Sweet Potato Soup with Garlic Oil

A small bowl of this soup works well as a light starter. The garlic oil adds depth to this simple-tasting dish.

1 sweet potato (peeled and diced)

1 celery stick (finely chopped)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

1 dried chili (crushed)

2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)

butter

olive oil

vegetable stock

salt and pepper

Flat leaf parsley (to garnish)

- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion and celery. Cover and cook on a low heat until both are soft and transluscent.

- Add the sweet potato and cover with stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer on a low heat until the sweet potato is tender.

- Season to taste and blend the soup until smooth

- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and fry on a medium heat until it is lightly browned.

- Place the soup into serving bowls, spoon over the garlic oil, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Raw Chocolate

This is a healthier and tastier version of the delicacy. All the ingredients I use are raw and organic.

75 g cacao butter

(1 tblsp coconut oil)

1-2 tblsp honey

3-4 tblsp cacao powder

1 tblsp carob powder

a pinch of good quality salt

Extras: for example nuts, dried berries, cacao nibs, chilli... (This time I used cacao nibs, walnuts and goji berries)

- Grate the cacao butter (and the coconut oil) and melt it in a bowl sitting in hot water.

- Add the honey and powders and mix until smooth.

- Spoon the chocolate mix into moulds with berries, nuts etc. Freeze for about half an hour, or refrigerate for couple of hours.

Sri Lankan White Curry (Elolu Kiri Hodhi)

This mild curry recipe is from Charmaine Solomon's The Complete Asian Cookbook.

3 cups thin coconut milk
1 onion (finely sliced)
2 fresh chillies (de-seeded and split)
2 cloves garlic (finely sliced)
1/2 tsp grated ginger
cinnamon stick
1 stalk lemon grass
8 curry leaves
750 g sliced vegetables (for example courgettes, peppers or beans)
salt to taste
1 cup thick coconut milk

- Simmer all ingredients except for the vegetables, salt and thick coconut milk in a large saucepan for approximately 10 minutes. Then add the vegetables and salt and cook gently until the vegetables are just about tender. Add the thick coconut milk and simmer another 5 minutes.