How to make pumpkin hummus

By Melanie Leyshon

Now that Halloween trick and treaters have carved their pumpkins, healthy cooks can tuck into the leftovers. Make soup, pasta dishes, roasted wedges, or try this simple and satisfying pumpkin hummus. I tasted it at Central Market, a restaurant in Petaluma, California, where it’s served as a starter with a beetroot dip. Or you could serve it as a mash, topped with grilled chicken and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, as they also do at Central Market.

 
For my first attempt, I roasted the pumpkin, then whizzed it with the classic hummus ingredients - cumin, lemon juice and tahini. It was light and tasty, but lacked oomph. By adding a tin of chickpeas you get a richer texture and flavour. Don’t worry that this defeats the object – you won’t need to add tahini paste and you’ll get double the quantity and more nutrients, as the pumpkin adds a decent hit of vitamin A and antioxidants.

Pumpkin hummus

The ingredients

500g pumpkin, deseeded and cut into wedges

Cooking oil spray

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2tbsp lemon juice

1tbsp ground cumin

Garnish of your choice, such as roasted pumpkin or sesame seeds, or chilli powder

The method

1 Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C/gas 6. Put your prepared pumpkin wedges on a baking sheet, spray with cooking oil and cook in the oven for about 30-40 min until tender.

2 Leave to cool, then cut the flesh from the skin. Discard the skin and pop the flesh into a food processor or blender. Add the drained chickpeas, the garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Blend until smooth, adding the reserved chickpea liquid to get the texture you like. Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with whatever you fancy.

The verdict

Scarily good colour, tasty and nutritious and a good way to use up the seasonal surplus!

How to make herby kale pesto

By Hannah Sherwood

Kale, the prized ‘superfood’ vegetable, is arguably the most talked about veg of 2014. Tesco has seen a 90% rise in sales in the past year alone! And who can blame the hype – kale is rich in essential vitamins A, C and K, as well as being a good source of calcium and folate. Plus, it’s affordable, versatile and available most of the year.

I love the stuff – steamed, stir-fried, roasted or blitzed in soups and smoothies. You can even eat it raw in salads. But it was while flicking through Izy Hossack’s debut cookbook Top with Cinnamon that I came across a new way with my favourite veg – herby kale pesto. Naturally, I couldn’t wait to whiz up a batch…

Pesto 101

Pesto is a herby Italian sauce traditionally made with basil, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan. It’s not known for being ‘healthy’, but the flavours are punchy so a little can go a long way. That said, it’s healthier to swap shop-bought for homemade as then you can control the amount of oil and cheese you use. Adding lemon juice instead of extra oil can loosen the consistency if too thick. It’s easy to make, too – a chuck-it-all-in-the-food-processor-and-blitz jobby. If you don’t have a food processor, you can make it by hand in a pestle and mortar. Quantities can easily be doubled so you can keep a supply in the fridge or freezer.

Izy’s herby kale pesto 

(makes around 10 tbsp)

Zest 1 lemon and juice ½

1 garlic clove, minced

100g kale, chopped

Large handful fresh basil leaves

4tbsp olive oil

2tbsp grated parmesan

30g walnut halves

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a paste. Use immediately or store in a lidded container in the fridge or freezer.

Per tbsp

66kcal

1g protein

6.8g fat

1g saturates

0.4g carbs

0.2g sugar

0.6g fibre

0g salt

24mg calcium

0.3mg iron

LOW SUGAR

LOW SALT

GLUTEN FREE

How did I rate it?

It’s hard to believe that something so quick and easy to make can result in such fabulous flavour. The pesto was gorgeously vibrant, punchy and fresh-tasting – I had to stop myself from licking the bowl clean. I stuck with the green theme and stirred it through courgetti with toasted seeds, but it would be just as delicious tossed through pasta, or baked on top of fish or chicken.

Top with Cinnamon by Izy Hossack (Hardie Grant, £20.00), is out now

How to make a healthy layered breakfast pot

By Emily Morgan

Shop-bought breakfast pots are an enticing option when you’re on the move, but they’re quick and easy to make at home. Once you’ve chosen you’re fruits – I went for mango, strawberries and blueberries – and your container, the layers stack up as pretty as a picture. They taste delicious, too…

Nutrition low-down

- Fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and fibre.

