Simple, Delicious Mushroom Soup

I make this all the time in winter as it is super simple and quick to make but absolutely delicious and healthy...enjoy!

MUSHROOM SOUP

25 g butter

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 kg mixed mushrooms, finely chopped

75 g plain flour

1 litre vegetable stock

600 ml full-cream milk

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1.       Melt the butter over a very low heat, add the onions and cook gently for 10 minutes or until translucent.

2.       Raise the heat, add the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper.

3.       Cook for 3 minutes or until the juices start to run, then stir in the flour.

4.       Lower the heat and cook, stirring continuously, for about 8 minutes to cook out the flour.

5.       Add the stock and milk to the mushroom mixture, whisking to avoid lumps.

6.       Heat the soup at just below simmering point for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7.       Add the thyme, check the seasoning and serve.

Chocolate, Chilli and Cardamom Tart

I saw this recipe in the newspaper and thought it sounded really interesting... So I made it and wow was it delicious. This is not for everyone but I loved it!

Serves 8

Ingredients:

300 g ready-made shortcrust pastry

3 eggs, 1 beaten

250 ml double cream

125 ml whole milk

2 Tbsp caster sugar

200 g milk chocolate

100g dark chocolate

10 cardamom seeds

1 tsp hot chilli seeds

Salt

200 ml single cream

Method:

1.    Preheat the oven to 180oC.

2.    Line a 25cm tart tin with the shortcrust pastry and prick all over with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes (or the freezer for 10 minutes).

3.    Line the pastry shell with baking powder and fill with dried beans/rice. Bake for 20 minutes.

4.    Remove the baking paper and beans. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg. And cook for a further 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn down the oven to 160oC.

5.    Meanwhile, put the cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan and whisk over heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to just below boiling point and remove from the heat.

6.    Break the chocolate into pieces and stir it into the hot cream.

7.    Crush the cardamom pods ad remove the little black seeds. Crush these with the chilli powder and a pinch of salt. Add the chocolate mixture.

8.    Beat the remaining eggs and stir into the chocolate mixture. Mix until glossy.

9.    Tip this mixture into the tart shell and bake for 30 minutes or until set.

10. Leave to cool completely before serving with cream.

Roasted butternut squash salad with soy balsamic dressing

This is a delicious salad! We had it together with a cheese fondue for some variety but also works with a braai...

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

·         2 kg butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

·         Olive oil

·         1 tin Puy lentils

·         100g rocket

·         1tsp sesame seeds (optional toasted)

·         6 spring onions, sliced

Soy Dressing:

·         5 tbsp olive oil

·         3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

·         1 tbsp soy sauce

·         1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

·         1 garlic clove, finely chopped

·         1 tsp clear honey

Method:

1.       Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until tender, shaking the tray a couple of times to keep it from sticking. Simmer the lentils for about 15 minutes or until al dente, then drain.

2.       Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Put the rocket in a shallow serving bowl and arrange the lentils and squash on top. Pour the dressing over and top with sesame seeds and spring onion.

3-Tiered Valentines' Red Velvet Cake

3-Tiered Valentines’ Red Velvet Cake

I made this for Nic for Valentines’ this year and it was a real hit. I decorated it with red hearts and ‘I love you’ around the cake, so romantic! It is the perfect colour and a totally delicious cake. This is originally out of ‘the hummingbird bakery cookbook’ as cupcakes – just halve the below recipe to make 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

120g unsalted butter, at room temperature

300g caster sugar

2 eggs

20g cocoa powder

40ml red food colouring (Dr. Oetker Red Food Colouring is best)

1tsp vanilla extract

240ml buttermilk

300g plain flour

1tsp salt

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

3tsp white wine vinegar

Method:

1.     Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2.     Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs and beat until everything is incorporated.

3.     In a small separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract into a thick, dark paste. Add this to the butter mixture and mix until evenly combined and coloured.

4.     With the mixer on a low speed, pour in half the buttermilk and mix until combined. Then add half the flour and mix until combined. Continue this process until all the buttermilk and flour has been added and are well combined.

5.     Add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and mix thoroughly.

6.     Divide the mixture between three 20-cm cake tins and bake for 25minutes.

Icing

Ingredients:

600g icing sugar, sifted

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature

250g cream cheese, cold

Method:

1.     Beat the icing sugar and butter together until it is well mixed.

2.     Add all the cream cheese and beat until incorporated.

3.     Continue beating until the icing is light and fluffy, probably about 5 minutes. (Don’t overbeat, it can become runny.)

