autumnal-treats

Autumnal Treats

Long time no write, I know. Life has been pretty busy these last few months. What with a fantastic summer hols and a typically frantic return to school, I have been struggling to find the time to put pen to paper, or rather finger to keyboard. And since the hedonistic husband and I managed to pile on quite a few pounds during our Spanish sojourn and assorted festival antics, we have been fasting twice a week in a bid to shed the extra weight before Christmas!

But I am not going to even think about anything Christmassy until at least the end of November, as we have a fantastic autumn to enjoy first. Possibly my favourite season, autumn is both beautiful and bounteous and since I have been walking the pooch an extra mile a day to assist in the weight loss project, I have really felt the subtle shifts in climate and enjoyed the stunning display of beauty that is being laid on by good old Mother Nature at present. She’s also providing a rich supply of free food and medicinal goodies, which I can’t resist gathering,

Today, the temperature was on the low side and so I decided to hike up a particularly steep hill to pump up the internal heat generator. My chosen route had the added advantage of taking me through a grove of Sweet Chestnut trees and so as the dog slowly picked his way through a carpet of spikey husks (he has many positive attributes but a high pain threshold is not among them) I got on with harvesting the plump, shiny chestnuts.

I was already fantasising about a lovely hearty soup for lunch as I foraged for my chestnut haul and when I came home, had a look for some recipes and this dish is the result. It was so delicious that tomorrow I’m walking the same way and will make sure to take a big bag to collect more: I only had a poo bag on me this morning (unused I hasten to add!). Poor Noddy will just have to man up and run the prickly gauntlet once more.

Just in case you were wondering….chestnuts are a superb diabetic food! With a much higher water content than most other nuts, they have a considerably lower calorific and fat value, but are still rich in mono-unsaturated fats which boost our good HDL cholesterol levels and lower the bad LDLs. They are a great source of complex carbs, supplying a steady energy release and prolonged satiation, and are rich in fibre. They are also teeming with many heart protecting antioxidants such as vitamin C and magnesium, and provide a good hit of iron. So it was a good job that my veggie teens thought it delicious. And if you haven’t got access to a plentiful supply of the wild variety, at this time of year fresh chestnuts are easy to find in supermarkets and they come in tins (ready peeled) all year round.

chestnut-and-sage-soup
Chestnut and Sage Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
chestnut-and-sage-soup
Chestnut and Sage Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 6 sage leaves chopped
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 400 grammes chestnuts cooked and peeled
  • 100 ml creme fraiche
Instructions
  1. If you are using raw chestnuts, boil them and leave to cool before skinning.
  2. Cook the diced onion in a pan, coated with a few squirts of Frylight, over a low heat for 15 minutes or so. Once softened add the garlic and sage and stir for a minute.
  3. Pour in the freshly made stock and add the chestnuts. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Blend, check and adjust seasoning finally adding the creme fraiche.
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