Bonfire Butternut Squash Soup

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Everytime October comes around and Bonfire night approaches, I make endless batches of this idiot-proof, silky and comfortingly seasonal soup. Its a perfect fingertip warmer on a frosty bonfire night while gazing romantically at the fireworks, however there is only room for love here, for this delicious soup. I topped mine with some leftover homemade ’Mixed Seed Pesto’ and the fried, spicy seeds from inside of my squash. Never throw these away, they are delicious and are this soup’s nutritional side kick in helping battle the winter flu…

  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved and cut into 1 inch chunks. Seeds retained
  • 750ml good chicken stock
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika or more if your like your spice
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • Olive oil
  • Pinch of cinnamon/cumin/coriander
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Begin by melting the butter and a splash of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and gently fry until soft
  2. Add the paprika and stir for 1 minute. Season with salt.
  3. Add the squash and mix thoroughly. Cover with the stock and bring to the boil.
  4. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the squash is tender and soft.
  5. Meanwhile, fry the reserved seeds in a splash of oil, salt and pepper and a pinch of ground spices of your choice. I used cinnamon here. Once golden and fragrant, drain briefly on kitchen paper and leave to cool.
  6. Once the squash is soft enough, use a hand blender to blend the soup to a thick, smooth, creamy consistency. Add lots of freshly ground black pepper and check the seasoning.
  7. To serve, top with the fried seeds and a spoonful of mixed seed pesto if you like and the fried seeds. Drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil and prepare to want another bowl!

I tucked into mine with some nutritious, creamy, emerald green ‘pumpkin seed butter’ slathered on crispy oat cakes. My hair, skin and general well being is thanking me in return!imageimage

Mixed Seed Pesto

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One thing I love about being a student is the necessity to be resourceful with whatever food is to hand. With a need to budget, being economical with your weekly shop is an art, and I am forever searching for ways to make my food go further without EVER skimping on flavour or going hungry. So, today I knocked up a satisfying, tasty and fresh salad which my taste buds were certainly thankful for, after noting the anorexic looking shelves of my dying fridge. I seem to be using pumpkin seeds a lot at the moment in this Autumnal weather, so I decided to use a handful of mixed seeds to create a pesto dressing for the last of my sweet, ripe tomatoes and pessimistic salad leaves. Homemade pesto is always more wholesome and scrumptious than the jarred equivalent in the shops and this one certainly didn’t let me down……

  • 2 tbsp of mixed seeds (I used pumpkin, sesame and sunflower)
  • Small bunch of coriander and flat leaf parsley
  • Small handful of grated parmesan
  • 1 small garlic glove
  • ½ small lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  1. Start by grinding the garlic to a paste with some coarse salt in a pestle and mortar.
  2. Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan until they release their flavour and begin to crackle.
  3. Add to the pestle and mortar and grind to a chunky paste with the garlic. You can grind it as much as you like. I like to keep the seeds a bit chunky to add a bit of texture
  4. Now add the herbs and parmesan and grind to a green paste.
  5. Add a splash of oil and a squeeze of lemon juice to make a thick pesto or to your desired consistency.
  6. Taste and adjust using salt and pepper and more lemon if you like.

I added a large tablespoon of my pesto to a mix of bitter cos lettuce, sweet tomatoes and some cress for a lovely salad. This would be delicious topped with some salty, fried halloumi cheese…..but, sadly my fridge didn’t deliver on that one.image

Sweetly Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream

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Its cold outside. Autumns here. Most people would NOT be thinking about ice cream, but my obsessed mind always is. I thought I’d attempt a sweetened pumpkin ice cream which would be perfect with a slice of warm, wintery pie on a chilly evening.

Its not a common one, but I like it as I haven’t got a huge sweet tooth. Its wholesome, homemade, pleasing and not too sweet. My mum, who never seems open to the concept of anything alternative in the kitchen, gave me a fearful and timorous glare when I presented it, adding- ‘Is this an invention?’. But don’t fear, its delicious!

