Another new year brings another batch of resolutions. However, if you're anything like me, the main resolution may be similar to the one decided upon last year, and possibly even the year before that. The most common one, which I'm sure many of us vow to on January 1st, is to eat less and move more. Never is this sentiment more concreted in my mind than after an indulgent fortnight of festive feasting. After many years of striving for smaller dress sizes it’s clear to me what I need to do. A little bit of regular exercise is essential and staying clear of cakes and snacks is paramount. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? However, experience reminds me, that keeping the hand out of the cookie jar can sometimes prove a little harder than it sounds, and sticking on the trainers, when all I want to do is collapse on the sofa, isn't an easy task either. If I’ve to have any hope of success with my New Year’s pledge I have to choose my lunch and dinner dishes carefully. My mealtimes are normally filled with nutritious dishes, and I know that this is essential to a healthier life. Certainly for me when I’ve enjoyed a nutritionally filling meal, I’m a little less likely to scoff a pile of biscuits after. This soup recipe I’m sharing with you today is one of my children’s favourites, and it happens to make a delicious lunch. Serve it with a few slices of brown bread and a little green salad for a satisfying, calorie-conscious meal. To anyone who’s en route to their health kick 2015, the very best of luck!

Potato, Leek & Sage Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

30g butter

2 leeks, whites only, sliced

450g potatoes, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Handful of sage, about 15 leaves, plus a few for serving

1 lt chicken stock

150ml milk

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. When it begins to foam add the leek, potato and onion stir to combine with the butter.
2. Sprinkle with a little salt, a few grinds of pepper and the sage leaves. Place a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper over the vegetables, to help them sweat. Cover with the lid of the saucepan. Sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes, making sure the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
3. When the vegetables are soft but not coloured, and the stock, and continue to cook for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
4. Using a hand blender or a food processor purée the soup until it is smooth. Taste and season, if necessary. Pour in the milk and stir well to combine.
5. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish each with two sage leaves and, for those who aren't watching calories, add a little drizzle of cream. 

Even with a drop in temperature and the evenings drawing darker by the day, I'm eager to welcome all that winter has to offer. I'm never too dismayed when brisk, winter chills replace our milder autumnal climate. With a colder spell upon us the opportunity to light up the stove arises, and evenings sitting cosily under a blanket on the sofa is suddenly within our reach. Along with the change of season comes the excuse to indulge in quintessential comfort foods. When we’re in search of warmth from the inside out, stews, soups and carbohydrate-laden dishes become top of our dinner menus again. For someone who gains great pleasure in devouring a bowl of dumpling topped stew or using a crust of toasted bread to savour that last morsel of soup from a bowl, this change of menu can't but make me happy. I also happen to live in a household where Halloween is much celebrated, so the plotting and planning for the scary season brings much delight. Of course I miss the late evening walks or gardening until late, but I do so appreciate the somewhat calmness that winter dictates, and as it arrives I embrace it with open arms.*

Hearty Tomato Tortellini Soup

A big pot of soup is one of the best ways to feed a family. To make it into a more substantial meal a few spuds or some pasta is a great way to bulk it up. Tomato soup is a real favourite in my house, and with the addition of some fresh tortellini, this easy to prepare soup is not only filling but also extremely flavoursome.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1tbsp olive oil

knob of butter

1 large onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed

1 red pepper, finely diced

2 tins of tomatoes (400g each)

500mls vegetable stock

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp sugar

1tbsp balsamic vinegar

Pinch of dried chilli

Handful of fresh basil, plus a few leaves for serving

250g tortellini

Method

1. In a medium sized saucepan add the olive oil and the knob of butter. Over a gentle heat sweat the onion, garlic and red pepper until the onions are soft but not coloured, which will take about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Season with a little sea salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Add the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of dried chilli. Bring to the boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the basil and using a hand blender or processor, purée until smooth. Place the soup back in the saucepan, add the tortellini and on a medium heat simmer for a further 8 minutes.
4. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish each one with a few small basil leaves. Serve with a few slices of garlic bread.

