Midweek Meals: It's apples and oranges with these five fruity recipes

Salads, soups, sweets - and seasonings for these main courses - all available with the fruit in your kitchen or local shops and markets

Pics: iStock

Carrot, Apple, and Ginger Soup

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

You can freeze this soup in portions easily once it has cooled to room temperature. If you use low salt stock cubes then this is also a great dish for weaning.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 6 medium carrots, peeled, and sliced

• 2 sticks celery, chopped

• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

• 1 knob of fresh ginger (about the size of your thumbnail), grated

• 1 medium apple, chopped

• 1 litre vegetable stock

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Put the pot on the hob on a medium heat, add the vegetable oil then the ginger and onion, stir well.

2. Add the celery and carrots to the pot and stir.

3. Add the apple to the pot and stir around.

4. Pour the stock over all the vegetables and bring the pot to a simmer.

5. Cover the pot with the lid and leave to simmer for approximately 45 mins.

6. After which time the vegetables should all be tender.

7. Turn off the pot and leave for 15 mins before blending.

8. Season to taste before serving.

Rocket, Fennel & Orange Salad

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

A refreshing summer salad

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 2 mins

Cooking Time

 1 mins

Total Time

 3 mins

Course

 Side

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls of rocket, washed and dried thoroughly

• ½ fennel, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1½ oranges, peeled and broken into segments

• juice of ½ orange

• 50g Wensleydale cheese with cranberries, crumbled

Method

1. Place the rocket, fennel and orange flesh in a large serving bowl and mix well.

2. Drizzle over the orange juice. Crumble over the cheese.

3. Serve without delay.