Roasted Tomato and Goat's Cheese Pasta

I'll admit, it's taken me a while to come around, but his persistance has finally come to fruition. At first I was put off by his earthiness, and musky smell. It reminded me of the unwashed, and I had no desire for that to take up residence on my dinner plate. But then, with a little convincing, I encountered his sweeter side, the side you can only experience when you let him roll around your tongue. And with that I was hooked - my love affair with goat's cheese had begun!

Roasted Tomato and Goat's Cheese pasta

1 packet small pasta of your choice
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 red onion, cut into wedges and separated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 good pinch dried oregano
1 roasted red capsicum, cut into strips

100 grams marinated goat's cheese


1 - Preheat oven to 200 C. Place the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, red onion and oregano in a lined baking dish, and roast for 25 - 30 minutes.

2 - Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packet instructions, or until al dente. Drain well.

3 - Combine the pasta, roasted veg, capsicum strips and mix well. Serve onto plates, then top with goat's cheese. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

Potato and leek soup with caramelised onion bruschetta

I love this combination! The sweetness of the onions works really well with the velvety, peppery soup. And the best bit is that the onions can be easily done whilst the soup is simmering away, and is well worth the effort.

Potato and Leek Soup

6 large potatoes (I used Dutch creams), peeled and chopped roughly
3 leeks, washed well and the white part of the stems finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
20 grams butter (or olive oil for vegans)
1 litre vegetable stock or water
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 - Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Fry the leeks for 3 minutes, or until soft and golden.

2 - Add the potatoes and carrots, and toss in the leed mixture.

3 - Add the stock, and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

4 - Puree the soup, then season with plenty of pepper. Reheat to serve.

Caramelised onion bruschetta

3 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
50 grams butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 thick slice of Italian-style bread per person

1 - Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Once melted, add the onion, and cover the pan.

2 - Let the onions cook for 10 minutes with the lid on the pan, stirring reguarly.

3 - Remove lid, add the brown sugar then continue cooking over a medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are dark brown and tender. Add the thyme leaves.

4 - Toast the bread, then spread with onion mixture. Serve.