Squash Soup

Welcome to fall!! So it's not completely official yet, but as the air is crisp, I needed a jacket this morning, and I got a butternut squash in my CSA, I am going with it. I am so excited for the return of my favorite season. Pumpkins, Ginger snaps, apples, and some wonderfully delicious squash soup!



Squash Soup:
1/2 garlic head
1 butternut squash
2 medium turnips
3 leeks
1 onion
1 shallot
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp corriander
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp chilli powder
4 cups of low sodium beef or vegetable broth
Salt, pepper

Pre-Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and wash the turnips and poke with a fork in repeatedly (like you would to a potato). Poke the squash with a fork as well. For the garlic, peal as much of the outer layer off as you can while keeping the head in tact. Cut off the top exposing the cloves, but leaving the bottom in tact so that the head stays together. Drizzle top with a little olive oil, and sea salt. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and roast the garlic, squash and turnips for 45 minutes. During the last 15 minutes dice the shallots, leeks and onions, this does not have to be precise. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large pot on medium-low. Add shallot, leeks, onion and spices. When the Roasted veggies are done (garlic lightly browned, squash and turnips tender) let them cool for about 5 minutes. Peel and roughly dice the squash, the skin will come right off. Add to the onion mixture, add peel about half the garlic and add in to the pot. Chop the turnips and add as well and cook for 10 minutes. Add stock bring to boil and then simmer for 10 min. Puree in batches, using a blender or food processor. Strain the soup by passing through a pasta strainer, pushing down soup with the back of a spoon. Heat until desired temperature. Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream and toasted piece of bread with goat cheese.

Happy Eating

Garlicy Shrimp and Udon

On a lazy, slightly rainy gray, summer day I was craving something warm and soothing, yet still a lit summery and fun. I was thinking about a stir fry, and wondering how I could kick it up a notch. Then it hit me, soup! This delicious dinner was part stir fry, part homemade ramen, part soup, and all delicious. Like many of the delicious Asian and Asian inspired soups out there, it is totally hearty enough to be a meal, full of delicious veggies, shrimp and udon noodles. I found the noodles in the Asian section of Wegmans, it took a little hunting but it was so worth it.



Garlic Shrimp Soup:

5 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 container shitake mushrooms
1 bunch of swiss chard
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic, divided
2 tbsp Chili sauce
2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp of soy sauce
salt, pepper
8 oz of udon noodles (1 package)

Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large pan or wok. Dice 3 cloves of garlic and the onion and put them into the pan. Lightly salt and pepper and add 1 tbsp of chili sauce and 1 tsp of curry powder. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium pot, smash the last clove of garlic and add it to the stock, add a tsp of curry powder and a tbsp of chili sauce to the stock. Cook the udon noodles for 10-12 minutes in the stock, then remove the noodles from the stock. Add the mushrooms and chard to the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Add the shrimp and the soy sauce to the pan. Turn heat to medium high and cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. To assemble the soup, put about a cup of noodles in a bowl with a generous scoop of shrimp and veggies, then top with stock. Serve and Enjoy.

The Shrimp Cooking away:


The Shrimp and veggies on top of the noodles:


Ready to eat:


Happy Eating.

Truffled Pork Chops

Truffle oil makes anything decadent. It is an instant shot of richness and exoticness to something that would otherwise be everyday. Every time I eat it, I love it a little more. Until this recipe, I had never cooked bone in pork chops, I had also never eaten them. I am fairly new to the eating of pork products, but I have become slightly obsessed with the other white meat. These were a flavor explosion, the truffle oil makes them so incredible rich, and combined with the light flavor of the sherry, absolutely wonderful. I served these chops with some spicy asparagus, which I first shared in my I love read meat post, they are so simply and wonderful, line up the asparagus and salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, drizzle with olive oil (or chipotle olive oil, if you are lucky enough to have found a bottle somewhere) and roast or broil until tender and slightly crispy. They can be done at almost any temperature, so they are the perfect side dish to any meal.



Truffled Pork Chops:
2 bone in pork-chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of ground coriander
salt, pepper
1/8 cup of sherry
1 tsp of truffle oil

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan. Salt and pepper the the pork chops on both sides. Sprinkle with coriander and rub into the meat. When the pan is hot, place the chops into the pan and allow to cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip over and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sherry and continue cooking until pork chops are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, drizzle with truffle oil and let rest a few minutes before serving.

Happy Eating.

Pumpkin Polenta

The cool weather last week made me anxious for fall and fall flavor. Sure I'll miss those peaches and tomatoes, but I'll get pumpkin, gingersnaps, apples and ciders. Just thinking about it makes me feel warm. Anyway, I decided to get started a little early, and simultaneously bust through my weekday breakfast rut, with some delicious and healthy Pumpkin Polenta.



Pumpkin Polenta:
1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups of water, divided
2 tbsp of maple syrup
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

In a small pot boil 1 cup of water. In a bowl mix together the cornmeal, salt and 1/2 cup of water (warning: if you skip this step your polenta will be very lumpy). When the water is boiling add the wet cornmeal and the maple syrup, reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until thick and smooth. Stir in pumpkin and spices until combined. Cook another 5 minutes. Serve and Enjoy.

Also, this can be made in advance and re-heated in a microwave. Just store in a covered container in the fridge and then microwave for about a minute when you want to enjoy it.

Happy Eating