Beetroot dip

I have made beetroot hummus and I loved it. But since I hadn’t soaked chickpeas and didn’t want to make tahini etc, decided to make a simple dip with just the beetroot. It turned out great, so sharing the goodness:)

Ingredients

1 cup beetroot, diced

12-15 almonds

3-4 almonds, toasted and sliced for garnish

1.5 tsp olive oil + more for drizzling over

Salt, to taste (sea salt would be nice, regular also works)

1 inch cinnamon

3-5 tbsp yoghurt

1 tsp coarsely crushed pepper (I used a mix of black & white pepper, but you can use any one too)

Instructions

1. Layer foil on a baking tray. Add beetroot, drizzle with some olive oil, the pepper and a wee bit sea salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes at 180C. You could also wrap a medium sized beet in aluminium foil and roast for an hour. The peel comes off easily and you can roughly chop for use.

2. Use a mixer to make a coarse powder of almonds and cinnamon. Then add beetroot, salt, 1.5 tsp olive oil and yoghurt. Blend to a coarse or smooth consistency as preferred. You can add more yoghurt to adjust consistency.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with toasted (otpional) and sliced almonds and drizzle olive oil. Serve with pita, breads, breadsticks, crudites, crackers, or chips.

Note: The beetroot can also be steamed if you can’t/don’t want to roast.

Variations

1. You could substitute cinnamon with other spices like cumin or fennel. Keep quantities low so it doesn’t overpower; a 1/4 tsp should do.

2. You could use pistachios or walnuts instead of almonds

3. You can blend ricotta cheese instead of yoghurt.

Sweet corn and raw mango salad

I love buying my veggies and fruits from local small stores. The vegetable seller I go to has been the same (except for a short 3 year break) for about 20+ years. And I have this old man who comes around on his moped selling some farm fresh veggies. He brought some sweet corn this time and I had some raw mango in the garden. Figured it would make a nice salad. This is a really simple one and multiple variations are possible.

Ingredients

1 medium sized corn cob

1/4 cup finely diced raw mango

Salt, to taste (I usually use rock salt/pink salt/sea salt)

Black and white pepper, coarsely crushed

Instructions

1. Pressure cook the corn in salted water (medium heat, one whistle)

2. When cool, remove the kernels (can easily do it with a knife) and add raw mango.

3. Add a sprinkling of salt and grind some pepper into it (as per taste). You can also add finely chopped green chillies. Mix it all up and serve.

Variations

1. Add some boiled groundnuts instead of corn and squeeze some lime towards the end.

2. Add finely chopped capsicum and onion. Remember to add salt just before serving so water isn’t released or the salad will be soggy.

Roasted Pumpkin soup

There is a popular bedtime story around how an old woman outwits a lion, a tiger and a wolf by using a big red pumpkin and saving her own life. I love how food is often incorporated into stories we have heard (or read) as children…it’s a lovely way of getting children interested in food and learning about culture.

I had been craving the red pumpkin soup for a few days, but was too lazy to get down to making it. But then motivation came in the form of Antoni in a Queer Eye episode (was binge watching the series) and I combined a couple of recipes to make this version. I made it for lunch paired with a simple spaghetti aglio e olio.

This recipe uses roasted pumpkin and I believe that brings out the maximum flavour. It’s creamy, healthy and delicious. If there is any left over, it can work in salads or as a base for a curry.

How to make roasted pumpkin soup:

Ingredients

200g red pumpkin

1 large onion, chopped (white onion works well)

3-4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp oilve oil (to roast pumpkin)

3-4 celery stalks (optional)

2-3 stalks of rosemary

2 tbsp olive oil (to make the soup)

3 cups vegetable broth (I prefer homemade)

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp sea salt (to roast pumpkin with)

Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Scoop out the pumpkin seeds (can set aside to dry and use). Peel and chop the pumpkin into small cubes.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

3. In a bowl combine pumpkin, celery, garlic and rosemary. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle the sea salt. Give it a gentle mix with your hands. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer the pumpkin mix onto it. Spread it out for even roasting. Roast for about 40 minutes. Let it cool.

4. Blend the pumpkin mix until smooth. You can use a little vegetable broth during the blending to obtain a thick pouring consistency.

5. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add cinnamon powder, freshly ground pepper and saute for a few seconds. Add the ground pumpkin, vegetable broth and coconut milk. Mix gently and let it cook for a few minutes. Add salt and transfer to a serving bowl.

Topping:

1. You could top the soup with some toasted pumpkin seeds or croutons.

2. Another option that I used this time is spinach and sesame. Toast sesame seeds until light brown. Heat olive oil in a small pan, add finely chopped garlic and when light brown, add chopped spinach and a pinch of salt. Once done, take off heat, mix in the sesame seeds. You can top each bowl with a tbsp.

3. Drizzle some fresh cream on the soup before serving.

Variations:

1. You can use cream as well while blending the pumpkin.

2. A tsp of cumin & coriander will also add a lovely flavour. Roast the seeds prior to blending it with the pumpkin.