Barbecued Swordfish Steaks, Cardamom Pumpkin and Onion Salsa Recipe

Barbecued Swordfish is one of my favourite tastes of Summer in Malaga. The smoked taste of the fish and the Mediterranean perfectly complement one another

Ingredients

Gazpacho oil
4 tomatoes
1 red onion, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 red capsicum, seeds and membrane removed
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
4 red chilies
2 slices white bread
200 ml white wine vinegar
600 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
Salsa
1 butternut pumpkin, peeled and deseeded
2 red onions, peeled
3 cardamom pods, split
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
Swordfish
4 swordfish steaks
salt and fresh ground pepper

Method.
To make gazpacho oil
Roughly chop tomatoes, onion, garlic, capsicum, cucumber, chillis and bread and place in bowl.
Pour over vinegar and toss well and marinate for 2 hours, then puree in blender until smooth.
Gradually whisk in olive oil. Add parsley and season.
To make salsa
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
Cut pumpkin and onion into 1cm cubes.
Toss pumpkin with cardamom pods, cardamom spice, ginger, garlic and olive oil.
Place on baking tray and roast in oven turning frequently until pumpkin is nearly cooked, then add onion for the last 5 to 10 minutes to brown.
Add salt and pepper and toss well.
To cook fish
Lightly season fish and cook over hot barbeque until cooked to your liking four minutes each side.
To serve
Place two large spoonfuls of salsa in middle of plate. Place fish on top and drizzle gazpacho oil over and around plate.

Pumpkin Porridge

This is a heart warming January London breakfast. Just a month ago when I lived in Spain my breakfast was a piece of fruit. Now having relocated to London my breakfast is far more substantial, but it still has my favourite pomegranite seeds the emblem of Andalucia.

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin water
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ounces of mashed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
Pomegranate seeds
Chopped walnuts
Brown sugar for sprinkling
Method
Bring the pumpkin water and salt to a boil. Stir in the oats. Cook for two minutes. Add the cinnamon, pumpkin, and vanilla sugar and cook until the oatmeal reaches desired consistency.
Top oatmeal with pomegranates, walnuts, and a sprinkling of brown sugar.

Spicy Pumpkin Enchiladas

Enchiladas
Originally uploaded by ex.libris

These enchiladas are spicy and sweet at the same time.

Ingredients

15 ounces of pumpkin puree
10 ounces corn kernels
4 ounces of cooked red pepper
1 finely diced red onion
3 ounces of walnut pieces
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 x 6-inch tortillas
1 ounce baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
10 ounces of your favourite salsa
4 ounces of grated Monterey jack cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-12-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking oil spray.In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, pepper, corn, onion, walnuts, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and cinnamon. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Separate the 8 corn tortillas and lay them on a work surface. Spoon equal amounts of the pumpkin mixture down the center of each tortilla. Lay a few baby spinach leaves on top of the mixture, if desired, and roll to close. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Top the enchiladas with the salsa, spreading it to cover, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese has browned and the filling is hot. Place 2 enchiladas on each plate; serve immediately.

Pumpkin and orange scone

Pumpkin and orange scone
Originally uploaded by Mitsooko

Scones are the perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea either an adult luxury tea or a cozy tea with the kids, all that is needed is a log fire. Scones are best eaten warm from the oven and if you must keep them until the next day they are best toasted. They are also best if handled very quickly, don't labour the shaping of them because to get light and airy scones you do not need to activate the gluten in the flour.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh pumpkin
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons butter,
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 large organic egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons orange zest.

Method
Preheat the oven to 375°
Beat egg with sugar and add sugar and pumpkin.Sift flour, baking powder and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Add raisins and orange peel. Be careful not to over mix.

Shape dough into a circular shape about half an inch thick, either cut the dough into small shapes with a glass or cut the top half of the dough eight.

Preheat the oven, bake at 375°for about twenty five minutes.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Spicy Pumpkin Bread & Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies 4
Originally uploaded by Melissa Bernais

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Dissolve baking soda in milk and set aside. In large bowl whisk together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg.


In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and then. Stir in the baking soda mixture and then chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until done.

Butternut Squash Sage Derby Risotto With Tarragon

Sage Derby is a rather strong tasting English cheese with deep veins of green sage running through it and Sage and pumpkin are a marriage made in heaven. If you cannot get it omit and use a little more parmesan to get the creamy effect of a risotto.

7- 8 cups of fresh chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
1 lb butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and diced
4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
14 ounces of arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 ounces of baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method
boil the broth in a large saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to low. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add squash and 2 teaspoons of tarragon and continue saute to for five minutes.

Add rice and stir until well coated with butter. Add the wine and simmer until evaporated. Add six cups of the hot stock and boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered stirring regularly until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy and slightly soupy. Add as much extra stock as is necessary to maintain the creaminess. When the rice is cooked stir in spinach, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more tarragon leaves.

Pumpkin Soup With Creamed Cider

Pumpkin Soup
Originally uploaded by Carmyarmyofme

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cider Cream

For cooking, use small, sweet pumpkin varieties with a thick flesh and a fairly small seed cavity, such as the Sugar Pie, Baby Bear or Cheese pumpkin. Instead of pumpkin, you can use kabocha squash, which has bright green skin marked with paler green stripes and pale orange flesh.

Ingredients:
4 lbs baking pumpkins or kabocha squash, quartered and seeded
Olive oil as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
6 shallots, thickly sliced
2 celery stalks, thickly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup apple cider, reduced to 2 Tbs. and cooled

Position 1 rack in the upper third of an oven and 1 rack in the lower third, and preheat to 425°F.
Method
Divide the pumpkins among 2 baking sheets. Drizzle the pumpkins with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the pumpkins, cut side down, on the baking sheets. Roast, turning the pumpkins occasionally, until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes; rotate the baking sheets halfway through the roasting time. Let the pumpkins cool, then scoop the flesh into a bowl.

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the carrots, shallots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, nutmeg and sage and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin flesh and broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.

In a bowl, whisk the cream until slightly thickened. Whisk in the reduced apple cider until blended. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle with the cider cream. Serve immediately.