Spicy Turkey Chorizo Soup

*This is a hearty and amazing soup. It's spicy, it's sour, it's the best soup you'll ever try. Promise.


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 large chopped white onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 chopped red Thai chillies (essential!)
3 large turkey sausages, cut into 2cm pieces
1 large can of diced (not crushed) tomatoes
10 white mushrooms, thickly sliced
1.5 cans of water (use the same can that the tomatoes came from)
2 tbsp of fresh cut cilantro
1 cube beef bouillion
1 cup of orzo pasta
0.5 lemon


Line a large pot with the olive oil and add the sliced up onion bits. Add in the chopped sausage and allow the onions to cook until soft. Add in garlic and chillies.

Wilde Oscar says: The chillies are key here. Don't be timid, the frying will kill of some of the heat. But make sure you've got Thai chillies!

Add in the diced tomatoes, water, mushrooms cilantro and bouillon cube. On max heat, allow the mixture to come to a boil.

Add in the orzo and allow the mixture to come to a boil again. Reduce the heat slightly and allow soup to cook until orzo is soft.

Squeeze lemon juice into soup and serve.

Wilde Oscar says: By the second day the orzo will have absorbed so much of the liquid it'll pretty much be a stew. Still awesome though.

Ridiculously Rich Brownies

This recipe is strange, but it works. Apologies for the poor photos, my camera has died.

Ingredients:


1.25 sticks unsalted butter
1.25 cups sugar
0.75 cups plus 2 table spoons unsweetened cocoa
0.25 teaspoons salt
0.5 teaspoons vanilla
0.5 teaspoons cinnamon
2  large eggs
0.5 cups flour
0.33 cups chocolate chips (or 0.66 without walnuts)
0.33 cups walnuts


Line a medium sized (about 8 inch) square baking pan with tin foil. You will want to leave foil hanging out on both sides so you can remove the brownies when cooked. Preheat oven to 325F.

Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a small saucepan, and place it inside another saucepan of simmering water, creating a double boiler. While stirring gently, allow to heat until ingredients have melted together.

Add in the vanilla and cinnamon and stir. Then add in the eggs one at a time, beating until you get a smooth batter. Fold in the flour and mix until consistent.

Using a wooden spoon, stir for 40 stirs. Yes. 40.

Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, then pour into the brownie pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Remove using the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan.
Slice, and serve hot!

Warm Chicken and Strawberry Salad with Yogurt Based Cucumber Dill Dressing

Ingredients:
3 cups Baby Spinach
3 cups Arugula
10 Strawberries
Feta Cheese
0.3 cups Almonds, chopped
2 Chicken Breast
Salt+Pepper to taste
Cooking Spray/ 1 tbsp olive oil
Minced Garlic + Ginger

Line a skillet with cooking spray or olive oil and heat on medium-low heat until oil shimmers. Meanwhile season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and the minced ginger garlic. Throw the chicken on the skillet until brown and cooked. Don't over cook the chicken!
Remove from heat, and slice.

Mix the baby spinach and arugula and divide among 2 plates. Add warm chicken and sliced strawberries (lengthwise). Top with almonds and feta.

Wilde Oscar says: Goes great with a yogurt based dill and cucumber dressing. Mix a few scoops of plain yogurt, finely chopped cucumber bits, dried dill weed, salt, a few slices of minced onion, and a touch of olive oil.

Butternut Squash Soup

Depending on the type of squash used and how ripe it is, this soup can be one of the sweeter soups you'll make. Goes great with a Turkey or just a quick lunch in the fall.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
2 small white onions
1.5 knorr chicken flavoured broth cubes
1-2 litres water
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
splash of cream/milk

Preheat your oven to 350F. Place the squash on a foil lined tray, and place in over for about 30 minutes to cook. When the squash is soft to the touch and has a nice brown, almost burnt look on the outside, it's done.

Remove the squash from the oven and let sit until cool to the touch. Using a sharp knife, peel off the skin and remove any seeds from inside the fruit. As long as the squash has been properly cooked the skin should peel off easily.

In a saucepan melt the butter on medium to low heat. Thrown in the chopped onions and sautee. When the onions have turned a translucent colour, add in the cubes of squash, knorr broth cubes and water. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and keep on for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Wilde Oscar says: The amount of water you'll need truely depends on the size of your squash. It's better to add to little than too much as you can always add milk and cream later!

Remove the soup from the heat, and allow to cool. After about five minutes, pour  into a blender and puree. This step is important! You want to blend until the soup is a nice smooth texture. You may have to do it in batches, depending on the size of your blender. When complete, return to the saucepan and simmer for another ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add a splash of cream or milk to thicken.