Pumpkin Corn and Bacon Chowder

Posted on June 2, 2019 by soulfoodie92

With a massive winter front hitting Canterbury this weekend with rain, sleet and snow depending where you are there are only a few things perfect for this type of weather and they are staying at home in the warmth with good company. good food, good book or movie and pjs.

Well for the good food option on this wintery Sunday I have chosen to make a chowder now they don’t have to be seafood based to be good! Pumpkin season is currently here also so crown pumpkins are very, very cheap! I picked a small one up for $1 which was a great bargain. I wanted to make something different this time rather than your standard pumpkin soup which I have a couple of variations on already. So here it is folks Pumpkin, corn and bacon chowder.

Pumpkin Corn and Bacon Chowder

Ingredients:
1 small crown pumpkin, peeled and 2-3cm dice
2 tbsp. garlic, small dice
1 cup. bacon, diced
1 small brown onion, diced
50gm. butter
1/2 cup. white flour
1 litre. chicken or vege stock, hot
1/2 cup cream
1 tin corn kernels in spring water
salt and pepper

Garlic bread to serve

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees fan bake.
Add pumpkin, garlic, salt and pepper to lined baking tray and roast for 22 minutes until tender.
In a large heavy based pot fry onion, bacon and butter cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent., over a medium heat.
Add flour and stir constantly, cook for 2 minutes now add half a cup of the hot stock and stir in well this will thicken, now add another 1/2 cup of stock and cook out. Repeat this step until all stock has been used.
Do not add it all at once or it won’t thicken properly.
Add cream, corn and pumpkin, allow to simmer for 10minutes and check your seasoning I added quiet a bit of seasoning for it to be a perfect flavour.
Serve with buttery toast or garlic butter.

Makes 3 liters

Honey Apple and Anzac Crumble Porridge

Posted on April 22, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Easter’s been and what comes next is Anzac day, you cant go wrong with your classic Anzac biscuit! However this time I decided lets change it up and make a simple breakfast snack either for before the dawn service or for when you get home. A short forage ended with finding a beautiful tart apple tree, the apples have a few dark circles but a quick wash and peel before dicing solved that problem. Tart apples cooked with honey and cinnamon and added to creamy porridge with crunchy Anzac crumb and a pour of cream ended up being a bowl full of happiness.

Honey Apple and Anzac Crunch Porridge

Ingredients:
Honey apple
4x tart apples, peeled and 1cm dice
1 heaped dsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup. water
Anzac Crumb
1 cup. scotch oats
1/4 cup. self raising flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. golden syrup
50 gm. butter, melted
Porridge
1 cup. scotch oats
1 1/2 cup. milk
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream to serve

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees fan bake.
Peel apples and dice into 1cm pieces, a easy way to remove apple from the core is to make 4 cuts around the core see pictures below.
Add water, honey and cinnamon. Bring to the boil then simmer for 12 minutes until tender, set aside.
In a lined oven proof dish combine all ingredients for the crumb and rub together.
Bake for 18 minutes until golden brown, stir half way through the cooking.
In large heavy based pot over a medium to high heat combine oats, water, milk and salt. bring to the boil stirring constantly and cook out for 5 minutes until thickened.
Add porridge to bowl and top with apple and crumble, serve with cream. You can use milk if you prefer.

Serves: 3-4

Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on April 6, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Weekends call for something sweet don’t they? Well I have to agree to that, they do! Not just your average cinnamon roll but jumbo size, soft and fluffy homemade dough layered with cinnamon and brown sugar baked until sticky and topped with vanilla glaze.

Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 tbsp. active instant yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
75gm butter, melted
Filling
150gm butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
Glaze
2 cup icing sugar
4 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 100 degrees for 15 minutes then turn off.
Heat milk for 40 seconds in microwave until warmed not to hot, sprinkle over the yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
In a stand mixer bowl add eggs, sugar, salt and melted butter.
Pour in yeast/milk mixture followed by flour and salt.
Using a dough hook mix for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
Spray an oven proof bowl with oil spray and place the dough in the center, your dough will be slightly sticky but not runny if so add 1/4 cup more flour and mix in.
I spray the top of the dough lightly with oil to prevent it from getting a crust, glad wrap the bowl and cover with a towel.
Place in the warm oven for 45 minutes until dough has doubled in size. If you have a warm house you can leave it on the bench but this was a great way to speed up the proving process.
Remove from oven the dough should have doubled in size.
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees fan forced.
Dust the bench with flour and “knock your dough back” this means hitting the air out of it. Turn the dough out onto the floured bench and press out into a large rectangle about 2cm thick, You could use a rolling pin but with this soft dough I find hands is much easier.
Now combine the filling mixture to form a paste spread all over the dough and now roll up tightly.
Once you have the roll, line baking tray and cut the roll into 8 even pieces, place them close together on the tray and bake for 28 minutes until brown and golden.
Allow to cool slightly and combine all ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the rolls.

Serves: 8, best served warm from the oven.

Mince, Mushroom and Double Cheese Pies

Posted on March 24, 2019 by soulfoodie92

I am a huge fan of a pie, I had some mushrooms that needed using up in the fridge plus some mozzarella and some vintage cheddar and a cheap packet of premium beef mince. Plus I can also give them to my partner in his lunch as there a perfect size in the texas muffin tin.

Ingredients:
400 gram. premium beef mince
1/2 brown onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cup. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup. Worchester sauce
1 1/2 cup. beef stock
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. cornflour + 2 tsbp. cold water = slurry
5 sheets puff pastry
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
1/2 cup. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup. grated mozzarella

Method:

Heat fry pan over medium to high heat add oil, onion and garlic cook for 3-4 minutes and add chunks of the beef mince plus salt and pepper.
Leave to brown for few minutes until turning and repeating until the mince is nicely browned, this adds flavour, add in mushrooms and roughly chopped herbs.
Now add stock, sugar and worchester sauce leave to simmer for 20minutes. Make a cornflour slurry with water and stir into mince, cook out for 3 minutes, check your seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.
Pre-heat oven to 200 degress fan bake.
Spray texas muffin tin with oil and line with puff pastry. I used a bowl as my base cutter and a smaller cup for the lid sized circle. Make these slightly bigger so you can roll the pastry over at the top.
Using a 1/2 cup. measure your beef mixture and press into pastry case, repeat.
Sprinkle about a 1 tsp. of cheddar and mozzarella over each pie, egg wash the pastry rim and press on lid. Pushing the pastry against the sides as your roll the pastry over at the top creating a lip.
Egg wash the top and prick steam holes in the top of the pastry with a fork and a small amount of cheese for garnish.
Bake for 28 minutes until pastry is puff and golden.

Makes 6 texas muffin sized pies

Honey Carrot and Sesame Pumpkin Soup

Posted on March 24, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Autumn is here and the leaves are changing colour and its starting to become one of my favourite times to cook, this means comfort food. Crown pumpkin were $3.50 each here which is pretty good for now. So I was thinking of a soup and a pasta dish, first up is the soup. We got some local honey from a beekeeper in Darfield a few weeks back and it was the perfect finishing ingredient for this soup. Pumpkin and carrot with sesame and cumin finished with coconut creamy for a silky finish. This soup is perfect as is or take it up a notch and serve it with sour-cream and toasted seeds.

Ingredients:
1/2 crown pumpkin, large dice
4 carrots, chunky cut
1 onion, rough dice
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp. crushed ginger
2 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
2 vegetable oxo stock cubes
4 cup. hot water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. honey
1 can. light coconut cream

To serve:
1 tbsp. sour cream
1/4 cup. sunflower seeds
1/4 cup. pumpkin seeds

Method:

In a heavy based pot sauté onions and both oils for 2 minutes and then add cumin, cinnamon, ginger, chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Cook out until the onion is translucent.
Pour in 4 cups of hot water, I dissolved the oxo stock cubes in this beforehand.
Chop pumpkin and carrots add to your pot and bring to the boil then simmer for 40 minutes stirring occasionally.
Pour in 1 can of light coconut cream, stir in well.
Blitz your soup with a stick blender until smooth and thick, check and adjust your seasoning and add 1 tbsp. of honey.
Serve pumpkin soup hot with a dollop of sour cream and toast sunflower and pumpkin seeds, I mixed my seeds together and baked on a tray for 15 minutes at 180 degress.

Serves:6