Roasted Sweet Potato, Ginger and Cinnamon Soup

Recipe serves: 4
A Little Background This is a great winter soup. At a time of year when we are probably eating a little bit too much of the good stuff in life such as butter, cream and rich desserts, this soup is the perfect option to lighten our dietary load. You’ll find that thanks to the sweet potato’s much lower glycaemic rating than regular potato you won’t find the inevitable post eating blood sugar spike and subsequent crash of many energy rich winter meals. Add to that ginger’s excellent properties as a digestive aid and you have a great start on helping your body deal with a lot of those richer meals you’ve been eating. Then take the ultimate comfort spice; cinnamon and your soul will also thank you for making this soup as tonight’s dinner. Not to mention that it is such an easy recipe to make your hands will thank you too. What you'll need 150 grams (5.3 oz) diced onion (approx 1 medium sized onion) 2 tbsps finely chopped ginger 2 tsps finely chopped garlic 900 grams (2 lbs) (approx 2 medium sized) sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped 60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine 1.5 litres chicken stock 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ tsp ground cinnamon Sea salt Freshly cracked black pepper
What to do In a large saucepan or stockpot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté until translucent while stirring continuously (approx 3 minutes). Turn heat to high for 1 minute, while continuing to stir. Add the wine and deglaze the pot. Add the sweet potato and sauté a further 4 minutes. Once the sweet potato is starting to colour, add a splash of the stock and deglaze the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the remainder of the stock and the cinnamon. Bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 30-40 minutes (until sweet potato is soft and mushy). Remove from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor or use a hand held stick blender, process the soup until smooth. Return to heat to warm up. Taste for seasoning and adjust as required. Serve with crusty bread, and a dollop of low fat yoghurt or light sour cream in each bowl. Can be made as a vegetarian soup, using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Roast Vegetable and Basil Soup

Recipe serves: 4
A Little Background This is not so much a recipe as a guideline, as every time I make it, it is slightly different depending on what's in the fridge. The quantities however stay the same but allow your imagination to run when making this soup. I know that personally I enjoy the different flavours every time I make it. What you'll need 2 x 400 g tins of whole peeled tomatoes 4 cloves of garlic 2 onions 300 grams (11 oz) solid roasting vegetable (pumpkin, sweet potato etc) 200 grams (7 oz) softer roasting veg (zucchini, squash, mushrooms etc) 6 sprigs rosemary 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2 tbsps chopped basil leaves Blue cheese Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt flakes Black pepper corn mill
What to do Preheat oven to 180 degrees (350 fahrenheit). Peel and roughly chop the solid roasting vegetables and cover liberally with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile roughly chop the softer roasting veg. Peel the onion and garlic and dice finely. After the solid vegetables have been in for 30 minutes turn them and add the softer vegetables after tossing them in oil, roast a further 40 minutes. Meanwhile in a large pot over medium heat, soften the onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil until soft. Add the tinned tomatoes and the stock. Tie the rosemary sprigs together and leaving one length of string long, tie it to the handle of the pot. Bring the contents of the pot to boil and then reduce to simmer. Once the vegetables have roasted remove them from the oven and add to the pot and simmer for 3 hours (you may need to add some water over those hours as the soup may dry up slightly). Once it has all cooked for the 3 hours, using a stick blender or a food processor puree until the soup is a smoother consistency (although not too long as you want to maintain a slightly chunky consistency). Serve with crusty bread on the side and crumbled blue cheese and chopped basil on top.

