Pumpkin Soup and Accompaniments

I adore pumpkin soup! This is a true statement. I don't know anyone who doesn't like it. You could call it cheap and cheerful if you want. Although on second thought, perhaps "cheap" isn't the right word to use next to this really gorgeous soup. Pumpkin soup is light, warm, velvetty and has perfect sweetness - not too sweet, not too rich.

There's really no point to an exact recipe to make pumpkin soup. It's more of a throw in the pan, cook, blend and eat technique : ) So treat this post as a general guideline. If you've never had pumpkin soup, I really hope you try it. It's goooood.

Pumpkin is usually sold in wedges from the supermarket. So buy a big wedge, remove the skin, cut the pumpkin in pieces and throw in a pan. Also add one onion cut in large chunks and enough water to cover most (but not all) of the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are soft (about 10 min) and remove off the heat.

Well, that's it really. I don't add anything else, not even salt during the cooking. You could substitue the water for chicken stock if you want but I prefer the lightness of the soup with just water.

When the vegetables have cooled slightly, puree the vegetables and spoon into a bowl.

For final touches, add a dollop of sour cream/yoghurt, sprinkle some sharp cheddar cheese, pinch of salt and pepper. If you have fresh thyme leaves on hand, add a tiny bit of that too. Careful not to add too much thyme. The first time you make it, less is better. Add more next time if you want.

You could also try it with milk or cream instead of the sour cream/yoghurt. That is delicious too!

Unless you know you're finishing the whole pot of soup, I would suggest adding any type of dairy direcly in your bowl instead of the pot. This will give you better peace of mind that your soup will keep better in the fridge for the next day.

To accompany the soup, try some fresh bread and roasted garlic. This combination is to die for.

To make the roasted garlic, simply cut the top of a garlic head. Place the rest on a piece of foil. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, olive oil and herb of your choice. Close the foil and place in a hot oven for about 30min. I usually sneak this into an oven if I am baking bread! When it's ready, squeeze the garlic and spread on some bread. Now about those little chunks of garlic we cut off from the garlic head, I'm sure you'll find good use for them right?...

Whatever accompaniment you choose, I hope you enjoy some pumpkin soup.

Olive Bread

This recipe has become a favourite in my house. It's really versatile. You can flavour it any way you want. Try your favourite pizza toppings. The process is a bit lengthy but picture the main stages:

1. Make the Starter
2. Mix the Starter with all ingredients for the Dough
3. Add the olives
4. Bake

With some mixing action and patience, you're on the way to fabulous bread. So let's start.

Starter:
Look forward to making the Starter. Imagine a bowl of rich bubbliness... There's no better homemade feeling than this. Mix all ingredients with a fork and let rise until doubled in size.

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 3/4 tsp yeast (I use traditional)

To test the temperature of the water, place a finger in the water. You should be able to leave it in at least 30 secs. Otherwise, it's probably too hot.

Dough:
Life will be so much easier if you use a stand mixer. In your mixer bowl, add the following ingredients in this order.

• All of the Starter
• 2 cups warm water + 2 tsp yeast + 1 tbsp honey (Whisk gently to dissolve)
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 3/4 tsp salt

Using a wooden spoon, stir to get all the ingredients roughly. This will prevent chances that you'll get flour all over your counter. Then, with the dough hook on, switch the machine on for 5 min. Let rest for 15 min.

Start the machine again for about 7 min. If needed, increase the speed and allow the dough to flap against the sides of the bowl and get more elastic.

Hope you're enjoying the recipe so far. At this point your dough looks really sticky, elastic and quite runny. It's time to add the olives.

Olives:
Feel free to experiment with your favourite toppings for this bread. I use a combination of herbs and olives. Last time I made this bread, I also put in a few slivers chunks of garlic. Every time my husband got some garlic, he happily referred to them as surprises : )

• 2 tbsp rosemary + oregano
• 1 1/2 cup cut olives (I use a mixture of kalamata, sundried black olives and green olives)
• A few small slivers of garlic

Add the above to your mixer bowl. Give it a few more swirls in the machine. Switch it off and transfer to a bigger bowl. Let the dough rise for an hour or so until doubled.

Baking:
Here we go, final steps!

1. Pre-heat oven at 400 F
2. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper
3. Transfer the dough into sheet pans (It's a bit tricky but do it with confidence, you can do it!)
4. Let rise for 45 min (Do not skip this step as your dough won't rise as much as you expect it to)
5. Bake for about 40 min. Check it half way through the cooking and turn the pan.

Smell the goodness? : ) Enjoy!

Easy Mango Pudding

It's mid afternoon and I'm enjoying a day off at home. It's early spring and while I'm appreciating the weather getting nicer, today isn't quite warm enough for my comfort level.

I start to feel peckish. I can't believe it given I had a very generous portion of sushi for lunch. "What's to eat?" I ask... I remembered seeing my husband snacking on some yoghurt earlier. So inspired, I came up with the Easy Mango Pudding.

Try it. It's delicious and easy to make. Enjoy.



Photography - Courtesy of photoRK.com

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• 1/2 tbsp Honey
• 1/4 cup Low Fat Yoghurt
• dash of Vanilla
• 1 tbsp toasted pecan
• 1 tbsp toasted coconut

Directions:

1. Dice the mango and place in a bowl
2. Add some honey to taste
3. Stir in the yoghurt and vanilla
4. Garnish with toasted pecan and coconut

The Beginning

April 17, 2010, a date to remember. I am really excited. I finally have a place to keep all my favourite recipes and blog about my adventures. Hopefully life will be full of them.

You always hear famous actors say how their parents were their biggest fans. I feel the same. In my spare time, I love to try new baking recipes. It takes a lot of trial and error but I know what I like and sometimes, $$$$Jackpot - I hit a sweet spot. Mum understands this passion. She's always so happy to hear about the new recipes. I can't wait to share this link with her : )

So to mum and everybody, I hope you'll join me as I post some of my favourite food adventures!