On Sunday Mum, my two sisters and myself (plus the Minion) went to the annual Collector pumpkin festival! (Collector is the town). Came away with some beautiful fresh pumpkins and organic potatoes (so easy to clean! Shows you how un-fresh the supermarket ones really are o.0), so clearly pumpkin soup was in order. Also, I discovered in the making that Boyo actually likes pumpkin soup (he merely tolerates most other soups), which is exciting to know! Had cream that needed using and celery leaves that were otherwise going into the bin, and here is the result... :)
Ingredients
1 red onion, finely chopped
2t crushed garlic
splash of olive oil
1/2t cumin
1/4t nutmeg
1/4t harissa
1/2t garlic salt
4c stock
1.5c water
1/2 queensland blue pumpkin, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch
1 sweet potato, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch
2 med-lrg potatoes, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch
1/2 bunch of celery leaves and trimmings, finely chopped
100mL cream (I used thickened, but any would work)
Recipe
Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add spices and stir over heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add stock and water and bring to boil. Add pumpkin, sweet potato and potato. Return to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add celery leaves. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegies are soft. Puree, then stir through cream. Serve optionally with a little fresh black pepper and a dollop of sour cream, with hot buttered sourdough toast on the side.
This is one of the best pumpkin soups I've had (fresh ingredients make a difference, I suspect :D) and I'll definitely be making this one again. The recipe is going into my brown recipe journal that is home to all my standby favourites ;) Yay!
Showing posts with label pumpkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkin. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Had a craving for soup tonight - freezing cold, blustery day - and had half a butternut pumpkin (squash) in the fridge that needed using up. Also, we'd just gone grocery shopping and came home with a lovely little pumpkin (can't recall the type; marbled green skin, lovely orange flesh) that was on sale very cheap. Sadly, the butternut in the fridge had kicked the bucket - but no matter. The resulting soup was very good anyway!
I tend to prefer butternut to other pumpkins, as it's sweeter, but the slightly earthier taste of the regular pumpkin worked well in this one. The curried part came from a soup I had back in February that our vet, of all people, cooked, and I wanted to attempt some sort of recreation. This worked well enough that I'd probably buy coconut milk again in order to make it :)
Ingredients:
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 heaped teaspoons crushed garlic
curry powder
5 cups of vegetable stock (chicken would work well, too)
2 large potatoes, skins on
1/2 a med-small pumpkin (about 1.2kg unprepared)
1 can of coconut milk
salt & pepper
Recipe:
Saute the onion, garlic and curry powder (to taste; about 2 teaspoons??). Once sauted, add just a little bit of stock at first to blend in the curry. Add the rest of the stock and bring to the boil. Add potato and pumpkin, cut into small pieces. Simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Puree, stir through coconut milk and season to taste. Enjoy! :)
I tend to prefer butternut to other pumpkins, as it's sweeter, but the slightly earthier taste of the regular pumpkin worked well in this one. The curried part came from a soup I had back in February that our vet, of all people, cooked, and I wanted to attempt some sort of recreation. This worked well enough that I'd probably buy coconut milk again in order to make it :)
Ingredients:
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 heaped teaspoons crushed garlic
curry powder
5 cups of vegetable stock (chicken would work well, too)
2 large potatoes, skins on
1/2 a med-small pumpkin (about 1.2kg unprepared)
1 can of coconut milk
salt & pepper
Recipe:
Saute the onion, garlic and curry powder (to taste; about 2 teaspoons??). Once sauted, add just a little bit of stock at first to blend in the curry. Add the rest of the stock and bring to the boil. Add potato and pumpkin, cut into small pieces. Simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Puree, stir through coconut milk and season to taste. Enjoy! :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Moroccan Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Stew
Full credit to Kerryn Boorman for gifting me with this recipe. I think by now we all know my love of orange vegetables, so this recipe is one of my hearty favourites. In fact, since I was just given some butternuts, I might make it for dinner!
