Spiced Pumpkin and Lentil Soup

Mid winter and looking for a soup thats hearty with a nice chilli kick? This Bill Granger recipe is the business.

1.5 kg butternut pumpkin peeled and cut into 3 cm cubes
750g of ripe tomatoes quartered
6 garlic cloves peeled
1 small carrot cut into chunks
drizzle olive oil
1/2-1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons paprika
1.25 litres chicken/vegetable stock
180g (3/4 cup red lentils

to serve
dollop of yoghurt
sumac
crusty bread


Preheat oven to 180C
Put all veggies and spices into casserole dish with lid and drizzle with oil
Bake covered for 1.5 hrs or until veggies are soft
Roughly mash with masher and stir in stock
Bring to boil
Add lentils and simmer 15-20 mins until lentils are soft
Serve with dollop yoghurt and sprinkle of sumac
Enjoy with thick crusty bread

From Bills Basics 2010

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

I love this meal as it is really tasty, and only uses a few ingredients that I usually have in the fridge.

Ingredients:
Pancetta or bacon chopped up
4 tablespoons extra virgin oil or less ( I usually just use a few glugs olive oil)
4 red chillies split up middle, and seeds removed. If you are feeding kids, then omit this step and sprinkle individual dishes with dried chilli at table
2 large cloves garlic finely chopped
2 x 60gm eggs (very fresh)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
500gm spaghetti
freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
pop bacon, chillies and garlic in oil in small pan and cook on very low until fat renders from bacon, trying not to burn garlic
Whip up eggs in bowl and add cheese and pepper and stir to combine
Cook spaghetti, drain when cooked
remove chillies from pan and combine spaghetti with pan with bacon in it. Add eggy cheese mixture and stir thru in saucepan.
Serve and grate extra black pepper and sprinkle dried chillies if omitted in first step onto individual  plates.