Warm kale salad with roasted sweet potato, red onion and pomegranate seeds - autumn colours on a plate

This meat-free October has somewhat inevitably broadened my horizons and started to change my approach to veggies. And salads. I'm slowly starting to realize that they. Can. Actually. Taste.Good (yes, I just wrote that.) As long as you steer clear of the cucumber, tomato and sad, soggy salad leaves.

Now that the autumn is in full force, salads can be warm, too, like this recent discovery. It gets its body from roasted veggies, warmth from the spices and lovely texture from pomegranate seeds. I mean - just look at those colours! You only need about handful of ingredients, but once you put them together... good. So god, you too might find yourself whipping up another batch right after finishing the first one. 

You can serve it warm or at room temperature. Another thing that makes this a great addition to buffets is the fact this is suitable for all possible dietary restrictions. 

Instead of sweet potato you could also use pumpkin or carrots (in which case be prepared for a longer roasting time)

Serves four

Warm kale salad with roasted sweet potato, red onion and pomegranate seeds

2 largeish sweet potatos (total weight about 1 kg)

4 red onions

0.5 dl oil

3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp allspice

1,5 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt, black pepper

125 g bag of kale, core removed and leaves shredded

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

oil for frying

to serve:

the seeds of a pomegranate

bunch of coriander

The dressing:

4 tbsp oil

1,5 tbsp pomegranate molasses (can be substituted with Balsamico syrup)
1 tbsp honey
the juice of a lime

Peel and chop the sweet potatos into a 2 cm chnks. Cut the onions in 8 segments. Heat the oil in a pan and then add to spices. Pour the oil over the veggies, toss to make sure they're all covered and roast at 200 for 15-20 minutes until done.

Heat a couple of tbsp oil in a pan, add garlic and a little while later kale. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes until done to your liking.

Place the kale on serving plate, top with roasted veggies and sprinkle with coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds. Combine the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the salad. 

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Spicy pumpkin pie

Pretty much a year ago to this date I was wandering around Hietalahti cemetery and pondering life. And death. And love. And lovelessness. At the same time not far from that cemetery a man had discovered this blog and waited. Waited for me to be ready to notice him and make room for his love in my little life. Some months later that very man made his first appearance on the blog and you've all come to know him as The Boy Next Door.

A lot has happened in year since. It's been full of both joy and sorrow, surprises and disappointments. A year of changes; one endless learning curve. All the more reason to remember gratitude. Life did carry me. And will carry me into the future, too.

In addition to my friends and family my colleagues have proved to be the source of such help and support I never could have imagined. And how else am I going to thank them if not by baking a pie! And what better way to give thanks than a pumpkin pie. Worry not - we're nearly done with the pumpkin mania...

The crust:

400 g Digestives/ graham crackers

150 g butter

Melt the butter and let it brown a bit. Blizz the Digestives in a food processor and combine with butter so you're left with he consistency of wet sand. Press it firmly onto the bottom and sides of a 23-cm springform pan lined with parchment and chill for half an hour. Bake at 180 for 5 minutes and let cool.

Filling:

600 g pumpkin purée (you could also use sweet potato!)
3 eggs

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp gingerbread spice mix

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

1 can (400 g) condensed milk

Roast the pumpkin (should you need directions, please see here and here), let cool a bit and purée. You can prepare the purée already the day before, allowing it enough time to cool.

Combine with rest of the ingredients, check the taste and pour into the cooled pie crust. Bake at 200º for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 175º. Continue baking for another 30-40 minutes until almost set and just a little wobbly in the middle. Let cool in room temperature and chill for a couple of hours before serving. With a  dollop of whipped cream. 

PS. For a gluten-free pie, use gluten-free Digestives

PPS. Condensed milk can be substituted with a tub of cream cheese but in which case use more sugar

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Pumpkin and chorizo pizza

You might have picked up on it already: I've totally, completely, utterly fallen head over heels with pumpkin this autumn. And having already successfully combined its delicate, sweet flavour with morcilla and Serrano ham it was only fair to bring out the remaining star of Spanish charcuterie. Yeah, chorizo, mi corazon.

