Smashing Pumpkins

I read in the newspaper today that enough pumpkins will be bought in the UK in the week running up to Halloween to provide two bowls of pumpkin soup for every man, woman and child in the land.

Sadly though, most of these gorgeous courges are thrown away after the 'celebrations' - and not eaten at all.








Well, it's time to tempt people to use up those pumpkins before they rot in the dustbin.

I've updated my cucurbit repertoire to try and do just that.

Roasted pumpkin/squash/courge is always a good place to start so, put a tray of sliced squash in the oven at 200 degrees to roast with any other veg you like- onions, garlic, parsnips, tomatoes, peppers etc- a good glug of olive oil, salt, pepper and plenty of herbs- and after 40 minutes or so you have a tray of delicious, caramelized veg to go with any meat dish as a side.

                           Prepare your squash for roasting                                 

The leftovers mash up nicely with a bit of potato to top a Parmentier (Shepherds, Cottage, Duck confit or Haggis- you can find the recipes on the blog using the labels or search button or click on these links)

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/the-meat-course.html

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/haggis-parmentier-burns-supper-french.html

Pumpkin Parmentier

Or try making some simple ravioli, filled with the mashed roast veg mixed with some garlic and herb soft cheese (for method and recipe click on the link):

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/rainy-day-cooking.html

Or wrap the chopped roasted veg, mixed with a little curry paste,  in filo pastry to make samosas:

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/week-31-warming-things-up.html

   

If you are clever, you can roll them up into these spirals and serve them as a veggie alternative to sausages on Bonfire Night. Just keep brushing them with melted marge or butter to keep them easy to shape.

Butternut Catherine Wheels
(Photo courtesy of Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook)

Talking of sausages, this traybake is a simple and substantial family meal:

Sausage and Squash Traybake

Just right for Bonfire Night- sausages, squash, onions, garlic and new potatoes roasted in oil, salt, pepper and coarse grain mustard. A handful of cooked peas added at the end brightens up the dish.

To bring the pumpkins up to date- try roasting them with miso paste to give them a rich, umami flavour:

Miso roasted Squash

Ingredients:

1kg of squash- peeled and chopped into chunks

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp mirin (or dry sherry)

2 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp golden caster sugar or honey

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper

2. Spread the chunks of veg out on the tray evenly and bake for 20-25 minutes

3. Mix together the mirin, miso and sugar or honey and add in the sesame oil

4. Brush over the squash with a pastry brush until well coated and all the mixture used up

5 Bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbling

6 Scatter the sesame seeds over just before serving.

This is nice served with greens, plain rice and salmon.

And finally, I was served this Thai-inspired Butternut soup last week. It is simple- but beyond delicious:

Ingredients:

1 kg chopped squash
1 large clove of garlic
3 cm piece of root ginger
1 lime
1 lemon
300ml coconut milk
12 cooked prawns
2 tsp sesame oil
1 bunch spring onions
1 finely chopped chilli

1. Peel and slice the squash into cubes
2. Reserve some of the green parts of the spring onions for decoration- and chop the rest.
3. Place in a heavy saucepan and soften in some vegetable oil over a moderate heat

Gently fry your squash

4. Add the crushed garlic clove
5. Grate the lemon zest, lime zest and ginger and add to the mix

Grate your ginger, garlic, lime and lemon zest

6. Squeeze in the lemon juice
7. Add 700 ml  boiling water and leave to simmer
8. Peel the prawns and place in a marinade of lime juice, half the chopped chilli and the sesame oil

Marinade those prawns!

9. Add the coconut milk, warm through and then blitz with a hand blender
10. Adjust seasoning and then pour into bowls
11. Decorate with the prawns, chopped spring onion, chopped chilli and the remaining marinade drizzled over.

Thai-inspired Prawn and Buttenut Soup

Two bowls of that served to every man, woman and child in the land? Now, that's what I call smashing!

Please enjoy your pumpkins responsibly!
(No sniggering.)

Week 17- Going Green

One good thing about all this wet and cool weather we have been having this Spring, is that everything everywhere is so green! All the trees are sparkling and bright and the bushes and plants are looking lush.

Seasonal veg is looking good too- salad leaves are sprouting madly and herbs are flourishing.

Looking back on my last few blogs, the food all seems a bit beige- so I thought it's time to green things up a bit!

I'm indebted to a blog follower for today's starter recipe- Courgette and Coconut soup. I do love it when you send me recipes, because I need inspiration as much as the next person. Keep 'em coming!

I'm following this with lasagne verde, served with rocket salad- and pudding is filo baskets filled with yoghurt  and topped with kiwi slices and elderflower syrup.

For the soup, dice 4 small courgettes, 1 small potato and 1 leek or some spring onions..Soften gently in some butter or oil. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 can of coconut cream and a good pinch of salt and pepper. I added chopped parsley, but the recipe suggests thyme or dill too. Simmer gently until the veg are tender, then blitz with a stick blender, thin down with some milk if too thick and serve with croutons or toasts.

Courgette and Coconut Soup

For the main course, I made a ragout with 450g minced beef, 1 onion gently softened, 1 carton chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon sliced stuffed green olives, 1 tablespoon red wine, 1 tablespoon tomato puree and some beef stock or gravy- all simmered together for about 25 minutes until reduced and thick. I then layered this in a gratin dish alternately with lasagne verde sheets, bechamel sauce, steamed leeks, and finally topped with some grated mozzarella.

Bake in a hot oven (200 degrees) until golden and bubbling (about 30 minutes). Serve with a green salad of rocket or watercress and some bread for the sauce.

Lasagne verde

Layers of leeks

This makes enough for 6 - and both freezes and reheats well.

Mmmmm..

For the dessert- thoroughly grease a muffin tray or individual tartlet tins,  take 2 spring roll wrappers or small squares of filo pastry per person. and lay them in the tins at 90 degrees to one another so they form little pointy star shaped baskets. Brush with melted butter or Flora cuisine and bake in a hot oven (190 degrees) for about 10 minutes until brown and crispy. (Watch carefully, you don't want them to be too brown and bitter.) Allow to cool, fill with Greek yogurt and slices of kiwi (or mandarin, strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb etc)- whatever you want to use up!

For the elderflower syrup- take 2 tablespoons of  elderflower cordial and 1 tablespoon of water and boil together in a small pan until reduced and syrupy (about 10 minutes). Allow to cool and then spoon over the fruit in the baskets and serve.

Kiwi and Elderflower baskets

As for the leftovers- freeze the lasagne. have any leftover yoghurt and fruit for breakfast, and the courgette soup goes well stirred through pasta with a good grating of cheese on top.

Hope these recipes make you green with envy rather than green around the gills.

I'm hoping for strawberries and cherries to be in season next week- so we'll be seeing red soon!