Meal Planning Mondays Sept. 29th ~ Oct. 5th

Well Autumn/Fall is officially here and with it comes comfort food! I know I mentioned last week that I love the transition from lighter Summery meals to more warming comforting Autumn dishes but I really do! For about 3 days last week it absolutely poured with rain but since we were tucked up nice and warm inside (for the most part!) it was actually really nice to watch. When you have had an amazing Summer there is something very relaxing and enjoyable about watching rain lash against the windows, curled up with a hot cup of tea or even better a big bowl of steaming hot homemade soup. I absolutely love soup so it will start to feature pretty regularly in my meal plans, whether for lunch or dinner, I love how easy it is to make and the variations are endless! It's also great for using ingredients you have in the fridge that otherwise you are unsure what to do with, which brings me to my Meal Plan for this week. I am excited to be taking part in the Glad Fresh Food Challenge which starts on Wednesday October 1st. The challenge is to not waste ANY food at all - nothing, not even a piece of lettuce, for 2 weeks. I'm not going to lie, after just throwing away the remains of our Bread Salad that we had last week I am happy to be accepting this challenge because I really hate to waste food which is something that I know the majority of us do. I'll write more about the challenge on Wednesday and I'll be updating on my Facebook page daily with how I am getting on and will honestly report any food that I need to throw out with the reasons why.... In the meantime though here is this week's meal plan!

Tonight is good old leftovers - my new favourite for Mondays! Tomorrow is once again about using up leftovers but this time I am taking them and transforming then into a new meal. Last night we had Barbecued Pork Chops so I'm going to take the leftover Pork and make my Pork & Udon Noodle Soup. Wednesday (and the start of my challenge) and we have a very busy day so it has to be something quick and easy so I'm making my Leek Carbonara. Thursday isn't so busy so I am going to make Chicken Korma, a favourite in our house. Again I'm using up what I have so that I don't need to buy anything but more so so that I don't waste anything. Friday and it's back to Slow Cooker Friday's and this time I am putting my chilli to the test by making it in the Slow Cooker which I have never done. Here's hoping it goes according to plan but I see no reason why it shouldn't work! Saturday and I'm excited as we are hosting Cook Club. As of now the theme is a surprise but I'll update once it's done. Finally Sunday is our usual undecided meal for now as it really depends on what we decide to do! As for now I'm off to experiment with a new recipe for soup! (I told you soup is going to feature a lot!) I have a beautiful yellow courgette needing used as well as a leek. I could make Nigella's Happiness Soup but I am in the mood for something smooth and creamy... I'll let you know how I get on!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday September 29th ~ Oct. 5th

                                  Monday  -       Leftovers 

                                  Tuesday -       Pork & Udon Noodle Soup
                                  Wednesday -  Leek Carbonara Tomato & Pea Pasta

                                  Thursday -     Chicken Korma with Basmati Rice

                                  Friday -          Spaghetti Bolognese  

                                  Saturday -      Cook Club 

                                  Sunday -        Barbecue Beef Stew with Fresh Pasta

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I recently made these Pumpkin Cupcakes and I just had to share them with you! Whether you are a fan of Halloween or not these are the perfect cupcakes for Autumn/Fall although I would be tempted to make them year-round! They are absolutely perfect served with a cup of tea for a decadent little treat to warm you up.

This recipe was taken from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook – my baking bible!

Makes 12 Cupcakes

120g plain or all-purpose flour

140g caster or fine sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

120ml milk

2 large eggs

200g tinned pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Icing:*

315g icing sugar sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cold cream cheese

To Decorate (optional):

Halloween Sprinkles

Edible Glitter

Preheat your oven to 170C/ 325F/ GM 3 and line a cupcake tin with medium sized paper cases.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and butter into the bowl of a KitchenAid (or other freestanding mixer) and using the paddle attachment mix slowly until everything is combined and you have a sandy consistency (if you don't have a KitchenAid use a hand-held electric beater). While the mixer is running, slowly pour in half of the milk and mix until it's just incorporated. Add the eggs to the remaining milk along and continue beating until it's mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is properly mixed but be careful not to over beat the mixture. Add the pumpkin puree and mix on a low speed until evenly combined. (The original recipe says to stir the puree by hand, but I found it a lot easier to evenly disperse it using the mixture – just keep it on low speed. If you prefer however just use a spoon or spatula to gently mix it in.)

