SIMPLE PUMPKIN SOUP

This is a very simple, no fuss pumpkin soup recipe for those craving a hearty vegetarian meal. I have recently tried to replace store bought stock with water in soups, as I do become a little concerned with the amount of salt in non-homemade stock. I do, on occasion, make my own homemade stock, however this requires more than 2 hours cooking time and I was without that time last Sunday. The water and coconut milk worked well to create a smooth, slightly creamy soup. I like to season this soup with quite a generous dash of ground black pepper (as this adds flavour and removes the need for salt) and chilli flakes. You can add fried bacon pieces to the soup to 'meat it up', as the picture shows.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / coconut oil
• 1 large leek, finely chopped
• 700g pumpkin, skin peeled, seeds removed and cut into small, even pieces
• 3 teaspoons ground sage
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 1 x 400ml tin light coconut milk
• 2 cups (500ml) water
• Optional; to garnish - fresh chives or fresh sage, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and stir constantly for a few minutes, making sure the leek does not burn. 

2. When the leek has become transparent, add the pumpkin pieces to the pan and stir well, until the pumpkin is coated with the leek and oil. If the ingredients start to stick to the pan, add a splash of water. Pour in the ground and fresh sage, nutmeg and chilli flakes and stir quickly to combine.

3. Pour in the coconut milk and water and bring the heat to high, covering the saucepan with a lid. When the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and keep the lid on. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender, then remove from the heat. 

4. Pour the liquid in a good blender or food processor and blend / process until all the ingredients have been pureed. Divide into four bowls and top with chopped fresh chives or sage. Season with ground black pepper to taste. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

OPEN PUMPKIN and SAGE LASAGNA

I will willingly admit that I am still trying to get over the end of My Kitchen Rules. Having never watched it before, I got involved in season 3 like a crazy addict. This dish is loosely based on the Open Pumpkin Lasagna that the contestants Josh & Andy made. Of course I did not make my own pasta like them, opting for the more convenient store bought gluten-free lasagna sheets. Sage and butter do go well together, so free feel to use that instead of coconut oil if you have it on hand, however it will not be quite so good for you. Fresh sage leaves are a must for this dish! If you cannot digest the garlic and onion due to a fructose allergy, just omit it and fry the oil with the sage. And as a major plus this dish will photograph beautifully due to its deconstructed form.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pumpkin, thinly sliced into even-sized slices or wedges
• coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
• sea salt & ground black pepper
• 1 medium to large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 35 - 40 fresh sage leaves, torn in half 
• 300g gluten-free lasagne sheets
• 80-100g goat's feta, crumbled into small pieces

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl mix the pumpkin slices, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (in liquid form), maple syrup, and a decent sized pinch of sea salt & pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and roast for 13-15 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Keep warm in the oven until step 4. 

2. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, bring a medium to large covered saucepan of salted water to the boil. When water has boiled, cook the lasagne sheets in batches until al dente or just tender. Remove from the pan and drain with cold water. Cut lasagne sheets in half. 

3. Whilst water is boiling, place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a medium frying pan. When melted add garlic and red onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add torn sage leaves to the pan and add slightly more oil to the pan if you need. Stir until sage leaves have just wilted and are covered with oil and remove from heat. 

4. Arrange the lasagne - you can really do this whichever way you want. I started with half a lasagne sheet, then topped that with a few pumpkin slices, a tablespoon or two of the sage, garlic and onion mixture and a few crumbed pieces of goat's feta. Repeat this arrangement twice more times to form a serving. Top with fresh sage leaves, if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

GLUTEN-FREE GNOCCHI with SAGE in a DAIRY-FREE sauce

Gnocchi is something that I have always aspired to make, but negative thoughts constantly persuaded me that I was not a good enough cook to try my hand at it. As summer fades away and my business becomes steady and stable, I openly admit that whilst everything in my life is trucking along wonderfully, I need to continually set audacious goals for myself so I have things to strive for and look forward to. One of these big bold goals was decided just the other night; to run 14km for the City2South Brisbane run on June 16^th, which supports several commendable charities. Whilst I am only 25 and fairly fit, my exercise regime consists of lots of Pilates, Yoga and a few walks, with the very and I stress VERY occasional 4-5km run every month or so. So, where does this fit in with homemade gnocchi? Well, I woke up super inspired on Wednesday morning, ran 12km along the Brisbane river and came home feeling exhausted, sweaty and thinking that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. So I decided it was Gnocchi cooking time at 7:30am! Also, I must admit that the scrumptious looking gnocchi made on My Kitchen Rules on Tuesday night was another motivation for me getting my ass into gear.

For the lucky dairy and/or gluten-intolerant people, this gnocchi fits the bill perfectly. You can add sheep’s pecorino grated cheese as a topping if you desire, but I found that the simple sage & dairy-free butter sauce was delicious on its own. I am still surprised that only 6 ingredients made this tasty dish. If cooking for less than 6 people, feel free to freeze the potato gnocchi mixture before making the shapes and defrost for later use.

I am so happy that I tackled this big, hairy goal that I had put on the back shelf for so long. Any goals that you have that are close to their expiration dates? Perhaps its high time to face them head on.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g floury potatoes (I used pontiac potatoes), peeled & cut into small cubes
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 175g ( 1 1/2 cups) gluten-free plain flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 80-90g Nuttelex (dairy-free & gluten-free butter)
• 3 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. When boiled, add potato cubes and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain well. Return the potatoes to the pan for thirty seconds over a low heat to dry them out. Remove from the pan and mash well in a large mixing bowl so that no lumps are visible. Add the egg, flour, oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and mix well to form a sticky dough. (The dough should not be so gooey that it sticks to your hands, if this is the case, add slightly more flour. If you are having trouble forming the dough as there is too much flour, add water very sparingly, one splash at a time). 

2. With your hands, make very small oval (egg-like) shapes with the dough and lightly imprint the four tines of the fork into the dough. Repeat until no more dough remains. 

3. Gradually bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil (you can start gently warming up the water when you are close to finishing the rolling of your gnocchi) and add the gnocchi to the water. Cook for 3 minutes or until all gnocchi pieces have risen to the surface of the water. Drain the gnocchi under water and transfer to six serving bowls. 

4. To make the sage butter sauce - melt the nuttelex in a small to medium frying pan over medium heat. When the nuttelex ceases to foam, add the sage and stir for 2 minutes or until sage is crisp and the nuttelex is golden in colour. Drizzle evenly over each of the 6 servings of gnocchi and add more chopped sage as well if desired. 

Serves / 6

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes plus time to shape the gnocchi - if it is your first time allow 30 minutes for this. 

x Emily