Ingrid's Pumpkin Soup

This is only about my favorite food on the planet, so I've spent much time perfecting this recipe! I always reccomend using kent pumpkins (aka jap pumpkin) because they have the best flavour.

Ingredients

1 kent pumpkin of a reasonable size, somewhere between 1 and 2 kilos will do.

1 large leek

2 onions

4 cloves garlic

3 medium potatoes

3 litres vegetable stock (not from a powder)

2 cups water

nutmeg

cumin

dried coriander

salt

cracked pepper

300ml cream

olive oil

Method

Cut and peel the pumkin, lightly glaze with oil and roast at approx. 180 C. Keep in mind that the smaller you cut it, the quicker it will roast. When it is lovely and caramelised, turn the oven off.

Meanwhile, slice, peel and dice the onion, leek, garlic and potato, and put it in a very large pot one litre of stock and 2 cups water. Bring to boil, and allow to simmer for half an hour or more, until it's practically falling apart.

Take pot off the heat.

Use a bar mix or a blender to smooth the mixture. I use a bar mix.

This next bit is the most difficult part of the recipe, as I find the pumkin has a tendency to end up in my mout instead of the pot!

In small lots, place the roasted pumkin in the pot and blend them in with the bar mix.

Next, add the other two litres of stock, and return the pot to the stove.

As you're heating the soup up again, season to taste with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and nutmeg.

I normally go equal amounts of cumin and coriander, and twice as much nutmeg.

Stir in cream before serving.

Leek and Potato Soup

Sorry about the awful picture, there are limits to my phone's camera, not to mention my photography skills (or lack thereof).

This soup was originally from retromummy, passed on to me by my cousin, Carmel, but I made a few slight adjustments. That's right, I'm pathologically unable to follow a recipe.

Ingredients

2 Leeks, sliced

2 Potatoes, peeled and diced

1 Onion, sliced

2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed

1 Litre Vegetable Stock

2 Cups Water

250ml Cream

Salt

Pepper

Nutmeg

You can minus the water and do the first part in the slow cooker for five hours, but I got home from work and realised that I hadn't turned it on!! So this is how I made it:

Method

Place leek, potato, onion, garlic, stock and water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.

Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30-45 minutes.

Use a barmix or a blender to blend the whole lot until smooth.

Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Stir through cream right before serving.

Chocolate Mudcake

This is the bestest, most chocolatey, gooey rich, melt in your mouth mudcake ever! It also happens to be vegan!

Ingredients

2 200g bars of Lindt dark cooking chocolate

250 g Nuttelex

1 1/2 cups freshly brewed coffee

2 cups castor sugar

2 tsp orgran no egg, mixed with 4 tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups SR Flour

1/4 cup cocoa

100g coconut cream

Method

Break up 250g chocolate and put in a microwave safe bowl with the nuttelex.

Melt in the microwave, stopping to stir every 20 seconds.

Dissolve castor sugar in coffee, and add to chocolate mixture.

Add No Egg and vanilla, stir until well combined.

Sift in flour and cocoa and combine.

Pour into a 20cm tin and bake at 160 C for and hour and a half.

Turn onto rack to cool.

When cake is totally cooled down, melt remaining chocolate and combine with coconut cream to make a ganache.

When ganache has cooled down to and easy to use consistency, spread over entire cake for a deliciously gooey icing!

Serve with ice-cream. Especially good when warmed before serving! (Stay tuned for Vegan ice-cream recipes).

Choconana Muffins

I first made this when I was about ten years old, and I've been making it ever since. It's from a cookbook that I've had since I was a kid, it's quick, easy, and doesn't produce a whole heap of extra dishes! I've tweaked the recipe a fair bit from the original, but it can be found in "The Best of Kids Cooking."

Makes 12-18

Ingredients

2 small ripe bananas

1 cup wholemeal SR flour

1/2 cup white SR flour

1 egg

2/3 cup sugar

250 g choc chips

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup olive oil

dash vanilla extract

sprinkle salt

Method

Mash the bananas in a large bowl.

Sift in flour, add husks.

Add egg, sugar, choc chips, milk, oil, vanilla and salt.

Stir with a fork until well combined

spoon into lightly oiled muffin trays

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden, at 180 C.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for five minutes in the pan, before transferring to cooling racks.