  • 250g pumpkin butter (see previous recipe)
  • 375ml whole milk
  • 250ml double cream
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • grating of nutmeg
  • pinch cinnamon
  • pinch ground ginger
  • 80g granulated sugar
  • 40g dark brown sugar
  • pumpkin seeds
  1. First, put some ice in a large bowl with some water. Place an empty bowl inside with a sieve in it for later.
  2. Mix the milk, cream, granulated sugar, cinnamon stick, spices and nutmeg in a saucepan and heat gently, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges
  3. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and when the milk is hot, slowly pour the hot mixture over the yolks, while continuously whisking in order to prevent it going lumpy.
  4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat very gently on a low temperature. Cook gently, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon and leaves a marked trail when you run your finger through it:image
  5. Now, tip the mixture through the sieve into the chilled bowl to remove any lumps and stir in the dark brown sugar.
  6. Allow the mixture to cool completely in the fridge.
  7. Once cold, add the pumpkin butter and a splash of vanilla if you like (or booze) and churn in an ice cream maker for about 30 minutes.

I topped mine with pumpkin seed praline! To make this, I heated some caster sugar in a dry pan until it began to melt and turn a pale golden and then immediately removed from the heat, tipped onto some parchment and scattered with pumpkin seeds!

Pumpkin Butter (Jam)

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I’ve been seasonally experimenting with pumpkins recently. They’re versatility and texture mean they are great in sweet recipes and desserts. This recipe is titled ‘butter’ but it doesn’t actually contain any……its more of a sweet, spicy, rich, deep jam that is great with pancakes, my pumpkin muffins, smeared on a toasted bagel or in a compote with yoghurt and granola for breakfast.

  • 1 can pumpkin puree [or you can roast and use the flesh from a pumpkin but this recipe called for the packed canned type….]
  • Approx 90ml apple juice
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tbsp cinnamon
  • Grating of nutmeg
  • 140g dark brown sugar
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy based pan and heat. You may need to add a little more apple juice to make it thinner in order to heat it. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes until thick.
  2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.

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For the breakfast pots, I layered some pumpkin puree on the bottom, some Greek yoghurt mixed with a splash of vanilla extract and topped with blueberries and my granola!

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I saw the recipe called for pumpkin puree in a can and have always wanted to try this…..I slightly felt like I was cheating but it was good!

The secret’s out Nigella…..

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I am proud to announce I helped on location for the shoot for this stunning cover! Whilst I wish I had been the make-up artist or stylist for the day, I did however help craft the spaghetti curtain…..I never thought I’d say that! In Nigella’s foxy, devilish and enticing eyes, you can probably (dream on) just make out the reflection of my non-curvaceous, blonde, oxymoron-self, watching with admiration in the background as the stereotyped photographer snaps away at her girlish poses. As she manipulated the locks of fresh spaghetti, mastered uneasily by myself and food stylist in the staggeringly warm studio, I couldn’t help but smile at my luck, and wonder whether Nigella would ever read my blog……..

To fill you in, over the summer I undertook the most amazing, inspiring and wonderful 3 week internship at ‘delicious’ food magazine. Working on the November and December issues I was indulged in the world that is food journalism and styling and after a long month of difficultly refraining (and rather terribly I might add) from spilling the Italian beans about this domestic goddess November cover, it has finally graced our supermarket shelves and the secret is out! It was a brilliant internship and a wonderful day and now I have the glossy, printed and eye catching reminder to pin on my wall! So what are you waiting for………..buy it!

Mango Fruit Leather

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I’ve never made fruit leather before but it is a fantastic way to use up overripe fruit and transform it into a energy laden, tasty snack for when your batteries are running low…….

  • 1 ripe mango
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • Lemon juice from ½ small lemon
  1. Preheat the oven to about 50-60°C or its lowest setting.
  2. Line a small shallow baking tray with parchment (very approximately 23cm x 13cm or anything around that size)
  3. Place the chopped flesh of the mango into a food processor with the sugar and the lemon juice. Process to form a fruit puree (in theory this can be done with any other fruits, adjusting the sweetness to taste)
  4. Transfer the mixture to the lined tray so that it is about 3mm thick and evenly spread.
  5. Place in the oven for about 6-10 hours until dry and leathery. I turned my oven off after about 6 hours and left it in the oven overnight and got it out the next day. This made sure it was dry but  gave it a lovely slightly chewy texture.
  6. To store, I sliced mine into thin strips and rolled into wheels, with a piece of baking parchment between to stop it sticking. Alternatively, just chop into pieces of whatever size you like!

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Pumpkin Seed Anti Anxiety Butter

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As a perpetual worrier and a passionate nutrition enthusiast, I love pumpkin seeds for their fabulous anti-anxiety properties. This bountiful jar of bottle-green ‘butter’ is like my own personal and bespoke prescription without the price tag. However, also unlike your prescription (unless you’re 10 years old and drinking the dreamy sugary Calpol) this one has a vanilla-like, sweet and indescribable aroma and taste.

