Pumpkin, Tomato and Mixed Bean Soup

Although I usually think of November as weather that is starting to warm up, we are sure still having plenty of cold and rainy days here at the moment. So I figured that's a good enough reason to have soup! I'm sure many of you on the other side of the world appreciate soup for this time of year anyway as you're heading into the cooler months!
Pumpkin soup is always delicious, but this one is made even tastier with the addition of some beans and a hint of curry.

Pumpkin, Tomato and Mixed Bean Soup 

You'll need:

1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
500g pumpkin
1 carrot
1 small sweet potato
2 cups veggie stock
2 tins 400g diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 generous Tablespoon curry powder
2 tins mixed beans



Chop and saute the onion and garlic in a large pot using a little amount of stock.
Chop the veggies (peeling the pumpkin), place into the pot and bring to the boil with the remaining stock. Once boiling, simmer until veggies are soft.
Add tomatoes and use a stick blender to blend til desired consistency, either with a few chunky pieces remaining or til completely smooth - whatever is your preference.
Add the drained beans and spices. Return to heat and simmer til warmed through.
Serve with fresh herbs or croutons.

Question of the day:
Do you only eat soup during the cooler months, or also during the warmer months?

Thanksgiving Recipe - Pumpkin Pie

It's about this time of year when many people start thinking about thanksgiving.
We don't celebrate thanksgiving, but I previously tried this recipe for a dinner party with friends and it worked so well that I wanted to try it again and make sure I posted it in time for thanksgiving if it worked out.
I'm pleased to say that it works so well and is totally delicious :-)
It's not very difficult to make either which means it's a winner in my books! 

EASY PUMPKIN PIE

(This recipe makes 1x 24cm pie - serves 8-12 depending on cutting size.)
You'll need:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional, works without it)
For the filling:
1/4 medium size pumpkin
300g tub soft silken tofu
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (don't have this - use 1t cinnamon, 1/4t each ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves)

Peel and de-seed the pumpkin. Cut into pieces and cook until tender however you choose, my preferred way is in the microwave. This takes approx 7 mins with a small amount of water in the bottom of a microwave safe dish. You need 1 1/2 cups of cooked pumpkin pieces, though don't stress if you are a little over or under as this recipe is very forgiving.
Set cooked pumpkin aside.
In a food processor combine the crust ingredients and pulse until the mixture is lightly crumbled and comes together.

Press the mixture into the pie dish with the back of a spoon. You can be as precise or rustic as you desire. Make sure there are no holes in the button layer as the filling will leak through if there is.
Place pie base in a preheated 160°C oven and baked for 20 minutes. 
In the meantime, prepare the filling.
Make sure the pumpkin is well strained of any water. Strain the tofu.
Combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth.
Pour the filling over the baked pie base.

Spread with the back of a spoon to get a nice even surface on top.
Return to the oven and bake for a further 40 minutes, still at 160°c.

Once cooker, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Note: 
* We have found that so long as we are using a glass pie dish it doesn't need to be sprayed with oil, the pie slides right off it when it's cooled.
* This is a lightly sweetened pie, you can use more maple syrup if you'd like a sweeter pie.

Question of the day:
Do you celebrate thanksgiving?

Filo Fillers

Confession time:
I've had this post sitting in my drafts folder since February.... waiting for me to re-do the recipes and take better pictures. However, since filo pastry is such a rare treat in our home it hasn't happened! And we have refined our diet even more in the last few months so the chances of filo making a re-appearance are now even more rare than previously!
So you'll just have to trust me when I say that even though the pictures are not the greatest, that each of these is totally delicious!!!!!

Filo Fillers - Tasty Pastry Options

There is something tremendously comforting for me about rolling up filo pastry. 
I don't really know what it is..... 
Perhaps it's having to be so tender so the pastry doesn't tear.
Perhaps it's experimenting with the many different types of fillings. 
Perhaps it's the excitement of feeling like we're having something a little bit fancy for dinner even though it's really easy to make.
Perhaps it's the fun of brushing over them knowing that their pale skin is going to come out brown and blistered when it's baked.
Perhaps it's just knowing they are a real treat....

