Tomato Soup

6 Big Beefsteak Tomatoes
1 Red Pepper
1 Orange/Yellow pepper
2 Red onions
1 Brown onion
6 Garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Brown sugar
Balsamic vinegar
Beef stock

1. Roughly chop the veggies up and stick in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and then season. Sprinkle with brown sugar, not too much, roughly 2 or 3 pinches. Stick in the oven until everything is reasonably browned, turning a few times throughout. Should take about 45 mins depending on your oven. 
2. Once out of the oven, stick the tomatoes to one side to cool and the rest of the veg into a deep pot/pan. Once the tomatoes have cooled slightly, remove the skins and discard. Add the peeled tomatoes to the pot and cover with beef stock, about an inch more than the veg. 
3. Simmer for half an hour. At this point, taste and add more seasoning if necessary and tomato purée if it needs it.
4. Leave to cool slightly and then blitz.

Scotch Broth

1 Onion
2 Carrots
400g Chopped tomatoes
1.2L Vegetable stock
110g Pearl barley
2 Cloves garlic
2 Sticks celery
100g Cabbage (shredded)
80g Peas

Serves 4, 180 calories per serving

1. Boil the pearl barley for 25 minutes. 
2. Chop the veggies finely and fry in a couple of teaspoons of oil for 3-4 minutes. 
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and the stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the pearl barley, peas and cabbage and simmer for another 20 minutes
5. Season to taste with pepper.

Optional extra: Throw a bit of braised lamb or beef in there at the step 4

Spicy Roast Butternut Squash Soup

Squash
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Potato
Cayenne pepper/chilli powder
Vegetable stock
Olive oil

1. Dice the vegetables into big chunks and roast with a splash of olive oil until browned and tender.
2. Cool then blitz, and add some cayenne or chilli powder is added. Then stir in boiling hot stock until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Simmer gently for a few minutes taking care not to over-reduce the stock. Season to taste.

Mushroom Soup

500g white mushrooms
90g butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp plain flour
1000ml chicken stock
bay leaf
4 tbsp double cream
white pepper

1. Heat butter in a large pan, then slowly cook onions & garlic for 10 mins until soft.
2. Turn up heat, add mushrooms, and cook for 5 mins while stirring constantly.
3. Sprinkle in the flour, stir well to coat everything.
4. Pour in the stock, and bring to the boil.
5. Add bay leaf; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 mins.
6. Remove bay leaf, and allow soup to cool for 5-10 mins.
7. Blitz with a hand blender until smooth(ish).
8. Add good dash of white pepper, then reheat.
9. When hot again, stir in cream.
10. Serve with crusty bread

Sweet Potato Wedges

¼ tsp ground cumin
16 oz sweet potatoes (about 2)
½ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper
1 tsp olive oil
⅛ tsp ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise; cut each half lengthwise into 6 wedges.
3. Combine sweet potatoes and remaining ingredients in a bowl; toss gently to coat.
4. Place wedges on a baking sheet (do not overlap); bake for 25 minutes or until very tender.

Chocolate Ganache

500 gm cooking chocolate (finely chopped) 
300 gm heavy cream 
30 gm butter 

1. Heat heavy cream until it boils. Turn off flame.
2. Add chopped cooking chocolate and stir quickly. Finally add butter and mix well.
3. Leave it to cool at room temperature for few hours before use. 

Moist Chocolate Cake

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
120 gm salted butter
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup boiling water

1. Preheat the oven at 150°C. Grease a 7×11 inch baking dish with butter/shortening.
2. Mix the flour and baking soda by whisking together in a mixing bowl.
3. Beat the sugar and butter. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Add the milk/buttermilk and cocoa and mix everything well.
5. Add the boiling water and vanilla extract now.
6. Finally add the flour mixture and mix everything well.
7. Pour it into the baking dish and bake for about 30-35 minutes or till the cake is done.
8. Cool on a wire rack and do the topping/frosting.