Happy Halloween

Spiced Pumpkin & Apple Soup

It’s that time of year again. With things being so very different this year, treat yourselves to some homemade healthy soup.

As well as providing you with some of your seven a day it is also very economical to make, using the flesh from all that pumpkin carving and windfall apples.

For the adults I highly recommend using cider to make this soup, however, for the children vegetable stock is a better option.

To finish the soup, toast some bread, using a cookie cutter, stamp out to ghostly shapes, Sprinkle with grated cheese or a vegan alternative, float on tp of individual bowls of soup.

Dairy free, gluten free, Vegetarian, vegan. Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1kg Pumpkin flesh
• 1 Large Potato, peeled & diced
• 2 Large Bramley Apple., peeled & chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled & diced
• 1 Large Carrot. Chopped
• 2 Sticks Celery. Chopped
• 2 Sage leaves
• 1 Tbspn Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tbspn Curry powder
• 1/2 tspn grated nutmeg.
• 1.5 Ltrs Vegetable Stock or for the adults. 1/2 veg stock & 1/2 Cider.
• 3tbspns Rapeseed Oil.
• Seasoning

METHOD.

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, over a medium heat.
• Add the vegetables & fruit. Fry for 5mins.
• Sprinkle in the spices & fry for a further 3mins, stirring regularly.
• Add the liquid(s). Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, simmer for 45mins.
• Remove from heat, blend in a liquidiser or with a stick until smooth.
• Season to taste and serve.

Should the soup be to thick for your liking, thin down with extra veg stock.

Enjoy

Happy Halloween

Vegetarians Look away

Recipe Sweet Potato & Pork

Christmas Countdown. We all need a quick warming meal, in the run up to Christmas. this recipe for Sweet Potato & Pork fits the bill. All you need is a roasting tin, some veg and your pork, which has been placed in a quick, cheats marinade for a few hours. Throw it all in the oven & forget about it, while you wrap those presents. In 45mins to 1hr, depending on the thickness of your meat, you have a delicious, one pot pork dish ready for the family. If you want to add another veg, serve on some lightly steamed, kale or Cornish spring greens. Yum.

Veggies Look away NOW

Spicy Pork & Sweet Potato Bake.  

Serves 4. Equipment: Large Roasting Tin. Oven temp 200c 400F Gas 6. G/F D/F

For the cheats Marinade:

4 Tbspns Sweet Chilli Chutney.

2 Tbspns Runny Honey

2 Tbspns Light Soy Sauce

5 cm Fresh Ginger, grated.

2. Cloves garlic Crushed

2 Tbspns Red Wine Vinegar

Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl, spread over the meat, turning occassionally.

1 kg Belly Pork Slices, or 4 Pork Chops.

4 Sweet Potatoes, Quartered, unpeeled.

2 Large red onions, peeled & quartered.

1/2 kg Carrots, cut into large chunks.

• 

  Veggie Base

• 

  Chilli Marinade

• 

  Marinade in the mixing

METHOD:

Place the chunky veg, in a single layer, in a large roasting tin.

Place in a preheated oven & cook for 45mins -1hr, depending on the thickness of the meat.

(If you do not like your meat as crispy as in the photo, move the tray down a shelf, 15mins before the end of the cooking time.

Serve with freshly steamed veg.

If you have any particular recipe requirements or questions, please leave a comment below & I will answer tomorrow.

Until then. Have a great evening.

Chocolate & Coconut Truffles

Recipe for Dairy Free Truffles

Day 3 of the Coundown to Christmas recipes & tips brings you the delight of chocolate. In particular dairy & gluten free Coconut Truffles, very apt for Truffleicious you may think.

We all love chocolate, but there are varying degrees of this comforting confectionery. Many of the cheaper varieties are mainly made up of sugar, & additives. Food regulations state that the ingredients list must show the components of the product in a decreasing scale. Therefore, if the first ingredient listed is sugar, then sugar is the main ingredient of the product. So, my mantra for purchasing any food product is “Always read the label”.

For the recipe below you must use chocolate that has a cocoa butter content of above 72%. Block creamed coconut must also be used, not a tin of coconut milk as this is all part of the setting agent in the finished truffles.

Coconut & Rum Truffles.

Gluten free, Dairy free, Vegetarian, Vegan.  Time taken, 45mins + chilling

Makes 40.

INGREDIENTS

250 g Dark Chocolate (above 72% cocoa mass)

1/2 Pack of solid creamed coconut 

60 g Desicated Coconut, (fine variety)

150 ml Rum, OR Malibu OR Water if you want to avoid alcohol.

150g Coconut, or Cocoa Powder for Rolling.   These can also be dipped in melted chocolate when set.

METHOD

Place the the coconut cream & your prefered liquid in a saucepan & bring to the boil, stirring.  Cool for 10mins.

Chop the chocolate into small chunks & place in a large bowl.

Pour the coconut mixture onto the chocolate, stirring briskly, from the centre, until you have a thick glossy emulsion. Stir in the fine desicated coconut.

Chill & roll into balls, with you fingers. Coat each ball with your chosen coating, or dip in melted chocolate. 

Leave to set & there you have it, the perfect gift for friends & relations or if like me, you are a bit of a Piggy, Eat them yourself.

A little of what you fancy.

Until tomorrow Foodies, have a lovely evening.

Don’t forget, if you have a question or would like to see a particular recipe on The Christmas Countdown. Please leave a comment in the box below.