Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

I hadn't really appreciated how easy it was to make soup until yesterday! I was with my beautiful friend Rosie and she suggested that we made soup for lunch as she had lots of ripe Tomatoes and Peppers to use up.

I didn't realise how simple it was to do - just roast a load of vegetables (any selection would taste delicious I'm sure) with some garlic and spices, add some stock and then blend in a food processor and re-heat before serving with some fresh crusty bread!

So all credit goes to Rosie for this wonderful recipe! 

Recipe: (serves 2, but can be easily doubled or tripled)

- 8 medium vine Tomatoes

- 2 large red Peppers

- 1 red onion or 2 shallots

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 fresh Chili or a sprinkle of Chili Flakes

- Few sprigs of fresh Thyme

- Splash of Olive oil

- Salt and pepper for seasoning

- 1 Stock cube (Vegetable or Chicken)

- 200ml of boiling water

How to make:

- Chop all your veggies up in to large chunks, pop in to a large baking tray and scatter the garlic cloves, olive oil, spices and seasoning over the vegetables and give it a good mix.

- Roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until all the vegetables are looking cooked and slightly charred in places (this gives it a slight smokey flavour).

- Put the roasted vegetables in to the food processor and blend until it looks like a thick and chunky tomato sauce. Make the stock and then pour in to the vegetable mixture and then whizz again until fully mixed in, but be careful not to whizz too much as you still want to have a thick texture.

- Pour the soup in to a saucepan and re-heat until steamy, then serve with some crusty bread and cheese!

- Enjoy!

The veggies ready for roasting

The roasted vegetables ready for the food processor

Before blending

Soup is ready, along with crusty fresh white bread and cheese!

xXx

Domestic Goddess Brownies!

So...these badboys are pretty darn amazing. Probably the best brownies I know, and they are thanks to the wonderful Nigella Lawson, a.k.a 'The Domestic Godess'. Its my wonderful friend Ginny's birthday, and I said I wanted to bake her something yummy to celebrate it with, and theres not a lot better than brownies, especially Nigella's brownies.

Brownies are the easiest things to make, and at the end you are left with a gooey stack of chocolate heaven. They are also great as you can add whatever you like to them: nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped choccie bars...you get the picture. Below is Nigella's recipe from her baking cookbook, 'How to be a domestic Godess'.

Recipe: (makes 24)

- 180g soft unsalted butter
- 180g good quality dark chocolate
- 250g castor sugar
- 115g plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100g white chocolate chips 
- Any other extras, like nuts/ dried fruit etc 

To make:

- Preheat the oven to 180c, and line and grease your baking tray.

- Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan over a low heat until fully melted. Meanwhile, in a large jug, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together until combined. And measure out the flour and salt in to a separate bowl.

- When the chocolate/butter has melted and cooled slightly, add the egg mixture and stir. Then add the flour and mix until combined. Now add your chocolate chips/ nuts etc, and pour the mixture in to your greased and lined baking tray.

- Bake in the oven for about 15-18 minutes to ensure a gooey centre to your brownies. They are ready when there is a pale crust on the top of them, and an inserted skewer comes out clean(ish). 

- Allow to cool on a wire rack and then cut up in to 24 small squares. 
And then tuck in! 

Note: If you are using them as a birthday cake - pile them up on a pretty plate and sprinkle over some edible glitter or silver balls. 


Photo how to: 

The best baking book!

Melting the butter and chocolate together

The flour and egg mixture 

Pouring the egg mixture in to the chocolate

Now adding the flour to the mixture

The mixture should be thick and luscious! 

Now add the white chocolate chips/chunks

Ready for the oven

Fresh out of the oven, and the inserted skewer is clean(ish)

Some close ups of the inside of the brownies! YUM!

Enjoy!

xXx