After my endless and compulsory regurgitation of the principle amino acids for my university biochemistry modules,  I know that they are vital and guess what? Pumpkin seeds are a good source! They have a heap of both tryptophan and glutamate, two important amino acids in the body. While tryptophan is converted to serotonin to help sleep, glutamate is converted to GABA neurotransmitter in the brain that can allow us to deal with stress and anxiety. Therefore, my nights of endless worried sleep are over. If anxiety kicks in….take a large dreamy spoonful and be on your merry way. In addition, these pictures would without doubt be much more appreciated on my revision wall than the chemical structures currently residing….

  • 200g pumpkin seeds
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp thick set honey
  • 1 tsp sunflower oil
  1. Begin by heating a dry frying pan until hot and toast the seeds until they begin to pop and crackle (you will hear it) and the skins start to split. This helps release flavour and smell. The popping happens quickly so just get them going and then remove from the heat to prevent burning.
  2. Add to the bowl of a food processor and blitz. Keep the motor running continuously, stopping now and again to scrape the build up from around the sides. The whole process (I carelessly forgot to time it…) takes about 10 minutes so don’t worry if it doesn’t look very ‘buttery’ to start, just continue to process for about 10minutes until the mixture begins to release though lovely oils and it becomes like thick paste.imageimage
  3. As this happens, add the rest of the ingredients and continue until you have a texture you like. I like it thick so it can be spread on toast or oat cakes nice and smoothly.
  4. Jar and keep in the fridge, ready for those moments of anxiety, or for a wholesome boost!

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Bramble Mousse

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Lovely and light, this mousse is the most quintessentially seasonal finish to a rich wintery Sunday roast beef. With the seasons blackberry harvest stashed protectively in our bloated freezer, I permitted myself a rationed supply for this little beauty…..

(Makes about 10 small glasses)

  • 500g cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 250g blackberries (save a few whole ones for decoration)
  • 50g soft brown sugar
  • 280ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • A few mint leaves for decoration
  • 125g ginger biscuits
  • 50g unsalted butter, melted
  1. If you are want to serve your mousse on a biscuit base, begin by bashing the biscuits in a bag with a spoon until you have fine crumbs and combine with the melted butter. Spoon into serving glasses and chill in the fridge.
  2. Combine the apples, sugar and blackberries in a heavy based saucepan and heat gently to release the juices. Cook for about 15-30 minutes until the mixture breakdown and becomes mushy and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  3. Place into a food processor and puree until completely broken down to a smooth paste.image
  4. Use a fine sieve and a metal spoon to remove the pips. This takes some elbow grease……you need to get all the pulp through the sieve into a clean bowl so you are left with a pure fruity nectar and now teeth tainting seeds!
  5. Now fold the fruit puree into the whipped cream until well combined.image
  6. Spoon over the top of the biscuit base or into plain clean serving glasses and top with a few whole blackberries and a mint leaf!

Blackberry, Lime and Coconut Slice

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Someone has to stop me. What started as an innocent plucking of the first seasons tempting vulnerable blackberry, has turned into an obsession. On my daily dog walks, the multiple jungle of tangled branches gloat and boast their juicy fruit in my face, saying, ‘pick me!’. Consequently, everywhere I look I seem to see just one more handful that cannot be left untouched. My pocket now permanently contains a bag just in case.

Not helped by my father who – I quote- said – ‘its not enough! We need to fill the freezer!’- I have managed to gather around 6 bags of blackberries. I have chosen to freeze them to lock in their seasonal freshness, make them last longer and most importantly, prevent their disappearance before they have the honour of finding their way to an admirable recipe. My poor father, who is a simple foodie man, loves nothing more than a easygoing, undemanding and straightforward blackberry and apple pie. Don’t get me wrong, a straight crumble is on the top of my pudding list, however, this year……….this year, I have picked more than enough to govern experimental licence….

So if your usual garden birds are looking a little anorexic this year then I’m sorry- I take full blame for having stolen their winter pickings….a juicy, nutty crumble, an almond and blackberry bar, blackberry crumble ice cream, bramble moose, jam, summer pudding, coulis, or with a port sauce served over duck……image

PS. If you do freeze them, the best way is to was them and leave to drain and dry in a colander. Then spread out in a single layer on a baking tray and freeze like this. Then bag them up, this way you prevent getting a huge frozen mass of solid berries.