Recipe
60 g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cinnamon stick (or equiv. ground cinnamon)
pinch of cayenne pepper, or ½ teaspoon harissa
500 ml (2 cups) vegetable or chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon ground saffron threads (this is in the official recipe, but given the price of it, I've always omitted it, and the end result seems just fine to me!)
600 g butternut pumpkin (squash) or other firm pumpkin, peeled and cubed
500 g orange sweet potato, peeled and cubed
60 g ( ½ cup) raisins or sultanas
1 tablespoon honey
coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon stick and the cayenne pepper or harissa. Stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the stock, add the saffron, then increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil.
Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, raisins and honey and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick, transfer to a bowl and scatter with coriander leaves.
An amazing sweet-savoury that leaves me wanting seconds every time. Note, though, that it is a sweet-savoury; if you don't like your sweets and savouries combined (a la my husband), you may not like this so much.
Recipe
60 g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cinnamon stick (or equiv. ground cinnamon)
pinch of cayenne pepper, or ½ teaspoon harissa
500 ml (2 cups) vegetable or chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon ground saffron threads (this is in the official recipe, but given the price of it, I've always omitted it, and the end result seems just fine to me!)
600 g butternut pumpkin (squash) or other firm pumpkin, peeled and cubed
500 g orange sweet potato, peeled and cubed
60 g ( ½ cup) raisins or sultanas
1 tablespoon honey
coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon stick and the cayenne pepper or harissa. Stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the stock, add the saffron, then increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil.
Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, raisins and honey and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick, transfer to a bowl and scatter with coriander leaves.
An amazing sweet-savoury that leaves me wanting seconds every time. Note, though, that it is a sweet-savoury; if you don't like your sweets and savouries combined (a la my husband), you may not like this so much.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Zucchini Pie
The Recipe
1 small-med zucchini
1 med carrot
1 onion, diced
1 block greek feta, cubed
1/4 small butternut pumpkin, cubed and mostly cooked
5 eggs
½c grated parmesan
½c oil
¾c flour
Cumin
Pepper
Oregano
Thai lemongrass & lime spice mix
Mix all ingredients. Bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes.
Alternative: omit pumpkin and feta and 1 egg, and add 1c grated cheese instead of parmesan.
1 small-med zucchini
1 med carrot
1 onion, diced
1 block greek feta, cubed
1/4 small butternut pumpkin, cubed and mostly cooked
5 eggs
½c grated parmesan
½c oil
¾c flour
Cumin
Pepper
Oregano
Thai lemongrass & lime spice mix
Mix all ingredients. Bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes.
Alternative: omit pumpkin and feta and 1 egg, and add 1c grated cheese instead of parmesan.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Quick and Easy Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 8ish
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 good sized zucchini (courgette)
8-10 small cup mushrooms (2-3 inches across), rinsed
1 large carrot
1/2 butternut pumpkin (butternut squash)
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 block feta
1/3c tomato sauce
grated cheese, to top
lasagna sheets
Preheat oven to 210C. Peel and dice butternut and microwave on high for ten minutes. Fry garlic until golden. Dice the zucchini and mushrooms. Add to pan and saute until nearly cooked through. Grate in the carrot. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, and heat through.
In a baking dish, spread half the tomato mixture. Put over a layer of lasagna sheets. Cover with butternut; mash down slightly if necessary. Crumble feta over top. Place another layer of lasagna sheets, and top with the remaining tomato mixture. Top with grated cheese and bake for about 20-30 minutes until pasta is cooked.
Let sit for five mins before slicing in order to prevent it from falling apart so much when serving :)
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 good sized zucchini (courgette)
8-10 small cup mushrooms (2-3 inches across), rinsed
1 large carrot
1/2 butternut pumpkin (butternut squash)
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 block feta
1/3c tomato sauce
grated cheese, to top
lasagna sheets
Preheat oven to 210C. Peel and dice butternut and microwave on high for ten minutes. Fry garlic until golden. Dice the zucchini and mushrooms. Add to pan and saute until nearly cooked through. Grate in the carrot. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, and heat through.
