Moqueca

This is the new favorite soup at our household. It is relatively quick and we almost always have the ingredients on hand. It is a version of the Brazilian fish stew called Moqueca (mo-KEH-ka) that simplyrecipes.com got me to try (here is her post ). I only changed minor things.

Ingredients:
2 lbs firm white fish (I use cod), chopped into bite size pieces
3 large cloves garlic, minced
5 TBSP lime juice
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (any color is fine)
2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
3-4 green onions (sliced)
1 TBSP paprika
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch cilantro (chopped, reserve a little for garnish)
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 TBSP canola oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Marinate fish in lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in large pot, then saute pepper, onion, paprika and red pepper flakes until veggies start to soften. Sprinkle with quite a bit of salt (about 1 tsp) and pepper Add tomatoes and green onions, simmer for 5 minutes, then add cilantro, fish (with the juice), and coconut milk. Simmer for 10-15 min.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with crusty bread (I just learned the easiest way to make crusty artisan bread-so we make it a lot) or rice.  Serves 4

Vegetable Stock

I know I neglected posting the last couple weeks, which, as my friend pointed out, is unusual given the time of year. There are many reasons but I won't go into those right now. I'll make it up somewhat by posting two this week! Sorry guys!

I kind of cringe at paying quite a bit of money for canned or boxed broths since I use broth so often in cooking. I don't often have a chicken or turkey carcass lying around, even close to the holidays, nor do I have a lot of time to necessarily make my own chicken broth but I DO always have lots of vegetables parts and pieces. Vegetable stock is also much quicker and much more tasty than any vegetable stocks/broths you can buy in the store. You can replace vegetable stock in recipes that use chicken broth fairly easily.

Here's the great thing, the complexity of flavors in a vegetable stock comes from all the different things you simmer in it. So, I just save all my vegetable trimmings for several days (this includes the ends, skins, peels, etc. of any hearty vegetables). This usually includes anything from a root vegetables (like potato, parsnips, turnips, onions and carrots) but also peppers, winter squashes, mushrooms, garlic, celery, tomatoes or anything else I may have used that week. I would only just stay away from any bitter skins (like on cucumbers, eggplant, or radishes).

Ingredients:
1 whole large onion
1/2 bunch celery
1/2 bunch big carrots or small bag of mini carrots
1 4 oz. can of tomato paste
1 oz. dried Shiitake mushrooms
3-4 cloves of garlic (crushed, but leave skin on)
other vegetable pieces, parts, skins
1/2 bunch of parsley
fresh sprig of thyme or 1 TBSP dried
4 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
1-2 TBSP salt
water

When you are ready to start, get your dried mushrooms and soak them in very hot water for at least 30 min.
Get out your biggest stockpot. You do need to use a whole large onion, celery bunch and carrots as the base. Chop them roughly-they don't need to look nice, they are just going to be boiled to death to give up all their flavor.

Caramelize them in the bottom of the pot with a little olive oil. Stir them often and be patient since it may take a little longer than you would expect to get them browned. It will take about 15 min.
Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir until it turns a rusty color.
Add everything else and pour water over everything until it is about 3 inches from the top.

Bring to boil, then turn heat down to low medium and simmer for 1.5 hrs.
Scoop out all the large vegetable mush with a big spoon or strainer.
Take clean mason jars and put a strainer on top, lined with paper towel and pour the liquid through into the jar. You may need to replace the paper towel several times when it gets sludged up.

This broth is not shelf-stable like canned goods (it's not acidic enough), so I keep a jar or two in the fridge and then freeze the rest. I usually get about 4-5 quarts out of my big stockpot.

Pozole

I'm all about soups that are friendly to a variety of tastes. Sometimes it can be difficult to cook for a family where each has food dislikes or preferences and make everyone happy.  Pozole reminds me of how some people make tacos: lots of topping ingredients set out and everyone chooses what to put on their own dish. It doesn't come out super spicy like you might think as long as you don't allow many of the chili's seeds to get in. In fact, most of the kick comes later. My husband added some chipotle tabasco sauce to kick it up a bit while eating. Either way, it is very warming and satisfying for a cold windy night, like tonight.