Osso Buco with Roast Tomato Sugo

Recipe serves: 4
A Little Background Although not overly extravagant or involved to prepare, Osso Buco is, and always has been a real treat to make. Is it the joy from making that delicious sauce? A sauce so tasty that adding a piece of crusty bread and a bowl is all that is needed to make a meal. Or is it the almost maternal care used when keeping an eye on the whole thing in the oven? Or maybe it’s the taking of an otherwise tough piece of meat and turning it into something that is melt in your mouth tender? Whatever it may be that makes me enjoy preparing Osso Buco so much, I am certain of at least one thing; making it is a distant second to the pleasure I get from eating it. All I need is one glass of cabernet, one crusty baguette (to spread the magnificent marrow on) and I am immediately transported far away from any winter blues. I hope you enjoy making this and eating this as much as I do. What you'll need 16 vine ripened tomatoes 1 carrot (chopped) 1 celery stalk (chopped) 3 cloves of garlic (peeled) 10 French eschalots (shallots in UK & N America) (peeled) 2 sprigs of rosemary 8 Pieces of veal shank (Osso Buco cut). They should range from between 100-250 grams per piece. 3 bay leaves 1 cup of red wine 2 cups of veal stock, beef stock may be used 2 tbsps tomato paste Plain flour Salt Black pepper corn mill Butter Olive oil
What to do Preheat oven to 200 degrees (400 fahrenheit). In a roasting tray (large enough to eventually accommodate all the shanks in one layer) place the eschalots, carrot, and celery and toss with a little oil and place in oven. After 10 minutes, toss the garlic and rosemary with a little oil and add them to the tray, roast for a further 10 minutes or until everything is caramelized and soft. Meanwhile cut the tomatoes in half and lay them face down in a lightly oiled roasting tray. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Once the vegetables in the first tray are nicely caramelized, transfer them to a food processor. In a large bowl or dish add some salt and pepper to a couple cups of flour. Flour all the shank pieces in this bowl and shake off the excess. Place a non stick pan over high heat and add a couple tbsps of butter and a couple tbsps of oil. Brown the floured shanks in this pan and transfer them to the empty tray you used for the vegetables. Once the tomatoes have finished cooking and have blistered nicely, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Reduce the oven to 160 degrees (320 fahrenheit). Carefully pinch the skins off the tomatoes and discard. Process the vegetables in the processor until smooth and remove. Process the tomatoes in the same processor. Place a medium to large heavy based pot on high heat and sauté off the processed vegetables until they start to stick. Add the wine, stir well and reduce slightly. Add the tomato paste, the processed tomatoes and the veal or beef stock. Mix well. Pour the sauce from the pot over the shanks, add the bay leaves and cover the shank tray with foil, bake in the oven for 1 hr. Turn the shanks and bake another 1 hr, (should be very tender by now, if not keep cooking and check every 15-20 minutes until the meat almost falls off the bone). Remove the bay leaves when serving.

Mushroom Braised Lamb Shanks

Recipe serves: 4
A Little Background As most of my friends will tell you, I am a huge fan of summer and not big on winter. I tend to complain all winter about the lack of warmth and sunshine, to be honest I complain so much in winter I’m surprised I even have friends willing to put up with it. However, having said that there are a couple of things I do love about winter, there’s food, food and more food. One of my favourite ways of cooking in winter is braising (cooking meats or vegetables in their own or added juices in a very slow oven). This dish, Braised Lamb Shanks is such a magnificent winter dish that it on its own gives me the tolerance to cope with the entire winter season, (well almost). What you'll need 8 Lamb shanks (ask your butcher to french them as they will present much better) 1 Onion (finely diced) 1 Celery Stalk (finely diced) 1 French eschalot (shallots in UK & N America) finely diced 4 cloves of garlic 10 Button Mushrooms (finely diced) 1 cup red wine 2 cups veal stock beef stock may be used 2 x 410 grams (14 oz) tins peeled tomatoes 20 button mushrooms (whole) 3 Bay Leaves Butter Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt Black pepper corn mill
What to do Preheat oven to 160 degrees (320 fahrenheit). Roll the lamb shanks in plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown the floured shanks in some butter and oil in a large pan, once brown transfer them to a deep oven dish. In medium saucepan on medium heat pour enough oil to cover the base and sauté onion, celery, eschalot, and garlic until translucent. Add the diced mushroom and sauté a further 5 minutes, turn the heat to high and add the wine. Continue cooking until virtually all the wine has disappeared and the mixture is a rich glossy red, add the stock, tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil and reduce to simmer. Clean the lamb shank pan and return to high heat, add a little butter and oil and sauté the remaining whole mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and sauté until nicely browned. Place the sautéed mushrooms into the sauce, stir together add the bay leaves and pour the entire pot contents over the lamb shanks, cover with foil, pierce a few holes in the foil and bake in oven for 1.5 hrs, turn the shanks and bake a further 1.5 hrs. Check the shanks for tenderness (the meat should almost fall off the bone when you attempt to pick one up with a fork). Shanks may take slightly longer or less to reach this tenderness depending on the shanks age etc. If in doubt keep cooking them as it is pretty difficult to over cook them. Remove the dish from the oven, skim some of the fat off the sauce and discard. Serve with mash, bread or rice and a hearty hearty bottle of red, a Barossa Cabernet works wonderfully. Don’t forget to boast to your friends how you slaved all day over the stove to make this dish even though the oven did 3 hrs of the work. If you wish double the recipe as braised shanks make a great left over dish, so good you’ll want to eat them a few days in a row, avoid re-heating with the microwave. The best way to re-heat them is to let them almost return to room temp from the fridge and then warm them slowly in a pan or the oven with lots of the sauce.

