Three lbs left to go.
This week at work I've been taking little packets of home roasted pumpkin seeds into work with me and it's been brilliant. I've felt even more that lunch is something special. The slightly chewy seeds are a great addition to the meal.
I have a huge post on the way (or possibly a few) about France when I get a minute to do it but suffice it to say, for now, that it was amazing. So much so that I can't think of the right superlatives to describe it. Expensive but brilliant. This weekend we've spent in Bristol, seeing D's granny.
We also went to see the Christmas lights switch on at Cabot Circus. Not as good as the ones that happen at the Oracle but the act with fire was pretty impressive.
Managed to get a photo of D, who is now three and a half, standing in front of some of the lights.
We've also managed to find some great soup bowls for the bargain price of £3 at a charity shop - look forward to them appearing in future posts!
Stats: - 6 servings, 1 propoint each.
Ingredients: -
Two small pumpkins
Frylight
One teaspoon of olive oil
2 red onions
2 crushed cloves of garlic
2.5 tsps of garam masala
2 tsps turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1litre of hot vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350F. Stab the pumpkin a few times just to allow for ventilation.
Place in a roasting tin and bake for 45-60 minutes. When it's ready, the skin should be darker and feel squidgy.
Leave for half an hour to cool.
Drop the oven to gas mark 1.
At this point, the skin practically peels away, making this the easiest removal of pumpkin from its skin ever. Scoop out the pumpkin seeds and put in one bowl. Put the flesh of the pumpkin in another for the soup. Clean the pumpkin seeds in water, removing any stringy bits and patting dry. Add a teaspoon of olive oil, a large grind of pepper and salt and mix well. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay the pumpkin seeds on top of it.
Mist a pan with frylight. Chop the red onions finely and sweat for six minutes on medium heat - until they become translucent. Add the garlic cloves, fry for a further three minutes. Add the spices and stir to coat the onion and garlic, frying for a further minute.
Add the pumpkin flesh and hot stock, bring to the boil and simmer for fifteen minutes.
At the same time, put the pumpkin seeds in the oven. Roast for fifteen minutes, until the seeds start to pop.
Blend the soup until smooth.
Serve garnished with a teaspoon of pumpkin seeds per bowl. You will have spares left over for snacking... just bear in mind that they carry a propoints value.
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