Pumpkin and Feta Quiche & Organic Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkins
I love pumpkin. It has always been one of my absolute favourite vegetables to eat and to grow.
Anyone who has grown pumpkins knows when they are harvesting you can end up with lots of pumpkins - all at once!
So it is always a great idea to have some pumpkin recipes up your sleeve.

This easy, tasty recipe is one of the recipes from my NEW upcoming cookbook
The Healthy, Happy Cookbook
You can also get my delicious Moist Pumpkin Cake recipe in The Pram Diet book


Fabulous Pumpkin and Feta Quiche



Ingredients

• 3 cups pumpkin, cubed
• 200 gms feta, cubed
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• ¼ Cup cheddar cheese
• 250 gms fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 stalks spring onion, thinly sliced
• 4 Free range eggs
• 2 sheets reduced fat/wholegrain/butter puff pastry or your own homemade equivalent
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Pre heat oven to approx 180`
• Grease a large and deep quiche or suitable baking dish
• Cook pumpkin and set aside
• Remove pastry from freezer and allow to thaw slightly
• Lightly fry the spring onion and garlic (and optional bacon if required),for a few minutes until just cooked and set aside
• In a bowl combine the eggs, cottage cheese, grated cheese, Turmeric and season with salt and pepper
• Roughly mash just some of the pumpkin so some pieces are still big chunks and some is smooth
• Gently arrange the pastry sheets in the dish
• Add the mushrooms, spring onion (and bacon) and pumpkin to the egg mixture and crumble in the feta gently
• Pour mixture into the quiche dish
• Bake until golden on top and pastry is cooked
• Serve with a tasty well dressed, leafy green salad

Notes

• Add in some fresh chili for more bite
• Include some low fat bacon by frying off at the spring onion stage and draining on paper towel or some vegetarian Sanitarium not-bacon in the same way, sliced into thin strips

Toddler Tips

• Make some great toddler sized mini quiches by using some of the mixture and a miniature muffin tin. Cut out pastry circles by tracing around the bottom of a glass, filling with mixture and topping with a little grated cheese and a slice of cherry tomato on top of each one.
  Also a great lunch box idea for school aged kids!

And another favourite pumpkin recipe

Organic Pumpkin and Lentil Soup

A recipe that is so wholesome and delicious. From making it, to cooking, to eating it.

Ingredients

• 1 whole medium sized organic pumpkin, skin removed cut into pieces

• 5 cloves Australian garlic, finely chopped

• 100 grams red lentils, washed

• 2 chicken stock cubes (I use Massel as it is trans-fat free) or 1.5 litres chicken stock

• 1.5 litres water

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 cup low fat milk or soy milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• In a deep saucepan fry the onion and garlic until the onion is see through

• Add in the mustard seeds, and turmeric fry gently mixing with the onion and garlic mixture.

• Now add the pumpkin pieces and stir through briefly.

• Pour in the water and add stock cubes (or chicken stock) and lentils

• Bring to the boil and then reduce to a low simmer

• Simmer slowly stirring.

• Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• When pumpkin is cooked through remove half the mixture and blend with the milk until smooth

• Return to the saucepan and stir together. 

• Scatter with very thinly sliced fresh spring onions

• Serve with fresh whole meal roles or pita bread

Notes

• Make the 3 pumpkin version. Instead of 1 medium pumpkin use 3 large pieces of different pumpkin types-this adds a really interesting twist.

• Leave onion out altogether for kids not so keen on it.

• Serve with finely chopped chives, coriander leaves and fresh spring onion sprigs.

• Spice it right up by adding fresh chili, cumin and a strong curry powder to the onion mixture.

• Turmeric is a fantastic spice and is said to have anti-cancer and weight loss boosting properties.

• No mustard seeds on hand? You can substitute with a teaspoon of whole grain mustard but the seeds are best.

• No blender? Using a masher roughly mash the mixture whist in the saucepan until a good consistency is achieved.

Toddler Tips

• Make theirs a really creamy version by blending it completely and adding in some natural yogurt.

• Leave out all onion if desired.

• Serve with whole grain toast soldiers, grilled with melted cheese.

Recipe (c)RebeccaMugridge2012