Roast beetroot and carrot soup with mint

This is using my super easy soup method - just roast all the veggies, add stock, simmer and blend. The sweetness of the carrot and sharpness of the mint and yoghurt counteract that beety 'dirt flavour'.

500gm beetroot, 500gm carrot and 1 onion, all peeled and cut into chunks
olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
About 5 cups stock
salt and pepper
Greek style yoghurt
Fresh mint leaves

Put the carrot, beet, onion and garlic into a roasting dish and add a slug of olive oil and a good grinding of salt and pepper, mixing it up until everything is coated nicely. Roast in a hot oven for 40-50 minutes or until the veggies are just starting to get soft and it's browning at the edges.

Remove from the oven and dump it all in a big saucepan, cover with stock and simmer until soft enough to mash. Blend with a hand blender and serve with a dollop of yoghurt, topped with a small handful of fresh, chopped mint leaves.

Easy Green-sy Veggie Cannelloni

It's mid-Winter in Melbourne. The sun is currently shining beatifically and there are blue patches of sky, in between rain showers. It's generally gorgeous weather, if a little chilly at night. Sorry to rub it in, but it's about a billion times more bearable than Winter in London.

It's the kind of weather when a girls thoughts turn to casseroles, hearty soups and stews, and delicious cheesy cannelloni/lasagne type dishes that warm the flat while they're baking.

This recipe gets the 'Ouit-Spald-atron-5000' seal of approval.

Olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tbs of fresh herbs (whatever you have to hand, I used thyme)
350gm brocolli, cut into florets
Small handful finely grated parmesan
some finely grated lemon rind
handful pinenuts
450gm ricotta cheese
4 fresh lasagne sheets, halved crossways

Pre-heat oven to 180°. Heat a slug of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir in onion for 5 mins, add garlic for 1 minute, then the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 10 mins until thick, then stir in herbs.

Meanwhile, steam the brocolli for 3-5 minutes until al dente. Refresh under cold water and drain. Use a hand blender to blend the brocolli, then add the ricotta, pine nuts, parmesan and lemon rind.

Spread about 2/3 cup of the tomato sauce in a greased 1.5l baking dish. One at a time, place the lasagnes sheet in the pan and spoon 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture along the centre, rolling loosely to enclose. Don't worry about being perfect; it will be a delicious mess. When you're done, spoon the remaining tomato sauce and ricotta mixture over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy hot hot hot from the oven, possibly with a blanket over your knees (nanna style).