Abbe's Cooking Antics: * Spicy Chicken, Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

Finally, it's cold enough for me to wear my favourite Rocket Dogs. My feet love me. All warm and snug in a thick layer of cuddly suede boot. I'm hard pushed not to wear them to bed, along with my my jumper, socks, night shirt and pj bottoms. Neil reckons I don't so much get undressed for bed, as dressed for bed... even in the Summer.

We've had a majorly busy weekend... Neil has laid the turf in the back garden, we've been to the Pasta Bar on Plymouth Barbican to celebrate my oldest niece's fourth birthday. We've had friends come out to collect our excess turf for their back garden and I've been to Bretonside to collect family that are visiting for the week.

This morning I woke up with glands like golf balls, and when I got home from work all I wanted to do was pass out on the sofa - but I'd missed pottering in my kitchen all weekend, so decided to make soup instead and use up a couple of sweet potatoes.

I'm glad I did.

It was like a hug in a bowl.

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Serves 4 - 6

Prep time - 15 minutes

Cooking time - 20-25 minutes

You will need

A medium to large saucepan

A blender

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion - finely chopped

3 loves garlic - crushed

2 tsp fresh ginger - grated

2 green chillies - deseeded and finely chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 large sweet potatoes - peeled and chopped

2 chicken breasts - skinned and chopped

400ml can of coconut milk

800ml chicken stock - from a cube is fine

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp fresh coriander - roughly chopped

Method

Gently soften the onion in the sunflower oil, over a medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the green chillies, garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes.