Kokova Magazine

The only resolution we have made for 2025 regarding food is that we will try to cook fresh most nights, or at least batch-cook fresh food for easy eating.

We are still working our way through pickles and packets left over from Christmas. The freezer is still half-full of meat we bought before the New Year, so we are making the most of the colder nights, using up some of the supplies we already have in the store cupboard, and not planning on any diets, aside from eating fresher food with better ingredients.

So when a late night at work turned into a need for a quick dinner, our fabulous family cook pulled out all the stops and created a sausage and vegetable soup, with gluten-free macaroni. A simple dish of vegetable stock, with a selection of vegetables we needed to use, with a light herb seasoning and shredded sausage. Most ingredients were already in the cupboard, and the sausages were in the freezer, waiting for inspiration. We were getting bored of the usual sausages and mash, so soup is a great warmer, especially when paired with a chuck of crusty fresh bread.

This soup recipe was created on the go, and instead of trying to copy it out step by step, we want to encourage you to create with what you already have at home. You can google a selection of ingredients you have already, and you will get a selection of results suggesting what can be made from those.

Don't be scared to add herbs and spices, rating along the way. We were going for minestrone but we didn't have any to hand, so the gluten-free macaroni went in, and worked well. When we had leftover bacon, we made extra pigs in blankets and paired them with the salad options we had to use too!

Our new year is about making more dishes without constantly popping to the supermarket and eating healthier options. We try to avoid pre-made processed food, bar the occasional treat, and don't make resolutions that are too hard to keep.

Happy New Year to all our readers, and happy cooking.