Baked Camembert with Roasted Garlic

A new Waitrose opened in town last Thursday and Mr VST and I went to explore on Friday evening. They had a great cheese selection and Mr VST also fell for the olives. While we were there I suggested to Mr VST that we try out the baked camembert with roasted garlic recipe that we had seen on TV ages ago. 

It was very easy to assemble the ingredients.

I think I may have had the oven on too hot, I don't remember Lorraine Pascal's looking like this.

It tasted great though.

The roasted garlic was mellow and smooth and not harsh at all. It went really well with the gooey camembert.

We fell for the bread in Waitrose, organic it may have been but pappy it still was.

This was a really tasty and easy Friday night meal and one I am sure we will be having again. 

Carrot and Garlic Soup

After our long weekend of cooked breakfasts, filling, tasty evening meals and a lot of chocolate cake we both fancied something simple when we got home on Tuesday evening. 

I had a few carrots in the fridge and we stopped and picked up some more and some butter. I already had a mountain of garlic at home.

I love this recipe, it's so simple and very flavoursome and creamy despite the lack of cream (OK there is quite a lot of butter instead).

So to make this soup you need:
1kg of carrots, chopped into thick chunks
120g butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1litre of stock

1. Boil or steam the carrots until just tender.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan and cook for one minute with the minced garlic and oregano
3. Add the carrots to the melted butter mix and cook over a medium heat for five minutes
4. Add the stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes
5. Blend and serve

Carrot, parsnip and cumin soup

My first semi-original recipe! This is a variation on my friend's Carrot and Garlic Soup recipe. It's soooooo creamy and smooth, a perfect Winter warmer.

500g carrots
500g parsnips
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
120g butter
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 litre swiss bouillon vegetable stock

1. Boil or steam the carrots and parsnips until just tender and drain well (remembering that the parsnips only need about half the boiling/steaming time of the carrots).

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook for one minute with the garlic and cumin.

3. Add the carrots and parsnips and cook over a medium heat for five minutes.

4. Add stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes

5. Blend together and serve.