This delicious soup is just as good hot as it is cold.

Ingredients you will need:

- 4 medium aubergines 

- 2 large red peppers

- 1 large orange pepper

- 1 large yellow pepper

- 1 chopped shallot

- 3 large cloves of garlic

- 300ml of vegetable stock

- 500 ml of tomato juice

- 1 tbsp of corse- grain mustard

- 2 sprigs of fresh basil

 - leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary 

- salt and pepper to taste

- olive oil 

- cherry tomatoes on the vine to garnish

Method: 

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 190°C. 

Step 2: Peel the aubergines in long strips, either using a swivel peeler or sharp knife, still keeping about 0.5cm of the flesh still on the skin. Cut those strips into long strips and then into small dice. Set the cubed aubergine skin aside. 

Step 3: Now wrap the peeled aubergines, rosemary and garlic in foil and roast in the preheated oven for around an hour or until the aubergine flesh is soften and completely broken. This may take a while so just be patient. Save any of the cooking juices.

Step 4: Heat up some olive oil in a frying pan and, when hot, fry the aubergine on the high heat to give it a slightly scorched flavour. Add the saved juices and season to taste. Set aside and leave to cool. 

Step 5: Slice up the peppers and discard the central seed core and stalk. 

Step 6: Add some more oil to the frying pan and, again when hot, sauté the shallot until lightly coloured. Then add the sliced pepper and continue frying over a high heat for around 5 minutes. 

Step 7: Mix in the basil, mustard and stock. Then bring to the boil, season and simmer for around 15 minutes. Now remove from the heat and cool. 

Step 8: Now discard the basil and blitz the pepper mixture either with a hand held blender or a food processor and then add the aubergine and blitz again until smooth. Gradually incorporate the tomato juice until you get the consistency you like and chill until ready to serve. 

Step 9: When you are ready to serve the soup, prepare the garnish by frying the saved aubergine skin in a little oil until light and crisp and then drain on kitchen paper. Next do the same with the tomatoes and again drain on kitchen paper. 

Step 10: Pour the soup into a bowl and scatter the aubergines on the top and place the tomatoes on the side and enjoy! (If you would like to eat this soup hot just gently heat over a medium heat until hot and serve.) 

(Original recipe by Gordon Ramsay)

This soup is super tasty and so simple and quick to whip up!

Ingredients: 

- 200g courgette, roughly chopped

- 85g broccoli 

- 100g kale, roughly chopped

- 500ml vegetable stock 

- 1 tbsp sunflower oil 

- 2 garlic cloves, roughly sliced

- a thumb size piece of fresh ginger

- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 

- 1/2 tsp ground coriander 

- pinch of salt

- 1 lime, zested and juice

- a small pack of parsley, roughly chopped- leave a few whole leaves to serve

Method: 

Step 1: Prepare all the vegetables and spices so everything is ready and easy for you in the next steps. 

Step 2: Put the oil into a deep pan, add the salt, garlic, ginger, turmeric and coriander and fry on a medium heat for around 2-3 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water to the spices to give them a bit more moisture. 

Step 3: Add the chopped courgettes and mix well with the spices so the courgette pieces are well coated, then cook for around 3 minutes. 

Step 4: Add 400ml of the stock and simmer for another 3 minutes.

Step 5: Add the broccoli, kale and lime juice plus the rest of the stock. Leave this to cook on a simmer until the vegetables are soft, this usually takes around 3-4 minutes. 

Step 6: Next take the soup off the heat, add the chopped parsley, put the soup into a blender and blend on a high speed until smooth. If you don't have an electric blender a hand held one is sufficient.

Step 7: Garnish with fresh parsley leaves and lime zest and enjoy!

Borough Market 

‘Borough Market is London’s most renowned food market; a source of exceptional British and international produce.’ - boroughmarket.org.uk

 Borough market is a vibrant and electric place that has a great atmosphere and is the perfect place to go and experience new food and drinks. It has such a great variety of food from seafood and fresh fish to beautiful cuts of meat and even more exotic ones such as crocodile and zebra. It also has copious amounts of stalls cooking fresh food to eat right there and then and is also a great place to find a special gift. It’s the place to go if you’re looking impeccable quality and also if you’re looking to try something new and interesting. 