In a baking dish, spread half the tomato mixture. Put over a layer of lasagna sheets. Cover with butternut; mash down slightly if necessary. Crumble feta over top. Place another layer of lasagna sheets, and top with the remaining tomato mixture. Top with grated cheese and bake for about 20-30 minutes until pasta is cooked.
Let sit for five mins before slicing in order to prevent it from falling apart so much when serving :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Super Quick Pasta
Gotta love this meal. It tastes amazing - fresh and flavorsome - and on a scale of one to ten, it's about a three in terms of effort for preparation.
1) Boil water for pasta. While that's boiling...
2) Chop up 1/4 of a butternut pumpkin (approx) into 1cm/half inch cubes. Microwave on high for about 8 mins.
3) Cook pasta according to directions.
4) Spread pumpkin cubes on a foil-covered, well greased (I use an oil spray) tray. If you're using a spray, spray the pumpkin liberally. Drizzle with good quality olive oil and sprinkle with rock salt. Grill (broil) until black around the edges.
5) Serve pasta into bowls. Stir through 1-2 tablespoons of thickened cream.
6) Cover with a good handful of grilled pumpkin cubes. Crumble feta and shred some baby spinach over top.
7) Season with a little pepper. Serve hot.
Done! Yum!
1) Boil water for pasta. While that's boiling...
2) Chop up 1/4 of a butternut pumpkin (approx) into 1cm/half inch cubes. Microwave on high for about 8 mins.
3) Cook pasta according to directions.
4) Spread pumpkin cubes on a foil-covered, well greased (I use an oil spray) tray. If you're using a spray, spray the pumpkin liberally. Drizzle with good quality olive oil and sprinkle with rock salt. Grill (broil) until black around the edges.
5) Serve pasta into bowls. Stir through 1-2 tablespoons of thickened cream.
6) Cover with a good handful of grilled pumpkin cubes. Crumble feta and shred some baby spinach over top.
7) Season with a little pepper. Serve hot.
Done! Yum!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Returning with Risotto...
So, yes, it's been - lots - of months since I've been here. I've been doing my masters degree this year, and it's all been rather insane.
However, I finished yesterday (woo hoo!!), so I am back! :D
To celebrate, I actually felt like cooking for the first time in ages last night, and despite the warmth of the days recently, the nights have been lovely and cool - so risotto it was :) This meal was especially exciting because it gave me an opportunity to use fresh herbs from my very own herb garden for the first time! Hoorah!
The Recipe
1 large sweet potato
1/4 of a butternut pumpkin
olive oil
salt
1 small onion
1t of crushed garlic
~7 medium mushrooms
1c arborio rice
3 stock cubes dissolved in 4c water
~1.5T sweet chilli sauce
3 smallish sprigs of fresh greek oregano
3 twigs of garden thyme
1/3c grated parmesan cheese
...My mouth is watering just typing out the ingredients! Hoorah that I have left overs for lunch :)
Roughly dice the pumpkin and sweet potato. You can make the cubes whatever size, but bear in mind that a) smaller cooks faster and b) they will shrink quite a bit upon baking. Mine were ~2cm cubed. Microwave on high or steam for 5 minutes. Spread onto olive-oiled tray, sprinkle liberally with salt, and place into a hot oven (200C).
Place stock in a covered saucepan and keep on a low heat constantly, to keep the liquid warm (it will cook quicker/easier when added to the rice if it doesn't have to heat up first).
Finely chop the onion. Fry in oil with the garlic until translucent. Slice mushrooms, saute with onion until cooked. Add the rice and 2 ladlefuls of stock. Stir well.
Add sweet chilli sauce.
Add a ladleful of stock periodically, whenever the mixture starts to look a little dry - if you can scrape the rice away and see the bottom of the pot for more than a second, it's ready for more liquid.
Once all the liquid is absorbed, add the (finely chopped) herbs and stir through. Remove from heat if it's starting to dry out. Stir through the baked pumpkin and sweet potato, then stir through the cheese.
