Pumpkin & Red Lentil Soup

 Recipe from Delicious Vegetarian Food, page 67

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 long red chilli, seeded and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
500g butternut pumpkin, chopped
350g orange sweet potato, chopped
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
½ cup red lentils
1 tablespoon tahini

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the chilli and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Reduce the heat to low, add the pumpkin and sweet potato and cook, covered, for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Increase the heat to high, add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the lentils and cook, covered, for 7 minutes, or until tender.
3. Blend the soup in batches in a blender, food processor or by using a stick blender. Add the tahini and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan and gently heat until warmed through. Garnish with chilli and serve with bread.

Notes & Tips

The soup can be made up to a day ahead. Keep covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator and reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Thai Prawn & Pumpkin Curry

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas magazine, May 2008 edition, page 37

Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 large brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
1 tablespoon fish sauce
270ml can light coconut milk
1 long red chilli (or 2 Birdseye chilli), deseeded, thinly sliced
¾ cup cold water
800g medium green king prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact
100g green beans, trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths
1 small broccoli, cut into florets, steamed or microwaved
steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer, in a large roasting pan. Spray some olive oil and toss to coat. Bake in oven for approx. 8 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add curry paste. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add pumpkin, fish sauce, coconut milk, half the chilli and cold water. Simmer for a few minutes or until pumpkin is just tender and sauce has thickened slightly.
4. Add prawns, broccoli and beans. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until prawns are cooked through and beans tender. Top with remaining chilli. Serve with rice.

Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Honey & Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

1 kg butternut pumpkin, deseeded, cut into 2 cm thick pieces
Olive oil cooking spray
¼ cup pine nuts (optional)
200g mixed salad leaves

Honey & Balsamic Dressing

¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250⁰C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin in a single layer on tray. Spray with oil and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast pumpkin, turning once, for 25 minutes or until golden and tender. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add pine nuts. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes or until golden.
3. Make honey and balsamic dressing: Combine honey, vinegar and oil in a jug. Microwave on high (100%) for 10 seconds or until honey is melted. Stir until well combined.
4. Place salad leaves and pumpkin in a large bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Drizzle with dressing. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve.
   

Lamb, Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cottage Pies

This recipe is a variation of the classic cottage pie. It's also freezer friendly so that you can have some now and some later :)

In this recipe, I've suggested to roast the pumpkin but you could just steam the pumpkin until it is tender. Same applies for the sweet potato. This would hasten the cooking process considerably, particularly if you are time poor!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground chilli
500g lamb mince
1x400g can diced tomatoes
125ml (1/2 cup) salt reduced chicken stock
2 tbs tomato paste
800g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, coarsely chopped
400g sweet potato, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 rosemary sprig
1 cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese
2 tbs pine nuts
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer, in a large roasting pan. Drizzle over 2 tbs olive oil, season with some sea salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add the rosemary sprig then bake in oven for 45 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
   
2. Cook sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain then add to pumpkin. Use a potato masher or a fork to mash sweet potato and pumpkin until almost smooth.
   
3. Meanwhile, heat 1tbs olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon and chilli and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
4. Increase heat to high. Add the mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in the tomatoes, stock and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt if needed.
   
5. Divide the mince mixture among individual oven proof dishes or 1 large oven proof dish. Spoon the pumpkin & potato mix evenly over the mince mixture and use the back of spoon to spread. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and pine nuts.
6. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheddar is golden and the pine nuts toasted. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve with salad leaves.

Notes & Tips

Freezing tip: At the end of step 5, cover the dishes with lids. Alternatively, wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil or place into foil storage containers. Label, date and freeze the pies for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the portions in the fridge for 6-8 hours or until thawed. Preheat oven to 200C. Remove the lids or plastic wrap and foil. Continue from step 6.

Roast Pumpkin Soup

For a fuller & sweeter pumpkin flavour, I would recommend taking the extra time to roast the pumpkin first. If you don't have the time, you can just add all the ingredients to a pan and bring to the boil then simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, prior to blending and adding the milk.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1kg pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 chicken stock cube
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups water
freshly ground black pepper
185mL can evaporated milk
2 tbs olive oil
rosemary & thyme sprigs (optional)

Method


Preheat oven to 220°C. Arrange the pumpkin and onion in a single layer, in a large roasting pan. Drizzle over the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add some rosemary & thyme sprigs. Roast in oven, turning once halfway through cooking, for 30 minutes or until golden & tender.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the pumpkin & onion mixture (with the herbs removed), stock cube, water, nutmeg and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until it reduces slightly. Remove from heat.

Place the mixture in food processor or blender and process until mixture is smooth.

Return to pan, season with salt and pepper to taste. Add evaporated milk, return to boil stirring constantly. Sprinkle with parsley and season with freshly ground pepper before serving.

Notes & Tips

Evaporated milk contains less fat than cream, allowing you to rekindle your love for creamy food :)