Homemade pumpkin soup

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The winter months usually means warm and hearty meals are back on the dinner menu. Nothing beats a warm and delicious soup after a long day out battling the elements.

Simple, flavoursome and nutritious, this soup can be made from scratch at home in about 30 minutes. Perfect for those cold winter nights.

Here is a quick 5 ingredient recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2)

500g x pumpkin;
1 x small potato;
1 x onion;
2 tsp x minced garlic;
150ml x bone broth.

Boil the pumpkin and potato and onion until soft. Drain and add all of the ingredients and place into a blender or NutriBullet. Blend for 45-60 seconds. That’s it. You’re done.

Before serving, garnish with parsley, spring onion and / or sour cream.

Nutritional breakdown (153 kcal / per serve)

Protein: 6.7g
Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrate: 27.7g
Vitamin A: 14,500IU (483% of RDI)
Vitamin C: 26mg (28%)
Iron: 2.1mg (26%)
Magnesium: 51mg (12%)
Potassium: 1130mg (33%)

How to make mulled cider in a slow cooker

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Winter is officially here. Which means colder and longer nights. But it’s not all bad news. Hot drinks and cocktails come back into fashion, making it easier to enjoy the cooler nights out and about socialising with friends.

Mulled cider is a must have for autumn and winter social gatherings. Most popular in the northern hemisphere where the winters are very cold and a hot beverage is always welcome. Melbourne may not be as cold as the north, but the smell of spiced cider is pretty inviting and it tastes delicious.

Anybody can enjoy a mug of mulled cider, and as an adult you can take the opportunity to add a shot of spiced rum for a smooth kick.

A slow cooker does the double of both mulling the cider and keeping it warm for hours, making it the perfect appliance for this classic cold-weather beverage. It will also make your house smell like Christmas.

How to make mulled cider in the slow cooker
Makes 4 litres.

Ingredients

4 litres of apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
4 x cinnamon sticks
1 x large orange
1 x piece of fresh ginger (approx. 4cm)
1 x tablespoon of whole cloves
1 x tablespoon of nutmeg
1 x teaspoon of star anise

Instructions

Fill the slow cooker;
Add the fresh ingredients (orange and ginger);
Add the spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and star anise);
Slow cook on low for up to 4 hours or pressure cook on high for 3o minutes;
Strain cider (if required or desired) using a fine mesh strainer.

Keep warm and serve in mugs garnished with sliced orange or a cinnamon stick.

Homemade Primal Eggnog

Homemade-Eggnog

With the holiday season just around the corner I thought it would be a good time to mention one of my favourite drinks of the holiday season. Eggnog.

Eggnog, is a chilled sweetened diary-based beverage, traditionally consumed throughout Canada and the United States during the Christmas season.

Homemade eggnog has a pure, custard-like flavor and is less sugary and less questionable ingredients than most of the eggnog sold in stores. All you need is a few fresh eggs, some milk and full-fat cream, maple syrup or sugar and some nutmeg.

Here is a quick diary free recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2)

4 raw egg yolks;
300ml of coconut milk;
1-2 teaspoon of maple syrup (or coconut sugar);
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract;
30ml of rum (optional).

Place all ingredients into a blender for approximately 30 seconds. Place in the mixture into the fridge. The longer you let the eggnog chill, the thicker and more custard-like it will become.

Before serving, dust with ground cinnamon and nutmeg.