blue cheese and tomato soup

Super-fast in preparation, warm and comforting soup - that's all you need after hectic Monday. My boyfriend complained about the smell (well, he is not one of us, blue cheese lovers), but he apparently liked the taste (two bowls gone... so far).

to prepare 4 portions you will need:
400  g of canned tomatoes

  4  tbsp of concentrated tomato puree 

150  g of blue cheese

600  ml of chicken stock

  4  generous tbsp of creme fraiche or sour cream

  3  cloves of garlic

  

salt and black pepper

Well, no real recipe needed. Mix tomatoes, tomato puree, chopped blue cheese, cream and chicken stock. Add crushed garlic cloves and bring to boil. Allow to cook for 5 minutes and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper - up to taste. Just like that.

chicken salad with pomegranate and gorgonzola dressing

This salad screams: summer can't be over. Refreshing combination of juicy pomegranate, chicken and gorgonzola. Not that I hate caesar salad - but it is so nice to try something new. Tip: if blue cheese with its lovely veins makes you sick - go ahead with finely grated mature white cheddar. Might be even better :)

to feed two people you will need:

FOR THE SALAD
    1       pomegranate
  200       g (or just one big) chicken breast fillet 
    2       beacon rashers
    3       tbsp oil oil
    2       handfuls of baby spinach leaves
    1       handful of rocket
    8       cocktail tomatoes

FOR THE DRESSING
  50      g Gorgonzola cheese
 100      g natural, preferably greek yogurt 

ALSO: salt, pepper, sweet red pepper powder to season

Easy cheesy.
Cut chicken breast in thin slices, season with salt and red pepper powder and fry (I used grill pan) on olive oil together with the rashers.
In a meantime mix spinach leaves with rocket. Take two big plates. Place half of green stuff on each plate. Open pomegranate by scoring it with a knife and breaking it open. Separate the arils (red seed casings) from the peel and white membranes. Sprinkle plates with pomegranate arils. Cut the coctail tomatoes in halves and add them to the salad. Arrange the fried chicken pieces on top together with pieces of beacon rashers.

To prepare the dressing simply mix yogurt, cheese plus some salt and black pepper. I used blender but some chunky bits may be interesting as well.

Serve with toasted pita bread.

white wine onion soup

All food containing wine appeals to me quite intensively, including the wine itself. Perfect comfort food: if you had a bad day this soup will warm you up fast. Actually it's nice even if your day wasn't bad at all. Onion is healthy, let's eat onion! And then jump into pyjamas and stay cosy in bed.

To feed two hungry people you will need:

SOUP

  4   medium sized peeled onions

750   ml of chicken stock 

 70   g of salted butter

  2   bay leaves 

0.5   cup of white wine

  6   generous tbsp of sour cream

0.5   tsp of ground black pepper 

CROUTONS

  4   slices of white toast

      good splash of extra virgin olive oil

Chop onions and fry them with butter in big pot on medium heat until caramelized (gold and soft). Add all other ingredients, bring to boil and cook for 10-15 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and (optionally) blend until creamy.

Prepare the croutons (my fav soup garnish!) simply by frying toast bread cut into 1 x 1 cm squares on olive oil. The secret is: use really good quality olive oil - such as one from Aldi (which conveniently happens to be really cheap as well).

grilled sweet potato chips

I am not a giant fan of regular chips, they're my strive only after few pints late at night. I would rarely go for them except the classic fish&chips combination. However, the creamy and rich texture of sweet potatoes under the crispy skin... 

For two people you will need:

4   big sweet potatoes 

8   tbsp of olive oil

1   tsp of chili powder

1   clove of garlic
pinch of salt

Thick-cut peeled potatoes and rub them with sliced garlic. Cover with olive oil and chili powder, sprinkle with salt. Fry on the grill pan for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally (if you do not own a grill pan, then move yourself to Dublin's Ikea and grab one for less than a tenner, you won't regret it, I promise). Serve with sweet chili sauce and sour cream.