Two things are synonymous with Halloween, the pumpkin and barmbrack. Here I’m going to show you how to get the best out of your pumpkin and how to make a low GL barmbrack. These are simple, inexpensive recipes and they will introduce your kids to a more nutritious Halloween.
The Pumpkin
There are great uses for this wonderful orange ball at Halloween, a delicious soup and roasted pumpkin seeds as well as carving a face on it and placing a tea light inside.
Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Approx Ingredients
- 1 small pumpkin
- 2 lbs. olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
- 750ml vegetable stock
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 250ml natural yoghurt
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and set aside for roasting later. Discard the flesh. Place cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking tray and roast for 45 minutes until soft. Heat a little oil in a saucepan. In the same large pot add onion and carrots and cook over medium heat for 5- 10 minutes until softened. Take the roasted pumpkin from the oven and scoop out the soft contents and add to the carrots, onion with stock and spices. Bring to the boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly. Blend soup. If it's too thick add a little boiled water until you get the consistency you like then stir in some natural yogurt and garnish with parsley.
Pumpkin Nutrition
Pumpkins are packed with the antioxidant beta carotene which may reduce the risk of cancers. It is also high in potassium which is a vital component to heart function and every cell, organ and tissue function in our bodies.
Toasting Pumpkin Seeds
Scoop the seeds out and rinse in a colander with cold water removing any of the flesh bits. Soak the seeds in a bowl of salted water for a few hours if you can. Drain and dry off on a clean tea towel and place spread out on a flat roasting tray. Toss in a very small amount of olive oil and massage the seeds until entirely covered.
Place in a pre heated 150°C degree oven for approx 30 mins or until they are browned. Be very careful with seeds as they have a tendency to burn quickly so keep checking them every 5 mins as some ovens are hotter than others.
Pumpkin Seed Nutrition
They are packed with magnesium, fibre, B vitamins and protein. These are great for balancing kid’s blood sugar with all the sweets they’ll be eating.
Low GL Barmbrack
Approx ingredients
- 2 cups of black tea
- 2 cups of Dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, candied peel, etc.)
- 1 cup milk heated gently
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3 ounces of xylitol (sugar substitute available from your local health store)
- 6 ounces of sieved wholemeal flour
- ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 beaten egg
- 30 grams unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp salt
Method
Place the tea and dried fruit in a bowl and soak for an hour/overnight. Mix the dry ingredients in bowl first then add the warm milk, beaten egg, and butter. Mix wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon and bring the dough together. Add a little more flour if the dough is too wet or a little more milk if it is too dry. Preheat oven to 175/200°C as some ovens are hotter than others. Place the dough in a 7” round or rectangle greased baking tin and bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool before cutting.
The story
An baírín breac is a traditional Irish tea cake. The scéal goes that it is used to tell fortunes for the coming year. A pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a coin and a ring are all baked inside the bread. The one who gets the pea will not marry. The one who gets the stick will have an unhappy marriage. The piece of cloth foretells poverty, while the coin indicates riches. And finally, the finder of the ring will marry within the year!
I hope you enjoy the recipes.Top of Form
