I missed my usual contribution for Shop around the world
but I will not let this lovely theme pass me by – PUMPKIN it is – after all today is Halloween in less civilised countries … *
I promised a whole three course menu – but I will pass on the pumpkin soup. I love pumpkin soup, but I have made it so many times and so many contributors have given it a try at shop around the world that for today I will concentrate on two main courses – one for the meat-eaters, and as this time it was hosted by Phenny’s vegetarian human a veggie curry.
Let’s start with the curry for two:
I did not shop for this, I had the pumpkin from a friend and the rest in my pantry.
You need:
a can of kidney beans, let the fluid drain away
oil
an onion – chopped into cubes (you can also use rings if you like – the form doesn’t matter)
curry paste (I chose some that is called Massaman paste, it was already open in my fridge, choose one that aligns with your taste – if you like it hot – have a go at the green one, which is hotter than the red one), one tablespoon
about 350 g of pumpkin cubes (I choose red kuri squash as that does not afford peeling!)
250 ml of vegetable broth (if you want it posh, take some ready made, I take soup powder and add 250 ml of water)
about 100 ml of coconut cream
salt and pepper
Heat oil in (high) pan, fry onions till glossy, then add curry paste, add broth and pumpkin cubes, stir well, let it cook with a lid for about 10 minutes. (Time for the rice to start going)
Then add kidney beans and coconut cream and give it another 5 minutes to cook.
Spice to taste with pepper and salt (I passed on the salt, as soup powder is already salty).
Pumpkin from friends who are happy to be rid of their harvest: nil Euro (but a similar one costs about 1,99 – and has twice the amount you need)
Kidney beans, small can – 0,5 Euro – or so – I had one
one onion – negligible
curry paste – 2,27 per 100 g – and you need about a fifth of that for two persons
water, salt and pepper – negligible
all in all about 2 Euro for two servings – that is about 2,32 Dollar.
And now for the meat lovers a simple minced meat recipe:
Pumpkin-potato-pan with minced meat and feta
About the same amount of pumpkin as above, sliced in cubes again
an onion, again, in cubes
250 g of minced meat, mixed pork and beef (organic, 2,99 Euro)
100 g of feta
about 3 potatoes, peeled and in small cubes
250 ml vegetable broth or beef broth
125 ml white wine
marjoram, pepper, salt
Fry the minced meat till it is browned and the same consistence as you have for a chili con carne or bolognese sauce. Then put it aside.
Fry the onion till glossy, add pumpkin and potato cubes, cook shortly and then add broth and wine. Cook for about 20 minutes without a lid, on middle to small heat, till pumpkin and potatoes are tender.
Fluid should be nearly gone by then. Spice to taste. Mix minced meat under this and add feta, in small pieces just on top of it. Wait another five minutes on the stove before serving.
That has 1 Euro worth of pumpkin, 3 Euro for the meat, half a packet of feta (one packet is 200 g – 1,79 – so I will add 0,9 Euro for it), onions and potatoes are negligible, as I almost ever have that in my pantry, about 1,6 for half a small bottle of white wine (if I take a wine from the upper margin of the small bottles) – 6,50 Euro for two.
If you have a bottle of white wine open anyway … or if you like to drink wine – just buy a big bottle – better value …
And now for the dessert.
Not even I am crazy enough to try a pumpkin cream or some pumpkin spice thingie – but a carrot cake like pumpkin cake, all sweet and with ground hazelnuts is a lovely autumn dessert.
200 g | sugar |
4 | eggs |
1/2 | lemon, juice and zests |
1 teaspoon | cinnamon |
1 pinch | salt |
200 g | pumpkin, finely grated |
120 g | hazelnuts finely grounded |
100 g | flour |
1 teaspoon | baking powder |
150 g | icing sugar |
2 teaspoon | lemon juice |
1 tablespoon | hot water |
Mix sugar and eggs until it’s a light yellow homogenous mass. Add zest and lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and pumpkin, stir in grounded nuts. Mix flour with baking powder, stir under. Grease a springform pan (26 cm), fill the dough in and bake at 200°C ca. 55 minutes.
Make a glazing from icing sugar, lemon juice and water and cover the lightly cooled cake.
Pumpkin – if you get it for free from slightly overwhelmed friendly neighbours – the better. If you had a bigger one for one of the two savoury main dishes you might have left overs – it is not much.
4 eggs – I buy them organic. 6 are 2,15 – 1,40
200 g hazelnuts – 2,99 – of which you need about 3/4 – 2,25
250 g icing sugar – 0,39 – you need 3/5 – about 0,25
All in all that cake would probably cost about 4 Euro – which is …4,46 Dollar. And it is way more than just two servings.