Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Finally typing up pumpkin soup recipe my friend Kate sent me many years ago :)
Yes pumpkin carving did happen here last night

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Serves 6 - 8

 

900g pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and cut into cubes (about half a standard sized pumpkin)

175 g onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

25 g butter

1 sprig thyme

400g tin tomatoes deseeded and chopped

1 tablsp tomato puree

1.2 litres chicken stock (I have used just water and got good results)

salt and freshly ground pepper

pinch of nutmeg

35g butter

1/3 teasp cumin seeds

1/3 teasp coriander seeds

1/3 teasp black peppercorns

1 teasp white mustard seeds

5cm piece of cinnamon stick

 

Put the pumpkin into a pan with the onion, garlic, butter and thyme.  Cover and sweat over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring once or twice.  Add the chopped tomatoes and 1/2 teasp of sugar and tomato puree and cook until dissolved into a thick sauce.  Stir in the stock, s&p, and a little nutmeg and simmer until the pumpkin is tender.   Discard the thyme stalk, then liquidise and return to pan.  Taste and adjust seasoning.     Just before serving, heat the coriander, cumin and peppercorns and crush coarsely.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan and when foaming add the crushed spices, mustard seeds and cinnamon.  Stir for a few seconds until the mustard seeds start to pop.   Remove the cinnamon and pour over the soup.  Serve each bowl with a drizzle of the spiced butter stirred in.

Gluten free seed loaf

Nicknamed 'pigeon bread' by daughter!

Based onJamie Oliver recipe in Sunday Times magazine

Gluten free seed bread

Heat oven to 190C, line large loaf tin with greaseproof paper

Mix a 7g sachet of dried yeast into 375ml of lukewarm water and 4tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. 

In a large bowl combine:

250g gram flour

100g ground almonds

50g linseeds

25g each of poppy, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. (ie 100g of other seeds)

finely chopped leaves of a sprig rosemary

Pinch sea salt

Make a well in the middle. Beat 4 large eggs and pour into the well. Start combining with the flour mixture and continue whilst adding the yeast mixture.

It looks like a thick batter mix rather than a dough.

Pour it into the tin. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and leave for 20 minutes before eating.

This is very rich. Jamie has many toppings suggested as a post 'gym' snack. Half a slice with marmite (or gluten free alternative) does for me.