Cauliflower soup with a hint of cheese 'n' onion

Wowzers. This is seriously good soup.




Some mornings I wake up and my body immediately tells me what I want to eat that day. Today I arose from slumber thinking 'cauliflower'. Odd perhaps, but I listened and made this soup and it was incredible. I used both a red and a white cheddar, both really mature and flavoursome, and finished it with finely chopped scallions for a bit of extra oomph. A winner.

Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 onion
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 potato
- Chicken stock
- Milk
- Cheddar cheese
- Couple of scallions

Method:

- In a large pot, throw in a good glug of olive oil and a knob of butter. Chop the onions and garlic and add them in. Cook for a few mins until softened.
- Meanwhile, chop the cauliflower into small florets and peel and dice the potato. Add them both into the pot and season with salt and pepper.
- Add chicken stock, enough to cover the vegetables, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, put a lid on and cook for 15 - 20 mins until all the vegetables are tender and cooked through.
- Use a stick blender to whizz up the soup until smooth, then add in a good splosh of milk (you can see its important to be exact here) and 2 good handfuls of grated cheese (as much as you like really).
- Cook through until soup is hot and cheese has melted. Taste for seasoning (I needed more salt at this point) and then add in the chopped scallions. No need to serve with bread as this gorgeous soup will keep you full all on its own.

Pistachio cake

A fragrant and unusual cake that is both incredibly moist and light.




I asked Martin what sort of cake he'd like for his birthday this year; he made the rather unusual request of a pistachio sponge. I had never heard of such a thing but figured I'd have a go. The result was an amazingly moist cake with loads of subtle, beautiful flavours. The cardamom and orange zest really bring this to life. We served with some whipped cream and big grins. All measurements here are in American cups (I would recommend investing in these, they are cheap and incredibly useful), but if you don't have a set then just use a teacup.

Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (if grinding yourself then remove the green husks and pop out the little black seeds)
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 4 oz butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- Zest of 3 oranges

Method:

- Preheat the oven to 160 (fan oven) or 180 for conventional.
- Generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside.
- Put the shelled pistachios into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Be careful not to overprocess or they will become a paste.
- Put the ground pistachios into a bowl and mix together with the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.
- Remove the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them to the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar until pale in colour and fluffy in texture; this will take a few minutes.
- Add the eggs one at the time, beating well after each one.
- Put the mixer on low and add a tablespoon of the pistachio mixture, then half of the milk. Add half of the remaining pistachio mix, followed by the rest of the milk, then the rest of the pistachio mix until just combined.
- Turn off the mixture and using a spatula gently fold in the orange rind.
- Pour the batter (it will be very wet and loose) into the baking tin and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean from the centre and the edges of the cake pull away from the sides of the tin.
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out to cool fully on a wire rack.
- Serve at room temperature (putting it in the fridge will dry it out a lot) with cream or ice-cream.

Carrot & parsnip fritters

A quick and easy dish that serves as either lunch or dinner.




I realised recently that I hardly ever eat meat these days. I would much rather eat a pile of vegetables than a big hunk of steak. This dish is a great example of how a meat-free dish can be so so good that you won't even realise you're having a vegetarian dinner even if you're a regular omnivore. I served with a simple ceaser salad but this would also be great with big fat homemade chips.

Ingredients:
- 1 large carrot
- 1 parsnip
- 3 spring onions
- 1 slice bread
- 1 egg
- Good pinch salt
- Pinch sweet paprika

Method:

- Grate the carrot and parsnip into a bowl.
- Finely slice the spring onions and them them to the other veg.
- Whizz the bread up in a food processor to make crumbs - this works easiest if the bread is a day or two old. Add it to the bowl with the salt and paprika.
- Chuck in the egg and mix everything together really well.
- Heat some olive oil and a little butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, form the vegetable mixture into little patties in your hands and place them gently into the pan.
- Saute for 5 - 7 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Lemon vanilla shortbread

Buttery, crumbley deliciousness



Dinner was over. Tea was in hand. But something was missing; I wanted something sweet. I also wanted something quick and that didn't require a visit to the shops. Shortbread was the answer. Prep and cook time together it took less than 20 minutes to go from ingredients to in-my-face. Yum!

Ingredients:
- 4oz butter, softened
- 2oz sugar
- 6oz plain flour
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
- Heat the oven to 160 degrees (fan oven) or 180 (conventional).
- Beat together the soft butter and sugar until smooth.
- Add the lemon zest and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Stir in the flour and work it into a dough. Shape it into a thick disc and transfer to a lined baking tray.
- Press the dough gently to flatten it into a circle approx 1/2 inch thick; you can use a rolling pin for this if you want but it's easier to use your hands.
- Use the back of a fork to mark indents around the edge of the disc and prick some holes with the fork prongs - this is faffing really, so skip this if you're not fussed prettying up the shortbread.
- Bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes until it is starting to go golden brown around the edges.
- Cut into segments while it is still hot and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Minestrone soup

Delicious and healthy, an awesome lunchtime special




This has recently become one of my favourite lunches as it is really easy to make as well as packed full of goodness. It's also gentle on the finances and will keep you full for hours. I like to make a big batch and freeze it in double portions, that way I'm never stuck for a quick lunch option when I'm home. I use chickpeas in this recipe as I like how they stay intact and retain their shape. Cannellini beans or butter beans would also work well but don't overcook them as they turn to mush easily enough.

Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- Couple of cloves of garlic
- 2 large carrots
- 4 sticks of celery
- Tin of chickpeas
- Small handful of spaghetti
- Tin of chopped tomatoes (or passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp sugar
- Chicken stock

Method:
- Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan on high heat.
- Chuck the onion, garlic, celery and carrots into a food processor and blitz until they are all chopped really finely. Add them to the oil, stir well and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 mins.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pot.
- Chuck in the tin of tomatoes and about the same amount again of chicken stock - add enough stock until the mixture is loose enough to be a soup rather than a sauce.
- Add 1 tsp of sugar, the tomato puree and another bit of salt and put a lid on. Cook for 10 mins at a simmer.
- After 10 mins, break the spaghetti up with your hands and add it to the soup. Pop the lid back on for 12 mins, stirring once or twice.
- Serve hot in big bowls with a side order of Eastenders and a crossword.