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.

Mint Lamb Kofta

Inspired from one of my Greek cookery books and a little Jamie Olivier, here is an awesome quick and delicious meal for the whole family.

Koftas are sometimes made with fish or vegetables, rather than red meat, especially in India, and can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked or marinated and served with a rich spicy sauce.

I personally like to saute them with a little oil in a griddle on the hob.  

I have added two 'secret ingredients' to this recipe, one being mint sauce, which fuses beautifully with the sweet lamb and the second, is some smokey paprika, which adds a punch of flavour.

I serve it up in some wholewheat pita popped in the toaster, slit in the middle and smeared with smooth cream cheese.  Add a bunch of rocket and spring onion in the bottom, then the kofta and another big dollop of cream cheese and there you have it!

RECIPE

(serves 4)

800g lamb mince

2 tsp smoked paprika

4 tsp mint sauce (store-bought)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chilli oil

Olive oil

1 garlic clove, bruised

60g shelled pistachios

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

2 Tbsp runny honey

Using your hands, in a bowl mix mince, paprika, mint sauce, salt, pepper and chilli oil

Divide into 10 portions, using wet hands roll each portion into a fat finger

Add some oil and bruised garlic to a frying pan and allow the garlic flavour to draw for 1 min

Remove garlic

Add kofta fingers to the oil and saute on all sides until nice and brown

When done, drain excess fat

Crush pistachios in a pestle and mortar

Toss nuts, thyme and honey over kofta and swirl around the pan a few times to coat off the heat

Serve in some pita or alongside a traditional Greek salad.

~   Michelle ~

Oriental Green Bean and Ginger Chicken

Having spent a great two weeks vacation in Cape Town, South Africa I am back in Belgium and the Autumn temps are plummeting. Our low tonight is 3'c bbbrrrr.  Here is a great tummy warmer.

1 tsp olive oil
1inch fresh ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp flour
250g skinless chicken thighs, cut in thick cubes
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp brown sugar
200ml chicken stock
80gm green beans, trimmed, cut into 2cm lengths
1tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Heat oil and fry ginger, garlic, onion, nutmeg, turmeric and pepper for 5 min.
Add flour and chicken and stir for 2 min.
Add fish sauce, sugar, chicken and stock and cook on medium to low heat for 15min.
For last 3 min of cooking, add beans and heat through.
Add half coriander and stir.
Serve with steamed rice and sprinkle with remaining coriander .

How easy was that?  Enjoy ....