Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

The inspiration behind this soup came from a restuarant we ate at last weekend. We didn't even eat the soup there- it was just on the specials board. But I have been thinking about the soup all week (yep, life is pretty exciting for us).
The final product didn't disappoint. Creamy, rich and tasty, but you definately need lots of bitey cheddar cheese to add lots of flavour.


Broccoli and Cheddar Soup:
6 tbs butter
3 tbs plain flour
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
4 heads of broccoli (stems and florets seperated)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
 6 cups chicken stock
2 cups of grated strong cheddar cheese

 Chop the broccoli stems into bite size pieces.
In half the butter fry the onion and broccoli stems for 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and boil until the stems are tender (about 15 minutes).
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter and add it to the plain flour to make a thick paste.
Add the cream, milk and butter/flour paste into the soup, whisking to combine.
Add the broccoli florets (these are added now so they don't overcook and lose their colour).
Cook until tender (another 5-10 minutes).
Blend together either in a food processor or using a sick blender.
Add the cheddar cheese and stir to combine whilst still hot.

Walnut and Parsley Pesto

This is an autumn/ winter version of pesto and a little less full on in flavour than your usual basil and pine nut combination.

It also helped make a small dent in our parsley forest! This recipe actually makes about 2 cups of pesto, but it can be frozen by putting any unused portion into an ice cube tray and covering with cling wrap before putting in the freezer.

There are various versions around of the same thing- some with lemon rind, with or without garlic and cheese. Here's our version:

1 cup shelled walnuts
2 cups fresh parsley
1-2 cloves of garlic
100g pecorino cheese
Olive oil

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and add enough olive oil to achieve a wet consistency.

Chocolate and Almond Cake

This is a great simple chocolate cake, but the secret lies in the texture. The chocolate is processed to fine chunks, and leaves the cake really moist but also nice and chewy. 
We also ground our own almonds to make the almond meal, adding extra crunch.

Chocolate and Almond Cake:

200g unsalted butter
200g dark cooking chocolate
4 eggs, seperated
170g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g ground almonds (almond meal)

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Grease and line a 24cm baking pan with non stick paper.
Melt butter and set aside to cool.
Process the chocolate in a food processor until finely chopped but still retaining a little texture.
Place egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat until thick and creamy.
Fold in the chocolate, butter and almond meal.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gently fold in the chocolate mixture. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth over the top.
Bake for 50- 60 minutes, or until just firm to the touch.
Leave to cool in the pan then serve dusted with cocoa.