Week 33: Squash Soup

The Recipe
500g squash (~1lb)
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
5 tbsp half-and-half
Salt
pepper
Oregano
Lemon juice

Chop onion and garlic. Heat oil in a pot and cook onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add squash in thin slices and give a quick stir before pouring in the stock. Bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer for 10 minutes until the squash is done. Add oregano and use a stick blender to get the soup nice and smooth. Add cream and salt, pepper and lemon juice according to taste.

The Verdict
I liked the taste well enough, but have to admit that for a main, I prefer soups that aren't blended. It would be lovely for an appetizer though, as it tasted great and was really easy to make.

Week 2: Roasted asparagus

The Recipe
2 tbsp olive oil
6 slices parma or serrano ham
12 fresh green asparagus
Salt, pepper
Aioli

Heat the oven to 200C. Remove the very bottom of the stem of the asparagus - see where it snaps easily, that's the place to cut it off. Wrap the ham around the asparagus and put it in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with oil and add salt and pepper according to taste.

Let the asparagus roast for 8-12 minutes according to thickness. They should still be firm when bitten into.

Serve hot with aioli for dipping.

The Verdict
Yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy! Perfect for an appetizer or part of a tapas meal. They're really easy to make and the result is both delicious and fancy looking. Definitely worth a repeat!