My daughter is eleven and half years old and is practising life as a teenager. Common phrases abound such as ‘I hate my life’ and ‘I’m sooooo depressed’ with the occasional ‘You are so boring’ thrown in. An afternoon of cooking has transformed the obligatory self loathing that a proper teen must posess. Soup! Upon the very first mouthful, she actually reported to feeling much better and telling me that she was now no longer depressed…so here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

A butternut squash
A Large potato
Good quality stock
Half a crushed chili (or to taste)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Chop the squash into small cubes and put on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil librally all over and season. Roast in the oven on about 180C for around 35-45 mins.

Chop the potato into large cubes and put into a large saucepan with around a pint and a half of stock. (Depending on how thick you like your soup.) Boil for 15 mins and then add the roasted squash and the chili. Cook for a further 5-10 mins.

Once off the heat for 5 minutes or so, use your handwhisker to turn into soup. Pour into bowls, drizlle with olive oil, season more if needed, serve with rustic bread. Feel loved!

That simple…parenting never looked so easy!