Roast Tomato & Garlic Soup with a Basil Mascarpone Topping

For my mam and dad's 14th wedding anniversary, I decided that I would make dinner for them as an anniversary treat. I chose this recipe from my mam's book, Apron Strings, & I added some cooked spagettii and used the soup as a pasta sauce. This soup is full of flavour and it turned out really well.

Roast Tomato & Garlic Soup with a Basil Mascarpone Topping

Ingredients

850g fresh tomatoes, quartered

10 garlic cloves, peeled & cut in half

1 red onion, roughly chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 teasp sugar

salt & pepper

600mls chicken/vegetable stock

handful basil leaves

150g mascarpone

To Serve

100g mascarpone

2 tbsp basil pesto
small basil leaves

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
2. Put the chopped tomatoes, garlic cloves and onion in an over proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle over the sugar and season with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper.

3. Wash your hands and massage all the ingredients together until the tomatoes and onion are well combined with all the other ingredients.

4. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. 

5. Meanwhile in a large saucepan heat the stock, stir in the cooked roasted tomato mix and add the basil. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.
6. Blend the soup until smooth with a liquidiser or hand blender.

7. Return to the heat and stir through the mascarpone.

8. To make the topping, combine the 100g of mascarpone with the basil pesto in a bowl.

9. Serve the soup in a bowl or teacup with a dollop of the basil mascarpone and a few small basil leaves to garnish.

Rachel Allen's Macaroni Cheese

Often at the weekend, I cook something nice for my family. While I was looking through Rachel Allen's Favourite Food At Home, I came across this recipe. I've always been a fan of Macaroni Cheese and when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. This tastes delicious with salad.

Rachel Allen's Macaroni Cheese
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
75g (3oz) butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
75g (3oz) plain flour
900ml (1½ pints) boiling milk
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
225g (8oz) cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g (11oz) macaroni pasta

Method

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the chopped onions and cook gently until soft.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for minute, then add the milk gradually, whisking all the time, and the mustard.
3. Whisk in three-quarters of the cheese and allow to melt into the sauce, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta with a teaspoon of salt, until just soft.
5. Drain the pasta, and then toss into the cheese sauce and transfer into a gratin dish, about 25cm (10in) square.
6. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pop under a grill for a few minutes to brown the cheese on top, or if you wish, put the aside for later.
7. Put the dish into an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 to reheat. Leave in for about 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Pentagon Pizza

Recently, I've been really craving pizza. But one night, we had nothing to make pizzas with so I tried to use a tortilla wrap as a base. Surprisingly, it worked perfectly and it was delicious!

Pentagon Pizza

Ingredients
1 plain tortilla wrap
50ml passata
grated cheese
ham (optional)
onion (optional)
tomato (optional)

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to fan 180C/200C/gas mark 6
2. Make a circle of passata on the outline of the tortilla wrap.

3. Place some grated cheese on the passata. Place in the microwave for 50 seconds.

4. Fold in the edges with passata and cheese on them.

5. Spread passata on the rest of the tortilla wrap.

6. Cover the passata with the toppings of your choice.

7. Place the pizza in the oven for 7-9 minutes.

Darina Allen's Potato & Fresh Herb Soup

We are just back from an astonishing family holiday in East Cork. There was so much to do, from bowling to cinemas, from beaches to cliff walks together with all my family and my cousin Caoimhe. On one of the nights, my Mam and Dad went to Ballymaloe for their 11th Anniversary (I really wanted to go too!). My Mam and Dad's starter was this soup and they both loved it. My Mam found this recipe in Darina Allen's Book "Ballymaloe Cookery Course" and decided to make it.  I helped my Mam to make it but first I had to dig the potatoes in the garden and pick the herbs. It's very filling and full of flavour.

Potato & Fresh Herb Soup

Ingredients

50g (2oz) butter

425g (15oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm (⅓in) cubes

110g (4oz) onions, cut into 1cm (⅓in) cubes

1-2 tbsp of Parsley, Thyme, Sage and Chives

900ml (1½ pints) Chicken or Vegetable stock

125ml (4fl oz) Creamy Milk

1 tsp salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams add the onions and potatoes, and toss in the butter until well coated.
2. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover with butter wrapper or paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Sweat over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes
3. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil. When the vegetables are soft but not coloured, and the freshly chopped herbs and stock, and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft.
4. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Thin with creamy milk to the required consistency. Garnish and Serve.