Whatever it is, I recommend you try these fillings! 
And be sure to let me know if you find rolling filo pastry just as comforting as I do!!!

Although they reheat well, the pastry is never quite the same as when they are fresh from the oven. 

For each of these recipes I will give quantities to make 4-5 pastries depending on how generous you are with your fillings.
The instructions are the same for each filling - just different ingredients are used. 
I recommend using 2-3 sheets to roll each pastry. I find that using just one sheet will tear and/or get soggy. And no-one like a soggy bottom ;-) 


Basic Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. 


Place approximately a 1/2 cup of the filling onto 2-3 sheets of the filo pastry in the center and roll the pastry up, being sure to tuck the ends in to minimalise leakage. 





Place on a lined baking tray and brush with plant milk. 

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Tomato and Bean Filo Rolls
4 chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tin drained borlotti beans
1 teaspoon salsa spice mix

Curried Pumpkin Filo Rolls
1/4 small pumpkin - cut into cubes and cooked til tender
1 tin 4 bean mix, drained
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 zucchini, chopped and cooked
1 teaspoon curry powder

Potato and Pea Filo Triangles
2 cups mashed potato
1/2 cup frozen peas, cooked
1 teaspoon Rogan Josh spice blend

(I boil the potatoes and peas together to make life easier. I also like to wrap these ones into triangle shapes just to be different!)

(This is an example of what happens if you overlook the milk-brushing part, still delicious but the pastry ends up really dry.)

Question of the day:
Do you use filo pastry?
What are some of your favourite fillers?

Bit-like Coconut Curry

I was going to call this "Corn & Kale Curry" but I decided "Bit-like Coconut Curry" sounded far more appealing - especially to those who are not kale lovers in our home! It has all the flavour of a curry made with rich coconut milk, yet substantially less fat.
Thankfully it went down a real treat - even none kale-loving members went back for seconds!!! I hope you enjoy it just as much as they did.

BIT-LIKE COCONUT CURRY

(Serves 4)
You'll need:
400g corn cobs (about 3 cobs) - kernels removed
1 bunch kale - finely chopped
500g pumpkin - about 1/4 medium sized one
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups soymilk
1 1/2 teaspoon coconut essense
1 Tablespoon curry powder of choice
1 teaspoon dessicated coconut (optional)

Chop all the veggies.
Saute the onion & garlic with a bit of water until lightly browned.
Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes until pumpkin is soft.
Using the back of a spoon gently press the pumpkin pieces so they begin to fall apart. Stir dish well so everything is well distributed.

Serve over rice or potatoes.

 

Orange Soup

I must admit that I don't really consider myself a pumpkin fan.....
but I do love pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin pancakes, baked pumpkin and of course, pumpkin soup. I guess that does make me a pumpkin fan then!!!
One thing I have come to learn over the years is that just because a pumpkin soup is called "pumpkin soup", when it contains more than just pumpkin it tastes even better!
Here's a combination I love. All the warmth and fullness of a pumpkin soup with just a hint of curry. 

PUMPKIN & CHICKPEA SOUP

You'll need:
1 onion
1 small sweet potato
1 carrott
1/4 kent pumpkin (or other pumpkin of choice)
1 can chickpeas
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar (can be omitted)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon vegemite (trust me it works!)
Approx. 4 cups of vegetable stock

Chop all the vegetables. Drain the chickpeas. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover with vegetable stock (amount will vary depending on your pot). You can make this soup thicker or thinner depending on how much stock you use.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Once all vegetable are soft. Blend half with a stick blender.

You can also make this over a stove top. Just bring to the boil & then simmer til all the vegetable and soft.

Submitted for Meatless Monday A-Z: Yams (also known as Sweet Potato)

Meatless Monday - Baked Pumpkin Pudding

Today's Meatless Monday food is Kabocha Squash.

Or as us Aussies called it Japanese Pumpkin.

Or if you're like me and find these things too hard to find, just regular pumpkin ;-)

It all tastes the same right?!? 

But who wants to eat pumpkin plain?!?

Isn't it considered pig food in England?!?

