Tag Archives: food

Hearts content

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One of the best things about this time of year is food indulgence. Yes? People bring in baked goods,  summer fruits come in season and favourite traditional dishes are bought out such as fruit mince pies or trifle or pavlova.  Then it seems that every person’s family has some kind of family dish or eating tradition whether its having champagne and strawberries on Christmas morning or a brandy soaked Christmas cake.   I tend to spend Christmas on my own or tag along to someone’s else Christmas so I don’t have a Christmas tradition but for me I look forward to:

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cherries

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Champagne and strawberries

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pavlova

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summer salads

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bruchetta

Fruit Mince Pies

Christmas fruit mince pies

All so delicious.  What about you?

Pumpkin Soup

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You will have to excuse the poor attempt of taking a snapshot of the pumpkin soup I made on Sunday.  Soups are one of my favourite dishes to  make because of their simplicity and warmth.  Admittedly with soups I am not really a go to recipe person and often make up the recipe on the way, as such with this pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Soup

1 butternut pumpkin

3 cloves of garlic

half apple

1 onion

Grated garlic

pepper to season

salt to season

spices (tumeric, cumin, nutmegm curry powder)

Chicken or Vegetable stock

coconut milk ( I added a can which ended up being a bit too much so perhaps 3/4)

1. cut pumpkin into pieces and roast till golden and soft

2. saute onion and garlic in saucepan with spices

3. add soft pumpkin and mix the spiced onion and garlic with the pumpkin. Oh and add grated apple

4. Add the stock

5. Bring to boil and then simmer for at least an hour (I think? I really didn’t pay too much to the time but a load of washing was started and finished within that)… the aim is to get the pumpkin to be fully meshed with the liquid

6. Add coconut milk and stir, letting it simmer for another 5-10 mins.

7. Add more stock to thin the soup if needed

Serve with rosemary olive fused bread and good company.

The air smelled sweeter, for the honey and the bees.

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Starting work again has found me having to rethink my whole entire diet.  The reason: a possible intolerance to Bread, well probably the ingredient wheat.  Eating bread in small quantities makes me have stomach cramps and long bouts of restlessness. A half  hot cross bun eaten on Thursday morning resulted in an afternoon of awful stomach cramps that it made eating the hot cross bun not worth it.  Thus begins my year of reducing wheat in my diet. Next week I am seeing my doctor to discuss said symptoms and to have an allergy test.   I’ve been looking at gluten free recipes and thinking of ideas for work lunches.  Thankfully there are so many food blogs out there that showcase gluten free eating.

Emma from My darling lemon thyme provides some good tips for starting out gluten free.

This article also provides good advice and tips on gluten free living.

That salad pictured above can be found here and other deliciously looking gluten free recipes by Joe here

Other awesome gluten free recipes can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here.

After most violent emotion most people and all boys demand food

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To broaden my culinary repetoire,  I have taken to task a new recipe to try out each week.  This week:  Spinach Gratin.

Spinach Gratin

First preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease a 10 inch round dish [or something similar] with a bit of olive oil.

In a bowl mix a cup and half of finely chopped spinach,  3/4 cup of crumbed organic firm tofu and 2 -2 1/2 cups of pre cooked brown rice.  Add 1/2 chopped medium red onion,  10  chopped olives, 1/3 cup of chopped pine nuts and a tablespoon of olive oil then mix in a 1/3 cup of grated parmesan or gruyere cheese.

In a small bowl whisk 3 eggs and a teaspoon of sea salt and add to rice mixture

Pour the mixture in the round dish and sprinkle with grated parmean or gruyere cheese.   Bake for 30 minutes or until it is set and the topping is golden and brown

Sprinkle almonds and olives on top and serve.

Picture above is actually leftovers for lunch today.

*Sorry about the quality of pictures – camera isn’t that great