Tag Archives: pumpkin

Thai Pumpkin and Mushroom Curry

Dinner, , , , , , , , , ,
Thai curry with mushrooms and pumpkin
This recipe has become one of our go to staple dinners. We keep a pot of homemade Thai curry paste in the fridge (it lasts a couple of weeks) and whip this up as a quick after work meal together with rice or cauliflower rice.
Ingredients
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the curry paste. Fry until the paste becomes fragrant.
  2. Add the coconut milk and stir.
  3. Add fish sauce, water and vegetables and bring to the boil.
  4. Cook for 10 minutes or until the veggies are done.
  5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, stir and serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: William Fitzsimmons – Gold in the Shadow

 

Pumpkin Zucchini Omelette with Lamb and Spinach

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , , , , ,

Pumpkin Zucchini Omelette with Lamb and Spinach

Lunch does not have to be boring, but it also does not have to take an hour to cook. This pumpkin and zucchini omelette is sweet and delicious, but won’t take you all morning to prepare. We paired it with lamb tenderloins and a salad of spinach leaves to complete the meal.

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp dried herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary
  • 50 ml coconut milk
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 Garlic cloves, sliced
  • 100 gr pumpkin, cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 large Zucchini (courgette), cut into small cubes
  • 3 mushrooms, sliced
  • Handful of fresh mint leaves
  • Large handful baby spinach
  • Splash of good quality red wine vinegar
  • Splash of olive oil
  • 1 x 250 gr lamb tenderloin

Directions

  1. Beat the eggs with salt, pepper, dried herbs and coconut milk. Set aside.
  2. Chop up the pumpkin, onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini.
  3. Heat a little coconut oil in a oven proof frying pan and fry the chopped vegetables for a few minutes until they are getting soft.
  4. Add the egg mixture and cook until it starts to set.
  5. Transfer the pan to a preheated oven and grill for around 5 minutes or until the top start to brown.
  6. Take the pan from the oven and let cool off a little.
  7. Garnish with a few mint leaves and sprinkle with olive oil
  8. Season the lamb and fry for 2 minutes on both side for medium – rare. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve with the omelette

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse

Butternut and Zucchini Loaf

Lunch and Light Meals, Treats, , , , , , , , , ,

Butternut and Zucchini loaf

Bread is a bit of a challenge when you are gluten, sugar and dairy free. This loaf is naturally sweetened by dates and pumpkin, and given structure through the coconut flour and zucchini. It is delicious, healthy, and sneaks a few extra veggies into your lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a large zucchini, or 1 whole small zucchini (courgette), finely grated, squeezed
  • 350 g butternut squash (butternut pumpkin), cubed, cooked for 10 minutes and mashed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • 1 heaped tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • large pinch of sea salt
  • 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • handful chopped cashews, toasted with 1 tsp coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt
  • 5 dates, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • sea salt for sprinkling on top
  • 2/3 cup of coconut flour

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
  2. Boil the butternut squash (butternut pumpkin) for 10 minutes in boiling water until it is cooked through. Drain and let it cool a little so that it will not cook the eggs when you add them to the squash mixture. Mash to a smooth consistency.
  3. Add the eggs and ghee and mix well.
  4. Grate the zucchini. Place the grated zucchini into a tea towel and squeeze it firmly to remove all of the liquid. You may need to use a fair bit of pressure.
  5. In another bowl, add the zucchini with the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ginger, rosemary, and dates. Mix well.
  6. Add the zucchini mixture to the squash mixture and stir well to combine.
  7. Add the coconut flour, and fold into the mixture. You should have a thick mixture with little moisture. Depending on how moist your zucchini was still, you might need to add a little more coconut flour. The coconut flour will absorb the moisture.
  8. Toast the cashew nuts in a hot pan together with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of coconut oil until they are golden in colour.
  9. Add the toasted cashew nuts to the mix and stir through.
  10. Line a bread loaf tin with baking paper. Transfer the mixture into the bread loaf tin.
  11. Cook at 180 degrees celcius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 45 minutes until golden brown and a fork inserted into it comes out clean.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Future Islands – Singles

 

Turnip and Pumkin hash with Chorizo

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , , ,

Turnip and pumkin hash with chorizo

This is a variation of the Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Egg and Avocado. Instead of using sweet potatoes it used turnip and pumpkin with Chorizo for a light meal that is full of flavours. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 turnip, grated and with excess liquid squeezed out
  • 150g pumpkin, grated and with excess liquid squeezed out
  • 5 spring onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 100g quality chorizo, chopped
  • 3 mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • black pepper
  • salad leaves
  • avocado
  • 1 fried egg, sunny side up
  • avocado or olive oil
  • ghee for cooking

Directions

  1. Place the turnip in a tea towel and wring strongly to remove the excess water.
  2. Place the grated pumpkin in a tea towel and wring strongly to remove the excess water.
  3. Combine the turnip, grated pumpkin, spring onions, garlic, chorizo, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Add a little ghee in a pan and add enough of the turnip and pumpkin mixture to the pan to cover the bottom. Stir fry 1 minute and then cover and cook for 5-10 minutes until the bottom becomes crispy.
  5. In the meantime fry an egg
  6. When the hash is ready transfer to a plate.
  7. Place an egg on top. Serve with avocado and salad leaves.
  8. Sprinkle with a little olive or avocado oil and garnish with a sprinkle of extra salt and pepper.

About Chorizo
Chorizo (Spanish) or chouriço (Portuguese) is a term originating in the Iberian Peninsula encompassing several types of pork sausages. Chorizo can be a fresh sausage, in which case it must be cooked before eating. In Europe, it is more frequently a fermented, cured,smoked sausage, in which case it is often sliced and eaten without cooking, and can be added as an ingredient to add flavour to other dishes. Chorizo gets its distinctive smokiness and deep red color from dried smoked red peppers.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Timber Timbre – Hot Dreams

 

 

 

 

Lamb Salad with Papaya, Pumpkin and Avocado

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , ,

Lamb salad papaya pumpkin avocado paleo
 
This is a delicious salad meal which tenderizes the lamb with papaya. You could also exchange the papaya for mango if it is difficult for you to obtain. 

Ingredients

For the dressing

  • Rind of half a lemon
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Sea salt and pepper

For the salad

  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 1 large bag of rocket or baby spinach leaves
  • 250 gr pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 400 gr papaya, peeled, deseeded and cut into cubes
  • 2 ripe avocados, cut into bite size pieces
  • 500 gr good quality lamb in cubes
  • Sea salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Start with the dressing. Put the lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano in a little bowl.
  2. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir. Set aside.
  3. Roast the pumpkin in the oven (200 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes or in an Air Fryer at 200 degrees C for 10-15 minutes until done.
  4. Season the lamb with a generous amount of sea salt and black pepper.
  5. Heat a little coconut oil in a large skillet and fry the meat for a couple of minutes until brown all over. Be careful not to overcook your lamb, especially the smaller pieces can turn into rubber rather quickly.
  6. When the meat is done, put on a plate and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes.
  7. After resting, slice the meat into slices.
  8. Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing, put the meat on top and enjoy!

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: The Map Room – The Map Room