Serve hot :)
The Results
Okay, so risotto is a fairly standard meal in our house over winter. That said, we didn't have much this year, as I've been pretty slack when it comes to cooking. But regardless, I've made squillions of varieties of this recipe: and this, officially, is the best. My husband, who is not free with compliments, said he'd gladly pay $40 in a restaurant for this risotto :)
I attribute the great success to two things:
Firstly, instead of taking the quicker cop-out method of just grilling (broiling) the vegies, I actually baked them with salt and olive oil and all. Much, much tastier.
Secondly, the difference that fresh, home-grown herbs make is absolutely INSANE. And Greek oregano is my new favourite: besides the amazing salty-savoury complex flavour it adds to the dish, it's purple and fuzzy! What's not to love?!
Hehe.
As I was making this, I lamented that I didn't have any feta cheese to add, being the feta-addict that I am; but it turns out that it really didn't need it. The flavours were beautifully subtle and complex, and husband was absolutely determined that I must have used more herbs than I had (I'm usually prone to throwing in at least 5 or 6).
So, an all-round fabulous success, and definitely one I'll make again, instead of my usual 'what do I have in the cupboard' approach :)
However, I finished yesterday (woo hoo!!), so I am back! :D
To celebrate, I actually felt like cooking for the first time in ages last night, and despite the warmth of the days recently, the nights have been lovely and cool - so risotto it was :) This meal was especially exciting because it gave me an opportunity to use fresh herbs from my very own herb garden for the first time! Hoorah!
The Recipe
1 large sweet potato
1/4 of a butternut pumpkin
olive oil
salt
1 small onion
1t of crushed garlic
~7 medium mushrooms
1c arborio rice
3 stock cubes dissolved in 4c water
~1.5T sweet chilli sauce
3 smallish sprigs of fresh greek oregano
3 twigs of garden thyme
1/3c grated parmesan cheese
...My mouth is watering just typing out the ingredients! Hoorah that I have left overs for lunch :)
Roughly dice the pumpkin and sweet potato. You can make the cubes whatever size, but bear in mind that a) smaller cooks faster and b) they will shrink quite a bit upon baking. Mine were ~2cm cubed. Microwave on high or steam for 5 minutes. Spread onto olive-oiled tray, sprinkle liberally with salt, and place into a hot oven (200C).
Place stock in a covered saucepan and keep on a low heat constantly, to keep the liquid warm (it will cook quicker/easier when added to the rice if it doesn't have to heat up first).
Finely chop the onion. Fry in oil with the garlic until translucent. Slice mushrooms, saute with onion until cooked. Add the rice and 2 ladlefuls of stock. Stir well.
Add sweet chilli sauce.
Add a ladleful of stock periodically, whenever the mixture starts to look a little dry - if you can scrape the rice away and see the bottom of the pot for more than a second, it's ready for more liquid.
Once all the liquid is absorbed, add the (finely chopped) herbs and stir through. Remove from heat if it's starting to dry out. Stir through the baked pumpkin and sweet potato, then stir through the cheese.
Serve hot :)
The Results
Okay, so risotto is a fairly standard meal in our house over winter. That said, we didn't have much this year, as I've been pretty slack when it comes to cooking. But regardless, I've made squillions of varieties of this recipe: and this, officially, is the best. My husband, who is not free with compliments, said he'd gladly pay $40 in a restaurant for this risotto :)
I attribute the great success to two things:
Firstly, instead of taking the quicker cop-out method of just grilling (broiling) the vegies, I actually baked them with salt and olive oil and all. Much, much tastier.
Secondly, the difference that fresh, home-grown herbs make is absolutely INSANE. And Greek oregano is my new favourite: besides the amazing salty-savoury complex flavour it adds to the dish, it's purple and fuzzy! What's not to love?!
Hehe.
As I was making this, I lamented that I didn't have any feta cheese to add, being the feta-addict that I am; but it turns out that it really didn't need it. The flavours were beautifully subtle and complex, and husband was absolutely determined that I must have used more herbs than I had (I'm usually prone to throwing in at least 5 or 6).
So, an all-round fabulous success, and definitely one I'll make again, instead of my usual 'what do I have in the cupboard' approach :)
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