Most recipes I looked at were for very large groups so I scaled this down for just 4-5 people and made some last minute invitations to dinner at my house. My sister was lucky enough to be available that night. She called it a "fancy version" of the type of pozole she was used to eating with many Latin-American friends of hers in California, because of all the choices of toppings and the amount of meat I used. Everyone loved it. Yum.

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. red guajillo chilies (they come dried in a clear plastic package)
water
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tsp oregano
1 lb. pork (shoulder, shank, roast or chops...as long as it is well marbled), cut into small chunks
14 oz. can of hominy
1 TBSP or more lime juice
1 tsp. salt

Toppings:
shredded cabbage
radishes (thinly sliced)
avocado
green onions
cilantro
mushrooms
spinach
tomatoes
mexican crema
tortilla chips or tostada shells

Directions:
1. Start 1.5 cups of water to boil in a small pot. Get larger pot with 6 cups of water heating as well.
2. Cut off the stem and any hard parts of the chilies, shake out the seeds. Roast the chilies in a dry skillet a few minutes until they soften. Add to the small pot of boiling water, cover with lid, turn off heat and let sit for 15 min.
3. Pat pork dry with paper towel and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Brown all sides of the pork in a skillet, then add 2 minced cloves of garlic for the last 2 minutes. Add to large pot of boiling water.
4. Take chilies, their soaking water and 2 whole garlic cloves into a food processor and puree.
5. Pour the chili mixture into the large pot, using a mesh strainer, to only let the liquid through.  
6. Add hominy to the large pot and boil for 1.5-2 hrs until pork is very tender. Add 1 tsp salt and lime juice (you could also serve with lime wedges for everyone to add their own lime). Either way you do lime is fine but don't omit. It is important to the taste!
7. Prep garnishes and set out for everyone to pick what add-ins they want.

Autumn Flavor Chili

Do you have Halloween food traditions? It seems a lot of people have either soup, chili, donuts or apple cider. I remember my family having soup or chili very often on Halloween night since it was a busy night for a crazy household of nine plus all the trick-or-treaters at the door. People could come in and grab a bowl before they went to get dressed up, went to a party, etc.
   It wasn't too busy of a night for me this year. My husband was at class so I was home alone and I got only about 20 trick-or-treaters.  I made chili anyway as a remembrance of my childhood days. I added an adult spin and autumn flair with the extra spices and flavors.  They gives the chili a fun, rich tasting base. Thanks to my friends at www.OurBestBites.com for the great idea. I really wish I had gotten an orange sweet potato (yam) instead of the white one to get that great halloween color incorporated, but oh well.

Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small jalepeno, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 (14 oz) cans black beans
2 cups broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 package ground chicken
6 large cremini or shitaake mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

Heat onion, jalepeno, garlic and bell pepper in pot with 1/2 TBSP of oil for several minutes until soft. Add in sweet potato, beans, broth, tomatoes and pumpkin. Cook chicken and mushrooms in the other 1/2 TBSP oil. Add in oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and chili powder to the meat and mix together in a skillet until browned and cooked through, then add to chili pot. Add cinnamon and cocoa powder. Simmer for about 45 minutes until sweet potatoes are nice and soft. Serve with cilantro and avocado garnish.

Chipotle Pumpkin Soup

For years, I have made a spicy pumpkin soup that gets its kick from a load of red pepper flakes.  This year I wanted to try a slightly different flavor profile and create something that would be more tolerable for all of my pregnant friends at a baby shower I brought the soup to. Thanks to simplyrecipes.com for the idea (I did have to adjust a few of the ingredient ratios they used for it to work like I intended).  I had a little leftover, which worked great for an appetizer at a dinner party I hosted the next day.

This soup also ended up being a lot lower fat and healthier than my other go-to pumpkin soup since I didn't need to use coconut milk as the liquid base and source of flavor, just as a garnish.