Borough market is based in Southwark and is a short distance from the London Bridge underground station. The market is extremely popular and that’s what I think makes it so wonderful. The hustle and bustle gives the place a great atmosphere especially at this time of year! 

There are a variety of stalls in the market and many offer cheeky free samples so you can taste for yourself the wonders of this market totally for free! The fresh fruit and vegetables look so beautiful, giving the grey floors and buildings a splash of vibrant and spectacular colour. There is a huge variety from piles of garlic, tomatoes and watermelons to unusual mushrooms and truffles. Not only is there fruit and vegetables but there is also freshly squeezed fruit juices that you can even personalise yourself and create your very own tasty treat that is healthy and delicious. 

Along with fruit and vegetables there is also gorgeous cuts of meat that range from classic pork and beef to more unusual and rare animals such as wild boar and kangeroo. If you are very interested in trying the unusual cuts of meats but have no idea how to cook them then don’t fear there are stalls that provide freshly cooked burgers and other dishes made from these exotic animals for a great price! There is also great seafood and fish available at the market, freshly caught and you can even choose your own lobster if that is the kind of food you like. The huge pans of paella give off a beautiful aroma that wafts  around the busy people and mixes with other numerous beautiful smells coming from the different stalls. The fragrances are captivating along with the beautiful colours and freshly baked pastries. 

Along with the fish, meat and vegetables there is also amazing cakes, breads and cheeses. There is also vast amounts of pies and sausage rolls and other great pastry items. If you are thinking well this section isn't for me because you have a dietary requirement that restricts what cakes and sweet treats you can eat then don’t you worry, there is a great stall that provides theses delicious snacks totally gluten and wheat free and others that are dairy, egg and sugar free too! So now there is nothing much stopping you going to have a look around and maybe grab a delicious bite to eat!

There isn’t just food, there are wonderful performances from talented musicians that add beautifully to the already vibrant atmosphere and at this time of year the carols and musical pieces are just magical. To find out more about what time these performances are happening check out the borough market website linked below. 

If you do decide to go to this wonderful market I would love to know your thoughts and see any pictures you may have taken so tag me in any!

(@heyitsbrie - twitter, @brionycook - instagram) 

boroughmarket.org.uk

Here is a simple but delicious recipe that is perfect for a cold, rainy evening. 

The finished stew.

The ingredients you will need are:

-1kg of good quality beef brisket, cubed. 

- 2 large red onions, diced.

- 4 carrots, chopped.

- 2 sticks of celery, chopped.

- 3 garlic cloves, diced.

- 440ml Guinness

- 2 heaped tablespoons of plain flour

- ground pepper

- sea salt

- olive oil

- a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped. 

You could also add:

- 4 field mushrooms, chopped.

- 75g grated cheddar cheese

Method:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5. Dice the onions and garlic and chop the carrots and celery, then cut the beef into about 2cm cubes.


Step 2: Then in a large ovenproof, heat a glug of olive oil on a low heat. Add the onions and fry gently to soften for about 10 minutes but try not to colour the onions too much.

Step 3: Turn up the heat and add the garlic, carrots and celery (if you wanted to add mushrooms you should add them now). Mix everything together and then add the beef, rosemary, a pinch of sea salt and around a teaspoon of ground pepper.

Step 4: Fast fry this for about 3 to 4 minutes, then pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover with the lid and place in the preheated oven for around 1 hour 30 minutes.

















Step 5: Remove the pan from the oven, give it a stir and put it back into the oven and continue to cook it for another hour, or until the meat is tender and the stew is rich, dark and thick. If the filling is still liquidy, put the pan on the hob and reduce the stew. (If you wanted to add cheese remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese here).


The stew is now complete and yummy. You can then turn the stew into a tasty pie if you wish, by adding a puff pastry lid or even a suet crust; you could also add suet dumplings or just leave the stew as it is and finish with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. 

Original recipe by Jamie Oliver
(www.jamieoliver.com)