Hearty Pumpkin Soup

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As nature slowly changes into fall colors, the days are getting shorter day by day just a few minutes and the nights are getting cooler. Soon the insects will take their well earned winter break and we long for heartier meals.

This is the time when I like to cook pumpkin soup from Hokkaido Pumpkins. I prefer the Hokkaido Pumpkins because I can cook them with the skin on and they are a good source of fiber and vitamins, just what we need when the colder seasons are around the corner.

The sweetness of the pumpkin harmonizes well with the spiciness of the spices and it is a real treat on cooler days.

Hearty Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

(serves 6-8)

1 Hokkaido Pumpkin 1,5 kg (about 1 kg when cleaned)

1 medium size Potato

1 medium size Onion

2 medium size Carrots

1 Garlic Clove

1.2 L Water

2 tsp Vegetable Broth

1 tsp Ginger Powder

2 tsp Curry Powder

1 1/2 tsp Salt

Pepper

a good pinch of Nutmeg

Hokkaido Pumpkin

How to cook the Hearty Pumpkin Soup

  • Wash and cut your Hokkaido Pumpkin into chunks. Roughly chop the onion, carrots and potato. Mince the garlic (I use a garlic crusher).
  • In a large pot sauté the onion and garlic in a little bit of oil.
  • Add the carrots and potato and roast for a few minutes.
  • Add the pumpkin, mix well and roast for another few minutes.
  • Add the curry, ginger and nutmeg, stir well and roast again for a few minutes.
  • Now it’s time to add the water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils add the vegetable broth powder, stir and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
  • When the veggies are soft, blend the ingredients with the immersion blender until you have a smooth soup.
  • Add salt and pepper and let simmer for 2 minutes.
  • Serve with toppings.

There are many toppings you can use on pumpkin soup to add different colors and texture. Here are my families favorite toppings:

Sour Cream

Pumpkin Seeds

Parmesan Cheese

Bacon bits

Jalapeños

We also like to eat fresh bread with our soup.

Storing and to reheat

Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheat the soup in a pot on the stove top over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally so the soup won’t burn.

Comfy sweaters, warm drinks, pretty colors and hearty food!

The first day of autumn in all it’s glory

If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram Here

I also have this recipe on my YouTube channel Here

Iced Cherry Soup

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Iced Cherry Soup is such a wonderful summer dish. It reminds me of my childhood, when my mom would prepare iced cherry soup on hot summer days and serve it with grits or vanilla pudding and sometimes even with vanilla ice cream. It was always a highlight and so delightful.

You can cook the soup with fresh or canned sour cherries. If you use fresh cherries, I would recommend to cook them with the stones still in for a better flavor. But be careful not to bite a cherry seed while eating.

Iced Cherry Soup with Vanilla Pudding and Banana

Ingredients

(serves 4)

700g canned sour cherries with juice

300 ml water

cinnamon stick (2-3 cm long)

2 cloves

lemon peel

2-3 Tbsp vanilla pudding powder

2-3 Tbsp honey

optional

lemon balm leaves to decorate

banana slices, vanilla pudding, ice cream, grits

How to cook the Iced Cherry Soup

  • Give the cherries with juice, water, cinnamon stick, cloves and a little bit of lemon peel to a large pot and bring to a boil.
  • Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the herbs and lemon.
  • Mix the pudding powder with a little bit of cold water and stir into the soup.
  • Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves.
  • Sweeten with honey and set aside to cool.

We love to eat the soup ice cold from the fridge but it is also delicious at room temperature. Serve it with vanilla pudding, grits or ice cream and decorate with banana slices and some lemon balm leaves.

Fresh Lemon Balm

Storing the soup

Store the cherry soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one day.

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.

Julia Child

If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment below or tag me on instagram Here

I also have this recipe on my YouTube channel Here

Spaghetti Tomato Sauce

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 Classic Spaghetti Tomato Sauce

Hey,

today I’ll show you how I make a classic Spaghetti Tomato Sauce.

It is very easy to make and only needs a few ingredients. 
Sometimes I use canned crushed tomatoes with basil, but only if I don’t have fresh tomatoes or basil. 

For this sauce I use:

2 cans crushed Tomatoes with basil (or fresh tomatoes and basil)
1 minced garlic clove
freshly grind pepper
1 tsp salt
extra virgin olive oil

I put tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper into my blender and blend until the sauce is smooth.  Then I’ll pour the sauce into a pot, add  just a bit extra virgin olive oil and simmer while I cook the spaghetti. And that’s it, very easy with just a few ingredients.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.

I like tomatoes best during season and I try to preserve lots of sauce made from fresh tomatoes and basil. If we are running out of our homemade sauce, I have to use my backup, the canned crushed tomatoes. 
We also use this sauce to prepare Spaghetti Meat Sauce.

I hope you like the sauce as much as we do.

Delicious Guacamole with Tortilla chips

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Delicious Guacamole with Tortilla chips

Good morning everyone,

spring has arrived! 

To me, every season of the year has its beauty and I love them all. For spring, it makes me happy to see the first tiny flowers and the fresh green when everything awakes from a long winter. The birds that have left for the cold season coming back and the days are getting longer again.

All you want to do now, is go outside and fetch some sun rays. Hanging out with family and friends in the spring sun, enjoying fresh delicious snacks and beverages, smiling faces and laughter around you makes everything even better.

We used to live in the deep south of the USA, in Georgia. So many culinary experiences, including the Mexican cuisine made our mouths water.

Today  I would like to share a yummy guacamole recipe with y’all. 

My favorite recipe is from a coworker of ours, he is a Mexican native and his guacamole is just delicious.

It is very easy to prepare and he recommended to have a cold beer at hand while making it
(a suggestion we gladly like to follow). 

For the  Guacamole you’ll need  

4  Avocados
1 Tomato
1/2 onion, chopped 
1/2 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 Lemon or a little evaporated carnation milk (milk makes it creamier)
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1/2 chopped Jalapeno or Serrano pepper
Serve with Tortilla chips.
This will give you a good amount for 6-8 person.


To choose the avocados, press them lightly with thump and index finger on the top and bottom. It should feel soft but not too much.

 Gather all the ingredients around you and put the flesh of the avocado in a bowl. Start mashing it until it reaches the consistency you like best. I use a fork to mash it, seems the best way to do it to me.
To prevent the avocado from getting black,  add a little bit of lemon juice or evaporated milk. 
Now chop the onion and the cilantro and mix it with the avocado. 
I love the taste and smell of cilantro, therefor I often use a little more. 

Add the chicken bouillon powder to taste (the coworker makes it with chicken bouillon but I prefer veggie bouillon).

Finally chop the Jalapeno or Serrano pepper and mix with the guacamole or serve separate in a bowl  because not everyone prefers it hot.

 Enjoy with some tortilla chips.