Chipotle peppers give a bit more depth, smokiness, and southwestern bite than just straight "heat", unless you get a chunk of pepper in your first bite like my husband, then it may seem too hot. I'll have to use a real blender instead of a hand-blender next time. (He still ate the rest...which is impressive considering he has never been a big fan of pumpkin). If you really like heat, give it the whole pepper-I'm just warning you that they are potent.

I made it for a crowd so the listed amounts are adjusted from what I used to create a smaller batch.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2  of 1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce), chopped
24 oz. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 cups broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt (if needed depending on how salty your broth is)
1 TBSP lime juice
chopped cilantro
roasted pumpkin seeds
coconut milk

Saute the onion for a few minutes in olive oil, then add garlic, pepper and cumin and cook a minute until very fragrant. Add pumpkin, broth, oregano, salt and simmer for 20 minutes on med heat, stirring often. Add lime juice and then puree soup together (my immersion/hand-blender left a few little chunks...so I would recommend a real blender).  Add more broth, if needed, for desired consistency. Garnish soup with a drizzle of coconut milk, toasted pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. I had a flask of additional coconut milk available for anyone that wanted to tame down the heat a bit.

If you are feeling in the mood for a "theme" meal, you could serve it in a hollowed-out pumpkin OR a pumpkin shaped bread bowl!

Rustic Cabbage Stew

I made this up one day when I felt like doing theme nights for our dinners...different types of cuisine for each night: Mexican, Italian, Japanese, American, Thai, Russian. This was for Russian night. Most Russian cabbage type soups/stews usually involve a tomato base and pickled cabbage (we'll get to that recipe later) but I took a little different route this night and liked the outcome. My brother-in-law (who lived in Russia for a while) got our leftovers last time and ate it all before my sister even got to taste it, so I believe it was a hit.

We had it with Russian rye bread (you can get some good rye at the European Market at 4700 S. and 900 E. if you live in Salt Lake area).

I didn't write the recipe down that night but recreated it today and got pretty close to my original creation. Ben said it was just as good.

I like my stews like this to have a good spicy feel (it helps accentuate the hot, comforting essence of soup) but you may wish to leave out the extra red pepper flakes and let the sausage be all the spice you use.

Ingredients:
1/4 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 oz. hot spicy chicken or turkey or pork sausage (I just bought one link at fresh meat counter)
1 14 oz. can white beans
1/2 head of fresh cabbage, sliced
4 cup chicken broth
1-2 cup water
1/2 tsp coriander
few turns of cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Saute onion and sausage in pot until a little brown, add garlic for a minute then add everything else. Let stew (or boil) for a good 15-20 min. until cabbage is relatively soft. You may grate a little parmesan cheese on top if you are feeling sassy.

Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Pumpkin season has started. I usually start by doing my annual pumpkin waffle party. This year I start the pumpkin festivities by making this soup. I created it a couple yrs ago as kind of a knock-off of Zupa's seasonal pumpkin soup.

Ingredients:
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP fresh grated ginger (or 1/2 TBSP ground ginger)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
10 oz. canned pumpkin
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 potato (chopped into small cubes)
1 large roma tomato (or 2 little ones) chopped into small cubes1 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper
shredded coconut

In a soup pot, saute the garlic and onion with the ginger, and nutmeg in the oil until fragrant and translucent (do not brown), then add the pumpkin, broth, and coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring to a boil. Add in the potatoes and tomato and cook until the potatoes are soft (I like to precook the potatoes in the microwave to cut down on prep time). Add the salt and pepper. Toast shredded coconut lightly and top soup when serving.

White Chili

I'm pretty sure the drop in the temperature lately and the gorgeous colored leaves all over the mountains mean that soup season is here!  I couldn't resist making a hearty chili today.

You'll be surprised how the chili flavors still shine through for a great full, satisfying dish. You won't even miss the red meat or tomato sauce of typical chili.  I started with a recipe posted by my friends at ourbestbites but had to adjust it more to my liking in several ways. I loved the outcome. 

Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 boneless chicken thighs, diced
1 smaller potato, diced
1 14 oz. can white northern beans (could use any other white bean)
2 cans chicken broth (28 oz.)
1/2 can green chilies
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
lime juice
chopped cilantro
sour cream
salt and pepper

Directions:
Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil in soup pot for a few minutes. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and toss into the pot. Add potato, beans (juice and all from can), green chilies, spices and jalapeno. Boil for 15-20 minutes until potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Top with little more salt and pepper, a sprinkle of lime juice, chopped cilantro and a generous dollop of sour cream.

If you need to go dairy-free, add a spoon of potato starch instead of the sour cream to help make a whiter broth with a bit of substance.

Summer Gazpacho

I made a brilliant discovery this summer, watermelon and tomatoes actually go well together! Before you roll your eyes and stop reading, you have to try it first. The sweetness of the watermelon compliments all the other savory ingredients of a typical gazpacho (cold, tomato soup) so it was much easier to love-most are way too salty for me. It also has a bonus for all you onion haters out there-I don't use ANY in this recipe...which is tough to find for gazpacho.

This soup was inspired by a wonderful watermelon-tomato salad that I made for a party with my girlfriends purely because I stumbled upon it while browsing www.epicurious.com and the picture was captivating.  Whether it tasted good or not would be irrelevant because of its beauty, I thought. Turns out, it was surprisingly delicious and addicting so that I craved it for weeks before I collected enough of the ingredients to have it again. The next time I made it, I had leftovers so I made it into a great summer gazpacho. I really suggest making the salad first and then having the gazpacho the next day-so you get the best of both worlds. Isnt' it pretty?

This cold soup is fun in that the spicy-heat of it makes you forget it is actually a cold soup you are eating. Despite that, it really isn't as good unless you serve it really cold (this means chilling it for a couple hrs before serving or else pouring over ice cubes). As with all cold soups-use mini portions and you'll enjoy it more.

I even had it one day with lime-marinated shrimp on top, which was awesome! It made me think of having ceviche at a Mexican resort on the beach.

Ingredients for Salad:
watermelon
tomatoes of different colors
cucumber
avocado
2 TBSP lime juice
Fresh herbs (I used mint and tarragon, but cilantro would be awesome too)
(cut each fruit/vegetable into chunks and arrange on plate, sprinkle with lime juice and herbs)

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
(mix into flask and drizzle onto the salad right before eating)

To make Gazpacho:
Any leftover watermelon/tomato salad
2 cloves garlic
1/2 jalepeno (seeded)
1-2 TBSP of dressing (see above)
lime-marinated shrimp (optional)

Put all ingredients into a blender (reserving a few small chunks to use as a garnish). Chill, and serve.

Chicken and Rice Soup

Ever heard of an elimination diet? Since my gut seems to be very unhappy with me for a while now for some unknown reason, I have decided to put myself on this kind of special diet. That means I have to stick to only a few foods that are least likely to be causing any issue before I can slowly add other foods back in. Two of those simple foods happen to be chicken and rice so that's what we are having for many of our meals. Tonight's menu is the soup form.  Anyone else that may need a simple or nourishing recovery soup, here is your recipe.

Hopefully soon, I will get back to all my plans for fresh soups using all that garden produce or beachfront seafood that I'm craving. 

Have any family members that complain about eating leftovers? This is also a great way to re-purpose extra chicken or rice hanging around. Doing that will also cut your cooking time down considerably. Remember that even though we are going simple, it doesn't mean it has to be unflavorful.

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, sliced
5 baby carrots, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1 small chicken breast, cut in small chunks
1/2 C uncooked long grain rice
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil or thyme
1/4 tsp celery salt 
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Start by a quick saute of the garlic, onion and carrots. Add in herbs, celery salt, bay leaf and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, while cutting chicken. Season chicken with little salt and pepper, then drop into the soup. After a minute or two, add in rice and boil for about 15 min. Serve.

p.s. If you are using precooked rice, only add 1/4 cup. Then only boil 3 min.

