Roasted Butternut & Apple Soup

The big surprise with this delicious soup is it is actually a detox soup piled with loads of healthy ingredients and can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Who doesn't love a hearty butternut or pumpkin soup when the rain sets it and temps start dropping. The secret in this recipe - besides the apples - is the butternut that is roasted in the oven.  This allows for it to caramelise which really brings out that lovely sweet flavour.

When choosing your apples, stay away from Grammy Smith as they are really tart and although we want a little acidity to cut through the sweetness of the butternut, they can be too strong.  I like to use Gala or even Honeycrisp apples which offer a milder flavour.

The chilli here is optional, but to be honest with you, it does do wonders and again, cuts through that overall sweetness of the soup... and is beneficial for detox.

Enjoy with a little country farm-style bread
~  Michelle ~

Roasted Butternut & Apple Soup

1.4kg butternut squash
1 large onion, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large sweet apples (Gala/Honeycrisp) inch cubed, skin on
225g shiitake mushrooms, halved
1 cup celery, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups apple juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chilli (optional)

Preheat oven to 220'c.  In a large bowl mix butternut, onion and 1/2 of the oil.  Toss well and bake on a baking tray for approx 40 min until squash is tender.  Meanwhile mix apples, mushrooms and remaining oil on a second tray and bake for 15 min until apples are tender.

In a large pot add celery, roasted veg from the two baking trays, chicken stock, apple juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and simmer for 30 min.  Allow to cool.  In batches blend until smooth in a foo processor.

Finally, simmer for a further 5 min and adjust the consistency if needs be with a little more apple juice.

Easy Apple Tart and Champagne Cocktail

So I just bumped into some friends in town who are popping around shortly for a leisurely Sunday drink and catch-up.  No need for panic, I always have some pastry in the freezer, fruit in the kitchen and chilled bubbles in the fridge. Going to whip up a very easy apple delight to be enjoyed with a fruit champagne cocktail ... here we go:

4 tbsp raisins
20ml rum
10ml vanilla essence
2 apples, skin on thinly sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp flour
50g melted butter
1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Double vanilla ice-cream

• Preheat oven to 200'C.
• Place raisins, rum and vanilla essence in a bowl and microwave for 30 sec.  Allow to cool.
• Place apples, sugar, cinnamon, orange zest and flour in a bowl and mix to combine.
• Add melted butter and raisins with their juice and mix well.
• Cut pastry into a big circle using a dinner plate as a guide.
• Layer apple mixture leaving 1 1/2 inch border.
• Gently fold the border over to enclose apple edges and brush pastry and fruit with egg.
• Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, bake for 20 min.
• Serve with double vanilla ice-cream.

Elderflower Champagne Cocktail:
Place 4 mint leaves in a champagne flute.  Bruise leaves with a back of a spoon to release flavours.  Add 2 tbsp Elderflower concentrate syrup (or similar) and top up with you favourite bubbles.

Just a perfect Sunday something to share with some good friends.  Make it count ...