Thai Pumpkin & Kumara Soup (slow cooker)

Ingredients:
non-stick spray oil
1 onion, chopped
2 t oil
1-2 t red curry paste
2 c vegetable or chicken stock
250 - 300 g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 6 - 8 pieces
250 - 300 g kumara, peeled and cut into 6 - 8 pieces
400 g coconut cream or coconut flavoured evaporated milk
salt to taste
brown sugar to taste
spring onions, sliced garnish

Method:

1. Coat slow cooker with non-stick spray oil (if you remember, I often don't bother).
2. Cook onion in 2 t oil in frypan until transparent.
3. Add curry paste and about 1/2 c stock to the onion. Stir well to combine curry paste evenly.
4. Transfer to slow cooker.
5. Add remaining stock, pumpkin, kumara and sugar.
6. Cook on HIGH for 3 - 5 hours or LOW 6 - 8 hours. 
7. Add coconut cream or evaporated milk and salt. 
8. Puree until smooth.

Thai Chicken Curry

This is a great recipe for a cook ahead dinner. The fragrant sauce can be prepared well ahead of time, ready to simmer chicken.

Ingredients:
2 T green curry paste
1 T vegetable oil
1 1/2 c chicken stock or water
400 ml can of coconut cream
2 T fish sauce
finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon
salt and ground black pepper
1 kg boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
sliced spring onions
1/2 c toasted cashew nuts
Optional: 6 - 8 dried curry leaves or fresh lime leaves

Method:

1. In a large heavy saucepan heat oil and fry curry paste for about a minute.
2. Add coconut cream, stock or water, fish sauce, lemon rind and optional curry leaves and simmer for 10 minutes. Sauce can be prepared ahead to this point and stored in the fridge.
3. When ready to serve, add the sliced chicken.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly and leave to cook on lowest possible heat for 5 - 6 minutes without uncovering until the chicken is cooked and has turned opaque.
5. Do not over cook.
6. Season to taste and garnish with spring onion and cashew nuts.

Serves 6 - 8 as a main course.

Note: you can experiment by adding vegetables to this recipe. I like to add in a little sliced capsicum.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 T brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium pumpkin (~ 1.2 kg), peeled and diced
2 c water
400 ml coconut milk
1 – 2 fresh or dried chillies, finely chopped
1 T lemongrass, minced or ½ t finely grated lemon rind
1 T fish sauce
salt
pepper
¼ c fresh coriander or parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Heat oil in a big pot and gently cook onion, sugar and garlic until softened (8 – 10 minutes).
2. Add all other ingredients except fresh coriander/parsley and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Mash roughly.
4. Adjust seasonings to taste.Garnish with fresh coriander or parsley.

Serves 4
Freezes well

The most time consuming part of this recipe is cutting up the pumpkin. You can short circuit this by buying chopped pieces of pumpkin. Aternatively, microwaving a whole pumpkin for 10 minutes makes cutting easier.