Autumn supper menu to try.

What with Halloween and Bonfire night heading our way this week, we thought this might be the perfect time to post an easy Autumn supper menu to keep the fam fully fuelled for the upcoming festivities. As the nights draw in and we face the inevitable clock change which means school runs in the dark, it’s the perfect season for warming soups, wholesome tray bakes and chocolate treats, so this week we’ve got all three for you in one hit.

Carrot & Ginger Soup Starter

You will need…

1 kg carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1-litre vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cm fresh ginger grated

2 tsp ground cumin

400ml reduced fat coconut milk

Salt and pepper

Handful vegetable crisps

Toasted sourdough

Serves 6

Here’s what to do…

1. Place the carrots and vegetable stock in a saucepan and heat for about 20 minutes until carrots are tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and gently cook the chopped onion, garlic and ginger until soft. Stir in the cumin, season and add to the carrots that are cooking.
3. When cooked, stir in the coconut milk.
4. Liquidise the mixture until blended, but still leaving a texture and season.
5. Serve in bowls/mugs, topped with vegetable crisp, and toasted sourdough.

Tips… 

Prepare ahead to end of stage 4. Reheat when required and top with vegetable crisps.

Try adding a little orange juice, and/or chopped coriander stems for an alternative flavour.

 

Chicken and Paprika Tray Bake

You will need…

4 large chicken breasts, sliced into 4/6 fillets

4 tbsp smoked paprika

3 tbsp herbs de Provence

6 tbsp olive oil

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 6

8 rashers smoked streaky bacon

Juice 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Serves 4

Here’s what to do… 

1. Mix the paprika, herbs and seasoning together and spread over a sheet of baking paper.
2. Roll the chicken fillets into the mixture, roughly coating each side.
3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and brown the chicken for about 8 minutes until cooked through but still very tender. Transfer into a baking tray. You may have to do this in batches, using 4 tbsp oil in the process.
4. Add the cut tomatoes to the tray, cover with the bacon rashers, drizzle with half the lemon juice and remaining olive oil.
5. Place under the grill for about 15 minutes, until the bacon is crisp.
6. Drizzle with the remaining lemon juice, add a little olive oil if required and serve.

Tips…

Wonderful served with a crisp salad and sourdough bread to mop up the juices.

Prepare ahead to the end of stage 4, and refrigerate. Keep at room temperature for an hour before grilling and serving.

Try adding a sliced red onion to the chicken when you are frying it, or a sliced pepper before grilling.

Easy Chocolate Brownies

You will need…

375g unsalted butter

375g dark chocolate

6 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla essence

500g caster sugar

225g plain flour

1 tsp salt

90g white chocolate

2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder

Makes about 20 to 25 depending on size

Here’s what to do…

1. Line the base of a 33x23x5cm baking tin with parchment paper.
2. Melt butter and dark chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Leave to cool
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl until pale., and add to the chocolate mixture.
4. Stir in the flour and salt beat to combine and pour into the lined tray.
5. Bake for 25 minutes at 180C. The top will crack slightly, but the middle should still be wobbly as they will continue to cook as they cool.
6. Leave to cool before cutting into squares.
7. When ready to serve, drizzle with melted white chocolate and dust with sieved cocoa powder.

Tips…

There’s nothing worse than a dry brownie so ensure you keep a watch on the cooking time and remove from oven at the right moment.

You can cool the brownies in the fridge to make cutting easier. The aim is to create a dense, and gooey middle to each brownie.

So that’s it for this week – for more recipes head to our Food section, and watch out for some more upcoming recipes in collaboration with our fab local Dabbling Duck restaurant in Shere. Also to join us in more foodie drooling head over to our Pinterest pages where it’s easy to spend hours falling down the foodie rabbit hole of gorgeous images. Have a great Halloween and Bonfire celebration this week!