Flossie's Delicious Pumpkin Soup

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't posted anything for a while, things have been busy! My friend Floss cooked an amazing soup for me this week that I thought I ought to recreate and share - all credit goes to her. It is super fresh and tasty, with very few ingredients and perfect for October.

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 2 red onions, chopped

- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped in half

- 3 carrots, roughly chopped

- 2 sweet potatoes, roughly chopped with their skins on

- 1/4 medium pumpkin or 1/2 a small one, peeled and roughly chopped

- 1 chilli, chopped with or without seeds depending on your spice tolerance

- 1 tin of coconut milk

- 1 litre stock using 1 vegetable stock cube and 1/2 chicken stock cube

- 1 tsp dried basil

- salt and pepper

1. There is no need to use any oil, simply put your onions and garlic into a large heated saucepan and then add the coconut milk. Simmer away slowly while you prepare the veg.

2. Put everything else into the saucepan and cook with a lid on for 20-25 mins on a medium-high heat, until the vegetables are soft. 

3. Blitz the vegetables in a food mixer or smoothie blender - do this a little at a time or the heat might cause the soup to overflow or splash everywhere.

Serve with fresh bread and a sprinkling of seeds.

Twinings - Intensely Tropical Smoothie

Looking for something cool and refreshing - try my Intensely Tropical Smoothie for Twinings:

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2016/january/intensely-tropical-smoothie

Twinings - Gingery Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is great for keeping away colds and bugs, or warming you up on these chilly winter days. The kale crisps add a delicious crunchy texture to the soup, and the Root Ginger tea accentuates the fiery ginger flavours. Check out my full recipe here: http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2016/january/gingery-butternut-squash-soup

Vegan Courgette Summer Pesto

After realising I had one too many courgettes in my fridge, I decided to do some experimenting. Why wouldn't courgette taste great in pesto? This recipe is cheese free and therefore vegan, and has a moist nutty texture, even though it contains very little oil. Healthy healthy! Perfect swirled through pasta or rice, or used as a dip or spread.

Ingredients (serves 2)

- 1/2 a courgette

- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed

- fresh or frozen basil from a 31g bag, stalks removed and discarded

- 20 almonds

- 4 cherry or small fresh tomatoes

- 2 tbsp sunflower oil, or any

- salt and pepper

1. Start by turning the oven to 200°c to bake the courgette. Slice the courgette and drizzle with the sunflower oil. Season well and bake for 10-15 minutes until soft and golden. 

2. Blitz the almonds in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. *Some bigger crumbs will give the sauce some texture*. 

3. Add the cooked courgette slices with their oil, crushed garlic, tomatoes, and basil to the mixer with the almonds. Mix for a few minutes until smooth. 

YUM!

Super Simple Parma Ham Egg Muffins

This is one to wow your guests! The effort is minimal but the impact is great :) Perfect for any brunch or breakfast, adding a little diversity. Plus, they're divine.

Ingredients

- eggs

- 1 piece of parma ham for every egg

- a couple of tomatoes, finely sliced (optional)

- chilli flakes

- any herbs or mixed herbs

1. Turn the oven to 180°c, or the grill if you prefer.

2. Rub your muffin tin with a little oil or butter.

3. Line the holes with one slice of parma ham each, trying not to leave any gaps.

4. Place a tomato slice at the bottom (if using), and then crack an egg in each hole. 

5. Top with chilli flakes or herbs, and season well with pepper. The parma ham is already pretty salty!

6. Put them in the oven for around 6-8 minutes, or until the white is cooked and the yolk looks runny.

Eat straight away!

Obsessed About Pomelo - How to Tackle, Eat and Use it

I have fallen in love with this fruit, and I hope if you're reading this, you will too! A somewhat overlooked orangey yellow ball which not many people know what to do with. Pomelo it a citrus fruit, and originates from South and Southeast Asia. Like the orange, it is high in Vitamin C. It's reasonably cheap - ranging between £1-£2, feeds between three and four, easy to dissect and of course, very sweet, healthy and scrumptious. If you haven't purchased one before, now is the time. Pomelo can be found in most independent grocery shops in and around London, often for only £1, and it can also be bought in Lidl for £1.49.

Where to Start!

1. Carefully cut off the plastic covering. You will be left with this, or something similar.

2. Slice off the top until a small amount of the inside is showing. Then make incisions down the sides in order to help you peel it (shown in the photo on the right).

3. Start to peel away the outside like an orange. The skin should come away easily.

4. Discard the skin and put your thumbs in the middle of the fruit, peeling the two sides away from each other. As you will notice, it is much like an orange or grapefruit.