Base

  • 125g chilled butter, cubed
  • 175g plain flour
  • 50g caster sugar

Topping

  • 35g dessicated coconut, lightly toasted in a dry pan
  • 150g blackberries, and a extra handful to top
  • 2 eggs
  • 140g granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup lime juice, zest from 1 lime
  • 40g flour
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 and line a 9×9 inch tin or larger for a thinner base, with parchment
  2. Begin by making the base. Combine the caster sugar, flour and butter in a food processor. Blend until the mixture form breadcrumbs and then continue until the mixture forms a crumbly dough. Add the coconut and pulse to combine.
  3. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of a metal spoon to compress and smooth the dough into a single layer
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
  5. Now make the topping. Puree the blackberries in the processor until they become liquid. Strain this mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.image
  6. Whisk together the eggs, lime juice, zest and sugar in a large bowl. Add 3 large heaped tablespoons of your sieve blackberry puree and whisk again.
  7. Add the flour and stir to combine. [Keep the remaining berry puree for serving but it may need sweetening. Heat and add a little caster sugar to dissolve]image
  8. When the base in cooked, leave to cool for a few minutes, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Scatter with the handful of reserved berries and bake for 20-25 minutes until set.
  9. Once cool, dust with icing sugar and cut into the desired slices.

Bouillabaisse with Rouille, Sourdough Croutons and Samphire

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Bouillabaisse is a Provencal fish stew. This is probably one of my favourite dishes and I love to spend an afternoon making it properly from scratch, however, don’t be put off, it can be done quicker I just like to take my time!

Contents (serves 4)

  • 1 x tinned tomatoes
  • 1 litre homemade fish stock
  • a pinch of saffron
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • mixed seafood- I used 1xgurnard, 1xbream and 1 large hake fillet, filleted and chopped into chunks. Reserve the fish bones/heads for the stock
  • 12-15 raw crevettes/prawns- peeled, shells retained
  • Handful of mussels
  • Bunch flat-leaf parsley, stalk reserved for stock
  • Samphire, steamed for about 3 minutes, to serve
  • Rouille, to serve

Soup base

  • 1 large bulb fennel
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 bay leaves
  • Bunch of flat leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
  • Small glass white wine/Pernod

Fish Stock

  • Bones, head and tails or the fish (about 2 carcases) or ask your fishmonger for some free scraps
  • 2 red onions, quartered
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 sticks celery, halved
  • Stalks of flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • Salt
  • 2 litre cold water
  1. Start by making the fresh fish stock but if using a cube, skip to stage 4.
  2. Place all the ingredients into a large pan (except the salt) and cover with the water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that comes to the surface and discard.
  3. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, but no longer. Season to taste and then strain and reserve the stock for use later.
  4. Now start on the soup base. Chop the vegetables and fry gently in some oil in a large pot with the fennel seeds, bay leaves and parsley. Cover with a cartouche (a round shaped piece of parchment) to prevent the vegetable catching and to help soften them. Reduce the heat and soften for 40 minutes.
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  6. After 40 minutes, increase the heat and caramelize the vegetables for a few minutes until tinged with brown. Add a small glass of white wine and simmer for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes, 600-800ml fish stock and a pinch of saffron and cayenne and season. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile…….

A traditional bouillabaisse has a ‘tomatoey’ sauce flavour, however, I have adapted various recipes to bring out the best in the flavours I like best. Feel free to skip this step but it wholeheartedly adds a deep, rich, fishy punch to the soup base. Here I have made a prawn stock/reduction using the reserved shells.

  1. Fry the reserved prawn/crevette shells and heads in a little oil for about 5 minutes, until they turn a beautiful deep orange and release their juices
  2. Add a splash of wine and simmer for 1 minute, before adding a large spoonful of the simmering soup base and then top up with about 200ml of fish stock.
  3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
  4. After this time, strain and retain the prawn stock, season and discard the shells.

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8.   After 1 hour, puree the soup with a hand blender (not too smooth, don’t worry if there are a few lumps) and add the prawn reduction (If not using, add fish stock to obtain your required consistency)

9.   Finally, add the chunks of fish and on a very low simmer, cook the fish for about 6-7 minutes before adding the shelled prawns and mussels. With a lid on, cook for a few minutes until the mussels are open and the prawns are cooked.

10.  Serve in deep, warmed bowls topped with samphire and scattered with chopped parsley and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. I devoured mine with the traditional mayonnaise- Rouille and giant sourdough croutons

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