Thai Style Pumpkin soup

I had been given a BIG pumpkin which needed using so I chopped and seeded it and baked it in the oven on baking paper until tender, when it cooled I skinned the pieces and divided it into lots - used some for this soup and froze the rest for later yummy winter soups. I adapted this recipe from the book "Fat Free & Easy" by Jennifer Raymond - hers was an indian spiced soup - to be honest I was feeling a bit lazy and instead of looking out multiple spices - it was just easier to add some green thai curry paste especially as I had some coconut milk already opened! Quick, easy and tasty - who can complain? Add to that - it's low fat and healthy!


2 1/2 cups vege stock
1 onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1-2 tsp green thai curry paste (vegan - no shrimp/fish)
2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin
2 cups of plant milk of choice - (great if you have some coconut milk, or add a few drops of coconut      
                                                     essence to yr plant milk to have a low fat version)

Coriander (cilantro) or parsley for garnish - optional.

Heat 1/2 cup stock in a large pot and cook eat onion and garlic until the onions is soft (about 5 minutes)
Add curry paste and cook 1-2 minutes over low heat to infuse the flavour.
Add remaining stock and the pumpkin and simmer 15 minute

Add the milk and puree the soup in a blender (or food processor or you could use a stick blender).
Return to pot and heat until steaming (don't boil).

Quick Rice and Beans

1 cup brown rice - cook in 3 cups water
1 can tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1-2 tsp onion flakes
seasoning to taste - smoked garlic seasoning or salt and pepper
few drops of hot sauce

I just added the other ingredients to cooked rice and reheated it. Served in a bowl with steamed broccoli it made an appetising, quick and cheap meal. ( I used onion flakes because I couldn't be bothered chopping and sautéing an onion to add but that would work just fine).

Tahini salsa dressing

Serendipitous discovery - there was leftover salsa & a little bit of leftover tahini dressing in the fridge - mixed them - magic!

Tahini dressing - can be as simple as tahini mixed with lemon juice and thinned with a little water, I think I had added some mustard and maple syrup to that one. 

Italian inspired stir fried rice

My food choices at present are dictated by a couple of things - my fridge is virtually useless and things are keeping very poorly in there and have to be used up quickly and secondly my planned shift in a few weeks means I am trying to empty my freezer.

today I had leftover brown rice, 1/2 chopped onion and 1/2 courgette& 1/2 a capsicum (bell pepper) in the fridge to use and a packet of frozen spinach - there were also sundried tomatoes, olives and capers jars in the fridge and half a pot of "gloriously garlic hummus"  & I had discovered several jars of dried mushrooms in my pantry ... so here goes

soak the 1/4 cup dried mushrooms (mine were chanterelles) in hot water

saute 1/2 chopped onion

add chopped capsicum & courgette, sauté until onion brown and caramelised 

1 tsp of crushed garlic (or 1-2 gloves chopped fresh garlic) 

add 1-2 tbs chopped sundried tomatoes

4-5 chopped black olives 

1-2 tsp of capers

stir in 1 cup of thawed frozen spinach

add 1 cup of cooked brown rice

season with tuscan seasoning and truffle salt (if you have it) and fresh ground black pepper

warm a tortilla, spread with gloriously garlic hummus and fill with the rice mixture

or serve the rice mixture in a bowl topped with the garlic hummus

or both!

New Year's Dessert

A variation on Banana Nice Cream
Banana, Cranberry & Rum Nice Cream

1 frozen banana                         }Blend
1/2 cup frozen cranberries         }

then add:

few drops vanilla essence
1-2 tsp Rum
Plant milk - a dash at a time & keep blending until it is the right consistency

Photo doesn't do it justice - it looked really pretty - scattering cacao nibs on top would have been nice if I'd had some but this tasted wonderful as is.