Beetroot Soup (2-3)

On a cold day there is nothing nicer than a warming bowl of soup. Though in the fast moving working day it can be hard to find the time to sit down with an enjoy such a treat, with soup lovers having to resort to the dreaded cuppa soup. In order to free you all from the trauma of this synthetic drink I have concocted a quick and simple soup that can be made in advance. So whenever you feel the need for soup simply warm up a mug of this purple broth in the microwave and enjoy its earthy goodness.

Ingredients

·         1 Small Red Onion

·         1 Teaspoon Olive oil

·         200g Red Cabbage

·         200g Raw Beetroot

·         Salt and Pepper

Method

1.       Start by finely chopping the onion, then fry in the olive oil until golden.

2.       Shred the cabbage before peeling and chopping the beetroot. Add the beetroot and cabbage to the pan, and cover the water.

3.       Bring the soup to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

4.       Blend the soup, in the food processor, until smooth. (You can add in more water dependant on the thickness you enjoy)

5.       Season the soup to taste and divide into portions.

6.       When you feel in the need for a healing mug of soup simply heat up in the microwave and enjoy, to further enhance the Scandinavian flavours of this soup finish with a scattering of dill and a slice of rye bread.

This soup freezes well, so make up a batch at the weekend to keep you stocked up through the week.

Valentine's Butterfly Buns

Whether you are dining out or celebrating alone, everyone deserves a treat on Valentine’s Day. These festive buns are the perfect way to let some know they’re loved; why not make up a batch and hand them out to your friends, spreading love and happiness on this special day.

Ingredients

Buns

·         100g margarine

·         100g caster sugar

·         100g self raising flour

·         2 free range eggs, beaten

Decoration

·         30g margarine

·         60g icing sugar

·         Raspberry jam

·         Heart shaped sweets/sprinkles

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 180°C, and line a tray with 12 bun cases.

2.       Place the margarine and sugar in a large bowl and whip together, until the mixture is light and creamy.

3.       Sift in the flour, and add in the beaten eggs, before gently folding them into the bun mixture.

4.       Spoon the mixture evenly between the 12 bun cases, then bake for 20 minutes until golden.

5.       Leave the buns to cool, while you mix up the icing.

6.       Add the margarine to a bowl, then sift in the icing sugar and mix to a smooth paste.

7.       When they have cool use a sharp knife to gently cup a disk from the top of each bun, keeping hold of the bun tops for later.

8.       Fill the buns with a teaspoon of jam and icing. The take your bun top and cut it in half, before places the pieces back on top of the bun to form a beautiful butterfly.

9.       When all of your butterflies have been adorned with their wings, simply scatter then with heart shaped sweets or festive pink sprinkles.

10.   These will stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container, though I doubt they will last beyond the end of the day!!

February

As we draw into yet another dark and cold winter month it is easy to feel despondent. With the warm glow of spring seeming far away, and the bounteous harvest of summer further still, cooks can’t help but feel lost at what to whip up for supper.

But in fact this is a time to realise the wonders that lie in the larder, utilising dried beans and grains to create comforting dishes. With Shrove Tuesday on the horizon what could be better than a stack of steaming pancakes generously drizzled with syrup, the perfect comfort food for a cold February evening.

Pancakes were traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, to use up the luxuries in the pantry before 40 days of restrained eating began. Pancakes were a good way of using up lavish ingredients such as milk, eggs and sugar before Christians would begin their fasting, which often meant that no meat, eggs or dairy would be consumed during this period.

So with this in mind why not indulge while you can, filling your pancakes with a multitude of extravagant fillings.  For those wanting a savoury treat why not try filling you pancakes with fried seasonal greens and covering with a blanket of cheese sauce, before burnishing the top under the grill. Or for those of you, like me, who have more of sweet tooth why not dip into the preserves; jam is perfect to spread on warm pancakes with a scoop of ice cream.

However you like to serve your pancakes one thing is for sure, you can never have too many- so stack them up high and enjoy the festivities before the restraint of lent begins.