cream of pumpkin soup

fantastic, lovely soup...kids love it with pasta...i personally like it with toasted bread...

1.3kg pumpkin, peeled, sliced and seeded
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, shopped
2 garlic, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
700ml chicken stock
creme fraiche (optional)

• cut the pumpkin into chunks. heat the oil in a large pan, fry the onion, garlic and cumin for 2-3 min. add the pumpkin and potato and fry, stirring for 5-6 min. add the dried thyme to the pan
• pour in the stock and simmer for 15 min until the pumpkin and potato are soft. whizz in a blender until smooth, then pour into a pan, heat through and season.

• serve each portion woth creme fraiche, lightly stirred in.

tuna and spinach lasagne

quick and easy...

250g lasagne sheets
2 x 200g cans tuna, drained
450g tomato passata
9 pitted black olives, roughly chopped
225g baby spinach
salt and pepper
250g ricotta cheese
4tbsp low fat milk
2 tbsp grated parmesan

• preheat oven to 200 degree celcius and grease shallow ovenproof dish.
• flake tuna, put into frying pan and add the passata. heat gently. stir in olive and spinach, then add black pepper to taste. cover and simmer gently 5 min to wilt the spinach
• spoon a third of tuna sauce into the dish. cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. spreadh half remaining tuna mixture on top and cover with lasagne sheets, then repeat.
• mix ricotta with milk and season to taste. spoon over top of lasagne, then sprinkle with parmesan. bake for 30 min  or until very hot. serve immediately.

Harira Soup

i made this for Hari Raya and served it with crusty bread..it was a hit...! improvised the recipe form The Star..

2 litres water
500g beef, cut into small chunks
2 onions, diced
1 tsp pounded ginger
1 250g can chickpeas
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stick, chopped
6 tomatoes
1/2 tsp tumeric
juice from1 lemon
100g coriander, chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste

• in a big pot, bring to boil 2 litres of water. add the beef, onions and ginger. let the mixture simmer for an hour
• then add the chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots, celery, tumeric and lemon juice. simmer for another half an hour.
• season with salt and pepper.
• let cool. puree half of the mixture and return back to the pot.
• add the coriander
• serve hot with crusty bread

colourful crab and sweetcorn chowder

the kids simply love this colourful, creamy chowder...serve with crusty bread or pasta...from the mind mood foods book...

1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic, crushed
4 sticks celery, chopped
1 green capsicum, seeded and diced
350g potatoes, diced
175g button mushroom, sliced
300ml milk
450ml chicken/vegetable stock
225g canned sweetcorn, drained
225g white crabmeat, flaked
salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• heat oil in a large saucepan. add the onion, garlic, celery and green capsicum and cook for 5 min, stirring occasionally
• stir in the potatoes, mushrooms and stock. cover, bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 min, until the vegetables are just cooked
• add the milk, sweetcorn, crabmeat and seasoning. bring back to boil then simmer for 5 min, stirring
• add the chopped parsley, then ladle into soup bowls
• garnish with parsley sprigs and serve with bread (i served with pasta for the kids)

honey and mustard chicken

also from the Mind and Mood Foods Book...sweet and tangy chicken...a lovely dish! it is so finger licking good..!

3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
1/2 chicken, cut into pieces
fresh herb sprigs (i used rosemary and thyme)

• preheat grill to high
• put honey, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and seasoning in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly
• cut 3 slashes in each chicken pieces and place them in a pan
• pour in the honey mixture and mix well
• grill for 20-30 min until the chicken is cooked through

potato, onion and herb bake

adapted from the Mind and Mood Foods Book...

a mouthwatering potato bake...a lovely combination of onion and herbs makes it too hard to resist...yummy!

6 potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh/dried parsley
salt and pepper
6 tbps (or more) milk
2 tbsp butter
fresh parsley, to garnish
sliced fresh mushroom (optional)

• preheat oven to 180 degree celcius
• grease an ovenproof dish. add a thin layer of potatoes over the base, top with a layer of onions and mushroom, sprinkle some parsley, then season with salt and pepper
• continue these layer until all ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of potato
• pour the milk over the potatoes and dot the top with butter
• cover with foil and bake for 1 hour
• then remove the foil and bake uncovered for further 30-45 min, until top is slightly browned
• garnish with chopped parsley