In Finnish the recipe is actually really, really funny. Well, in my opinion it is. In others', maybe moderately so. See, pumpkin translates as kurpitsa. So, pizza with kurpitsa? Kurpizza! Get it? Funny, right?!

You'll find the recipe and all the stages of the pizza-making at home right over here. For this Monday match night experimentation I made half a portion which was enough for 3 pizzas and just the right amount for the half a pumpkin left over from that divine pumpkin risotto. 

Depending on the size 2-3 pizzas

Toppings:

500 g pumpkin (for instance half of one 1,4 kg Hokkaido squash)

a couple of tbsp oil

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne 

salt, black pepper

2  mozzarella balls (á 125 gr)

125 gr chorizo, cut into a couple of millimetre slices

1 small red onion

to serve: rucola, 1 big red chilli thinly sliced

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel and cut into chunks. Heat the oil and add the spices. Cook for a moment to release the aromas and pour over the pumpkin. Season generously and roast at 200º until still al dente - 10-15 minutes depending on the size. Remove half of them and continue roasting the other half until soft. 

Once the remaining pumpkin is done, purée it. This can be day the day before. Perhaps while you prepare the pizza dough and leave it to rise overnight...?

Grate the mozzarella and, if too wet, leave to drain for an hour or so in a muslin-lined colander.

Check the taste and season pumpkin puré as needed. Add some oil to make it runnier if needed. Spread the puré onto the pizza crusts, then spread over the cheese and on top of that finely sliced red onion, pumpkin cubes and chorizo.

Bake until cheese has melted and the crust has a bit of colour on it; 8-10 minutes. 

Once baked, top with rucola leaves and thinly sliced chilli. And enjoy...

Oh, and the score? West Brom 2, Manchester United 2. The real winners of the day? These pizzas...


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Pumpkin risotto

Ok. So if I absolutely had to come up with something good to say about autumn it is the fact that I finally get  to bring out the sturdier recipes, designed to keep one warm in the chilly weather. Such as risottos. 

Then there is the September issue of InStyle full of all those irresistible must haves for the new season. And the passion for thick cable knits and tartan that gets re-ignited at this time of the year, every year (yes, this year, too). As a result of the last two a new cape made its way into my wardrobe. Sure, a cape is just about the most practical piece of clothing one could possibly own in a country like Finland: twice a year there's a 2-hour window during which it's not yet too wintry but still manages to keep its wearer even somehow warm. See, fashion blogging is so not for me, so I'd better concentrate on food. And food blogging. And that risotto. 

Just look at those colours: so reminiscent of the flag of my favourite country... (no, not Macedonia)

Since pumpkin fever is far from over, I just had to have some risotto. And I think it just might have become my new pumpkin favourite. Yes, possibly even more comforting than pumpkin gnocchi. The gentle sweetness of the pumpkin can carry strong accompaniments like morcilla, too, so I served mine with Serrano ham, roasted on parchment-lined tray at 200º until crisp and then broken to shards. If you want to pay tribute to the Italian roots of risotto then certo you can use prosciutto. I just happen to like the depth Jamón Serrano has. Yes, bacon works too. And if you really want to impress your fellow diners, you can make the sort of spirals I served my salmorejo with. 

Serves 2 generously, 3 with some moderation and 4 as a starter

500 g pumpkin (for instance half of one 1,4 kg Hokkaido)

a couple of tbsp oil

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes (or fresh red chilli)

salt, black pepper

1 shallot

butter

1,5 dl good risotto rice

1 dl white wine

0,5 - 0,75 l chicken or vegetable stock (preferably low-sodium)

handful of sage leaves

100 ricotta

(parmesan if you wish, as much as you wish)

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel and cut into chunks. Heat the oil and add the spices. Cook for a moment to release the aromas and pour over the pumpkin. Season generously and roast at 200º until soft, 15-25- minutes depending on the size. While the pumpkin roasts, start preparing the risotto.