Black Bean Soup

My mom was usually the cook at our house. There were nights she was gone and my dad had to take on the role and cook for all 7 kids. From what I can remember, his specialties were spaghetti, pancakes, fast food runs, and occasionally canned soup. The two soups that made a memorable impression (aka: long-standing family jokes) were the "cheese soup" and "chocolate soup". They are in quotations because there was nothing related to real cheese in the cheese soup (even for kids that would eat velveeta cheese plain, we refused to eat more than a few bites...our dad finally tasted it and let us dump it out and scavenge for something else). The "chocolate" soup was actually black bean soup, but since there were several bean-haters in our family, he thought he could get us to eat it by calling it chocolate. Ha ha. Nice try dad. One bite in we knew he was trying to trick us.  I was one of the few that would eat beans but I don't remember liking that soup. This recipe, however is nothing like canned bean soup. It is awesome! My friends at ourbestbites.com gave me the great idea of adding green chilies to the soup, which I think is a great addition. It doesn't make it too spicy so I still add the kick of red pepper flakes too. Then, as I was writing this, I thought...maybe my dad has something there...wouldn't a little cocoa powder add an extra layer of depth to this soup? I'm dying to try that next time. I'll let you know if it turns out even better.

Recipe:

Black Bean Soup
1-2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 14 oz. can black beans
1/2 can green chilies
2 cups broth  (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp lime juice

Method:
Start with the mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) and garlic sauteing in the oil until they start to get soft. Add all the spices and allow it them to soak in and get fragrant. Then add the black beans, green chilies and broth. Let it simmer for 15 min. Use your immersion blender and briefly blend it to get the base of the soup creamy. Don't get it too smooth, I think it is best with quite a bit of the beans and texture left. Squeeze the lime juice at the end and mix in. We like it without any significant garnishes or fat put on top.

Spicy Turkey Soup

My ward and neighborhood has a lot of people having babies.  That means I get to take dinner to a lot of families lately. I have several recipes that I know I can put together quick enough that even if I get home late from work, I can still have it ready by 6pm to bring it over. This is one of those. It gets good reviews and happens to use things I keep in my house all the time.

It is a popular combination of flavors because I have seen other blogs/websites that have very similar soups. I guess you can't go wrong with tomatoes, beans, meat and spinach, right? The hardest part I had with this post was actually naming the soup. So, forgive me if the name is dumb.

I use a combo of ground Italian sausage and ground turkey. I really think it needs the Italian sausage for the flavor but I mix it with the turkey so I feel better about the fat content. The rest of the ingredients are also very healthy so it's really a good meal. You may have noticed that I leave basil out of almost every recipe, but that is because it makes my husband very sick...I know, odd. But, then again, I am allergic to every tree, grass, weed, feather, dog, cat, etc. so I guess he's allowed one. But, you can feel free to add it in here, it is delicious. I used parsley instead and still thought it was good.

Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb. Italian pork sausage/ground turkey mix
1-2 tsp oregano
1 TBSP chopped parsley (or basil)
pinch red pepper flakes
24 oz. broth
1 can white navy beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
4 Cups fresh spinach
black pepper and salt

Method:
Saute the onions and garlic in the oil for a minute, then add the meat, oregano, red pepper flakes. Brown the meat completely then add in broth, beans and tomatoes. Before serving, taste and add more pepper or salt if needed and mix in spinach. 

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower is not one of my favorite vegetables. I will eat it raw, if I feel obligated, but never on my own accord. I tolerate it steamed or boiled, think it is actually pretty good when roasted with some good flavors  but thought it made a great soup.