5. The skin is tough and unpleasant, therefore it will need to be removed. It should come away from the flesh easily by pulling the segments apart and peeling off the sides. This is what it looks like when it is ready to eat. Voila!!

Once I have started peeling the pomelo, I usually peel it all and keep any leftovers in a tuppaware in the fridge. It seems to last well and it good to nibble on. Also perfect for a light pudding, or sprinkled on salad and curries. 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free - Date and Banana Flapjacks

A post that will hopefully make you feel even more festive the day before Christmas. If you're struggling with a few presents, why not cook these super quick flapjacks, wrap them up, and make someone smile tomorrow - there's still time! I found this recipe online a couple of months ago and have made a couple of batches of flapjacks since. Both of which were extremely delicious, super easy, and very quick.

Ingredients (makes 9 rectangles)

- 180g oats (gluten free if intolerant)

- 175g dates, chopped

- 2 very ripe bananas

- 80ml vegetable oil

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Start by turning your oven to 175°c. Mash the bananas well in a large bowl and then add the chopped dates and oil.

2. Next stir in the oats and vanilla essence, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so that the oats absorb the oil.

3. Place the mixture into a suitable greased baking dish/tray (I used a rectangular glass one) and flatten it down. Cook for 25-30 minutes, until golden.

Broad Bean, Coriander and Chilli Houmous Dip

This morning was spent picking runner beans from my mum's vegetable garden, and I thought I ought to make something delicious for lunch. I love it when you get half way through making something, only to realise that you don't have all the ingredients you want, because it calls for a little experimentation. From this slight blip, I concocted a new, exciting, and very healthy dip recipe. This has a kick, so if you're susceptible to spice, add less chilli

 Ingredients (makes two pots)

- 400g tin soft boiled chickpeas (I use TRS Boiled Chick Peas) with 2/3 chickpea water

- 2 handfuls of cooked broad beans (with skins)

- 1/2 a large clove of garlic

- juice of half lemon

- juice of half a lime 

- 1/2 a fresh chilli

- a handful of fresh coriander (stalks included)

- a good glug of olive oil

- pepper

1. Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz for a few minutes.

2. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more olive oil or lemon juice.

3. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, linseeds or poppy seeds to make it look pretty and serve how you wish. I'd like to try this smothered on pumpernickle bread and topped with smoked salmon.

My Alternative Houmousy Dip

I have come to love using peanut butter instead of tahini for my homemade houmous as I find it gives a sweeter taste and I always have peanut butter in the larder. The greeny coloured dip is one I put together yesterday -sweet and super healthy, it's delicious (if I say so myself)! 

Ingredients

for the plain houmous -

- 1 400g tin of boiled soft chickpeas

- juice of half a lemon

- 1 clove of garlic

- 2 tsp smooth peanut butter

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- salt and pepper (I only use pepper)

for the green houmous -

- 1/4 of the plain houmous mixture

- juice of half a lemon

- 1 handful of mixed spinach, watercress and rocket (or just a handful of which ever you prefer)

- 1 medium tomato, chopped in half

- 2 medjool dates, de-stoned

1. Start by making the plain houmous as you'll need 1/4 of it to make the green one after. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz to form a smooth paste. If the mixture is a little thick, it might need more olive oil.

2. Once the houmous is ready, remove 3/4 of the mixture and place it in a suitable bowl. There's no need to wash the machine, just add all the green houmous ingredients into the processor. Blitz one final time to form a deliciously sweet, unique dipping sauce.

Top it with some seeds to make it look pretty...

Super Fruity Strawberry, Pineapple and Tangerine Juice topped with Goji Berry Flaxseed

I don't often post smoothies and juices, because they're incredibly easy to make. All fruit tastes great when it's pulverised. However, this one was extra fruity, delicious and the easiest of easy.

Ingredients (serves 1)

- 30 small British strawberries

- 8 pineapple pieces

- 1 tangerine or orange, peeled

- goji berry, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed flax (find the recipe further down)

1. Simple blend the fruit together in a tall mixer, pour into a large glass and sprinkle with the flaxseed topping.

http://instagram.com/p/fFQnMZuku_/

Mackerel Pate with a Twist - Dairy Free

I like to think the red pepper and rocket is a big enough twist. This pate is pure goodness, packed with healthy ingredients and flavour - perfect to impress your parents and friends.

Ingredients (makes a lot - roughly 12 people as a starter)

- 3 small packaged mackerel fillets (or 2 medium ones)

- 1/4 red pepper

- 1 handful rocket

- 3 tbsp whizzed up coriander

- juice of half a lemon

- salt and pepper

1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until and smooth paste forms. 

Serve with oatcakes, bread or pumpernickel. 

http://instagram.com/p/cMweiquksN/