Jamaican Veggie Patties and Pumpkin Ginger Soup

The time just before dinner at my house can be a crazy time. The boys are getting tired and hungry, and therefore need more attention from me. This comes just at the time I need to prepare dinner. It's really difficult for me to cook when I have a wee little one clinging to my leg, or insisting that I hold him so he can stir the hot food! So, I try to get as much done during the day. If I'm lucky enough for my boys to take long naps, I can actually have a good amount of time to prepare. Today was one of those days, and I decided to try a new recipe I found on 101 Cookbooks that was a bit more time consuming than most of my meals.

My boys love getting Vegetable Pasties from the bakeries here in England, and these Jamaican Veggie Patties looked like something they would enjoy, and they make a perfect pack lunch too. Although the patties can take quite a while you can prepare most of it ahead of time. I made the dough and the filling while my little one was sleeping, and then they helped me roll out the crust and cut the circles out for the patties. They had a lot of fun playing with the dough, and I kept my sanity while finishing up dinner. The Veg patties are supposed to be vegan, but since I didn't have any coconut oil, I just used butter instead, and they turned out fine. I also used a 4 1/2" round cookie cutter to get smaller patties, perfect size for little hands. My boys ate them right up, and my husband said they were even good enough to buy. I think I'll try whipping up a double or triple batch this weekend and freezing them for future lunches or a quick meal.

I also threw together a soup using one of the Halloween pumpkins I had. Most people think they're just for carving, but you get a lot of good squash from one of those. I cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and placed in a 9x13" pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. I roasted the pumpkin at about 350 *F for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked through and very soft. Once it's cooled you can scoop out the flesh and use it for all kinds of yummy things. Tonight I made a pumpkin ginger soup. Maybe next I'll try a pumpkin pie or a cheesecake. Yum!

I didn't add any cream or milk to my soup this time, and I thought it was still very good. Not only does the cream/milk make the soup more creamy though, it also helps to cut the acidity from the apples. I also roasted the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin with a bit of oil and salt. They make a great garnish for this soup.

Pumpkin Ginger Soup

2 Tbs veg oil/butter

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1" piece of fresh ginger, grated

1/2-1 cup apple juice

1-2 cups water or chicken stock

2 cups roasted pumpkin

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

cream or milk (optional)

salt and pepper

roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

1. Heat the oil or medium heat, and sauté the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes. Add the apple and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add the ginger and sauté for another minute, then add the apple juice, cover, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until veg is very soft.

2. Add the pumpkin and 1 cup of water/stock and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove soup from heat, and blend the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. You may need to add more water/stock to adjust the consistency. If you are using cream, leave the purée a little thicker than you want the soup, then mix in the cream to a desired consistency. Add the nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Slowly reheat the soup if necessary. Serve garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds.