Butternut Squash Soup

Having developed an unhealthy obsession with junk food in the build up to deadlines it was time to cut back on the rubbish and fill myself with something that doesn't contain enough calories to feed a whole family for a week. This vegetable soup is a great balance of flavours and for me a little taste of home, as it is one of my Dad's signature dishes.

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 parsnip
1 red chilli
1 large onion
3 large tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
Mixed herbs
Calorie controlled cooking spray
1litre vegetable stock

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200oC/ Gas mark 4.5
2. Peel and de-seed the butternut squash, chop into bite sized pieces along with the parsnip
3. Chop the onion and tomatoes into quarters
4. Finely dice the chilli and put in a roasting tray with the rest of the vegetables
5. Peel the garlic and leave whole, put with the vegetables
6. Spray all the vegetables with cooking spray and sprinkle with herbs
7. Bake for 40 minutes, turning frequently to ensure even cooking
8. Place all of the vegetables in a large bowl, slowly add the stock, blitzing with a hand blender until you have the required consistency.

For best results serve it just like my Dad does, piping hot with crusty bread and a good film on a Sunday afternoon with your best friend.

Almond Milk

A fellow blogger friend of mine Kieran has recently turned Vegan with his girlfriend, because of this regular cows milk is no longer a 'done' thing for them these days. As an alternative they both drink almond milk which is just as easy and available to buy in the supermarket as cows milk.

The health benefits of almond milk seem to be endless. It has no cholesterol and is said to improve eyesight, skin, bone strength as well as being blood sugar friendly due to its low sugar levels, making it ideal for diabetics.

 Because of these health benefits I was dying to try some. So myself, Kieran and his girlfriend, Mary decided to give making our own almond milk a go. Before you imagine us trying to squeeze milk out of individual almonds please know that this recipe is so simple and involves no cooking, no effort what so ever and was actually a lot of fun. 

Makes 1.5 Pints

Ingredients

300g almonds

1.5 pint water

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method

Kieran and Mary with our makeshift muslin

1. Place the almonds in a large container and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for a minimum of 6 hours, ideally overnight
2. Once the almonds have been soaked drain away the excess water and rinse thoroughly
3. Place the almonds in a blender along with the water and maple syrup
4. Blend on a high speed for a minimum of two minutes until no large pieces of almond remain
5. Put the mixture through a piece of muslin (we didn't have any so we improvised with a pair of tights- I would like to add they were new!) into a jug or bottle
6. Refrigerate and serve.