Showing posts with label autumn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autumn. Show all posts

11.05.2012

Recipes by the Soup Goddess: Butternut Squash Soup with Brie


Who is the Soup Goddess? Read all about her here. And if you say her title aloud, please note that the emphasis is on the "ess."

Mmmmmm squash soup. Autumn is not complete without a few bowlfuls of it. This one is smooth and comforting, divinely creamy, and more savory than sweet. Make it for a squash-loving friend, and savor it over candlelight and conversation. Serve with crusty bread and salad for a light dinner, or as a starter for an upscale dinner party.

It may look like a lot of steps, but the beginning of the process is pretty hands off, and once the squash is roasted, the soup comes together before you know it.

Butternut Squash Soup with Brie

Ingredients:
2 c. apple cider (preferably from unsprayed apples, if you can find it)
1 butternut squash (around 2 lbs)
1-2 organic tart apples, cored and cut in half
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. half & half
1 red pepper, finely diced
2 large carrots, finely diced
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil (or use all butter)
2 heaping T. flour (unbleached white or sprouted)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
6 oz. brie, rind removed, diced
sour cream, for garnish

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Place 1 cup of apple cider in a 9x13 pan.
  2. Wash the squash. Cut it in half (good luck!!) and scoop out seeds. Place cut side down in the pan. 
  3. Cover the pan with foil (or use a casserole dish with a glass lid). Bake 40 minutes.
  4. Place the apple halves in the pan with the squash and re-cover. Bake 20-25 minutes, until apples and squash are tender when pricked with a fork.
  5. Uncover the pan and let cool until comfortable to the touch. (You can start the next step while you wait.) Remove the peels from the apples and squash. 
  6. In a soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil. Saute carrot, onion, and pepper, adding the garlic toward the end. 
  7. Add salt, pepper, and flour. Cook and stir for one minute. 
  8. Add the squash, apples, and liquid from the pan, and 1 cup of chicken broth. Puree with an immersion blender.
  9. Add the remaining apple cider, chicken broth, milk, half & half, and nutmeg. Mix well and cook, stirring, over medium heat 5-10 minutes until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  10. Add the brie and stir to melt.
  11. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg.

This is part of: Make Your Own Monday, Monday Mania, Natural Living Monday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Hearth & Soul 

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10.24.2012

Just Another Pumpkin (or butternut) Spice Smoothie




The internet is abuzz with pumpkin recipes right now, so I was hesitant to add my own. Does the world really need one more pumpkin recipe? I suppose it couldn't hurt.

Did you know that you can substitute butternut squash in almost any pumpkin recipe? There are even rumors that canned pumpkin is actually butternut squash. So for this "Pumpkin Spice Smoothie," I used some butternut squash I had cooked the Safe and Brainless Way.

It tastes like fall in a cup. And it's chock full of nutrition! This smoothie keeps even this nursing mama going for hours, and is perfect for a snack any time of day or for a quick meal on the go.

Tip: For a more flavorful but still thickly frozen smoothie, freeze pumpkin or squash in ice cube trays. Use the frozen squash in your smoothie and omit the ice.

Pumpkin (or Butternut) Spice Smoothie

Ingredients:
3/4 c. cooked butternut squash (or pumpkin or other winter squash)
3/4 c. whole raw milk
1/4 c. full-fat organic yogurt
1 banana, peeled, broken into chunks, and frozen
5 ice cubes (from a standard ice-cube tray)
1 raw egg yolk
1 T. gelatin
1 T. coconut oil
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. vanilla extract
a pinch of unrefined sea salt

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into a glass and sprinkle with cinnamon.




Why the gelatin? Read this to find out - Gelatin: A Healthy Protein Powder


Have you seen my tips for how to make great smoothies? Check 'em out!

This is part of: Real Food Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Frugal Ways, Sustainable Days, Simple Lives ThursdayKeep It Real Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Farm Girl Friday, Foodie Friday, Fight Back Friday, Natural Living Monday, Thank Your Body Thursday

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 


10.01.2012

Meal Plan October 1-7 @ Modern Alternative Kitchen


Tuscan Style Potato Soup
Rabbit rabbit! 

If you say that as the last thing you say on the last day of the month, and then as the first thing you say the next morning, you are supposed to have good luck all month. Or at least that's what my mom always told me. I can't tell you if it works because I've never remembered to do it. Oh well.

Luck or no luck, today is the first day of October! That means there is no denying that autumn is really here. And in this house, autumn means...soup! 

Today you can catch me over at Modern Alternative Kitchen sharing my meal plan for the week. It's full of easy, comforting recipes that are perfect for autumn, like Tuscan Style Potato Soup and Slow-Cooker Roast Chicken and Gravy. Head on over to see what we're eating this week and check out the links to the recipes!

There is also a link-up for you to share your own Real Food meal plans. We'd love for you to share it with us!

Have you planned your meals for the week yet? Stop what you're doing and plan!

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Part of: Menu Plan Monday @ Orgjunkie.com, Natural Living Monday