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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2015 14 Food Warm up your winter In the coldest throes of winter we are all looking for a little bit of comfort to make the long, cold nights that much warmer. Try some recipes from last Friday's Gourmet Today show. We're using root vegetables that are so delicious at this time of the year. For a different kind of soup, try Sean Gravina's swede soup with coriander pesto and for a warming main try Michael Diacono's braised rabbit with juniper berries and for dessert a chocolate cake with beetroot. Don't miss Gourmet Today TV, every Friday at 18:40. Sean Gravina Ingredients • 1 swede, peeled and cut into cubes • 3 tbsp olive oil • salt pepper • 1 onion, finely chopped • 2 carrots, finely sliced • 2 stalks celery, finely sliced • 1 clove garlic, crushed • 6 sprigs thyme, leaves only • 1.25 litres vegetable stock • 142ml single cream • fresh thyme leaves to garnish Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2 Place the cubes of swede in a roasting tray. 3 Drizzle over two tbsp of the olive oil and season. 4 Roast in oven for 25-30 mins until golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally. 5 Meanwhile, heat the remaining tbsp of oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, stir in the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme leaves and fry for 4-5 mins until softened but not browned. 6 Add the roasted swede to the pan and pour over the stock. 7 Bring gently to the boil, cover and simmer for 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally. 7 Purée the soup in a food processor or liquidiser until completely smooth. Pass through a sieve for an extra fine texture if preferred. 8 Transfer the soup back to a clean saucepan. Stir in most of the cream, reserving some for garnishing. 9 Gently heat through and adjust the seasoning if necessary. 10 Serve in warm bowls or a soup tureen and garnish with a swirl of cream, some fresh thyme leaves and freshly ground black pepper. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 6 February, 2015. Michael Diacono Ingredients • 2 kohlrabi (gidra), peeled and roughly chopped • Knob butter • Splash milk • 1 whole rabbit, including liver, cut into pieces • ½ celeriac, peeled and chopped • 1 carrot • 1 parsnip • ½ onion • 2 cloves garlic • 1 tsp juniper berries • 3 sprigs thyme • 1 bottle (75cl) dry red wine Method 1 Heat some oil in a heavy based pan and brown the rabbit on both sides with salt and pepper. 2 Remove the rabbit from the pan when coloured but not cooked through. 3 Add the chopped celeriac to the pan. 4 Add the onion, garlic, carrot and parsnip. 5 Smash the juniper berries with the back of a knife and add them to the pan. 6 Season with salt and pepper and add the thyme. 7 Add the cooked pieces of rabbit and add the wine. 8 Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour on the hob or if you have a pan that goes in the oven place in the oven. 9 Place the kohlrabi in salted water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. 10 Allow to boil for 20-25 mins until tender. 11 Drain and add butter, milk and salt and pepper and mash. 12 Serve braised rabbit with the kohlrabi mash. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 6 February, 2015. Michael Diacono Ingredients • 175g plain flour • 1 tsp baking powder • 75g cocoa powder • 225g sugar • 3 eggs • 200g beetroot, cooked and peeled • 200g vegetable oil Topping • 250 g plain dark chocolate • 250 ml fresh cream Method 1 Heat oven to 200°C. 2 Line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper 3 Sift flour with baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl. 4 Add the sugar. 5 Blend the eggs with the cooked beetroot and vegetable oil in a food processor till smooth. 6 Fold the beetroot mixture into the dry ingredients until well-amalgamated. 7 Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 40 mins. Check with a skewer to make sure cake is cooked. 8 Prepare topping by heating cream in a pot till it starts to boil. 9 Add the broken chocolate and stir in till melted. 10 Remove from heat and leave to cool before using to coat cake. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 6 February, 2015. 7 Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake till it starts to boil. using to coat cake. Swede soup with coriander pesto Braised rabbit with juniper berries and celeriac on a kohlrabi mash Beetroot and chocolate cake