
Preparation
Cut the tortillas into 2 inch long finger strips and fry them in a large skillet with the canola oil. Both sides should be lightly browned. Leave them aside.
In a pot, sauté onions over medium heat with the remaining oil. Then, stir in garlic and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add tomatoes, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes and stir in chicken and cook for 5 more minutes. Then turn the heat off and add cumin and corn kernels (optional).
To serve, cut the avocado into 1 inch slices. Divide tortilla strips into bowls, ladle in soup. And then, top with avocado, cheese and cilantro/parsley/dill. Serve warm with lime/lemon wedges.
Creamy Mushroom Soup (Kremali Mantar Corbasi)
Ingredients
½ lb (125 gr) mushroom (any kind), brushed and sliced thinly
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
4 cups of chicken stock
1 ½ -2 cups milk
1 tbsp salt to taste
Fresh dill or black pepper
Preparation
In a skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter and sauté mushrooms over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. In a pot, melt 2 tbsp of butter and stir in flour. If the flour does not wet enough to be creamy, add some oil. Sauté till flour turns to a light golden brown color.
And then, add the chicken stock. Stir well to dissolve the flour. To obtain a smooth creamy soup, use a blender. Stir in mushrooms and salt. When it starts boiling stir in milk and simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes (stir occasionally).
Sprinkle some fresh dill or black pepper on top of Creamy Mushroom Soup and serve warm.
