Cook Yourself Thin Quick and Easy~ Sweet Potato and Apple Soup and Banana Loaf

Over the recent last year I’ve piled on some weight, and after being in a rut for months (a first for me, as I’m generally very strong willed), I’ve now started to watch what I eat and cut back on calories. I will however still continue to bake delicious treats for my boys, family and friends but I’m going to be good and keep reminding myself how lonely my skinny jeans are sitting in my closet! Last month I purchased the new Cook Yourself Thin Quick and Easy cookbook and like the previous book it is packed with great recipes to help you shift the bulge with a few clever changes to the way you cook and the ingredients you use. Of course until today I had not tried any of the recipes from either of the Cook Yourself Thin books, so today I jumped in at the deep end and went for 2 recipes in one afternoon. I love soups and they are perfect for this cold weather we are experiencing, which is why I chose this Sweet Potato and Apple Soup as the first of my 2 recipes. I must say I’ve never had apple in a soup but it does add a different dimension to the flavour, making this is a delicious winter warmer and let’s not forget low in calories. My second choice of recipe had to be the Banana Loaf, after all I love baking and although I’m cutting down on calories, this low fat version will still allow me to enjoy a slice with my afternoon cup of tea. Who said dieting was boring?!


Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

Serves 4
143 calories per serving

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
420g peeled sweet potatoes, diced into 1 ½ cm pieces
1 cm piece of ginger, peeled or ½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
140g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1.5cm pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a pan, and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft, but not browned. Add the sweet potato, ginger, cumin, coriander and apple. Cover with about 750ml boiling water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes until the sweet potato is tender. Whiz with a hand blender or in the food processor until the soup is smooth. Season to taste and serve.




Banana Loaf

Makes 14 slices
201 calories per slice

Ingredients
50g butter
175g light brown soft sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
350g peeled ripe bananas, mashed
200g self-raising flour sifted
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g walnuts, roughly chopped (I used pecans, I was out of walnuts)
6 walnuts halves

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan 160oC. Line and grease a 1kg loaf tin. Cream the butter with the sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, and gradually whisk them into the butter and sugar. Add the mashed bananas and beat the mixture well. Carefully fold in the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the walnuts. Put the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and decorate with the walnut halves, pressing them gently into the mixture. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the cake has risen and us golden. Allow to cool.

Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup and Rustic Bacon and Cheddar Bread

I love soups and my family and I welcome a steaming bowl of home-made soup on a cold autumn’s day or evening served with your favourite crusty bread. This Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup is easy, quick and delicious. The sausages add a yummy touch and something I would never have thought to add to a bowl of soup but it works! I made some Rustic Bacon and Cheddar Bread to serve with the soup. This savoury bread is seriously easy and loaded with cheese and bacon. A delicious bread that is full of flavour and perfect to serve with soup or eaten on its own.


Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
7 juniper berries
1 ½ tsp caraway seeds
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 small parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
6 pure pork sausages
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190oC/375oF/gas mark 5.

Crush the juniper berries and caraway seeds with a pestle and mortar. Put all the vegetables, the oil, spices and seasoning in a large roasting pan and mix with your hands until the vegetables are well coated with the oil and spices. Pop into the oven for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are golden and soft, turning over once halfway through cooking, to ensure they are evenly roasted. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Meanwhile, fry the sausages in a large pan.

Puree the vegetables with enough water to give a lovely soupy consistency and season to taste. Remove the sausages from the pan and slice them. Pour the soup into the pan, add the sausages, stir through, then reheat.

Recipe from Soups & Stews by Sophie Conran



Rustic Bacon and Cheddar Bread

Makes 1 Loaf

Ingredients
320g (11½ oz) plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
100g (3½ oz)Cheddar cheese, grated
100g (3½ oz) bacon lardons, cooked until just crisp in a little sunflower oil and cooled
200ml (7fl oz) milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
60ml (2fl oz) olive oil

13 x 23cm (5x9in) loaf tin

Preheat the oven to 180OC (350oF), Gas mark 4. Lightly oil and line the loaf tin with parchment paper.

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the grated cheese and the cooled bacon lardons and mix well. Pour the milk into a large measuring jug, add the eggs, mustard and olive oil and whisk to combine.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the liquid, stirring all the time until it is fully incorporated, to form a fairly liquid dough. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the tin and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes on the oven shelf to crisp up the bottom. When cooked, it will sound hollow when tapped on the base. Allow to cool on a wire rack before eating.

Recipe from Bake by Rachel Allen

Comfort in a Bowl~Carrot Soup

Although the weather has been sunny, it is still cold, especially in the evenings, brrrr. I love home-made soups and there is nothing better to warm you from the inside than a bowl of hot soup served with buttered bread, for dipping. I came across this simple vegetable soup in March's edition of Delicious magazine. If your looking for comfort in a bowl, then look no further. If you would like to re-create this delicious soup then click on the link below.

Recipe for Carrot Soup.