Once the pumpkin is done, purée half of it and cut the other half into smaller cubes. Roast the Serrano ham until crisp (about 10 minutes). Let cool on kitchen towel and break into chunks.

Finely chop the onion, sauté in some butter and then add rice, Let that too sweat a bit and get sort of translucent and then start adding the stock - a ladle full at a time. Keep the stock hot in another pan and don't add more until the previous batch has been absorbed. When the rice is almost cooked to creamy perfection (try not to stir too much at any point) stir in the finely chopped sage leaves, a little while later ricotta, pumpkin puree, pumpkin cubes and Parmesan (if using). Serve. Quickly. With crisp Serrano crisps or bacon. If you're on a pork-free diet, you can give the dish more texture with some dry roasted pumpkin seeds. 

Soave Classico would work with this dish though I decided to give Lindeman's Early Harvest Semillon Sauvignon Blanc a go. And you know what? Not bad. Not bad at all. Owing to early harvest the sugar content (and subsequently the alcohol and calorie content) remains lower. Yet, unlike the totally non-alcoholic Jacob's Creek Unvined Riesling that was tested on the blog earlier, this one does have more acidity and as such more body so it would work with light dishes though it is best drank on its own. Wine's acidity balanced the creaminess of the risotto and its herby notes worked well with sage. 

Oh, and get this: Henry John Lindeman, the founder of the eponymous winery was actually a doctor convinced of the health benefits of wine and firmly believed that "wine is meant to bring joy and happiness". 

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Pumpkin gnocchis in sage butter

While the English-speaking world is attempting Sober October (well, some are, anyway - I'm fairly certain the Irish, the Scots, the Brits and the Australians aren't!) in Finland there's Lihaton Lokakuu, Meatless October. No, we're definitely not taking part... yet, what do you know - there's another vegetarian recipe on the blog!

As you already know, Hermés orange has always been a weak spot of mine and so there's no way I could resist the pumpkins that have just hit the shelves in their phenomenal Technicolor glory. First stop: gnocchi. And not just because I love how they sound. 

No, don't panic just yet. They're really not dificcult to make. But yes, they do take some time, though you get the hang of it really soon. I promise! But first time I made these I did find myself thinking about the women folk in Italy and how they've traditionally not joined the work force outside their home. Who has time for that when there's all that pasta to be made!

This recipe calls for 5 dl pureed pumpkin/ squash, which is conveniently just about the amount you get from one Hokkaido pumpkin (or red kuri squash as it's also known). Which ever type of member of the pumpkin/ squash family you use, you want the puree to be on the dry side, so in case yours is very wet, pour it into a sieve lined with muslin and let sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, overnight even. Traditionally gnocchi are made with potatos, but sweet potato would work too. As would carrots.

It's kind of difficult to estimate how many people this would feed as most of the gnocchi kept mysteriously disappearing as soon as they came out of the pot (according to CCTV footage we're looking for a 6ft 2 in IT systems architect with love of poetry). So, I dare say they were good. But my estimate is that as a starter this is enough for 6-8 people, as a main for 4.

In case you don't have use for all of them immediately, you can also freeze them after rolling. Just pop them out of the freezer when ready to use, dump into rapidly boiling water and hey presto: 6-8 minutes later you've got yourself a steaming bowl of fresh pasta!

PS. Don't discard the seeds. Rinse them, rub off the stringy pumpkiny bits (easiest between a dry tea towel folded in half) and keep them. Recipes for what to with them coming up too!

Pumpkin gnocchi:

1 pumpkin, weight a bit over 1 kg

1 egg yolk

4-5 dl all purpose flour (and more for kneading)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/3 tsp nutmeg

Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and place the pumpkin skin side up on a tray lined with parchment. Roast at 200º for about an hour or so, until pumpkin is soft. The skin comes easily off by pulling. Another, quicker way is to peel the pumpkin, cut into chunks, spread onto parchment and roast until done - 20-30 minutes. Puree and let cool. If possible, do this the day before to allow the pure to cool and set. 