Throughout the internet, there happens to be quite the controversy about cauliflower soup. There are the purists, who think you should leave the cauliflower unadulterated, the only flavor star of the show...with very little backup. Then there are others who would add all sorts of cream and butter and put in cauliflower just to make themselves feel good that they ate a vegetable. I tried several versions in between and actually came out with a surprising conclusion... the simplest version, with the least ingredients came out just as good, if not better than the one that was helped along with milk and butter. The trick, my friends, is cooking it slow and low.

Time helps develop the subtle flavor that cauliflower usually has and bring out a hint of sweetness. It doesn't need a lot else, well, maybe an onion. Remember this when you cringe at the fact that you use water... yes, water as the base. Resist the very strong temptation to add things (until the end), like all good recipe-tweakers like myself feel like they have to do. Give chef Paul Bertolli (who was the originator of this recipe) a little credit and allow yourself to taste cauliflower at it's best. I added only one thing at the end... the bit of nutmeg. It rounds off the flavors nicely bringing in that bit of depth I felt it needed, without destroying the creamy cauliflower goodness. Other people suggested tarragon, green onions, lemon, parsley, celery seed, etc. as garnishes. Knock yourself out with that. Nutmeg and pepper were just right for me.

Bonus: This is also one of the most allergy-friendly recipes you can find. 

Cauliflower Soup
3 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 pinch salt
6 cups water
fresh ground pepper
fresh ground nutmeg

• Warm the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Sweat the onions in the pan for about 15 min. on LOW heat (you don't want them to brown). 
• Add the cauliflower, salt, and 1/2 cup of water. Cover and steam it for 15 min on MEDIUM LOW heat. 
• Add 4 1/2 cups more water and bring to a low simmer for 20 more minutes, uncovered. 
• Put into blender (in batches, if needed) and blend to a smooth, creamy consistency. I tried it with an immersion blender and couldn't get as great of a consistency. Use a blender.
• Let it sit overnight. (if you can't do that, let it sit at least 20 min.)
• Reheat soup and thin with 1 cup of water or to desired thickness. 
• Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, cracked pepper, pinch of nutmeg, and a little extra salt if needed.

Butternut Squash Soup

When searching for the perfect butternut squash soup recipe, my mind was stuck in a rut that butternut squash soup should incorporate apples. It just made sense. The autumn-ish flavors should go perfect together, blending sweet with wonderfulness that is butternut squash. Unfortunately, I've tried several versions but had yet to find the recipe that balanced it well-they often turned out too apple-y or blah. This recipe, however, used orange. I resisted the idea for a while, immediately thinking of ways to change it to apple, but then I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Oh Happy Day. I was actually impressed with the flavor combinations there. The red pepper gave it an extra little flair that I enjoyed. I will use this recipe now, until I find another way that seems close to the perfect one conjured up in my imagination.Try it out...it's pretty easy, too! 

The hardest part is probably cutting the squash. Do it lengthwise like this.

Then remove the seedy part with the strings (like cleaning out a little pumpkin). It does require a little time to bake the butternut squash at the first, but after that is very quick. Baking the butternut squash decreases the need to do lots of hard work to remove the skin and it softens it enough that you can just scoop it out with a spoon. Just remember to hold it with a hot pad and not your hand as you scoop (it just came out of the oven!) My hands are notoriously always cold so they think they can get away with shenanigans like that...they can't. 

Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium size butternut squash

2 TBSP olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chopped onions (I used combo of red, white and green)

4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 cup orange juice (juice the orange you used for the zest)

1/2 cup low fat sour cream (or coconut milk for those with milk allergies)

1/2 cup roasted red pepper sauce (or red pepper puree)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Cut whole butternut squash in half lengthwise and lay in baking dish, facing up. Clean out bulb portion of seeds and strings. Brush the top with olive oil and bake in oven at 475 degrees for 45 min. When done, scoop out flesh with spoon. Saute garlic and onions w/olive oil in a large saute pan until soft. Add chicken broth, orange juice and butternut squash flesh. Bring to a boil. Puree soup with food processor or blender (I used a handheld blender right in the pot). Add thyme and most of orange zest. Add a dollop of sour cream and red pepper sauce and swirl in. Garnish with a few red pepper flakes, fresh thyme sprigs and reserved zest. Makes 5-6, 1 cup servings.