I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin, but when its turned into sweet treats it suddenly grows on me ;-)

Baked Pumpkin Pudding

You'll need:

3 cups pumpkin cubes

200g soft silken tofu

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tablespoon cornflour

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cook the pumpkin til soft. I just put it in the microwave.

Combine the cooked pumpkin with all the other ingredients and blend til smooth - either in a blender of a food processor.

Pour into lightly oil-sprayed ramekins.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown on top. They will be firm, but slightly wobbly.

Delicious served with coconut whipped cream.

 

 

Pumpkin and Kale Soup

Its not easy being green in winter!
Summer naturally leans towards delicious green smoothies and tasty salads but when winter comes I find my greens sit in the fridge for longer than they should.....

This is a great way to incorporate greens into your winter lunches :-)

You'll need:
1/4 of a whole pumpkin
1/2 onion
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon stock powder
leaves from 4 steams of black kale (or other green leafy as desired)

Chop the pumpkin into small pieces and scoop out the seeds.

Place in a large saucepan with the chopped onion, sage and stock powder.

Pour in enough water to just cover the pumpkin pieces.

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.

Remove from the stovetop and blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Return to the heat and add the torn kale leaves.

Cover and continue to cook on low heat for 7-10 minutes until the kale leaves have slightly wilted.

Serves 2

WIAW - Unprocessed Tuesday Week 2

I decided to post Tuesday's meals this week for what-i-ate-wednesday! Why post Tuesday instead of Wednesday you may ask?!? Well because Wednesday's meals always seem so boring being my work day! 

Today I experimented a bit, so I thought it would be more fun to share today!
Possibly Wednesday will be full of today's leftovers anyway ;-)


Breakfast -->
Banana Oat Pancakes
Same as my blueberry-choc-oat-pancakes, just omit the blueberries and add one over-ripe mashed banana.

Lunch -->
I experimented with making my own tortillas! :-/
Let's just say... next time I'll stick to store bought ones!
It was a lot of fun but they just weren't so great to roll up into a salad wrap. 
That said, they were still very tasty.
They worked out way better as 'dipping bread' for this pumpkin cheeze-sauce than for wraps!

Dinner -->
More experimenting :-) I love having fun in the kitchen.
What is that quote Nigella Lawson says at the start of her series Kitchen - "If I'm in the kitchen, I'm happy". Well personally, I couldn't agree more.

For this evening's meal I made Cauliflower fried-rice with sweet potato and chick pea burgers.

The cauliflower fried rice but a bit of an experiment but it was soooooo amazingly tasty that I'm going to make it again and then share the recipe soon! 
I did go back for seconds ;-)

The sweet potato and chick pea burgers were really simple. Just steam a small sweet potato and then toss it in a food processor with a drained can of chickpeas, chopped spring onions and enough besan flour to hold the mixture together. Then bake for 30 mins until golden brown. ~Really tasty~

Dessert -->
As always.... banana ice-cream! This time with cherries and cocoa too :-)
mmmmmm black forest flavour soft-serve! Soooooo good!

To see some of my experimenting with the tortillas continue scrolling below!

Letting the dough sit

Rolling out the tortillas - bit sticky :-/

Much better rolling out with flour instead of paper!

Dry-fry the tortilla

Yay a puffed one!!!!!!!
Lucky number 3 ;-)

And making the sweet potato burgers....

Zucchini Pasta with Pumpkin 'Cheeze' Sauce

This meal is so simply and yet really tasty.
Other than cooking the pumpkin it can be prepared in 5 minutes!

You can serve this over regular pasta if you would rather.
But for today's recipe I served it over steamed spiralized zucchini.

 

To make the pumpkin sauce you'll need:


1/8 pumpkin, boiled and mashed to become 1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin
3/4 cup soymilk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon cornflour
 crack of pepper (optional)






In a pot combine the soymilk, nutritional yeast and cornflour. Whisk until cornflour and nutritional yeast have dissolved. You must whisk these in while the milk is still cold otherwise they won't dissolve properly.



 



Bring to a boil & add the mashed pumpkin. Simmer for 3 minutes, whisking continuously. 
The sauce will begin to thicken, but will still be pourable.





Pour over your desired 'pasta'.
Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper.