Chilli Pumpkin Cranberry Rissotto

Ingredients

3 lb sugar pumpkin,
2 tablespoons olive oil

1red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped

4 hot red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/3 cup dry white wine

5 cups vegetable broth, kept warm on the stove top

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoonfreshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

juice of one lime

1 teaspoon agave

For the pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon salt

To prepare the pumpkin and seeds: Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and the stringy bits with a tablespoon. Reserve the seeds and place them in a colander to clean.Lightly oil a baking sheet and place the pumpkin face down on sheet.Bake for about 35 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork, but not completely mushy. Once cooled, peel off the skin and chop pumpkin into bite sized pieces.

In the meantime, wash the pumpkin seeds and dry completely with a kitchen towel. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with a little olive oil, toss to coat. You can toast them in the oven whilethe pumpkin bakes, it usually takes about 15 minutes. Toss once or twice. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Once cooled,sprinkle with the spices to coat.

For the Risotto

Preheat a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger and chilies in the oil for about 7 minutes, stirring often so you don't burn it. Add the risotto and stir to coat with oil. Add wine to deglaze the pot, then add first cup of vegetable broth.Use a wooden spoon to stir until most of the water is absorbed.

Continue adding veggie broth then stirring a few more times, until only a cup of broth is left. When you're at the last cup, add thepumpkin and cranberries and repeat stirring. When most of the liquidhas absorbed, add salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and lime juice. Stir incoconut milk. Cook for about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.Taste and adjust salt. At this point you can also add a teaspoon of agave to bring out the sweetness of the cranberries and pumpkin.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving, to let the flavors"marry." Scoop into bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin, Red Lentil and Medjool Date Soup

pumpkin soup
Originally uploaded by denkschema

This is a delightful warming sweet thick soup to enjoy on a chilly day. The dates give it a nice subtle sweetness and the pomegranite garnish enhance the soup.

Ingredients

100 grams red lentils
500 grams pumpkin, de-seeded and cubed
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
A handul of fresh thyme A handful of fresh tarragon leaves
1 large red onion, chopped
1 litre water
1 vegetable stock cube
Large pinch of chilli flakespinch of cayenne pepper
10 medjool dates chopped
splash lemon juice

To garnish Pomegranite seeds, chilli oil and fresh coriander

Method

Saute the chopped onions in the olove oil until they are translucent, add the thyme and tarragon, the pumpkin and the red lentils. Add the stock, chilli flakes and water and simmer gently until all the vegetables are cooked. Add the tomatoes and the dates and puree the mixture until smooth.
Add a splash of lemon juice and season to taste with a pinch of salt and cayenne.
Garnish with coriander leaves, chilli oil and pomegranite seeds.

Roast Pumpkin Salad

Since moving to london from Spain (in the worst winter for twemnty odd years) I have been living on roast vegetables. I am virtually a vegetarian and tend not to eat much meat. However I miss my salads as well, so this roast pumpkin salad ticked all the boxes. A perfect lunch when served with wholemeal bread.

Ingredients
Large chunk of pumpkin peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large red onion quartered2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

10 Ounces of cooked french beans

1/3 cup walnuts

1 cup plain Greek yoghurt ( I used a nouhgt percent fat yoghurt)

2 tablespoons red balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, very very finely chopped

2 samll heads of baby gem, torn into bite-size pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a large baking sheet, toss together the pumpkin, onion, and oil, and then season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender but not mushy. Add green beans and walnuts and toss well. Roast for three minutes To make the dressing whisk together yoghurt, vinegar, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Top the lettuce with roasted vegetable mixture and drizzle the dressing over the top.

Pumpkin, Seed, and Nut Cookies stack

Pumpkin, Seed, and Nut Cookies stack
Originally uploaded by jess.t

Normally my diet is very healthy, but someties after a hard aerobic workout, nothing but a cookie will do. However I am fairly strict about the requirements for a cookie, they have to be healthy I know I know the idea of a healthy cookie is an oxymoron. First of all my cookies have to be soft and I have to attack their construction like the dishwasher method. Everything but the kitchen sink goes in I have to have oats, because they give the softness, not for me the Italian twice cooked cookie, I love to have a soft chewy cookie. In this case the soft bake comes from the oats and the pumpkin base, then the texture coems from the almonds, pumpkin seeds and chocolate for me it has to be dark chocolate.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin
2 large organic eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon oure vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate in small chunks
1 cup whole oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Method.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread the almonds and pumpkin seeds on the paper, and toast for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats, and set aside. Whisk the flours, almond and flaxseed meals, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl, and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla together in a small bowl, then add to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix on medium until well blended. Fold i nthe flour, add the chocolate chips, oats, and toasted almonds and pumpkin seeds, and stir to blend.

Drop the dough by heaping spoonfuls 2” apart on the baking sheets, and bake for 16 to 18
minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking, or until the cookies are barely cracked on top and brown around the edges. Cool for five
minutes on sheets, transfer to racks to cool completely.

Spicy Pumpkin Smoothie

Some morning I go to the gym and when I have finished an hours aerobics and then an hours swim I am famished. I take this drink with me in a flask and it keeps me going unitl lunch.

Spiced Pumpkin Smoothies

3/4 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons brown sugar(optional)
4 ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into 2-3 glasses. Serve with a small amount of whipped cream on top.

Pumpkin enchiladas with mole sauce

Pumpkin enchiladas with creamy goat cheese and mole sauce
Originally uploaded by jen :)

Mole sauce is a rich, deep, smoky sauce with both a chocolate and chilli hit. I leave the seeds in my chllies because I like them hot, remove them if you prefer.

Ingredients
For the sauce
10 red chillies
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
25g/1oz flaked almonds
5 black peppercorns
3 cloves
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
vegetable oil, for frying
400g/14oz can of chopped tomatoes
pinch of cinnamon
sugar, to taste
150ml/5fl oz chicken stock
100g/3½oz dark 70% cocoa-solids chocolate, grated

For the enchiladas
vegetable oil, for roasting
2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3cm/1¼in cubes
400g/14oz can of refried beans
freshly chopped coriander leaves
1 red chilli, chopped
12 soft flour or corn tortillas
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
soured cream
lime wedges
fresh coriander leaves

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

Method

To make the sauce, put the chillies, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, peppercorns and cloves in a mortar and pestle and crush. Tip into a frying pan and dry fry for a minute or so until lightly charred and aromatic.

In a separate pan, saute the onion, garlic and cocoa in a little oil for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then add all the dry-fried spices, the cinnamon, sugar and stock and cook for 25 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Turn out and fold in the chocolate.

For the enchildas, place some oil in a roasting dish and put in the oven to heat up. Place the squash into the roasting dish, season well and roast for forty minutes, or until soft. Put the squash in a bowl, add the refried beans, coriander and red chilli and stir to mix.

Divide the mixture between the tortillas, roll up and cut the ends straight. Put in a baking dish, cover, and cook in the oven for about ten minutes minutes, until warmed through.To serve, put two tortillas on each plate and spoon over a little of the sauce. Serve with bowls of soured cream, lime wedges and fresh coriander alongside.

This is my first winter back in the UK for twenty years
I am finding the cold difficult to say the least. Then this week the ground has been covered with white stuff and it has been horrid.The only thing that has kept me going is the thought of Caribean comfort food.

large hjar of cooked chickpeas
30ml (2 tablespoon) olive oil
Handful of fresh thyme or lemon thyme
1 onion, red finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
30ml madras curry paste
450g (1 lb) pumpkin peeled and cubed
5ml (1 tsp) salt
500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
6 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
30ml (2 tablespoons)freshly squeezed lime juice
60ml (4 tablespoon ) coriander, chopped

Method

Saute the onion in the hot oil for five minutes, add the thyme, chilli, garlic and curry paste and pumpkin and simmer for twenty minutes unitl cooked. Add the spring inion and lime and cook for a few seconds. Serve sprinkled with the fresh coriander.