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Before popping up this blog post yesterday, I decided to take advantage of our glorious Autumnal weather, and head outdoors with the camera. A shot couldn't be got without the inclusion of a cat, a hen, a duck or an alpaca, so here are a few pics of our beautiful pets.

Millie has named most of our animals, and this little kitty goes by the elaborate, Oz-influenced, name of Pippy Dorothy. 

Always camera-ready, two of our beautiful alpacas, Goldstar and Caesar.

Delilah the duck. 

The ever inquisitive Caesar.

I also picked the last of our apples yesterday, which makes me feel like winter is certainly on the approach. 

*Excerpt from my column in the current issue of Easy Parenting.

For lunch on a cold winter's day there is nothing as nice as a bowl of steaming hot soup but I find that generally I will make a pot of soup whatever the weather. I'm an avid lover of many types of soups as there is no easier way of including a few of my  children's 5 a day fruit/vegetable portions in one  meal. One of their favourites is Leek and Potato but while visiting Cork we had a delicious dinner at Ballymaloe House and the soup we were served was Potato and Fresh Herb Soup. I knew the children would love it and since we have plenty of spuds in the garden and lots of fresh herbs this is one dish that could  be rustled up very easily. 
During the Summer Holidays I had lots of helpers in the kitchen and garden so for this soup Jack was my assistant. He liked it so much that he actually posted the recipe on his own blog iJack O D before I had the chance to put it on here!!

Since starting this blog I have become so interested in photography, with food being at the center of my interest. I am constantly in search of food props and bowls, plates etc that might make my food look more enticing. These serches often lead me to local auctions with my Dad. However sometimes there are pieces sitting in my press for years that have awaiting their photographic début and this is the case with what I have photographed here today. 
This soup tureen, bowl and plate are part of a dinner service that belonged to my father's mother. I love having pieces on display or on my dresser that can tell a story. I never met either of my Dad's parents, as both of them died when he was a child, but yet I know so much about them. Even-tough my father is almost 81 he has a wonderful memory and can recall stories of events that happened many years ago as if it were yesterday. He is actually the last of his generation of the Robins family to be alive which I find so sad. So it is ever important that he shares his reminiscing with us. Over the past few years he has put pen to paper and scribbled down some of these stories and memories, which I feel is a fabulous idea and something that every family should take the time to do. How amazing to read a story when you already know and love the main characters.


Potato & Fresh Herb Soup

This recipe is adapted from Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Course cookbook

Ingredients

50g (2oz) butter

425g (15oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm (⅓in) cubes

110g (4oz) onions, cut into 1cm (⅓in) cubes

2 tbsp of a combination of Parsley, Thyme, Sage and Chives, finely chopped

900ml (1½ pints) Chicken or Vegetable stock

125ml (4fl oz) Cream or Milk

1 tsp salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams add the onions and potatoes, and toss in the butter until well coated.
2. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover with butter wrapper or paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Sweat over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes
3. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil. When the vegetables are soft but not coloured, and the freshly chopped herbs and stock, and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft.
4. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the cream or milk. Garnish with a few finely chopped herbs, a little cream and serve.

I  love a dish that the whole family or at least most of the family will eat. When I made this for dinner on Monday I wasn't expecting this to be one of those dishes, but to my surprise the boys and Millie loved it. Of course a few bits had to be fished out for each one of them but as it's mildly spiced the flavours weren't too overpowering. Both Donal Skehan and Clare from An American in Ireland are regularly tweeting pics of gorgeous noodle dishes that always look fabulous so I'm on a mission to introduce more of these dishes to our family meals. This recipe for a noodle and bean soup will certainly be on the menu again as it's so delicious as well as being very nutritious. 

