Pumpkin, ginger, orange and carrot soup for Food Revolution Day

Have you heard? Friday the 17th of May is food revolution day! All the cool kids are talking about it.

Well Jamie Oliver is anyhoo and we all know he is kinda cool.

So word is not enough people are eating fresh and healthy food and we need to get it out there that y'all should be.

 
No seriously! Seeings as pretty much I post about desserts all the time I felt an obligation to join in.....

I know I have mentioned a couple of times that we generally eat pretty healthy for our regular meals. I just do not buy premade food, oh unless it's tomato sauce for spaghetti meat sauce or tinned tomatoes. Pretty much everything else I make from scratch.

It's healthier, it's cheaper and it just plain tastes better most of the time.

OK I hear you - it seems hard when your working full time and I don't envy anyone in that position. But I'm typing this at 9pm at night and I have some spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. Yes like I said it's a premade sauce, but pretty much it's tomatoes, and first I sauteed some carrot and zucchini (courgette) before I cooked the (heart smart) mince meat. Maybe I added some bacon as well (shhh). It'll freeze up to make 2 family meals I that I can reheat, cook up the pasta and serve with a salad for an easy weekday meal soon.

Y'all didn't think I kept my figure by eating chips and burgers all day :) Something has to round out those macarons.

Anyhoo - I joined in the Food Bloggers Soup Challenge and just like everyone else in real life I just didn't have time to cook when it came to it. The box of vegetables from Aussie Farmers Direct was delivered like clockwork on the afternoon of the 15th and we all know Food Revolution Day is the 17th May.

Umm it seems we don't all know that - in my mind I was thinking the 19th for some reason, so some of my fabulously well though out ideas had to go - but I think that worked out for the best in the end as you can see that with half an hour and what I was given I whipped up a soup which with some bread fed the family.

Healthy, affordable and a well fed family. What more could I ask for.

For more information on what Food Revolution day is all about check out the Food Revolution Day website.

Pumpkin, Ginger, Orange and Carrot Soup

dash of olive oil
1 pumpkin (mine weighed 1.5kg whole) peeled and cut into cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 orange (zest and then juice)
750 ml/ 3 cups (US 3 1/5 th cups - but it's all approx) vegetable stock

Heat large saucepan to medium high and add dash of olive oil, pop in the pumpkin and carrot and cook for 10 minutes, add ginger and cook further 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and orange juice and cook for further 20 minutes. Use a stick blender to blend soup until smooth.

Serve with a swirl of cream or low fat yogurt, a sprinkle of marinated feta, shredded basil and pepper to taste.

Parmesan and Basil Crisps

Grate a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan cheese in a bowl and shred in some basil (to taste) shape into circles on a tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 200 C until crisp and golden.

Disclosure note: I received a box of seasonal vegetables from Aussie Farmers Direct.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)

 

 Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Mini Mousse

I have a bit of a thing for little mini mousse cups.

Mini always makes everything cuter.....and when I found these super sweet little disposable square verrine cups I knew I had to use them on my next dessert table.

Ok who am I kidding, I want to use them on EVERY dessert table I ever do from now on cause they are sooo cute.

Anyway as my next planned table after I picked up the cups was a pie and slice table I came up with an idea to make some chiffon pie mousse cups. They worked out pretty well, rather than layering different flavors I just made the one type of mousse and then added extra flavor and texture with the garnish. It meant I could make all the components in advance and then I just assembled on the spot to ensure maximum crunchiness for the pie bites and macarons.

It was something new for me and I didn't have a recipe handy so I found some on the internet, tried out a few, threw out quite a few icky batches and then finally tweaked this recipe I found here.

The gorgeous photography is by Naomi V Photography. at her studio.

Printables are by Style Me Gorgeous.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Mousse with mini macarons and pecan pie crust bites were created for the Blissfully Sweet Oh Sweet Mum E-vent for this rustic pie table...more pictures of the pie table available in the online E-Zine or here on the Bubble and Sweet Blog.

Ah-Tissue created the amazing display of paper and hessian wall pom poms.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Mini Mousse - (makes around 24 mini mousse cups)

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cream (heavy)
1 cup cooked well mashed pumpkin (you may use tinned if you like)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cream (heavy) extra

In a heavy based saucepan at medium low heat cook the yolks, sugar and 1/2 cup cream whisking continuously until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from the heat and mix in the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Place in the fridge to chill for around an hour.

Place the 1 1/2 cups cream in a large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Mix in 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture with a spatula to lighten the mixture. Add the remaining pumpkin mixture to the cream mixture and gently fold in until combined.

Place the mixture into a large disposable piping bag (I use biggish kee-seal ones).

Line up the mini mousse cups (or what ever type of container you are using) on a large tray.

Snip off the end of the piping bag with scissors and squeeze the mixture into the cups until it nearly reaches the top.

Place the tray in the fridge and chill overnight or until set. Best prepared day before serving although you can prepare a few days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I decorated the mousse cups with mini macarons and Pie bites.

Pie Bites

To make the pie bites roll out some chilled sugar crust pie dough or vanilla sugar cookie mixture. Cut into small squares around 3cm (1"), place on trays lined with parchment paper and press chopped pecans into the dough. Bake at the recommended oven setting until golden and allow to cool before using (can be prepared around 3 days ahead).

I used the sugar crust pie dough from my book Sweets on a Stick, It's the same recipe I use for the pie pops. But you can just use store bought or even this sugar cookie dough recipe CLICK HERE.

Mini Macarons

To make mini macarons you can follow this recipe CLICK HERE and just pipe the macarons smaller.

For more of my recipes including the Pie Crust recipe for the pie pops check out my book Sweets on a Stick. You can pick it up online at Amazon here:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

I popped this on Skip to my Lou's Linky Made by you Monday.

and Kitchen fun with my three sons crafty Friday