Staple2

Roasted pumpkin soup one x two kg butternut pumpkin one onion  olive oil, for drizzling sea salt three and a half cups (875ml) chicken stock one cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream one tablespoon honey  sour cream, to serve one/ Preheat oven to two hundred and twenty degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half lenghtways and scoop out the seeds. two/ Place the pumpkin, cut side up, and onion on a baking tray. Drizzle with little oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for fifty-sixty minutes or until the pumpkin is just soft and starting to brown.  three/ Scoop the pumpkin out of the skin and add to the blender. Add one cup (250ml) of the chicken stock and blend until smooth.  four/ Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add remaining stock, cream and honey. Place over medium heat until soup is heated through. Serve with sour cream. Serves four 
Jun 7

Roasted pumpkin soup


one x two kg butternut pumpkin

one onion 

olive oil, for drizzling

sea salt

three and a half cups (875ml) chicken stock

one cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream

one tablespoon honey 

sour cream, to serve



one/ Preheat oven to two hundred and twenty degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half lenghtways and scoop out the seeds.

two/ Place the pumpkin, cut side up, and onion on a baking tray. Drizzle with little oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for fifty-sixty minutes or until the pumpkin is just soft and starting to brown. 

three/ Scoop the pumpkin out of the skin and add to the blender. Add one cup (250ml) of the chicken stock and blend until smooth. 

four/ Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add remaining stock, cream and honey. Place over medium heat until soup is heated through. Serve with sour cream.

Serves four 

Veal with balsamic, pine nuts and currants  eight veal scallopini two tablespoons olive oil  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season two tablespoons balsamic vinegar three quarters cup chicken or veal stock  one teaspoon caster sugar twenty grams chilled butter, diced two tablespoons toasted pine nuts  two tablespoons currants, soaked in warm water for five minutes  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley , to serve  rocket and pumpkin salad (see recipe below) one// Put the veal scallopini between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin until they are thin. Coat all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the veal, in batches if necessary, for two minutes, then turn and cook for one minute on the other side. Lift out onto a warm plate and cover with foil.  two// Add the balsamic vinegar, stock and sugar to the frying pan. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for two-three minutes. Whisk in the butter, piece by piece, then add the pine nuts and drained currants. Pour over the veal and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the rocket and pumpkin salad.Rocket and pumpkin salad five hundred grams pumpkin, peeled and diced one red onion, diced one teaspoon dried chili flakes two tablespoons olive oil sea salt, to season hundred grams rocket  balsamic vinegar, to drizzleone// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees. Put the pumpkin, onion, dried chili, olive oil and salt in a baking dish and toss together. Bake for twenty minutes, or until the pumpkin is browned.  two// Toss the pumpkin in gently with the rocket and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to serve.  Serves four.   
Jul 6

Veal with balsamic, pine nuts and currants 

 eight veal scallopini

two tablespoons olive oil 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

two tablespoons balsamic vinegar

three quarters cup chicken or veal stock 

one teaspoon caster sugar

twenty grams chilled butter, diced

two tablespoons toasted pine nuts 

two tablespoons currants, soaked in warm water for five minutes 

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley , to serve 

rocket and pumpkin salad (see recipe below) 

one// Put the veal scallopini between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin until they are thin. Coat all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the veal, in batches if necessary, for two minutes, then turn and cook for one minute on the other side. Lift out onto a warm plate and cover with foil. 

two// Add the balsamic vinegar, stock and sugar to the frying pan. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for two-three minutes. Whisk in the butter, piece by piece, then add the pine nuts and drained currants. Pour over the veal and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the rocket and pumpkin salad.

Rocket and pumpkin salad


five hundred grams pumpkin, peeled and diced

one red onion, diced

one teaspoon dried chili flakes

two tablespoons olive oil

sea salt, to season

hundred grams rocket 

balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

one// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees. Put the pumpkin, onion, dried chili, olive oil and salt in a baking dish and toss together. Bake for twenty minutes, or until the pumpkin is browned. 

two// Toss the pumpkin in gently with the rocket and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to serve. 

Serves four.

