Butternut Squash & Gruyere Soup

THIS. IS. HEAVEN.

I will not lie to you when I say this, but this soup is honestly to die for. It is the perfect combination of silky cheese, strong earthy tones of squash and a kick of smoked paprika. All in all, it is well worth the effort of making as I am yet to find a fresh soup on the supermarket shelves that tickles my winter taste buds as this recipe does.

I last made this recipe for my 21st birthday dinner and all of my extended family requested the recipe once they had experienced its greatness (if I do say so myself), so here it is for all of you too!

Served with cream and ground black pepper

Prep Time - 25mins
Cooking Time - 30mins
Cost - £6.20 
(all ingredients from Tesco)

Makes - 1.5lts/ serves 4-6
Calories per portion - 538kcal

Ingredients

80g Butter
1 Large Butternut Squash
195g Smoked Gruyere Cheese
1x 400ml Can of Coconut Milk
2x Chicken Stock Cubes (made up to 850ml)
1 Large Onion
4 Garlic Cloves 
1tsp Black Pepper
Salt (to taste/ approx 1/2tsp) 
1/2tsp Nutmeg
1/2tsp Smoked Paprika



Method 

Cut the Onion and Garlic finely and cook in a large saucepan with the Butter until softened (approx 5-8 minutes)

Add black Pepper, Nutmeg and Smoked Paprika to the mix and cook for a further 5 minutes

Peel the squash, and cut into cubes (approx 2x2cm), removing the pips inside. Add the cubes to the onion mix and cook for 5 minutes

Make up the chicken stock in a jug using boiling water (or as instructed on the packet), and add to the saucepan. The squash should almost be all covered by the mix.

Leave to simmer and cook until the squash is soft through, this should take about half an hour on a medium to low heat.
 
Taking the saucepan from the heat, use a hand blender or food processor to blitz the mixture until smooth. 

Add the can of coconut milk to the pan and blitz again until the mixture is smooth once more.

Grate the cheese before putting the pan back on to the heat. Once you have out your saucepan back on the low heat, stir in the grated cheese until melted and combined with the mixture.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve! You may even decide to serve alongside a slice of rustic crusty bread from your local delicatessen and a drizzle of double cream if you so desire to indulge in such luxury!

Enjoy!

Image From How Sweet Eats - served with spicy chickpeas, cream and chives

Adapted to English measures from the wonderful How Sweet Eats blog.

Devil's Oreo & White Chocolate Cheesecake

This quick and easy recipe had popped up on Facebook one too many times to ignore so I took the calorific plunge and whipped up my own.

Prep Time - 15mins
Cooling Time - 1hr
Cost - £4.11 
(all ingredients from Tesco)
1x Baking tin/tray (approx 9x9")

Makes - 16 squares
Calories per portion - 388kcal

The diet is well and truly out of the window!

Ingredients

Base

2x - 154g Pack Oreo Vanilla (approx 28 biscuits) 
(or any other flavour, I think the peanut butter ones could be even more deadly!)
150g Butter/Margarine

Filling

250 g White chocolate
150 g Cream cheese
1x 154g pack Oreo Vanilla (approx 14 biscuits)

Topping

1x 154g pack Oreo Vanilla (approx 14 biscuits)
100 g Dark chocolate

Method

Ideally using a food processor, or if not available, with a strong hand, combine two packets of Oreos (208g) with the butter until smooth.

Line your tin with cling film and continue to press the mixture firmly into the bottom of your tin until even. 

To make the filling, break the white chocolate into a microwaveable bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals stirring in between, until completely melted. Add the cream cheese to the chocolate in the bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth.the 12 Oreos.

Using your hands or a hard work surface, break up one packet of Oreos while still in the packet or alternatively put the biscuits in a freezer bag a whack them with a rolling pin. Once you have your desired chunks, fold them into the chocolate and cheese mixture. Pour the mixture onto your biscuit base and smooth evenly, pressing the mixture into the corners.

You will now have one packet of Oreos left to use and these are going to form the crunchy topping. Once again, break up the biscuits into chunks either by hand or with a rolling pin. Now it is up to you how you do this part, but the easiest way by far is just to take a handful at a time and sprinkle the biscuits evenly onto the top of your chocolate and cheese layer. Once covered, lightly press the chunks so that they stay put on the top of the mixture. 

Lastly, using the same method as before, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave while remembering to stir every fifteen seconds. Using a teaspoon drizzle (or trickle, or pour, you have artistic license her) the melted chocolate over the top layer of Oreos, finishing off your creation!

If you really can't wait, grab a spoon and dig in, however if you intend to serve these as adorable bitesize squares, then you need to chill it as a whole for about an hour in a fridge or freezer before cutting them.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Sweeten