Spiced Pumpkin and Honey Cake

Spiced Pumpkin and Honey Cake

It’s been a busy few months – hence the short supply of recipes and stories of late.  I’ve been working 4 different part time jobs (all physiotherapy related) plus the usual 2 kids and house to run.  I really thought I was in total control and rather enjoying the pace of being constantly on the go – mind and body.  However, I think anxiety has reared it’s ugly head back into my life and crept up to me to say “hey, slow down please”.  Fortunately I’m at a point in my life where I could recognise the symptoms and I’m back on track.  So while time has been a squeeze, and my writing has been squeezed out for awhile, rest assured there’s plenty of recipes and stories to come...

And luckily I have 2 awesome kids who make me laugh.  Especially little Finn who adores his big sister so much he insists on wearing her pyjamas and having his hair in pigtails. This is him saying “cheese” for  the camera...

 

And when time is limited what better way to get some nutrients and fibre in to the kids than with a veggie cake.  I had some roasted home grown pumpkin so came up with this Spiced Pumpkin and Honey Cake and it’s really hit the spot.  PS, for some kids, don’t tell them it has veggies and they’ll never know!

Spiced Pumpkin and Honey Cake

60g walnuts
250g cooked and cooked pumpkin (or combined with grated carrots and zucchini is nice too!)
¼ cup (85g) honey
¼ cup (60g) coconut oil (or other light oil)
2 eggs
60g milk
1 tsp vanilla
20g rapadura sugar
½ tsp each nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cinnamon
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup SR flour
½ cup sultanas

• Preheat oven to 175° and line a loaf tin
• Add walnuts to Thermomix bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 6
• Add pumpkin, eggs, milk, honey, oil , vanilla and sugar and mix for 30 seconds on speed 5
• Add spices, flours and sultanas and blend in Reverse on speed 4 for 10 seconds or until combined
• Spoon into prepared loaf tin and top with shredded coconut and pepitas if desired
• Bake for approx  1 hr or until cake springs bake when touched
• Allow to cool for around 30 minutes before slicing

Enjoy warm with your favourite tea or Crio Bru!

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls

 

As many of you may know Veggie Daddy has been busy building something in our backyard.  No it’s not the 2^nd veggie patch which we adore, but a rather large structure he adores called a skateboard ramp.  Call it a mid life crisis, call it what you want but I think I have been very generous in letting this become part of our garden even with the removal of trees, time taken every weekend, etc, etc..  Veggie daddy has been skateboarding for about 25 years and feels that this way he can enjoy it with the kids – he’s just a big kid himself.

Daddy's litle helper



Testing the ramp out with daddy



 

 

 

 

 

The kids have loved watching the ramp being built and helping when they can.  Even I was up there helping bend plywood today!  The kids are also having fun riding bikes up and down and it looks like it will be an extension of our outdoor style of living.

So what better lunch to whip today than Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls that everyone could eat on the run.  Special thanks to my Thermie cousin who pointed out this great recipe by Arwen on the Thermomix Recipe Community.  I tweaked it a little by using sweet potato today instead of pumpkin and made my own Zucchini and Basil pesto from the bountiful garden.  The extra nutrition from the chickpeas is great and they make about a dozen good sized scrolls.  Which is handy because it’s hard to stop at one!

 

Pumpkin & Chickpea Bread Dough

 

100g dried chickpeas

100g pumpkin (or sweet potato) roughly chopped

400g bakers flour

20g olive oil

1 tsp salt

300g lukewarm water

20g pepitas

8g dried yeast

 

Pesto

40g Parmesan cheese cubed

1 clove garlic

1 bunch fresh basil

60g cashew nuts

60 zucchini roughly chopped

30g extra virgin olive oil

80g cheese grated extra

• Add chickpeas to Thermomix bowl and mill for 1 min at speed 10
• Add pumpkin and process for 5 secs on speed 5
• Add remaining ingredients and mix 5 secs on speed 5 then set to closed lid position and  knead for 2 minutes on dough setting.  Add a little flour if needed
• Remove dough and wrap in thermomat or in a covered oiled bowl for about an hour or until doubled in size
• Meanwhile make Zucchini pesto
• Place parmesan cheese and basil into TM bowl and chop for 5 secs on speed 8
• Add all other ingredients & process for 10 seconds on speed 8
  
• Shape dough into a large rectangle
• Gently stretch and shape dough into a long rectangle about 1.5cm thick on mat or floured surface
• Spread with pesto, sprinkle with grated cheese
• Carefully roll from long edge to form a long roll then cut into approximately 12 pieces
• Arrange in 2 springform tins lined with baking paper and allow to rest again while heating oven to 220°
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when knocked

Best eaten straight from the oven.  Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin, Pinenut and Sage Fettucini

My life isn’t all about cooking.  My other passion at the moment is running and guess what, I’m back! After having 2 kids and only doing weekly 5 km runs I’ve signed up for the 12km Run Geelong, a fundraiser for the children’s ward at the Geelong hospital.  And it’s in 2 weeks!  But this week I ran 8km and this morning 10km so I think I’ll make it.

 
After not running a great deal for 3 years my motivation play list was a bit outdated.  But welcome Enrique Iglesias “I like how it feels” to really get you going! (or for a dance around the lounge room with the kids!) My runners were also pretty worn out so I’ve got a new pair of shoes on the way.  Even more exciting, I’ve changed brands for the first time in 10 years and they’re red! So stay tuned...

 

And what better carb loading food to have tonight than pasta.  Inspired by some fresh backyard grown sage from the local farmer’s marker this morning and some time to make fresh pasta with my daughter, I decided on a rather indulgent creamy pumpkin, pinenut and sage sauce over fresh fettucini topped with crispy sage leaves.  A real treat but  well earned after hitting the pavement.  If you’re using store bought pasta it’s quick and easy, but you really can’t beat home made pasta, and the kids love helping too.

 
Creamy Pumpkin, Pinenut and Sage Fettucini
Sauce
500g pumpkin
1 bunch sage leaves
Handful pinenuts
300g cream
Salt and pepper

• Roast chopped pumpkin in oven for around 20 minutes or until golden
• During last few minutes add sage leaves, lightly oiled on a baking tray then set both aside while preparing pasta

 
Pasta as per EDC
3 free range eggs
300g plain flour
1 tbls Olive oil

• Place all ingredients in the Thermomix bowl and knead for 2 minutes on Interval Setting
• Remove dough and knead a little by hand until it comes together as a silky dough
• Wrap in Thermomat or damp towel and allow rest for at least half an hour
• Divide into 4 sections keeping remaining dough covering while working with each
• Roll dough through pasta machine on the widest setting about 5 times then repeat by gradually reducing to thinnest setting.  A great tip I learnt on a cooking show was as  soon as the dough  is long enough join it together into a loop so you can continuously loop dough through without refeeding.  It can become very quick and looks impressive!
• Dust dough with flour and roll through Fettuccini cutter then hang until ready to use
• Repeat with remaining dough while bringing a large pot of water to the boil
• Cook dough in batches for around 3 minutes or until al dente
   
• Meanwhile complete sauce...
   
• Add pinenuts to a frying pan and toast for a few minutes until golden
• Add pumpkin, cream, salt and pepper and heat through until cream starts to thicken
• Add half of the sage leaves crushed with remaining to serve

Serve sauce over freshly cooked pasta, top with crispy sage leaves and enjoy!