Thursday, October 21, 2010

Halloween Pumpkins

Halloween Festivals have become very popular throughout the country so why don’t you get into the spirit with pumpkins foods that are typically served through Halloween & Harvest Time thanksgiving...

There are so many varieties of pumpkins available, and many ways to use them, for example..

· Make a delicious soup - traditional heart warming pumpkin & potato soup variations sprinkling a little nutmeg or how about spicing it up with chilli, coriander & coconut milk...

· Roast pumpkin as a side dish – cut pumpkin in half scoop out the seeds, chop into large sized chunks drizzle with olive oil, pop onto a baking tray in a preheated oven for 15 mins or until tender.

· Creamy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Mash – cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, quarter and peel. Chop into bite sized cubes. Peel sweet potato cut same sized as pumpkin, steam for 15 mins or until tender. Mash until smooth with 2 tbls of warmed cream & salt & pepper

· Make a delicious risotto w roast Pumpkin, fresh sage, mushroom & parmesan

· Add cubed pumpkin to a veggie curry in lieu of potatoes.

· Delicious in pasta, or risotto dishes, roast first in peeled cubes drizzled with olive oil..

· Small varieties include the Orange Minikin, Golden Nugget & Gem Squash are delicious roasted whole or stuffed with rice, nuts & spinach..

Baked pumpkin with penne & basil butter

Serves 4

1kg pumpkin

100g real butter

600g penne pasta

80g pinenuts

45g ¾ cup shredded basil

4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

1. Cut pumpkin into big bite size pieces, place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook @ 220 until tender…

2. Meanwhile cook the pasta in lots of boiling ½ teasp of salted water until just al dente. Heat butter over medium heat in a small pan until foaming add garlic, cook for 2 mins then add pinenuts, cook till golden be careful not to burn

3. Remove from heat, add basil.

4. Drain pasta, add the basil butter, pumpkin & 2 tablespoons of parmesan combine and serve immediately… with the extra parmesan in a little bowl..

Butternut Squash Ginger & Coconut Soup

Serves 6

1 large butternut squash peeled and roughly chopped

2 medium sized potatoes peeled & chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 inch piece fresh ginger grated

1 large onion chopped

1 litres veggie stock or about 5 cups

1 cup of coconut milk

1 tablespoon of peanut oil

pinch of nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

Season with chopped coriander

1. Heat the peanut oil and pop in the onion & garlic cook until tender.

2. Pop in the squash, potatoes & half the grated ginger.. cook for a few mins.

3. Add ½ the veggie stock allowing the veggies to soak up the liquid then add the remaining stock and simmer until veggies are tender.

4. Blend soup and then gradually stir in coconut milk and pinch of nutmeg..

5. Season to taste and serve with scattered coriander on top..

Served with crusty bread…..


Warm Roast Squash Spinach & Feta Salad

1 medium butternut squash

1 red onion thinly sliced

2 large handfuls of baby spinach

2 tbls of pinenuts

1 orange juiced

1 handful of feta cheese cubed

1 tsp of paprika

2 tbls of olive oil

1. Slice the butternut in half scoop out the seeds, chop into cubes without the skin on. Heat the oven to 200 pop the squash on a tray and drizzle with olive oil.

2. Pop the pinenuts onto a baking tray and cook for about 5 mins until golden. Remove from tray pop on a plate.

3. Heat a pan with the remainder of olive oil and cook the onion for about 2 mins then add the paprika and pumpkin.

4. Leave to cool

5. Combine the butternut mixture with the spinach, transfer to a bowl

6. Scatter the pinenuts and feta gently thru the spinach.

7. Lastly, squeeze over the fresh orange juice

Take 4 Ingredients & its Dinner!

Salmon Parcels

Serves 2

2 Salmon Fillets

1 orange juiced

1 sheet of puff pastry

1 egg beaten with a little milk

Leave the salmon to marinate in the fresh orange juice for 30 mins.

Meanwhile cut the puff pastry into 2 pieces large enough to make parcels for the salmon

Lay the salmon on the sheet of puff pastry and make a parcel by pulling the ends together and pinching with a fork. Brush with the egg mixture and pop on a lined baking tray for 20 mins @ 180 or until pastry is golden in colour...

Tuna & Sweetcorn Cakes

Serves 2

1 Can of Tuna Chunks 400g

3 tablespoons of mashed potato

1 egg beaten

3 tablespoons of sweetcorn

Combine drained tuna, sweetcorn, mashed potato & beaten egg. Shape into cakes. Dust in a little flour and fry on a non stick pan with a little olive oil for about 4 mins each side until golden brown and heated through.

Serve with a tossed green salad

Asiany Inspired Tuna Cakes

Swap the egg for 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce and add some fresh coriander..


Honey Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

Marinade

4 tablespoons of lemon juice

3 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoons of Dijon

4 chicken breasts … whole or cubed..

Pop all of the marinade ingredients into a bowl. Stir well to combine all of the ingredients .

Add the cubed chicken stir and coat with the marinade, allow to marinate, if possible for an hour..

Heat oven to 200 (400F) Gas 6) and place in a casserole dish covered for the first 10 mins.. Stir to combine chicken with marinade and cook for a further 15 mins.

This dish is delicious with baked baby potatoes, drizzled with olive oil & seasalt & cooked for 20 mins @ 200 & some steamed broccoli.

Sesame Chill Beef

Serves 4

500g beef strips

1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped

2 tbls of oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Heat a non stick wok and swirl with a little olive oil, pop the chilli on the pan for 30 seconds then add the beef strips, cook on a high heat for 1 min the add the oyster sauce, continue to cook until the sauce bubbles, add half the sesame seeds and combine. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds

Serve with steamed rice & a green veggie like steamed sugar snap peas.

Sesame Stir Fry Veggies

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

1 red pepper sliced lengthways

1 yellow pepper sliced - lengthways

1 carrot sliced – Lengthways

8/10 mushrooms sliced

1 onion thinly sliced

8/10 sugar snap peas

3 handfuls of beansprouts

2 cloves of garlic bashed

2 tbls of soy sauce

2 tbls of sesame seeds

1 tbls of sesame oil

1 tbls of peanut oil

Begin by slicing the peppers & carrots lengthways around the same size.

Have all the other veggies chopped and ready to go.. (this is the key to good stir fries) About 8 mins before the end of the chicken being ready..

Heat the oil in a non-stick wok & add the garlic & onions cook for about 2 mins before popping in the carrots & peppers drizzle with soy sauce, cook for about 3 mins and then add the mushrooms… they will take about 2 mins to cook whereupon you now add the sugar snaps, remainder of the soy, sesame oil beansprouts & sesame seeds … cook for about another minute and you’re ready !!!

This is also a dish in its own right… serve with noodles or rice for a fantastic vegetarian option…