Pumpkin soup

There are many ways of making a nice pumpkin soup and today I like to share with you one of my favourite pumpkin soups.


Ingredients:
1 medium onion
1 large carrot
1 medium sized (not too large) sweet potato
1 small pumpkin or half a large pumpkin
1 tin of coconut oil
Fresh ginger
Fresh coriander
Curry powder

Turmeric powder
Sea salt
Black pepper
Coconut oil or olive oil
Water

Preparation

Peel and cut the carrot, sweet potato and pumpkin into chunks
Cut the onion into chunks or slices
Put 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (or olive oil) into a pan
Add the onion and some salt, (about 1 teaspoon – you have to add some more salt at the end) about ¼ teaspoon of curry powder, 1 teaspoon of turmeric and some black pepper.
Add about half an inch (or a little more if you like ginger) of finely chopped fresh ginger
Stir for a few minutes.
Add the chopped vegetables and stir for another few minutes
Add water, almost or just covering the vegetables
Bring to boil and when the sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin are getting soft you add a full tin of coconut milk.
Add about 2 tablespoons of chopped up fresh coriander, bring to boil and simmer for another few minutes.
Blend with a blender.

Taste and if necessary, add a little salt to taste.
Enjoy!

Roasted vegetables

Ingredients
Medium sized red pepper
Medium sized green pepper
1 large or 2 medium red onions
1 small courgette or half of a large courgette
Half of small aubergine
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
Garlic (optional)

Preparation
Cut the onion into rings
Cut the peppers into long slices
Cut the courgette into long slices of approx. 3 mm thickness
Slice the aubergine (approx.. 3 mm thickness)
Mix the vegetables in a large oven dish and sprinkle with some pepper and salt
Then add a good splash of extra virgin olive oil and mix well so that all the vegetable are coated
Put in a hot oven of 180 degrees C for about 40 minutes. Keep checking as depending on the oven it can take a little shorter or longer. You don’t want the vegetables to burn.
Serve luke warm or at room temperature.
This is delicious to eat with fresh bread as a starter or serve as a side dish.

Vegan vegetable and rice dish with peanut butter sauce

Ingredients:

Rice of your choice

1 medium size onion

2 cloves of garlic

Small piece of fresh ginger

Vegetables of your choice, like cauliflower, red pepper, carrots, courgette, leek, green beans, cabbage, etc.

Sunflower oil

Coconut milk

Fish oil

Oyster sauce

½ teaspoon of Tai Green Curry (or if you like your food spicy 1 teaspoon).

Ingredients for the sauce:

¼ of an onion finally chopped

2 garlic cloves very finally chopped

Sambal oelek 1 teaspoon

Sweet soy sauce approx.. 4 table spoons

Water

Sugar or honey

Lemon.

Peanut butter – 3 or 4 tablespoons

Sprinkle of salt (optional)

Preparation:

Prepare the rice according to instructions on the package.

It is best to prepare the peanut sauce first because you can easily heat it up later.

The sauce:

Put some sunflower oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and stir until the onions are glazed. Then add the sambal oelek and stir it in. You can now add the peanut butter, the soy sauce and add the water, keep stirring till you have a smooth sauce. You add a few drops of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar or honey. You can add a little sprinkle of salt if you want. Taste the sauce and add soy, sauce or sambal to taste, if necessary.

The vegetables:

Chop the onion and finally chop the garlic and fry in some sunflower oil. Add the tai green curry, a good splash of Tai fish sauce (this is your salt, no further salt is added) and a splash of oyster sauce. Also add the grated fresh ginger. Keep stirring and then one by one add the washed and chopped vegetables, starting with those who need more cooking time, like carrots and beans. It is nice that the vegetables are still crunchy when served and for example the, courgette, cauliflower and cabbage are best added last. Keep stirring. When everything is more or less ready you add half a tin of coconut milk and put a lid on so it heats through well. Serve with the rice

Easy broccoli soup

Ingredients:

• One broccoli
• half an onion
• 1 garlic clove
• salt, pepper, cumin powder, curry powder, grated nutmeg
• olive oil

Preparation:

Cut the broccoli into pieces and rinse well

Chop the onion and the garlic

Put about two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add the onion and the garlic, stir and add about a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of cumin powder, a good pinch of curry powder and some grated nutmeg. Stir in the broccoli and then add the water, just below the broccoli, you do not want to cover the broccoli with water because it will then be to thin.

Boil the soup until the broccoli is just becoming tender. Do not overcook.

Either poor into a blender or use a hand blender till you have a smooth soup.

Taste and add salt if necessary.

Dried tomatoe and oregano spaghetti (vegan)

This pasta might not look all that appealing when you read the ingredients, but do yourself a favour and give it a try. It is really nice and quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients: spaghetti
2 or 3 garlic cloves
olive oil
salt
a few tablespoons of water
4 or 5 dried tomatoes (you can buy them in a jar in oil, or if you have the dried version, soak them in some olive oil for till they are tender)



a full tablespoon of oregano (seems a lot but makes it taste great)
a tin of plum tomatoes (not triturado if you live in Spain)

Preparation:

Whilst you boil the water with salt for the spaghetti you take a frying pan and add a good splash of olive oil. Meanwhile, you have cut the tomatoes into pieces and either crushed the garlic or cut it into tiny pieces. When the water for the pasta is boiling you add the spaghetti.

Add both to the hot olive oil and stir immediately. The tomatoes and garlic can burn if you don't watch out and you don't want that so make sure you keep stirring. After a few minutes you add the dried oregano and you may add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. After again a few minutes you add the tinned tomatoes and make sure they are cut into pieces. You can do this with a fork in the frying pan. Sprinkle with salt (to taste)

Leave on a low heat to reduce the sauce somewhat.

When the pasta is ready – al dente – you can add it to the sauce in the frying pan and mix well.

Serve and enjoy!