Soup

1.2 kg whole butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded & chopped into chunks

1 large red capsicum (bell pepper), halved and deseeded

½ bulb garlic (leave the skin on for roasting)

500 ml chicken stock (or veggie stock for a plant-based version)

250 ml almond milk (unsweetened preferred)

Stir in 1 tbsp tahini or nut butter for extra creaminess

Finish with toasted seeds, a swirl of yoghurt, or crusty bread on the side

Preheat oven:
Set your oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced / 392°F).

Roast the veg:
Arrange the pumpkin, capsicum, onions, and garlic (cut side down) on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over the paprika and rosemary, and toss lightly to coat.

Roast for 30 minutes.

Check & continue roasting:
Remove the capsicum, onion, and garlic once softened and slightly charred.

Continue roasting the pumpkin for an additional 15–20 minutes, or until tender and caramelised at the edges.

Blend it up:
Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins. Add all the roasted veg to a blender or large pot with a stick blender. Blend until silky smooth.

Warm through:
Transfer to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the chicken stock and almond milk, and warm gently. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve hot:
Pour into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, extra paprika, or your favourite crunchy topping.

Want it ultra-smooth? Pass the blended soup through a fine mesh sieve.

Soup too thick? Add more stock or almond milk until your desired consistency.

Meal prep win: Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months—just leave out the almond milk and add it fresh when reheating. 

#smoky-pumpkin-soup #roast-veg-bliss #comfort-in-a-bowl #plant-based-warming #autumn-soup-season #dairy-free-delicious 

Smoky roast pumpkin soup

Ahhh yes, this one’s smooth, spicy, and citrusy-cool—the Coconut Lemongrass Pumpkin Soup is like a warm tropical hug with a Thai twist. That combo of butternut pumpkin and lemongrass? Absolute aromatherapy for your mouth. 

½ butternut pumpkin (~600–700 g), peeled and cubed

1 stalk lemongrass, bruised (bash it with the back of a knife)

200 ml coconut milk (half a standard 400 ml can)

A squeeze of lime juice just before serving brightens everything

Top with toasted coconut flakes, fresh coriander, or crispy shallots

Add a spoonful of red curry paste with the garlic for a deeper, bolder base

Sauté aromatics:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 3–5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spice.

Simmer the soup:

Add pumpkin cubes, stock, and the bruised lemongrass stalk. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is fork-tender.

Remove & blend:

Fish out the lemongrass (you can re-add it later if desired). Add coconut milk, then blend the soup until silky smooth using a stick blender or standard blender.

Re-infuse the lemongrass (optional):

For a deeper citrusy flavour, return the lemongrass to the blended soup and let it sit, covered, for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.

Reheat & serve:

Reheat gently over low heat (remove lemongrass before serving). Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and optional lime juice. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Lemongrass pro tip: If using pre-chopped lemongrass or paste, add 1–2 tsp and sauté with the garlic in step 1.

Freezer-friendly: Skip re-adding lemongrass, and freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Too thick? Thin with a splash of stock or water when reheating. 

#soup #coconut-lemongrass-soup #pumpkin-perfection #thai-inspired-comfort #smooth-soup-season #dairy-free-delicious #flavourful-and-easy 

Ahhh yes, this one’s smooth, spicy, and citrusy-cool—the Coconut Lemongrass Pumpkin...

Coconut Lemongrass Pumpkin Soup

Smoothies

✨ This is a full breakfast in a blender—creamy, nutty, naturally sweet, and packed with those omega-3-rich seeds for the brain boost before the emails hit. 

🧂 Ingredients (Serves 1 very hungry human or 2 as a light breakfast)

1 tbsp peanut butter (crunchy or smooth—you’re the boss)

1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup, if you’re feeling plant-based)

Handful of ice cubes for a cool, frothy blend

1 tsp cacao powder for a choco-banana vibe

A pinch of salt (trust—it makes the flavours pop)

Load it up:

Toss everything into a blender—banana, oats, seeds, nut butter, oil, honey, and oat milk. If you’re adding extras like cinnamon or ice, now’s the time.

Blend until smooth:

Blend on high for 45–60 seconds, until creamy and silky smooth. Let it sit for a minute if you want the chia to thicken it slightly.

Taste & adjust:

Too thick? Add a splash more oat milk. Too mellow? Add a touch more honey or a pinch of salt.

Serve:

Pour into your favourite glass or smoothie jar. Top with banana slices, oats, or an extra drizzle of PB if you're feelin' fancy.

Meal-prep win: You can soak the oats, seeds, and oat milk overnight for an even creamier, easier-to-digest blend.

On the go? Pour it into a thermos or shaker bottle—it’ll stay delish for several hours.

Make it a smoothie bowl: Cut the oat milk to 250 ml and top with granola, fruit, or coconut flakes. 

#breakfast-smoothie-by-lex #banana-oat-power #peanut-butter-perfection #fiber-full-fuel #oat-milk-vibes #chia-powered 

✨ This is a full breakfast in a blender—creamy, nutty, naturally sweet, and packed...

