Sweet Potato and Chilli Soup

What you need

• 1-2 tbl spoons vegetable oil, salt, pepper
• 2 chillies
• 3 parsnip roots
• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1 bunch of fresh chives and spring onions
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 litre water

Equipment: food processor, pot

How you do it

• cut chillies in halves, wash and remove the seeds. then chop into small bits
• peel onion, garlic cloves, parsnip roots and sweet potatoes
• wash chives and spring onions
• chop the onions, garlic cloves and parsnip roots into small bits
• put the vegetable oil into the pot and heat up
• when the oil is hot add the chopped chillies, parsnips, garlic and onions. add salt and pepper. stir and mix and then let it cook for ca 5 min.
• in the meantime, cut the peeled sweet potatoes into smaller chunks. chop the spring onions into small pieces.
• add the sweet potatoes - cook for 2-3 min then add the chopped spring onions.
• cook for another 5 minutes while stirring
• now add the 1 litre water and bring to the boil.
• when the soup boils reduce heat - put a lid on the pot and let simmer for ca 25 min.
• remove from cooker and let it cool down for ca 1 hour.
• in the meantime chop the chives - but do not add them just yet.
• when the soup is cooled down - process it in the blender/processor until smooth.
• put it back into the pot and heat up until it just boils.
• then add the chopped chives, mix and cook it for another 1-2 min.
• either serve - or remove from cooker.

Roasted Pepper/Tomato Soup

What you need

• 3 peppers
• 4 cloves of garlic
• salt, pepper, basil leaves, oregano leaves
• 8-9 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 4 small potatoes
• ca 1 litre water
• 3 tbl spoons oil
• 4 spring onions
• 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

Equipment: baking form, a pot, food processor/blender

How you do it

Prepare the peppers

• preheat the oven to ca 200 C
• wash the peppers, cut in halves. Get rid of the seeds.
• peel the garlic cloves and chop into small bits
• lay the washed and cut pepper halves into the baking form
• sprinkle the chopped garlic over it
• pour the oil over it
• put the form into the oven and bake for ca 1 hour
• remove from oven and allow to cool down.
• save the oil in a cup

Soup

• wash the tomatoes, basil and oregano leaves
• peel the potatoes
• peel the onion and spring onions - and chop into small bits
• cut half of the basil and oregano leaves very small
• remove the stems from the tomatoes and cut in quarter

• use the oil from the pepper roasting and put into a pot
• heat up until hot
• add the roasted pepper, onions and the chopped oregano leaves. heat for ca 5 min
• add the potatoes. heat for another 5 min. then add the tomatoes and basil leaves and cook for another 5 min.
• add the teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
• add the water. stir. heat until the soup is on the boil.
• reduce heat, add the cover the pot and let cook for 10 min.
• after 10min add the other half of the oregano leaves
• cook for another 5 min then add the chopped spring onions. Let it cook for another 10 min.
• Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves.
• Let it cool off. When cool put the soup into the blender and process the soup until it is smooth.
• you may retain a few basil leaves when the soup is going to be served.

Broccoli Stilton Soup

What you need

• broccoli
• stilton ca 75-100g
• 1 onion
• 1 tbl spoon oil
• salt, pepper, muscat
• flat leaf parsley
• 4 small potatoes
• vegetable soup stock cubes (you need 2 for 1 litre)
• 1 litre water

Equipment: pot, food processor/blender, knife, chopping board.

How you do it

• peel potatoes, onion
• wash broccoli, parsley
• chop onion and parsley into as small pieces as possible
• put oil into pot and heat until very hot. put chopped onions and half of the chopped parsley into it. add salt and pepper.
• cook for ca 3 min until onions turn slightly brown.
• add 1 ltr of water and bring to the boil. add the vegetable soup stock cubes and stir until dissolved.
• add broccoli and potatoes. Bring to the boil briefly - then turn heat down and cover the pot with a lid. Let cook for ca 25min.
• Let it cool down for ca 1 hr.
• Put the cooled soup into a food processor/blender and process until the soup is thick/creamy.
• Put the soup back into the pot and heat up again and boil briefly.
• Add the Stilton cheese and stir continuously until the cheese is melted. Grate fresh muscat into it (be careful with it as it has quite an intense taste).
• In the last 2 minutes add the rest of the parsley to it.

Fruit Salad

What you need

• 2 bananas
• 2 peaches
• 2 apples
• 2 kiwis and/or strawberries
• dried fruit mix, i.e. raisins, lemon/orange
• sugar, cinnamon, vanilla
• 1 lemon

How you do it

• get the juice from the lemon and keep in cup.
• wash the peaches, apples (strawberries).
• cut the peaches/apples into 1/4 pieces. Remove the seeds/stones. again cut the 1/4 pieces into halves. Chop the remaining pieces into small pieces. add to a bowl.
• peel Kiwis and chop into small pieces. peel banana and slice into small pieces. add to bowl.
• add the dried fruit.
• sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of sugar. if you have access to vanilla sugar you can take 1 tblspoon normal sugar and 1/2-1tblspoon vanilla sugar. otherwise extract the vanilla from the pod and add to the fruit mix.
• add the lemon juice.
• mix well.
• cover the bowl and put into fridge for 1-2 hrs.

The dish goes very well with either whipped cream and/or Advocaat (egg based liqueur)

Black Olive Paste

What you need

• black pitted olives (ca 100g)
• salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar

How you do it

• peel the garlic cloves
• put the pitted olives, garlic, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar into a food processor/blender
• add ca 1-2 tblspoons balsamic vinegar
• add 100mL olive oil
• close the lid and switch on the blender. If the paste gets too solid add olive oil.
• let it run until it is really creamy.

Spicy Pasta Salad

What you need

• pasta (e.g. penne) ca 200g
• salt, pepper
• parmesan finely grated
• prawns - ca 100-150g
• 1-2 chillies, 2 garlic cloves
• olive oil
• coriander, parsley

How you do it

• bring a pot of water to the boil. then add salt - then the pasta
• chop the garlic cloves.
• chop the parsley and coriander leaves. keep separate
• cut the chillies into halves, remove the seeds and wash thoroughly. then cut into thin slices
• wash and dry the prawns
• in the meantime, put 1 tblspoon olive oil into a frying pan and heat up until the oil is hot.
• add chopped chillies, salt, pepper, prawns and parsley into the frying pan. fry for ca 5 min and stir well.
• remove the frying pan from the burner and let cool down.
• remove the pasta from the pot when ready and let cool down until luke warm.
• add the pasta to the prawns/chilli mix in the pan. stir and add the chopped coriander. Mix well.
• let it rest for a 5 min - then add the finely grated parmesan cheese and again mix well.
• put the pasta mix into a bowl. ready to serve.