Bucatini with Chicken, Shitake Mushrooms, Garlic and Parsley Oil

Recipe serves: 6
A Little Background I used to fancy myself as somewhat of a runner, although now I tend to get winded running to catch the telephone before message bank picks up. “Hello…..pant…..pant…..pant…..Paul speaking.” When I was running I used to eat pasta at least 4 times a week and I found myself having to get rather creative if I didn’t want to live off a perpetual cycle of Bolognese, Arrabiata, and Boscaiola. That time in my life was when I created this dish. Even though I no longer run, I do still eat this dish as though I were training for a marathon. What you'll need 400 grams (14 oz) dry bucatini pasta 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced thinly across the width) 200 grams (7 oz) shitake mushrooms (sliced about the width of half your thumbnail) 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 1 bunch continental parsley leaves (finely chopped) Shaved parmesan shards Extra virgin olive oil White wine Sea salt flakes Black pepper corn mill
What to do Because the sauce in this recipe is basically a slight coating of olive oil it is very important that you use only a quality extra virgin olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the bucatini slightly under al dente. Once the pasta is cooked to less than al’dente pour it into a large colander and cool the pasta immediately with running cold water (try to reserve the hot water). Replace the reserved pasta water or fresh water into the pot and return to boil. Pour a little olive oil in a pan and over med-high heat sauté the garlic until it is golden and remove immediately into a large mixing bowl. Wipe the pan clean and add a little more oil, and place on high heat. Season the thinly sliced chicken and sauté it until just under cooked and place it into the bowl with the garlic (it will finish cooking in the last stage). Replace the pan to high heat and pour a liberal amount of olive oil into the pan and add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned. With the mushrooms still in the pan over high heat add half of the chopped parsley stir with a wooden spoon and immediately deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine, continuing to stir with the wooden spoon to remove all the flavours in the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 30 seconds or so until all the alcohol has evaporated off the wine and add it all to the chicken and garlic. Pop the cork on a nice white, let it breathe, organise your 6 serving dishes, the parmesan garnish, and blanche the cold pasta in the boiling water until al’dente. Drain the pasta well, add to the chicken etc, toss it all with the remaining parsley and a little more olive oil if required and divide evenly amongst the 6 dishes, garnish with parmesan shards.

Sandy's Famous loaded potato soup

Ingredients:

• 8- Large baking potatoes
• 1 large tub of sour cream
• 1 pkg- bacon (NOT BACON BITS)
• 2 pkg- Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
• 2 sticks of butter
• 3 bundles of green onions (chopped) reserve 1 cup for topping
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 pkg- shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Boil potatoes with the skin on till done. Once cooled, peel the skin off of the potatoes and break up with a wooden spoon. 2. Add both sticks of butter, dressing mix & chopped green onions to potatoes. (Set to the side) 3. Fry the entire package of bacon until crisp and drain. (Cooks very well in oven, but cover loosely with aluminum foil so it will not pop and spark a fire in your oven.) Then crumble and set aside 4. To the potatoes add: sour cream, bacon and milk (sparingly- you might not need all of the milk. Just enough to make it creamy but not milky) 5. Add salt & pepper to taste. 6. In each bowl garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and remaining chopped green onions

Plum and White Chocolate Mousse

Time & Serves

• Preparation time: 10
• Cooking time: 10
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 12 Gingernuts
• 25 g butter, melted
• 850g can Watties Black Doris Plums in Syrup
• 120 g white chocolate, chopped
• 250 g cream cheese, soft
• 1 cup cream, lightly whipped to soft peak stage

Method

1. Place the gingernuts in a food processor and process until crumbed, or crush with a rolling pin.

2. Stir melted butter into the biscuit crumbs. Spoon the crumbs into the base of 6 serving glasses.

3. Drain the Wattie’s Black Doris Plums in Syrup , reserve the syrup. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones.

4. Reserve 6 plum halves and mash the remaining with a fork. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over hot water and set aside to cool.

5. Beat the soft cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the melted white chocolate and mashed plums. Carefully fold through the lightly whipped cream.

6. Divide plum mixture between the serving glasses. Chill for 30 minutes.

7. To serve: Top with a plum half and pour over a little of the reserved plum syrup.

Garnish with a mint leaf.