COME ON YOU REDS

Another shining light in this great city is Southampton Football Club.
Under the guidance of Nicolas Cortese and  manager Nigel Adkins The Saints are currently riding high at the top of the Championship.
And to be fair, they fully deserve it, after watching them thump a resilient Brighton team 3-0 today.
Quite simply they are the best team by far, on the South Coast!

http://www.my-travel.me.uk/

Prawn & Coconut Curry

Prawn Curry with coconut

I cooked this curry a while ago, but if you like a rich tasting curry, you can't go wrong with this mouthwatering dish! 

Simple to cook, but full of flavour. If you like it hot, just up the chilli content. 

30g ginger cut into thin juliennes

1 medium onion

1 Tomato chopped

300g peeled raw prawns

Salt to taste

2 tblsps veg oil

1 tsp Cumin seeds

6 Curry leaves

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½  tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric 

1 green chilli sliced lengthways seeds removed

400g tin coconut milk

1 tsp Garam Masala

Small handful toasted Almond flakes

Some chopped coriander

To Cook:

Heat oil in shallow pan

Add ginger, cumin seeds, Curry leaves

And fry for 15 secs or until sizzling

Add the onion and cook until soft about 10 mins adding a splash of water to avoid sticking or burning

Add chopped tomato

Add the rest of spices and chillies

Continue to cook on moderate to low heat until the tomato breaks down with the onion and spice to form a masala

Stir in the coconut milk and carry on cooking until the sauce thickens, add the prawns, cook until prawns are done, turn off the heat, stir in a little Garam Masala, top with Almond Flakes and coriander leaves. 

Serve with rice.

SOUTHAMPTONS HISTORY

Just read a great article in the Southern Daily Echo about High Street and Bugle Street.
Really interesting, you will find it at: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/heritage/9363832.Potted_history_of_city_s_major_streets/
Actually if you haven't visited old Southampton, you should make the effort.

Calling America.
Are there any people out there in America that are originally from Southampton UK?
Let me know and tell me about your memories.

Southampton to revive the Tram?

If its true, this is great news!
Apparently Southampton council is planning to restore an original city Tram that last saw service in the 1940's.
The plan is to run it from Old Southampton along the waterfront.

CURRY NIGHT 2

LAMB WITH SPINACH

400G Lean diced Lamb
200g spinach
1 onion chopped
6 garlic cloves 3 tomatoes
20g root ginger chopped
4 cloves
2 Black Cardomoms
5cm cinamom stick
5 tblsps Veg Oil
2 Bay Leaves
3 Green Chillies pierced
3/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1tblsp coriander
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Salt or to taste

To Cook

Fry the whole spices in oil for 30secs
Add onion and fry until golden 8-10 mins
Meanwhile blitz the toms, garlic and ginger with a little water in a blender until smooth
add the blended mixture to the pot along with all the powdered spices and salt
cook over moderate heat for ten minutes
add the lamb and saute over heat for five or six minutes
add enough water to cover meat bring to a boil and simmer with lid on for 60 mins or until lamb is tender.
using half a tblsp veg oil fry the green chillis for a minute drain with a slotted spoon and add to the curry with the Garam Masala, then add the spinach and cook until wilted.
by this time the sauce should be thick, if not cook uncovered over a high heat for a few minutes more.
Serve with Rice.

Southampton then and now

Just a very short Blog, to say that I met a book writer called Penny Legg at one of her signings. She has written a book about Southampton,Called "Southampton then & Now", which has got some amazing pictures in it.
So if your interested go out and buy it!

Armistice day

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place, and in the sky
The Larks, still bravely singing, fly scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and we're loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If he break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae