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Roasted Tomato Soup with Puree of Basil

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 ½lb tomatoes
1 fat clove garlic, chopped
Small bunch of basil
4oz potato
15fl oz boiling water
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil

Method
Skin tomatoes, cut in half and place in a shallow roasting tin cut side up. Season and sprinkle with a few drops of oil, the garlic and a piece of basil leaf dipped in oil on each. Place in an oven at Mark 5 for 50 mins to 1 hour until the edges are blackened. Peel and chop the potato, place in pan with the water and tomato puree and simmer until tender. Puree potato and tomatoes not too uniformly, and season. Puree basil with some salt in a mortar and pestle. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and the vinegar and stir. Drizzle over the soup when serving.

Curried Lentil and Parsnip Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp mild curry powder
8oz red split lentils, washed and drained
8oz parsnips, roughly chopped
2pt vegetable stock

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion slices for 2 mins until softened. Stir in the curry powder, red lentils and chopped parsnips and fry for 2 mins. Pour in stock and season to taste. Simmer for 35 mins or until vegetables are cooked. Blend in a food processor until smooth, then pass through a sieve into a rinsed saucepan. Serve hot.

Spiced Blackberry Layer

Serves 6

Ingredients
1lb blackberries
4 tbsp syrup
6oz margarine
6oz caster sugar
3 eggs
6oz self raising flour
½ tsp mixed spice
1-2 tbsp milk

Method

Put the blackberries in a greased ovenproof dish and pour over the syrup. make up a sponge mix with the rest of the ingredients and spoon over the fruit. Bake at 180°C for 45 mins.

Carrot and Orange Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2lb carrots, scrubbed and chopped
1¾pt light vegetable stock
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp paprika
1-2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
Rind and juice of 1 large orange
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, then cover the pan and sweat them for 2 - 3 minutes. Peel and chop the carrots finely and add these to the pan. Cover again and sweat the vegetables for a further 10 minutes. Next add the stock, spices, coriander and the rind and juice of an orange. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Let the soup cool, then liquidise it thoroughly, making sure it is completely smooth. Season it well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then return the soup to a clean pan and re-heat it gently. You can serve this soup garnished with extra coriander or thin slices of orange.

Chinese-style Pak Choi

Serves 1

Ingredients
2 heads of pak choi 2 tbsp olive oil
½ glass red wine
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 spring onions, trimmed
1 red pepper, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 wedge of lemon
Handful of coriander
1 tsp sugar

Method
Braise the pak choi in the oil, wine and vinegar for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally. Blanch the spring onions in boiling water for one minute to soften. Wrap the spring onions around the pak choi. In a pan, heat the oil and sauté the pepper slices for 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon wedge, coriander and sugar. Season and serve with the pak choi and sauce it was braised in.

Welsh Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients
3oz butter
3oz caster sugar
2 eggs
3oz self-raising flour
1lb rhubarb
1tbsp demerara sugar
FOR THE TOPPING:
2¾oz butter
3oz plain flour
1oz caster sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease and line an 8 inch round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs and fold in the flour and a pinch of salt. If needed, add milk to give a dropping consistency. Slice the rhubarb into 1 ½ inch pieces and toss with the demerara sugar. To make the topping, rub the butter into the flour and stir in the sugar. Pour the cake mix into the tin and arrange the rhubarb on top. Sprinkle the topping over and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Ginger Biscuits

Makes 60

Ingredients
10oz plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½tsp ground ginger
¼tsp ground cinnamon
¼tsp ground cloves
4oz butter, at room temperature
12oz caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
4tbsp treacle
1tsp fresh lemon juice

Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Lightly grease three to four baking sheets. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a small bowl. Set aside. Cream the butter and two-thirds of the sugar together. Stir in the egg, treacle and lemon juice. Add the flour and spice mixture and mix in thoroughly with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough. Shape the dough into ¾inch balls. Roll the balls in the remaining sugar and place about 2 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake until the biscuits are just firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. With a palette knife, transfer the biscuits to a wire rack and leave to cool.