Evenly spoon the cake mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched (the recipe states 20 minutes – mine take 25, perhaps even a couple more but it will depend on your oven and where you live) and a skewer comes out clean with put into the centre of the cake. Leave to cool for a few minutes then transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl of a free-standing mixture or large bowl, then add the butter and beat on a low setting until it comes together. Turn the speed up a little and continue beating until it is well mixed. Add all of the cream cheese and mix until it is well combined and smooth, then turn up to a higher setting and beat for roughly 5 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture though as it can turn runny quickly!

Once the cupcakes are completely cold decorate them with the icing then finish with a light sprinkling of cinnamon or if you are making them for Halloween, some Halloween inspired sprinkles or other decorations.

*I have added a little extra sugar to the cupcakes as we find it needs a touch more sweetness to it. If, however you prefer your cream cheese icing to have a bit of tang to it then use 300g of icing sugar instead.

Curried Sweet Potato & Squash Soup

This recipe came to be because I literally had a sweet potato and squash in the pantry and I wanted a warming Autumnal soup to make for a family Saturday lunch. It is so quick and easy to make and is a really homely, comforting soup that tastes great. I teamed it up with my delicious savoury Cheese and Spring Onion Scones which were warm from the oven and slathered with butter. It was the most perfect lunch for a rainy, grey Saturday spent indoors with my family!

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tsp curry powder, plus extra for serving

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

½ butternut squash, roughly chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

Salt & pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan then once the butter has melted and is sizzling add the onion. Cook for roughly 5-7 minutes until softened but not coloured then add the garlic and curry powder and cook for about 1 minute before adding the carrot, squash and sweet potato. Stir everything well together then pop on a lid and let the vegetables 'sweat' for around 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. 

After 10 minutes add the stock and some seasoning and cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and a knife can cut into them easily. Leave to cool for a bit before blending until super smooth and silky.

When ready to serve gently reheat the soup and taste to check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary. Sprinkle over a touch of curry powder and serve at once.

Toffee Apple Tarts

Autumn and apples go hand in hand so these little tarts are the perfect Autumnal dessert. Crisp, slightly sharp apples mixed with creamy, sweet caramel sauce make these the perfect indulgent treat. They are a great alternative to Toffee Apples and are an ideal end to a Bonfire party, but they are also elegant enough to serve for a dinner party dessert. Serve accompanied with some whipped cream or for an extra special treat some ice cream and you have a beautiful, decadent and delicious treat.

Since I use bought pastry shells for these tarts they take no time to make at all so can be made up in half an hour. If you prefer though, you could easily make your own pastry.

Serves 6

6 pastry shells

4 tbsp dulce de leche (or similar caramel sauce)

2 apples

Sprinkling of cinnamon (optional)

Small handful of pecans

Preheat the oven to 375F/ 190C.

Peel and core the apples then cut into small pieces. Pop into a pan along with 1 tablespoon of water and the cinnamon then cook over a medium heat for roughly 15 minutes until the apples have softened and look like a chunky puree. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

While the apples are cooking place the pastry shells on a baking tray and spoon in a good teaspoon of the dulce de leche so that the bases are completely covered.

Once the apples have cooled slightly spoon them evenly into each pastry case the sprinkle over the chopped pecans. Bake in the oven for 23-25 minutes until the edges of the tarts are golden brown and the caramel bubbling. Carefully remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before drizzling over a little extra dulce de leche then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm as they are with a cup of tea or with cream or ice cream for an special after dinner treat.