Autumn Butternut Squash Soup

Autumn Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped or sliced

1 butternut squash (~2-3 pounds)

4 cups (~32 oz) chicken or veggie stock
1/2 tsp fresh (or dried) thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt (or salt to taste)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, if you like a little heat to your soup)

Heat oil in a large soup pot.  Add carrot and onion.  Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.  Stir in butternut squash, thyme, veggie stock, salt and pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to purée soup.

Geoff and I just tried this two days ago, and it's absolutely delicious.  I've never been a huge squash fan, but I'm finding more and more ways that I like it, which is fantastic.

Sweet Whiskey Salsa Marinade

Tonight, Geoff and I decided to have Salmon, but we wanted something different with it.  Geoff began thought of adding diced tomato and brown sugar to make it similar to BBQ sauce.  I said, why not add a Poblano pepper, diced onion, and a diced tomatillo.  Right before we were done I was feelin' lucky, so I said, let's add whiskey.  It turned out delicious, so here it is...

2 tsp oil (we used grapeseed, but olive would work too)
1 Tbsp butter
2 tsp brown sugar
1 diced pepper (poblano, habanero, chili or jalapeno will work)
1/3 cup diced fresh onion
1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
1 medium, diced tomatillo
1-2 Tbsp whiskey

Start with the oil and butter in a hot pan, add your brown sugar, onion and pepper.  Allow it to reduced down until just before the onions start to brown/carmelize (but make sure they are soft).  Then add your tomato, and tomatillo with their juice.  Allow to cook down a bit more before adding the whiskey, you don't want it to get too runny.

Salt to taste, and use over fish, shrimp, chicken or just rice.

Crockpot Tomatillo and Black Bean Soup with Fresh Lime

This soup started as a random endeavor simply because I had a bunch of fresh tomatillos from the farm, and needed something to do with them, and it was so delicious that it has become one of our favorites.

(Makes about 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

8 tomatillos, chopped in 1/4 inch pieces (about 2 cups chopped tomatillo)

1 jalapeno (fresh or pickled; chopped)

1 T finely minced garlic

1 T dried cilantro (optional)

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed well

2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice or

2 large fresh tomatoes, diced with juice

4 cups vegetable broth, canned or homemade

1 cup water

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

salt to taste

garnish with cilantro (optional)

Instructions:

Chop onions and tomatillos into pieces about 1/4 inch. Heat olive oil in large frying pan, then saute onions, tomatillos and jalapenos about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cumin and saute 1-2 minutes more. While vegetables saute, dump beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse until no more foam appears.

Put tomatillo-onion mixture into large 4-5 quart crockpot.  Add beans, tomatoes with juice, vegetaBLE stock, water, and brown rice. Cook on high for 4 hours (This could also be cooked on low for 8 hours.)

After 4 hours (or 8 hours if using low) turn the crockpot to low setting, and let it cook 15 minutes to lower the temperature, then add the fresh lime juice and cook 10 minutes on low. Serve hot, with chopped cilantro for garnish if desired.

Thai Carrot Ginger Soup

G and I have been working on creating a copycat recipe of a Carrot Ginger soup that we ate while we were visiting Denver, CO this past June.  And we think we finally got it…

Single Batch Recipe makes ~ 38 oz, we made a double batch which came to be ~75 oz

1 TBSP peanut oil or any oil with a high smoke point, we used grapeseed oil

1 Leek, medium to large (~1/2 – 3/4 cup) well washed, and thinly sliced

2 TBSP grated or finely chopped ginger root (peeled)

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp finely chopped pepper (we used Cayenne, but this still wasn’t enough heat, so…)

1.5 TBSP Chili Garlic Paste (found in the ethnic foods section)

1 pound carrots, washed, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

16 oz vegetable stock (broth)

1 can (~13 oz) coconut milk

Salt to taste once finished.

Directions:

1.) Heat oil in a heavy bottom stockpot.  Add leek and saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until softened.  Then add ginger and garlic, and saute an additional minute while stirring.

2.) Add the vegetable stock and the carrots and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Then stir coconut milk into pan and continue cooking until carrots are very tender, approx another 20-30 minutes.

3.) Puree in pot using an immersion blender (or transfer to a food processor in batches).  Season to taste with kosher or sea salt.  Enjoy!