A Recipe for Resolutions!

Well first of all, Happy New Year!!!

Having over-indulged in the festive period with turkey, mince pies and chocolate treats, washed down with copious amounts of delicious mulled wine, I can only imagine that if you’re anything like me, the diets and detox will be in full swing.

I’ve always found January to be quite dull - the come down from Christmas, the strain of keeping those all important resolutions in action and the cold, dark days that brutally remind us that we are still in winter. However, rather than put you in a total state of doom and gloom, let me instead arouse your taste buds and get 2014 off to a mouth-watering start.

Cooking in January can be made fun and adventurous for budding cooks at any level of ability. 

In an attempt to save those last remaining pennies and keep the bank manager at bay, seize the chance to empty out those cupboards and use up leftovers from the Christmas season. 

This is your opportunity to get gutsy in the kitchen, sampling new flavours and mixing them up to make a delicious dish. 

There is nothing more thrilling than creating a new recipe of your own combinations; this is how the best chefs learn!

As the cold days linger on, there remains a demand for satisfying comfort food –warming, stirring, and nurturing ingredients into scrumptious and hearty casseroles and soups. 

My recipe this month demonstrates a dish you can produce using leftover ingredients from the yuletide season, without interfering too much with your resolutions. 

However, don’t axe the calories too drastically - a few here and there are perfectly justifiable throughout the winter months!

Chestnut, Apple and Sage Soup

with Pancetta

The flavours in this recipe are still traditionally ‘wintry’ - the earthy sweetness of the chestnuts combined with the sweet hint of the apple, finished with the smokiness of the pancetta all make this a truly seasonal dish.

Ingredients:

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Serves 6

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1 onion, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

800g chestnuts (if you’re using ready pureed chestnuts, use 870g for this recipe)

125ml sherry (for those on detox, the alcohol reduces when cooked, therefore it doesn’t count!)

300g cubed pancetta

4 apples, skinned, cored, cubed

Bunch of sage, chopped

500ml chicken stock

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Truffle oil and single cream for drizzling (NB: garlic oil is a good alternative)

Method

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·  Heat oil in a large pan, browning off garlic, onion, apple and celery for 10 minutes on a medium heat

·  Add sage, chestnuts and stock, simmering for 5 minutes before liquidising

·  Add sherry, season with salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer for a further 20 minutes

· Meanwhile, heat a small pan, add pancetta, no oil needed as the pancetta when cooking will provide it

· Serve the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the pancetta

· Finish off with a drizzle of truffle oil and cream (if you are not on a diet)

· Serve with a big chuck of crusty bread...Heaven on a cold wintery night