Saffron Infused Potato & Leek Soup

Serves 4-6 people

Perfect for cold weather as an entree or main, Potato and Leek Soup is simple and tasty. There are many variations to this dish, some like the natural taste of the leek and potato while others like to add extra ingredients for an even better taste. This dish is best eaten once pureed, although some prefer a chunky soup, or chill it in the fridge and eat it cold on a summers day. My recipe includes saffron which can be quite expensive, as an alternative, substitute the cumin and saffron with 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried, 1 tbsp fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried and 2 bay leaves. The colour of the soup comes from the saffron, so don't worry if it doesn't look like the picture below, normally the soup looks quite white.

Saffron Infused Potato and Leek Soup

Pumpkin Risotto with Feta & Oregano

Serves 8 people

One of my all time favourite dishes! The pumpkin risotto on its own is amazing, but with the feta, once it has been softened by the heat of the dish, gives a beautiful smooth, slightly salty texture. The oregano also compliments the dish adding a burst of freshness in every mouthful. My family and I are always fighting over who gets the most feta and oregano in their servings and I'm sure you will be doing just the same!

Risotto's are very versatile, you can put just about anything into them and are guaranteed to be happy with the result.  The trick is however, to keep your ingredients simple. You don't want to overpower one ingredient with another and so on. The downer is the preparation time, it does take a good hour or so, but trust me the result is mouth watering! Eat as a main meal, entree or accompaniment.

Pumpkin Risotto with Feta and Oregano

Black Forest Cherry Cheesecake

Serves 20 people (20-25cm cake tin)

This is by far the ultimate chocolate cheesecake. It is not for those who don't like to indulge in something sweet, however one taste and even they will become sweet-tooth's for one slice of heaven. It's simple and easy to prepare, no baking needed. The key ingredient in this recipe are the morello cherries, they hold their own tangy sweetness that give a great contrast to the pallet when combined with the decadent chocolate cheesecake. The good thing about this cheesecake, you can jazz it up with any fruit you like. Substitute the cherries for fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or strawberries by soaking them in liqueur or your preferred alcohol overnight. All you do is strain them as best you can and add it to the mixture, the left over juices can then be reduced to a thick sauce and poured over the top.

Black Forest Cherry Cheesecake