Recipe // Sweet Potato & Chill Soup

2 tsp olive oil
2 onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 - 2 red chillies
500g sweet potato
500g carrots
2 pints of vegetable stock

Fry the onion and garlic until soft then add the remaining ingredients
Cover the pan and bring to the boil then simmer for 20 mins
Blend until smooth and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche

I can't remember where I got this recipe from as it's just scribbled in the back of a notebook but I'm going to hazard a guess it's a weight watchers one for when I'm trying to be good.

Like last weeks pumpkin cookie recipe which can be found here there are a few ingredients and the most strenuous task is cutting up all that sweet potato. You may have noticed I love a quick, easy and delicious recipe.

This makes up a massive batch so there is plenty to freeze for even lazier days when you want something even quicker but far better than reaching for a tin of soup and perfect for warming up after tonights firework displays.

If you have a simple, quick recipe for me please share.

Heather Bullard's Pumpkin Cookies

I discovered Heather Bullard's Pumpkin Cookie recipe many years ago and have been making it ever since. It's one of those simple recipes using a few ingredients most of which you find in the store cupboard and perfect for using up all that pumpkin leftover from your carvings.

These delicious cookies are more of a soft cake texture I find and the perfect Autumnal treat. Maybe you could knock up a batch tonight to gift trick or treaters tomorrow? I know that work appreciated the batch I took into work yesterday.

Let me know if you give them a try.

Food Glorious Food | Tarragon Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Today’s BEDM topic is food which gives me the perfect opportunity to share a recipe for the most delicious tarragon chicken pie I made a few weeks ago. And it’s so simple! This dish was on GMTV Oscars day where they made individual pies and decorated with an Oscar design. It’s such a great recipe to cook for friends as it can be done in advance and perfect for the cooler Spring weather we’re experiencing and want something a little lighter but with some warmth and comfort. I served with carrots and long stemmed broccoli but a salad would work just as well and if you’re being better than I with calorie consumption you could simply enjoy the tarragon chicken without the puff pastry topping – although that would be a tragedy in my eyes!

Ingredients
70g plain flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

750g chicken breast fillets cut into 2cm dice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

150ml chicken stock

4 tbsp crème fraiche

A small bunch of tarragon leaves chopped

375g ready-rolled all butter puff pastry

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Combine flour, cayenne pepper and salt in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat, shaking off any excess flour.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until light golden. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. Return pan to a medium heat; add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add stock and crème fraiche, simmer gently for 5 minutes, then return the chicken to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes further. Remove from heat, season and stir through the tarragon.

4. You will need 4 individual pie dishes. Using an upside down dish as a guide, cut out a round of pastry for the pie lid(s), allowing an extra 1cm all round. Spoon the filling into the dishes. Brush the rims with egg and top with the pastry lids pushing down the edges around the rim. Brush tops with egg yolk and pierce the top of each pie. Use any pastry trimmings to cut out Oscar figurines and use these to decorate the top of your pies.

5. Brush decorations with egg and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. Cool for 5 minutes before serving with a crisp green salad.

Do let me know if you give this a whirl, I would love to know if you think this is amazing as I do! Who’s hungry?

Supper Club!

Two friends joined me again for dinner yesterday evening in what is regularly becoming our Wednesday night supper club!

The night before I prepared Nigella's Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

For dinner we had Toad in the Hole

I used meatballs instead of sausages and served with a BBQ gravy which when I explained to my friend I'd made myself she commented "it tastes like real BBQ sauce" so I guess that's a good thing!

What have you been making for dinner recently?

Peach Pudding

When I saw a very easy recipe for Peach Cobbler over at Emma Bear's blog and realised I had all the necessary ingredients I couldn't resist giving it a try

Admittedly it was very sweet and I wouldn't put so much sugar in next time but I recommend you give it a try for a quick dessert!

Smarties Cookies

Yesterday was the indulgent baking post, today is the one for those of us weight watching at the moment!

I've had this recipe for Smartie cookies sitting around for some time and  finally made them last night

Don't they look cute!

I'd highly recommend you giving these a go - they're quick and simple to make coming in at only 2 weight watcher points

Here's the recipe for you all to try

100g Low Fat Spread

50g Golden Caster Sugar

2 tbsp Golden Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

150g Plain Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 tubes of Smarties

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200 degrees/180 fan 

Cream together low fat spread  & sugar until pale and fluffy

Beat in the golden syrup & vanilla extract

Stir in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of sofa until combine to make a soft cookie dough

Divide the dough into 12 and bake in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes

Remove from the oven and press smarties into each cookie

Leave to cool

Make sure you let me know if you give these a try!

Baked Goods

I did some baking for my brother again last week following his request for Oatmeal & Raisin cookies 

Whilst I was in the kitchen I also made Marbled Brownies from Gizzi's Kitchen Magic

I sometimes find brownies too dry but these were moist and delicious

I will be using them later this week in an ice cream recipe too

What have you been baking lately?