A warm and cozy autumn side dish with roasted pumpkins and Brussels sprouts tossed with a spicy honey balsamic vinaigrette. The pomegranate seeds add their brilliant harvest colours to this rustic side dish.

400 g Pumpkin, peeled and cut into inch pieces 300 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into half 2 Shallots, diced 1 clove Garlic, chopped 1 Red chilli pepper, cut into rings 3 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Honey 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp All spice Salt and pepper Pomegranate seeds

1. Cut the pumpkin in half, scrape out the seeds and membrane , then cut into inch pieces. Slice off the rough part of the stem of Brussels sprouts. Remove the unappetizing outer leaves, cut out the core and slice vertically in half.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Remove papery outer skin from shallots and dice. Peel and chop the garlic. Cut the chilli pepper into rings. Combine olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, allspice and the prepared shallots, garlic, and chilli pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place pumpkin and Brussels sprouts in a baking pan. Pour in the sauce and toss well. Place in the middle of hot oven and roast for about 25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with some pomegranate seeds if desired.

A savoury pumpkin side dish bursting with colour and flavour, perfect for autumn. Hokkaido pumpkins, also known as red kuri squash, originally from island Hokkaido, Japan, have a deep orange colour and are very sweet inside. You can use them in cooking, baking or simply enjoy them raw.

Honey Lemon Roasted Hokkaido Wedges

adapted from essen und trinken

1 Hokkaido pumpkin 1 Red chilli pepper 3 tbsp Honey 6 tbsp Lemon juice 20 g Sesame seeds Salt and pepper 3 tbsp Olive oil Nutmeg

1. Cut the pumpkin from the top in half. Using a large spoon, scrape out the seeds and membrane , then cut into wedges. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
2. Clean the chilli pepper by cutting off the stalk and removing the seeds, then cut into rings. Combine honey, lemon juice, sesame seeds, olive oil and chilli rings. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place pumpkin wedges in one large baking pan. Sprinkle the pumpkin wedges with a little of salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour the honey-lemon mixture over. Bake in the hot oven for about 35 minutes.

A quick and easy recipe for dates stuffed with a mixture of toasted walnuts and sesame seeds flavoured with cinnamon, orange zest and rose water. For the coating, I have used coconut flakes and pumpkin seeds, but any other nuts or seeds would work just fine here. They are great as a light dessert, a snack, or just anytime you feel like a nibble.

70 g Walnuts, toasted 30 g Sesame seeds, toasted 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 20 g Brown sugar 1/2 tsp Orange zest 1-2 tsp Rose water 10 g Coconut oil, melted 30 Lightly dried dates, pitted 30 g Coconut flakes 40 g Pumpkin seeds, finely chopped

1. Toast walnuts, and sesame seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 5 minutes, and then remove them from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Place walnuts, sesame, cinnamon, sugar and orange zest in a coffee grinder. Process until you have a thick paste. Turn the paste into a bowl and stir in rose water.
3. Fill each date with about a teaspoon of nut mixture. Brush with melted coconut oil and coat with coconut flakes or chopped pumpkin seeds.

A dense, moist rye bread lightened with whole-wheat flour, spiced with cumin and coriander. Cumin seeds are purported to contain enzymes that aid in digestion and are said to be effective in combating acid reflux. Coriander seeds are known to have anti-oxidant vitamin and rich in dietary fiber. So, the addition of spices adds not only flavour to the bread, but also nutritional potency.

Spiced Rye Bread with Sesame

adapted from Brot backen köstliche Rezepte aus der guten alten Zeit

400 g Light rye flour 140 g Wholewheat flour 150 g Rye kernels 7 g Dried yeast 450 ml Water, lukewarm 150 g Sourdough rye starter 2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Sugar 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Cumin seeds 40 g Sesame seeds

1. Mix together light rye flour, wholewheat flour, rye kernels and dried yeast in a mixing bowl. Add in water, sourdough starter, salt, sugar, coriander powder and cumin.
2. Knead with a a hand mixer fitted with dough hook attachments until the dough is smooth and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape into a ball. Dust the surface with a little flour and cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place for an hour.
3. Place a 26-cm springform ring on a floured baking tray. Knead the dough thoroughly on a floured work surface. Shape the dough into a ball and place into the ring. Cover the dough and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Cut some decorative slashes on the top of bread. Brush the top with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the bread in the middle of the hot oven for about an hour until nicely golden brown and crusty.

Nothing beats the comforting and soothing feeling that a bowl of creamy coconut chicken soup can bring. Cozy up and enjoy this Thai-inspired chicken soup with homemade bread.

