I love the fall… chilly air, scarves, and carving pumpkins.
Today I was at the Princess Café in Waterloo and had the most amazing Pumpkin Peach soup - it was so yummy!
Here is a recipe for one of my old favourites - perfect for a lazy Sunday or for a few fall lunches.
To make things really easy you can use pure pumpkin in a can for this recipe…
And don't be afraid to ramp it up by substituting the red for a green curry paste if you really like it spicy.
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
you will need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
240 g (1 cup) chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 L (4 cups) chicken or vegetable broth
425 g pumpkin puree (or 1 can pure pumpkin)
3.5 dl (1 1/2 cups) viking milk or cream
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Stir in ginger root and cook for 30 more seconds.
Stir in curry and flour until smooth. Cook until mixture begins to bubble.
Gradually whisk in broth and cook until thickened. Stir in pumpkin and evaporated milk.
Season with soy sauce, honey, salt and pepper.
Bring to just a boil, and remove from heat.
Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds and sour cream.
*makes 8 servings
Styling and Food: Tara Ballantyne
Photography: Birgit Fauske
Classic Strawberry Cupcakes
you will need:
for cupcakes:
80 ml whole fresh strawberry puree - made from about 160 ml fresh strawberries
60 ml whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
110 g unsalted butter, room temperature
210 g sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites
250 g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites
for the frosting:
110 g unsalted butter, room temperature
450 g powdered sugar
40 ml strawberry puree
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
cupcakes:
Place strawberries in a food processor, and process until pureed.
This should yield over 80 ml of puree. Save any extra for frosting.
In a small bowl combine milk, vanilla, and 80 ml strawberry puree.
Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
Add egg and egg whites one at a time, beating until well combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Stirring well, add a third of the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture alternately with strawberry mixture. Make 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of strawberry, finishing with the dry.
Scoop batter into cupcake cups filling 2/3 of the way to top.
Bake cupcakes at 180℃ degrees for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer to rack and let cool completely.
frosting:
With an electric mixer, whip butter until creamy (about three minutes).
Add strawberry puree and whip to combine. Add 3/4 of the sugar and mix on low speed.
Add remaining sugar and mix until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.
Add additional sugar if needed to achieve desired consistency.
Frost cooled cupcakes.
*makes 14 cupcakes.
*Cooks Tip: Use a spring loaded ice cream scoop to scoop balls of batter into muffin tins.
This ensures the same size cupcake every time!
Food and Styling: Tara Ballantyne
Photography: Trine Thorsen
Grilled Whole Mackerel
You will need:
4 whole mackerel, gutted
6 large rosemary sprigs
1 head of garlic
30 ml vegetable oil
4 lemons cut into rounds
kitchen string
With a sharp knife, make short slits at 5 cm intervals down the middle of the fish on both sides. Season the fish cavity with salt and pepper. Place lemon rounds and 3 sprigs of rosemary inside the fish cavity. Brush entire fish with vegetable oil, and season with salt and pepper. Top fish with remaining lemon slices and rosemary, and tie fish closed with kitchen string, securing lemon slices to the fish.
Oil grill and check heat. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you are able to hold your hand 12 cm above it for 3 to 4 seconds. Grill fish for 15 minutes and then carefully turn fish over and grill 15 minutes more, or until cooked through. Place fish on a serving platter and cut away string.
*Cooks tip:
If you can’t grill outdoors, roast fish on an oiled baking sheet in a 220 degree oven. Roast until just cooked through, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes without turning.
Photography: Sturla Bakken
Food and Styling: Tara Ballantyne
