Hi everyone and welcome to the blog.
With Halloween just around the corner, this week’s blog is all about pumpkins. Ever wondered what do with the flesh from your pumpkins, once you’ve carved out your Jack o’ Lantern’s face? Well, hopefully after this week’s blog’s recipe ideas, you’ll have plenty to keep the evil spirits away. This week’s recipes are Pumpkin Soup and Aromatic Beef with Pumpkin. The Herb of the week is Chive.
My first recipe is Pumpkin Soup, courtesy of Olive Magazine November 2010.
This recipe makes 4, takes approx. 20mins to prepare and can take max. 25mins to cook.
2 tbsp x Olive Oil
2 x Onions – finely chopped
1kg x Pumpkin – peeled and chopped
700ml x Hot Vegetable Stock
150ml x Double Cream
A Handful of Croutons
2 Handfuls of Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan, add the onion, and fry until soft. Add the pumpkin to the pan and cook for 10mins, stirring occasionally until it starts to soften and turn golden. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10mins. Pour in the double cream, bring back to the boil then puree in with a hand blender (or blitz in a large jug blender). Serve into mugs with a scattering of croutons and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Herb of the Week – Chives (allium schoenoprasum)
Chives are the only member of the onion group found growing wild in Europe, Australia and North America, where they thrive in temperate and warm to hot climates. Although they are one of the most ancient of all herbs, chives were not cultivated in European gardens until the 16th Century. Chives were a favourite in China as long ago as 3,000BC. They were enjoyed for their delicious mild onion flavour and used as an antidote to poison and to stop bleeding.
It is a hard perennial that grows to a height of 30cms, bearing a purple globular flower all summer, with green cylindrical leaves.
The medical properties of chives are similar to those of garlic, but weaker; the faint effects in comparison with garlic are probably the main reason for its limited use as a medicinal herb. Containing numerous organosulfur compounds such as allyl sulfides and alkyl sulfoxides, chives are reported to have a beneficial effect on the circulatory system. As chives are usually served in small amounts and never as the main dish, negative effects are rarely encountered, although digestive problems may occur following over-consumption. Chives are also rich in vitamins A and C, contain trace amounts of sulfur, and are rich in calcium and iron.
Due to its delicate nature, cooking with the herb damages it fragrant properties, so adding chives at the end of the cooking process, ensures that the flavour of the herb is not lost. They are ideal as a garnish or for flavouring omelettes, scrambles eggs, salads or soups.
My next recipe is Aromatic Beef with Pumpkin, courtesy of Slimming World’s “Four Season Cookbook”, published by Ebury Press.
This recipe makes 4, takes 15-20mins to prepare and can take 20mins to cook.
Fry Light
2 x Onions – sliced thickly
500g x Pumpkins – cut into small cubes
500g x Lean Beef Fillet
60ml x Soy Sauce
1 tsp x Artificial Sweetener
1 x Bird’s Eye Chilli – deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp x Fresh Ginger – finely shredded
2 tbsp x Fish Sauce
1 tsp x Ground Star Anise
1 tsp x Chinese Five Spice Powder
1 tbsp x Oyster Sauce
4 x Spring Onions - shredded
A Small Handful of Sweet Basil Leaves (optional)
A Small Handful of Mint Leaves (optional)
Spray a non-stick wok with Fry Light and place over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and pumpkin and stir-fry for about 2-3mins. Cover and cook gently for 5-6mins, or until just tender. Place the beef between 2 sheets of cling film and beat with a mallet or rolling pin until thin. Cut into thin strips. Put a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the soy sauce, sweetener, chilli, ginger, fish sauce, star anise, five-spice and oyster sauce. Cook and stir for 3-4mins. Add the beef strips to the soy mixture and stir-fry over a high heat for 3-4mins, or until cooked through. Remove from the heat. Add the pumpkin mixture, spring onions and herbs, if using, to the beef, toss well and serve immediately.
If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.
Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D
http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
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