Tomato soup

The recipe for this came about simply down to the fact that I had tomatoes lying around in the fridge and they were creeping close to their use by date.

I really didnt want them to end up in the bin, knew they wouldnt get used in a salad anytime soon and as I hadn't decided what we were having for lunch I thought soup would be perfect.

With the batch I made up, I had plenty leftt over after the 4 of us had 2 helpings each so the whole batch would easily serve 6-8 people or would be perfect for freezing for another day.


To make my  tomato soup you will need

6-8 large tomatoes
2 medium red onions
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 stock cubes - I used knorr vegetable stock pots
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp caster sugar
5/6 garlic cloves
Olive oil

• Preheat your fan to 200c fan
• Roughly chop the tomatoes and red onions. Place onto a baking tray with the garlic cloves, drizzle olive  oil all over the veg
•  Roast for 35-40 minutes until the veg is golden brown and beginning to char all over
• Place the roasted veg in a pan, cover with freshly boiled water,  add in the stock cube, paprika and cayenne pepper, bring to boiling point then lower the heat
• Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes on a low heat, by this time the veg will have started to become very soft and fall apart
• Use  hand blender to blend everything together until completley smooth
• Leave to simmer again on a low heat for a couple of minutes until it is at your desired thickness.
• Check the seasoning and adjust if need be, serve with some buttered Bread rolls
  

Stuffed bell peppers

This is a recipe that i love for its simplicity, versatility of the choice of fillings and the fact that despite a few short cuts using pre cooked rice, it is scrumptious.

I know it's a winner for sure since both my kids say that they love it.

With the fillings you could use tuna, minced beef, lamb, rice, or even tofu for all you vegans out there. For this recipe I decided to use Quorn mince in a smoky passata sauce.


To up the veg content I served it with corn on the cob and just because we absolutely love it, a side of mexican rice since it compliments the flavours of the stuffed pepper really well


For 4 people you will need

4 large bell peppers*
240-250g meat free mince
2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic granules
1 medium onion chopped
1 stock cube ( any flavor)
500ml passata/pasta sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 corn cobs
3-4 tbsp cream cheese
Handful grated cheddar cheese
Handful grated mozzerella
Mexican rice packs x 4**

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) Mix all the cheeses together to make a thick cheese topping and set aside
•  Give the bell peppers a quick rinse, pat dry and slice the top of the peppers off, keeping the stalk in tact as this will be used as a lid
• Stand the peppers up to make sure they stay balanced. If they're a little wobbly, slice a very little bit off the bottom so that they sit straight. Be careful not to cut too much off that you end up making a hole in the bottom
• Carfeully remove any seeds or pith from the inside. Brush all over with olive oil - inside and out not forgetting the lids 
• Place on a baking tray or dish along with the corn cobs, the 'lids' &  pop straight into the oven for about 15-20 minutes
• Whilst the peppers and cobs are cooking,  make a start on the filling
• In a frying pan, saute the chopped onions in a little olive oil until softened. Add in the garlic and cook until both are begining to lighlty brown.
• Add in the mince, stir through fpr a couple of minutes, add in the paprika and cayenne pepper
• Make up your stock by dissolving the cube in 100ml of water. Pour this straight into the mince, along with the pasta sauce 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the stock has reduced and the mixture has thickened 
• Take the partially cooked peppers, divide the filling equally between the peppers
• Top each of the peppers with the cheese mixture, turn the cobs over, place the lids on the pepppers, place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the peppers and corn begin to char, and the cheese topping has melted and is all golden and bubbly 
• When the peppers have about 5 minutes cooking time, make up the rice follwing the instructions on the packet, plate up and serve

*I went for red since they have the nicest flavour I think when roasted

simple bread rolls

I absolutely love that after years of dreading the thought of attempting to bake bread, I've finally faced my fears and got the hang of it

These bread rolls are a great way to start off with if you want to ease your way into bread making. 

The amount below makes up either 12 small bread rolls, perfect for soup or as sandwiches for little children or 10 slightly larger rolls for burger style sandwiches.

You will need 

500g bread flour

1 tsp active dried yeast 

1 1/2 tsp caster sugar

1 tbsp soft butter

1 tsp salt

280-300ml lukewarm water

•In a bowl mix together the sugar, salt & yeast. Add the butter rub into the flour

•Slowly add the water in mixing continuously to form a soft, slighty sticky dough

•Knead in your electric mixer with the dough hook for about 6 minutes or by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic

•Place into a clean lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled.

•Once doubled, take the dough out and on a lightlt floured suface gently knead it to knock the air out for a couple of minutes

Divide into 12 equal portions and form into round balls  - perfect size for eating with soup or smaller sandwiches for kids

•For larger bread rolls ( more suited for burgers ) divide into 10 rounds... place the balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, cover and leave to prove until doubled in size .. the balls should just be touching each other

Place in the oven at 200c for 20 mins for the small rolls .. 30-40 minutes for the bigger rolls or till risen, doubled  and golden all over. The base of the rolls should sound hollow when they are ready. Use as desired