Breakfast Banana 

Well well well, look who’s out here blending green like a goddess! This Celery, Pea & Mint Smoothie is the kind of drink that says “I do yoga, hydrate like a pro, and might be a forest nymph on weekends.” 💚 It’s cool, crisp, and refreshing—with that herbal-minty lift and a hint of sweetness from the peas.  

½ cucumber, peeled if you prefer it less earthy

1 small handful fresh mint leaves (about 10 leaves, stems removed)

200–250 ml coconut water (adjust for desired consistency)

Juice of ½ lime or lemon for a citrusy lift

½ green apple or a few chunks of pineapple for sweetness

1 tsp chia or flaxseeds for extra nutrients

Prep & load:
Roughly chop your celery and cucumber. Add everything into a blender—peas, celery, cucumber, mint, and coconut water.

Blend till smooth:
Blitz on high for 30–60 seconds until completely smooth. Add more coconut water if it’s too thick, or ice cubes if you want it colder and frothier.

Taste & tweak:
If it’s too “green” for your taste, add a bit of citrus or a sweet fruit like apple to balance.

Serve immediately:
Pour into a tall glass and garnish with a mint sprig or cucumber ribbon if you’re feeling bougie.

Texture check: If your blender leaves it a little chunky, strain it through a fine sieve for a smoother sip.

Not sweet enough? Add half a frozen banana or a date to mellow the edge.

Post-workout version? Add a scoop of protein powder or plain Greek yoghurt for a more filling, functional smoothie. 

#green-smoothie-glow #celery-refresh #pea-and-mint-vibes #cool-cucumber-cup #plant-powered-hydration #blender-witchcraft 

Well well well, look who’s out here blending green like a goddess! This Celery, Pea...

Celery Pea and Mint

Condiments

I've been experimenting with pickled things recently. Why? Because I freaking love pickles. And I want to understand the Harry Potter wizardary that goes into making them.

I can't give you precision measurements... why? becuase I was stupid and didn't measure them. This was an experiment. It worked. But out of the Beetroot, onion, radish, carrot, cucumber, zucchini. The Onion, Radish, and Cucumber were the best! They held their texture well. The zucchini was a bit soft and the carrot & beetroot were too firm.

I did try apple cider vinegar and a plain white vinegar. The apple cider clearly one. It added some depth and wasn't as harsh as a standard vinegar.

With cheese these pickles were a success!

I've been experimenting with pickled things recently. Why? Because I freaking love...

Pickled Things

Baked Things

This is my really novice approach to bread baking... theres loads of room for improvement but even still I love the outcome.

I'm undecided yet if this step if necessary. But I like to awaken the dried yeast by placing it in lukewarm water. Either use the water you'll end up using. Or as I did in the photo I used 160ml (about half the total water) of warm water from the tap and a tiny pinch of sugar as food for the yeast.

Here I barely combined the ingredients. I attempted kneading for about 1 min. Then it was too sticky and I didn't want to do what I did years ago when I last attempted making bread which was adding more and more flour. So I stopped and let it rise. They say it should double in size. I'll find out in time how to knead properly but you know what, this worked.

Once it rose I smooshed it with my hands to push the main gas from the yeast out. Then popped it in a bakeable casserole pot. Then let it rise again.

This pot baking is one trick I do know. By cooking it in a pot it keeps the moisture from the bread around the dough while it bakes. This steam gives it an awesome crust. Fancy pants bakeries have steam ovens. House holds have casserole pot ;)

The result is at the top. I should have included a photo of the bread slathered in butter while still steaming after the bake... I'll do that next week while baking.

This is my really novice approach to bread baking... theres loads of room for improvement...

Basic Bread Recipe

Dinner

I'm not really sure what goes in an authentic dahl (currently at least). But this ticks so many boxes. Cheap, tasty, quick to prepare. And vegetarian with a tonne of tasty vegetables.

Cook off the onions for a few minutes. Chuck all the spices in to cook them out a little. Add the stock and the rest of the vegetables then let it cook out for maybe an hour. Super simple.

I'm not really sure what goes in an authentic dahl (currently at least). But this...

Lentil Curry Dahl Thing

I've been enjoying this on simple rolled oats and yogurt.

The origonal recipe called for vanila (1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste) but I don't bake enough deserts right now to warrent having it about. So I subsituted it with star anise. It's still delicious.

Roughly chop the rhubarb and pop it in a pot along with peal star anise sugar and water. Put on a really low heat and simmer for 15-20min. The rhubarb will fall apart and almost disolve. 

It's got a wonderful acidic quality. You don't need much of it, but you'll want to conteract that acidity with sugar.

Rhubarb Compote

Chop onions garlic and capiscum. Doesn't really matter how thick. Put some olive oil in pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Add onion and garlic for a few mintues till transparent. Just trying to take the picante out of the onion and garlic.

Add all the spices and cook for hmmm maybe 2 minutes. It really depends how hot the pan is, if it's super hot maybe a minute will do.

Finally add the capsicum and tomatoe. Cook out the acidity from the tomatoes. Once it's cooked maybe 10min or so pop in the eggs and goats cheese or any cheese you have on hand.

Chop onions garlic and capiscum. Doesn't really matter how thick. Put some olive...

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