Quick and Easy Cheats Sausage Cassoulet

This is from Jamie's 30 minute meals. I made it the other night for Nic and I and it was great and there were enough for leftovers and even Dom at 1 years old had it for dinner and loved it!

Quick and Easy Cheats Sausage Cassoulet

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

4 rashers of bacon

1 ½ red onions

a few sprigs of fresh rosemary

½ a small bunch of fresh sage

3 fresh bay leaves

2 leeks

400g good-quality chipolata sausages

3-4 thick slices of bread

2 cloves of garlic

1 x 680g jar of passata

1 x 390g carton of butter beans

1 x 390g carton of haricot beans

Method:

1.      Slice 4 rashers of bacon about 1cm in size. In a large frying pan over a high heat, pour a few lugs of olive oil and add the bacon.

2.      Peel and chop the 1 ½ red onions. Add to the bacon along with the rosemary, most of the sage leaves and bay leaves.

3.      Slice the leeks and chop a bit smaller and add to the bacon mixture along with a few splashes of boiled water. Stir the mixture.

4.      In a roasting tray, lay out the sausages. Drizzle with olive oil and put under the grill for 8 minutes.

5.      Stir the bacon mixture.

6.      Tear the slices of bread into large chunks and put it into a food processor with a pinch of salt and pepper, ½ of the reserved sage leaves, 2 cloves of garlic and a good drizzle of olive oil. Pulse until you have course breadcrumbs.

7.      Add the passata and the beans to the bacon mixture and stir.

8.      In an oven-proof roasting/casserole dish, pour in the bacon mixture. On top of the bacon mixture, put ½ the breadcrumbs.

9.      Lay the sausages on the breadcrumbs and put the remaining breadcrumbs on top. Put the remaining sage leaves on top and sprinkle with olive oil.

10.  Put under the grill for 4 minutes until the breadcrumbs are crisp and golden.

Turkey and cheese salad

This is an easy salad for a quick, healthy lunch by Annabel Karmel.

Serves 1

Ingredients:
50 g cooked turkey, cut into squares/cubes
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/8 of a cucumber, cut into cubes
1/2 a baby gem lettuce, cut into pieces
50 g Edam cheese, cut into cubes
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1/2 punnet cress

Dressing:
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp orange juice
salt and freshly ground pepper.

Method:
1. To make the dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients.
2. Mix together all the salad ingredients and toss in as much of the dressing as you like.

Healthy spinach with mango and strawberry salad

As I am still trying to lose baby weight, I decided to make this salad as a healthy lunch option. Not only is it very healthy, it is also deliscious. This recipe is from Annabel Karmel...

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
2 tbsp pine nuts
75 g baby spinach or mixed salad leaves
25 g peeled and diced red onion
1 small or 1/2 a large ripe mango, peeled and chopped
5 strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tbsp dried cranberries

Dressing:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Heat a dry frying pan and toast the pine nuts, continuously stirring for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Combine all the other salad ingredients.
3. Make the dressing by whisking together the dressing ingredients and adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle the pine nuts over the top.

Awesome Tray-Baked Chicken

Wow it has been ages since I tried something new and now that I have I don't know why I took my time to do it!! This was an awesome and totally easy dinner...thanks Jamie.

Tray-Baked Chicken

Ingredients:
dried oregano
sweet paprika
a knob of butter
4 x 180g skinless chicken breasts
1 lemon
300g cherry tomatoes on the vine
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:
1. Put a frying pan on high heat with a lug of olive oil and the knob of butter.
2. On a piece of greaseproof paper, sprinkle a good pinch of dried oregano, salt, pepper, paprika and drizzle over some olive oil.
3. Lay the breasts on the greaseproof paper and roll them in the flavours. Add to the hot pan and fry for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown on bath sides.
4. In a roasting tray, put the lemon (quartered) and the tomatoes. Put in the chikcen along with the juices from the pan. Lay the bacon on top of each breast.
5. Put the frying pan back on medium heat and add a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Move them around to get coated in the flavours from the pan. Add them to the roasting dish.
6. Put the roasting tray in the oven on grill for 14 minutes.
7. After 14 minutes, check that the chicken is cooked and serve.