- Fat-free Greek yogurt is a good source of protein, which helps to keep hunger pangs at bay.

- Oats are a slow-release carbohydrate, so you’re less likely to suffer from a mid-morning energy crash

The ingredients (to make 2 pots)

4tbsp oats (if you want to use muesli or granola instead of oats, or a mixture, look for one that’s free from added sugar)

6tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt

1 mango, thinly sliced

6 strawberries, thinly sliced

2tbsp no-added-sugar granola

1 handful blueberries

Fresh mint sprigs to decorate (optional)

The method

Combine the oats and yogurt in a small bowl, then divide half the mixture between 2 tumblers (or lidded containers if you plan to have breakfast on the go). Top with half the sliced mango slices, then all of the strawberries. Repeat the oat mixture and mango layers, then sprinkle over the granola and top with the blueberries. Cover with clingfilm (or the lids) and chill in the fridge overnight. The next day, decorate with a mint sprig, if you like, before serving.

How did I rate it?

Leaving the oats to soak overnight gives them time to soften and absorb the flavours of the yogurt and fruit. Delicious. I would definitely recommend trying this recipe if you struggle to find the time to make a healthy breakfast in the morning. All you need to do is take it out the fridge and dig in, which is definitely more nutritious – not to mention cheaper – than grabbing something unhealthy on the go!

Per pot

298kcal

17.3g protein

4.5g fat

0.7g saturates

46.2g carbs

25.3g sugar

6.9g fibre

0.1g salt

174mg calcium

2.1mg iron

LOW CAL

LOW FAT

LOW SAT FAT

LOW SALT

Enjoy the Great British Bake Off with a biscotti!

The nation’s favourite baking show draws to a close tonight. Each week we’ve watched with rumbling tummies and gaping mouths as the Great British Bake Off contestants create delectable goodies containing enough fat and sugar to supply Willy Wonka for a year. If, like us, you want to enjoy the final tonight with a plate of something sweet and delicious but prefer not to exceed your Healthy Food Guideboundaries (which are working very nicely, thank you), be your own star baker and whip up a batch of GBBO 2012 winner John Whaite’s pistachio and rosemary biscotti.

Biscotti are twice-baked biscuits, perfect for dunking in your tea or coffee. They contain no fat and are lower in sugar than other cakes and biscuits. ‘So tell us the recipe!’ we hear you roar, as these are right up HFG’s street.

Pistachio and rosemary biscotti

Makes 18-20

·       125g plain flour

·       75g caster sugar

·       ½ tsp baking powder

·       Zest 1 large orange

·       50g dried apricots, roughly chopped

·       80g pistachio kernels, roughly chopped

·       1 rosemary sprig, finely chopped

·       1 egg

·       1tbsp milk

1.     Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C/gas 4.

2.     Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, apricots, pistachios and rosemary in a mixing bowl and stir together so that everything is evenly dispersed.

3.     Beat the egg with the milk using a whisk, and pour this into the bowl.

4.     Bring everything together into a dough, using your hands. Grab the ingredients and squeeze them together. Then, when the mixture forms a rough dough, knead it gently for a minute.

5.     Roll the dough into a long fat sausage (about 23cm long), then put it on the baking sheet.

6.     Bake for 25 min or until light golden-brown. Turn the oven down to 130°C/110°C/gas ½.

7.     Using a sharp serrated knife, slice into 1cm-thick pieces.

8.     Put these slices back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 15 min.

9.     Allow to cool completely before eating

Per biscotti (based on making 18)

78kcal

2.2g protein

2.9g fat

0.5g saturates

11.4g carbs

6g sugar

0.8g fibre

0.1g salt

22mg calcium

0.5mg iron

LOW CAL

LOW SALT

VEG

Great British Bake Off winner and chef John Whaite is encouraging the nation to cook up a storm with simple recipes like this, joining forces with Currys & PC World, where you can get all the equipment you need to get baking. Visit www.currys.co.uk/baking