Add yolk into the puree and then flour, a little at a time until you have a soft, not too sticky dough. The more you add four, the easier the dough is to work, but too much flour will result in rubbery consistency. Knead on a gently floured surface, cut the dough into 4 and each segment into 2. This way the ropes aren't too long and difficult to manoeuvre.

Roll into ropes as thick as your finger (I found this is easiest on a tea towel!) and cut into 2 cm- pieces. Transfer to a gently floured parchment/ kitchen towel to wait for the next step. 

Before they're boiled, gnocchi are rolled on a particular gnocchi board that cuts those typical indentations into the gnocchi. In case you too find yourself going through a shock of discovering you're not a) 103-year-old Nonna or b) working in a kitchen equipped with the said tool, you can also use the tines of a fork. Another way to get almost authentic results (read: not even close) is to roll gnocchi on the metal wires of one of those egg slicers you can pick up at any IKEA.  This step also helps to shake off the excess flour before into the water they go. No pressure though - I'm sure they're supposed to look charmingly rustic and anyway, I'm sure every Nonna has their own fingerprint, right? So, any shape and length is good.

Bring a big pot of salted water to boil and boil the gnocchi in batches until they surface ( a couple of minutes). Serve as you would serve any past: sprinkling of salt and pepper, glug of good olive oil, cloud of freshly grated Parmesan, with tomato sauce... or browned butter with crispy sage (I'm telling you - go for the last choice!)

Sage butter:

150 g butter

4 handfuls of fresh sage

8 large garlic cloves (or less, depending on which part of Transilvania you come from)

The quantities listed above are for the whole portion, but it's best to fry the gnocchi in 4 batches as this allows both the gnocchi and the sage to crunch up. 

Peel the garlic cloves and bruise a bit with the back of the knife. Throw into the pan with butter. Heat and add the sage. Let the butter brown (it stops bubbling and starts emitting that gorgeous, nutty, toffee-like scent) and add the gnocchi. Fry for a couple of minutes until they've got that lovely golden, crisp crust. Serve. And help yourself for some more. 

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Crispy exterior, dreamily rich interior... I can't think of anything more comforting right now!

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Soup Sunday: pumpkin and morcilla

Soup Sunday was feeling feverish (and lazy) this week and the inspiration was taken from the pumpkin and morcilla dish we had in El Chorro. I still had some morcilla lurking on the freezer from when I made Fabada Asturiana and this is where it ended its days.

I roasted the pumpkin with the onion and garlic in the oven pepper (175°)  sprinkled with oil, salt and pepper as I like the roasting lends to veggies, but you can just as well cube the flesh and cook it in a pan which is a lot quicker way.

Morcilla could be substituted with a robust blood pudding though those with aversion to the elixir of life can also sprinkle some rustic croutons (the nuttiness of whole meal bread works best) and toasted pumpkin seeds (to avoid wasting anything!) in the soup.

For 2

1 pumpkin (appr. 600 g)

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

4-5 dl chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves (or allspice)

salt, pepper
(cream)

100 g morcilla or blood pudding OR
1 slice of whole meal bread and the seeds of the pumpkin

Cut the pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and cut the insides into cubes.Cut the onion into thin rings - save a couple for decoration. Soften the chopped onion and garlic in some oil and add the pumpkin cubes. Let them colour a bit and then add the stock. Cook over simmering heat until pumpkin is cooked (about 15 -20 minutes). Blizz until smooth and season. If you want, add a dash of cream and heat (do not cook).

Fry the morcilla or blood pudding slices until they are crisp on the outside. Fry a couple of onion rings in the fat until soft. Serve with the soup.

If making croutons, cut the bread into cubes. Fry in a bit of oil in a pan until crisp on the outside. Towards the end scatter the cleaned seeds in until they, too, brown a bit.