I got this recipe from a blog called 101 Cookbooks which always has the most amazing photography. This recipe was posted in early January and in turn was called  New Year Noodle Soup . As soon as I read the recipe I wanted to try it out. After Christmas most in our house were suffering from some sickness or other so this was a good time to make a lovely comforting soup. It was nice but I made one mistake as I used rapeseed oil to caramelise the onions and it really didn't work. Now I am a big fan of rapeseed oil and love to use it for frying meat or drizzling on veg before roasting or even in place of sunflower oil in my carrot cakes. However when it comes to frying onions and to sauté mushrooms they really don't work well together. This time I used Olive oil, as indicated in the recipe, and it worked perfectly. I actually changed very little to the original recipe. I added double the quantity of noodles as the boys love them but feel free to add less, for more of the soup and less of the noodles! I also didn't have any cilantro leaves so I substituted these with flat leaf parsley. The recipe called for walnuts and as we prefer toasted hazelnuts this is what I added. A delicious feel good dinner - try it out.

Feel Good Noodle Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 long red chilli finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 1/2 cups / 2 litres good-tasting vegetable stock/broth

1 tin/350g mixed beans, rinsed

1 tin/400g cooked chickpeas, rinsed

300g medium egg noodles, cooked

3 1/2 oz / 100g fresh spinach leaves, finely shredded

2 tbsp finely chopped flat parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

juice of one lime

Toppings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

100 ml sour cream or crème fraiche{use low-fat if watching calories}

50g /2 ounces of toasted, chopped hazelnuts

Method

1.       Heat the oil in a large, thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and the chilli and cook until they soften, a few minutes. Add the spices and cook for another thirty seconds, just long enough for them to toast a bit.

2.       Stir in the stock. Bring to a boil and add the split beans and chickpeas to the pot. Cook for about 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

3.       In the meantime, you can prepare the toppings. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

4.       Just before you're ready to eat, add the cooked noodles to the simmering soup and cook until al dente. Stir in the spinach, parsley and dill. Add a big squeeze of lime to the pot or serve wedges along with each bowl of soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

5.       Serve right away, each bowl topped with a big spoonful of caramelized onions, some crème fraiche, and a sprinkling of hazelnuts.

Here is the dish I made on Ireland AM this morning. It is a great family meal as it's perfect made in bulk and is suitable for all due to it's mellow flavours. It is a vegetarian dish but strips of cooked chicken, chorizo or even little meatballs would work perfectly in it.

Here is the link to my slot on this mornings show. http://www.tv3.ie/ireland_am.php?video=36593&locID=1.65.74

Ingredients
600g fresh tomatoes, chopped into chunks
3 garlic cloves,crushed
1 red onion, chopped into chunks

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

600mls chicken or vegetable stock
handful fresh basil leaves

100g Philadelphia Original or 100mls cream
400g cooked pasta shells

Parmesan, grated for serving

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
2. Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in an over proof dish. Sprinkle over the smoked paprika and sugar, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper .

3. Using a wooden spoon combine all the ingredients together.

4. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes. 

5. Meanwhile heat the stock in a large saucepan, stir in the cooked roasted tomato mix and add the basil and allow to simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.
6. Blend the soup together with a liquidiser or hand blender.

7. Return to the heat and stir in the Philadelphia or cream.

8. Add the cooked pasta shells.

Serve in a bowl with a grating of fresh parmesan and some crusty bread to mop up the delicious soup!

Some might say that this soup is best suited to summer months when delicious ripe Irish tomatoes are in high season. It is true that the result will be fresher however using a good- quality tin of cherry tomatoes makes for a really delicious taste of summer, any time of the year. If using a tin of tomatoes always add a spoonful of sugar as they tend to be sharper in taste. I'm a fan of homemade soups for many reasons. They are quick to make, filling, nutritious and also when blender a great way to sneak some vegetables into your child's diet.
This recipe is from Clodagh McKenna's Homemade. I simply blended it and added a little dash of cream before serving to the children.

Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Ingredients
600g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves,crushed
1 red onion, chopped into large chunks
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
10 basil leaves, torn
500mls chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in an over proof dish, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
3. With clean hands, massage all the ingredients together for 5 minutes to enhance the flavour of the soup. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes
4. Allow the tomatoes to cool slightly when they have come out of the oven, then tip into a large bowl with the fresh basil leaves. Allow to infuse for a minute.
5. Pour the stock into the saucepan, stir in the tomatoes and basil and place over a low heat for 20 minutes.
6. Serve the soup chunky or blend for a smoother finish.