 


 

Salmon wrapped in prosciutto with pesto and roast pumpkinone kilo butternut pumpkin one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to brush two garlic cloves, chopped one tablespoon rosemary leaves four skinless salmon fillets, pin-boned four slices prosciutto good quality store-bought pestoone// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees and line a roasting pan with baking paper. Mix the pumpkin, oil, garlic and rosemary together and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in the roasting pan and roast for thirty- forty minutes until golden and tender. two// Preheat a grill to medium. Season salmon lighlty with oil and grill for three-four minutes each side until cooked on the outside but still a little pink in the centre. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for two minutes. three// Divide the salmon and pumkin among four serving plates and top with the pesto. Serves four. 
Jul 21

Salmon wrapped in prosciutto with pesto and roast pumpkin

one kilo butternut pumpkin

one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to brush

two garlic cloves, chopped

one tablespoon rosemary leaves

four skinless salmon fillets, pin-boned

four slices prosciutto

good quality store-bought pesto

one// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees and line a roasting pan with baking paper. Mix the pumpkin, oil, garlic and rosemary together and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in the roasting pan and roast for thirty- forty minutes until golden and tender.

two// Preheat a grill to medium. Season salmon lighlty with oil and grill for three-four minutes each side until cooked on the outside but still a little pink in the centre. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for two minutes.

three// Divide the salmon and pumkin among four serving plates and top with the pesto. 
Serves four. 

Lentil and pumkin salad one kilo jap pumpkin, cut into wedges one red onion, cut into wedges one third cup olive oil one teaspoon wholegrain mustard one tablespoon balsamic vinegar four hundred grams can brown lentils, rinsed, drained one cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped fifty grams wild rocket leaves three hundred grams marinated goat`s cheese feta, drained, crumbledone// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees celcius. Line a large baking tray with foil and arrange the pumpkin and onion wedges on the tray in a single layer. Drizzle with two tablespoons oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for twenty five- thirty five minutes until cooked through and lightly caramelised. two// Meanwhile, combine the mustard, vinegar and remaining two tablespoons of oil in a bowl, then season.  three// Toss the lentils, parsley and roasted pumpkin and onion together with the dressing. Transfer to a platter and serve with wild rocket and feta.  Serves four-six. 
Aug 8

Lentil and pumkin salad


one kilo jap pumpkin, cut into wedges

one red onion, cut into wedges

one third cup olive oil

one teaspoon wholegrain mustard

one tablespoon balsamic vinegar

four hundred grams can brown lentils, rinsed, drained

one cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

fifty grams wild rocket leaves

three hundred grams marinated goat`s cheese feta, drained, crumbled


one// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees celcius. Line a large baking tray with foil and arrange the pumpkin and onion wedges on the tray in a single layer. Drizzle with two tablespoons oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for twenty five- thirty five minutes until cooked through and lightly caramelised.

two// Meanwhile, combine the mustard, vinegar and remaining two tablespoons of oil in a bowl, then season. 

three// Toss the lentils, parsley and roasted pumpkin and onion together with the dressing. Transfer to a platter and serve with wild rocket and feta. 

Serves four-six. 

Caramelised onion, gorgonzola and pumpkin galettefive hundred grams store-bought shortcrust pastry four hundred grams pumpkin, peeled and chopped three quarters cup store-bought caramelised onion relish hundred grams gorgonzola, chopped sea salt and cracked black pepper sixteen sage leavesone// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees. two// Steam the pumpkin until almost tender. Set aside to cool. Divide pastry in half and roll each piece between two sheets of non-stick baking paper to a rough five  millimeter thick round shape. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper and place a pastry round on each. Top each pastry with the caramelised onion, leaving a five centimeter border. Sprinkle with gorgonzola. PLace the pumpkin onto the galettes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with sage. three// Fold in the pastry to make a rough border. Bake for twenty-five minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp and the pumpkin is soft. Serves two.
Sep 18

Caramelised onion, gorgonzola and pumpkin galette

five hundred grams store-bought shortcrust pastry

four hundred grams pumpkin, peeled and chopped

three quarters cup store-bought caramelised onion relish

hundred grams gorgonzola, chopped

sea salt and cracked black pepper

sixteen sage leaves

one// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees.

two// Steam the pumpkin until almost tender. Set aside to cool. Divide pastry in half and roll each piece between two sheets of non-stick baking paper to a rough five  millimeter thick round shape. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper and place a pastry round on each. Top each pastry with the caramelised onion, leaving a five centimeter border. Sprinkle with gorgonzola. PLace the pumpkin onto the galettes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with sage.

three// Fold in the pastry to make a rough border. Bake for twenty-five minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp and the pumpkin is soft.

Serves two.