Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Serves 1-2

As if we are at the end of October! I feel like the time is just flying away at the moment and there are so many things to do. It’s so important that at busy times we remember to take some time to have some good, simple and honest food. I love this gem of a recipe, it’s so easy and so tasty. This is a deliciously sweet and warm plate of heaven to bring you some joy for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp Lyle’s golden syrup
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 dsp seed mix
• Crushed black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°
2. Place the butternut squash on a baking tray and sprinkle over some smoked paprika. Drizzle over a tablespoon of olive oil and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly charred and cooked through. (Mix the squash half way through cooking)
3. Make the dressing by mixing all other remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl.
4. Once the squash is cooked, place in the dish of choice and drizzle over the dressing. Sprinkle over the seed mix evenly and serve.

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Leek & Cannellini Bean Soup

So this week’s recipe brings it all to the table: it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s delicious; all that you would want from a warm tasty meal. It’s meals like these where simple is the way to go. This time I pulsed the soup a couple of times with the hand blender instead of blitzing it fully; this way it makes the soup both creamy and has good bite and texture from the beans and leeks.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 can 400g cannellini beans, drained
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 300ml vegetable stock
• Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Start by frying the leek and garlic in the oil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the beans and the seasonings and continue to cook for a couple more minutes.
3. Pour in the vegetable stock and leave to cook for 10 minutes.
4. Take off the heat and pulse 2-3 times using a hand blender; serve immediately.

Best served hot.

Potato, Green Bean & Tomato Stew

It’s stew time!

We are already over half way through the month and let’s be honest… if you haven’t already put on your heating it’s only a matter of time before you do. The days are getting shorter and it’s getting darker a lot earlier which just screams that the winter and the cold are on the way. I’ve found that with those chillier evenings a warmer and more heartier meal is the way to go. An easy one for a weekday if you’re back from work late or if you’re feeling minimal time in the kitchen. Hope you all enjoy 🙂

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 160g fine green beans, halved
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp onion granules
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. In a pan, put the potato and oil and gradually fry for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add all the seasonings and mix well.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Put the beans in the pan, mix and cover. Leave to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.

Best served hot.

Baked Plums with Feta

An ideal autumn starter for two or a light lunch for one. Bringing a mouth watering balance of both sweet and savoury to your taste buds. The crisp and bitter lettuce and the soft plums provide a really tasty contrast; a treat if you have some friends over for dinner.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 plums, halved and deseeded
• 80g feta, crumbled with a fork
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 6-8 little gem lettuce leaves
• Crushed black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°
2. Place the plums on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes or until blistered and juicy.
3. In the meantime, take the dish of your choices and distribute the lettuce evenly on the plate.
4. Now make the dressing by getting a small bowl. Mix the thyme, olive oil and golden syrup thoroughly and keep to one side.
5. Remove the plums and place on the plate, scatter over the feta, drizzle over the dressing and generously crush black pepper on top.

Best served immediately.

Roasted Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

Can you guys believe that we are in October, seriously?!? Where has the time gone this year? It’s flying by! It’s definitely cooling down around here and let’s be honest, soup season is back up and running. It’s getting back into the cosier and warmer clothes and those heartier meals. Apt for this time of year, sweet potatoes and carrots make a flavourful soup packed with delicious flavours and nutrients.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes (I medium sized and 1 small) peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 shallots, outer skin peeled off
• 1 garlic bulb, peel off the flaky outer bits but keep bulb whole
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 600ml vegetable stock
• Salt
• Crushed black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. On a baking tray place the sweet potato, carrots, shallot and garlic. Pour over the olive oil, season with salt and generously with the crushed black pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes (mix about half way through) or until soft and browned.
3. Place the vegetables (excluding the garlic) in a pan. Using your hands gently squeeze out the contents of the garlic bulb (once cooled a little) into the pan. Pour over hot vegetable stock and mix all ingredients together.
4. Using a hand blender blitz the soup until smooth. If you would prefer the consistency to be slightly runnier add a splash of water to loosen it up. Taste and season if necessary.

Best served hot.