Vegetable Soup

There are very few "only vegetable" soups out there, especially ones that taste good. I made sure this one was still packed with flavor.

My husband brought home this large bag of julienned potatoes, red peppers, and whole green beans that we have been trying to use all week. Of course, I decided this would have to be a good week to make a vegetable soup.

Vegetable Soup
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp oil
14 oz vegetable broth or stock (or chicken broth if you like)
2 cups water
1 diced potato
2 diced carrots
1 handful green beans, chopped
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a soup pot, saute the garlic in a little oil briefly then add the water. Add in all the veggies (except the tomatoes) and simmer 30 min. Then add the broth, tomatoes (juice and all) and spices. Simmer until the vegetables are soft enough for your liking. (We kind of like them a little al dente in our house so it took another 15 minutes or so, but some might want them very soft so it could take a little longer). Add a little more salt and pepper to taste and enjoy. I served it with a nice dark rye bread and salad.

Serves 3-4

Tom Ka Gai soup

To get things going on here, and get everyone excited about making soups, I decided to do an extra post this week!

This is one of my most often made soups. I tend to make it for company often because it's fun; different than your average soup. I'm addicted to Asian flavors and find this combination irresistibly delicious. I have seen versions of it at many restaurants but I find this recipe better than theirs.

When I first met my husband, he told me he did not like soups. I found that very odd and quite unfair. How could anyone make a blanket statement like that? I found out his only exposure to soups were from Campbell's and Progresso. So, I didn't blame him. This was one of the first soups I got him to try and he loved it! I think you will too. This recipe is loosely based off one I found in a Cuisine At Home magazine many years ago. It is also gluten and egg-free for any of you with allergies.

A few tips about this recipe before you start cooking:

1. Don't be afraid of or skimp on the ginger root or pepper, without them the soup lacks depth and "punch".
2. If you don't normally cook with fish sauce and coconut milk in your house, you can find them in the asian markets or in the asian food section in the normal grocery store.
3. Don't omit the heavy cream in the recipe. I know it seems insignificant but, believe me, it really is not the same without it. If you have a milk allergy, I would suggest using full fat coconut milk and maybe substitute 1/2 cup of the chicken broth with more coconut milk. That should help it.
4. If you like really spicy foods, go ahead and leave the seeds from the jalapeno in. I believe it has plenty of kick without them. The original recipe called for a serrano chile but my supermarket has a hard time keeping good-looking ones in their store and I often have a jalepeno around so.... oh, and use a fresh one, not the bottled kind.
5.  I personally love the lime flavor with it, but if you only have lemon, that actually works great too.  I've often done a mix of lemon zest and lime juice. If you can find lemongrass...by all means, use a stalk instead and discard it before serving and your soup will be all the more authentic.
6. Cremini (or baby bella) mushrooms are the easiest to find and work great. I have used dried, and reconstituted, shiitake mushrooms and they were fantastic. You definitely need a darker mushroom to give it the right flavor...none of the white button kind will do.
7. I've tried making it a one-dish meal by adding in a starch (like potatoes or noodle) but found that it detracted from it. Instead, I love serving it with a nice crusty bread and salad.

Recipe:
1/4 cup shallots, chopped (or yellow onion)
1/4 cup green onion
1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp of lime zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (13-14 oz) lite coconut milk
3 TBSP fish sauce
3 TBSP lime juice
2 TBSP heavy cream
1 TBSP white sugar
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 cups cremini or shiitake mushrooms
1 cup cooked and cubed chicken or turkey
chopped fresh cilantro and/or mint
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions, ginger, zest, and garlic in oil in a saucepan over medium heat for a minute. (smell the wonderful flavors) Add broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, cream and sugar. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in japaneno, mushrooms and chicken. Simmer for 3 more minutes to heat through. Garnish each bowl with chopped herbs.

Makes 4-6 servings