Green Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk

Sometimes there is nothing better on a cold winter day than a warming bowl of simple lentil soup. This version is extremely easy to prepare, but very nourishing when served with buttered basmati rice and perhaps some homemade biscuits.

Raisin Cranberry Tea Biscuits

I don't normally put raisins in baked goods, but I recently had a request for some raisin tea biscuits, so I decided to experiment. These turned out light and flaky and the addition of dried cranberries added a nice natural sweetness. If you are a savory person like me, I would even suggest you only add a tablespoon of sugar instead of two. If you don't have dried cranberries on hand, just add a few more raisins. The raisins can also be soaked in a bit of water and drained before adding to the batter for an extra plump raisin flavor.

Hot and Sour Thai Mushroom Soup with Nam Prik Pow

Spicy Thai is probably my favorite cuisine after Indian cooking. Oddly enough, I have rarely cooked authentic Thai food, opting instead for take out from Thai Taste, my favorite Thai restaurant in London. I suppose that is one of the reasons I chose Thai soups and salads for the theme for this month's No Croutons Required — this challenge inspired me to come up with a Thai meal in addition to getting some lovely ideas from fellow bloggers.

Poppy Seed Cheese Biscuits

Quick breads are not only a perfect way to fill out a meal, they are fun to make too and a good choice for novice bakers just starting out in the kitchen. I just love these soft, moist savory pull-apart biscuits with sharp extra-old Cheddar cheese — they ended up being an evening snack well after the dinner was over. Dotted with poppy seeds, they're a very pretty quick bread too.

Peanut Butter and Blueberry Jam Shortbread Bars

I meant to make these peanut butter and jam shortbread bars for Christmas, but I usually make my famous rum balls, and with so much other activity going on over the holiday season, I didn't get a chance to make these moist and sweet bars until yesterday. The occasion was a dear friend's birthday. Shortbread is a treat anytime of year as far as I am concerned! So is peanut butter … and so, for that matter, is blueberry jam!