2 new recipes with pumpkin

I would like to share my two new favourite recipes - with pumpkin!

Alysha and Mom are probably falling off the chair they're sitting on now, saying "Eve is making something with PUMPKIN??? She never even liked pumpkin pie!" Well, things have changed and so have I :-D

I tried some lovely Thai spicy-hot pumpkin soup at the local Thai we're having lunch sometimes with my co-workers. Plus I remembered my former flatmate Kathi's absolutely lovely pumpkin fritters. She used to prepare a bunch of them and I ate about 3/4 of them - they're highly addictive --- BET ON THAT! :-)

Love y'all!!!

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Pumpkin fritters (serves 6 - 8)

2 cups (1 lb) chopped pumpkin
2 eggs beaten
1 tbsp sugar
1 pinch cinnamon
salt and pepper
2 tsp baking powder
flour
lard for frying


Peel, chop and cook the pumpkin until soft, about 15-20 minutes, and then mash it.

Add the beaten eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt pepper and baking powder and beat well.

Gradually add enough flour to form a thick batter consistency.

Heat the lard using enough for the melted fat to be 1/8’’ deep. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot fat and fry both sides until golden brown, then drain on absorbent paper.

Frying the fritters in lard gives a better result then using either oil or margarine.

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Thai pumpkin soup (makes 4 - 5 servings)

1.5 lb Hokkaido pumpkin (peeled, carved out)
1.3 lb Carrots
1 Onion
2 inch Fresh ginger
2 tbsp. Butter
4 cups Clear vegetable or chicken soup
2 cups Coconut milk
Salt, pepper, curry, nutmeg, Indian masala, soy sauce, grounded lemon grass as desired
1/2 Lemon, squeezed out
Coriander

Peel and chop pumpkin, carrots roughly. Peel and cut ginger in half or quarters. Peel and chop onion into small cubes.

Melt butter and braise onion lightly. Add pumpkin, carrots and ginger and braise for another 3 min. Add clear soup and let simmer for 15 – 20 min (close lid on pot) until pumpkin and carrots are tender. Take ginger out of soup. Blend soup in mixer to get a smooth mixture.

Add coconut milk. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice of ½ lemon, curry, nutmeg, grounded lemon grass (maybe soy sauce) as desired. Garnish with fresh coriander.

A lovely exotic soup – in Thailand shrimp is added to soup. Gets everybody warm on a cold fall/winter-day!