2 tbsp Coconut oil 2 Shallots, finely chopped 1 Leek, white part only 250 g Skinless chicken breast, chopped 300 ml Chicken stock 1/2 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 tbsp Fresh thyme, chopped 100 ml Coconut milk Salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until slightly softened.
2. Add in leek and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring. Add in chopped chicken, stock, and herbs. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
3. Remove from the heat and process with an immersion hand blender until smooth. Season the soup with salt and pepper and warm over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with sprig of thyme and serve immediately.

The pull apart bread has been popping up all over the place, and as a bread lover, I can’t wait to try it with a homemade fresh herb spread. For the herbs, I used a mix of Chinese garlic chives and basil, but use any combination that suits you. Alternatively, you can use a ready-made pesto sauce. I have chosen to leave out cheese as husband is not a fan of it. Besides pesto, nutella or peanut butter would be great alternatives for the filling too.

Poolish	Dough	Herb Spread
200 g Water 200 g Bread flour 0.2 g Fresh yeast	All of the starter 110 g Water 10 g Sugar 8 g Sea salt 300 g Bread flour 10 g Fresh yeast	25 g Fresh garlic chives 10 g Fresh basil 2 clove Garlic 50 ml Olive oil 3 g Sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients of starter together in a mixing bowl. Cover with a plastic film and set aside at room temperature for 16 hours.
2. Add in the rest of dough ingredients and mix on lowest speed for 3 minutes, then increase the speed, continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Turn it out on a lightly floured work surface and gently knead for a few times. Return to the mixing bowl and proof, covered, for a further 30 minutes.
3. Place all the ingredients of herb spread in a blender and process until combined.
4. Divide the dough into 4 even portions. Roll each out into a 28x19-cm rectangle. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of herb paste on one rectangle, cover it with second rectangle, spread with 2-3 tablespoons of herb paste, top with third rectangle, then spread with herb paste, and top with the final rectangle. You might not need to use up all the spread. Cut into 18 pieces, each about 6x5.5-cm. Besides herb spread, you can also try the peanut butter filling.
5. Place each stack into a muffin cup greased lightly with oil. Cover and proof for an hour or until about doubled in volume. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F. Bake for 20 minutes until nicely golden and crisp.

These spekulatius-spiced pumpkin muffins are moist and fresh in an airtight container for a few days, and freeze fairly well. They are the perfect treat for an autumn afternoon. If you don’t have spekulatius spice, use pumpkin pie spice or just cinnamon instead.

100 g Whole grain spelt, ground 120 g Refined spelt flour 120 g Raw sugar 1 tsp Baking soda 1/3 tsp Salt 220 g Roasted pumpkin puree 2 tsp Spekulatius spice 85 ml Coconut oil, melted 60 ml Coconut milk 50 g Candied ginger, chopped 150 g Salted peanuts Caramel, optional

1. Preheat the oven 190C/375F. Line 12-14 muffin cups with paper liners. Sift ground whole grain spelt flour, refined spelt flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a mixing bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the roasted pumpkin puree, spekulatius spices, coconut oil, and coconut milk until well combined.
3. Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix until just incorporated. Do not overmix or muffins will be tough. Fold in chopped candied ginger and 100 grams of salted peanuts.
4. Divide the batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with some peanuts. Bake on the upper oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes until nicely golden brown. Drizzle with caramel sauce if desired, and serve warm.

A stylish seasonal dish made from fresh ripe figs, creamy mild Chavroux, and crunchy pistachios, served with a green pepper grape syrup. You can serve this as an appetizer, a snack or even as a light dessert.

Stuffed Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese and Pistachios

adapted from Küchengötter

250 ml Grape juice 5 tsp Honey 1/2 tsp Green peppercorns Fresh thyme 30 g Pistachio nuts 100 g Fresh goat cheese Freshly ground black pepper 3 Fresh figs

1. Place grape juice and 3 teaspoons of honey in a saucepan. Cook the mixture on high heat until it becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F. Crush the green peppercorns with a mortar and pestle and add to the grape syrup. Finely chop the pistachios.
3. In a bowl, stir together fresh goat cheese, 2 teaspoons of honey, thyme leaves, and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Slice each fig in half lengthwise. Make a depression in the middle with the back of a teaspoon. Fill the depression with goat cheese filling. Place them in a baking dish. Switch the oven function to grill and roast the filled fig halves for 6-8 minutes until the goat cheese is lightly browned. Serve with the grape syrup.