Winter Squash Soup

All of a sudden, it was Squash Overload in my kitchen!

My daughter and I split the Red Kuri and the Black Japanese Futsu squash, in the front left. I decided to roast my halves with the big Butternut Squash. No oil, salt, pepper. . .nothing this time, just plain cut squash.

I cleaned out the seeds then roasted the squash pieces at 375° for almost an hour. I couldn't believe how easily the skins came off! I usually attempt to peel them before roasting! What a struggle that is! (the bright yellow Delicata, Sweet Dumpling and Carnival will be another recipe, or two in the next few days.)

When the squash is done, put it on the counter to cool a bit. Peel it and put it aside until the aromatic vegetables have sautéed. Once the pieces were peeled, their total weight was 4½#.

Chop and Sauté:

1 medium winter onion

1 lg. purple shallot

1 lg. garlic clove

2 stalks of celery (with the finely chopped tops added later) in 2T coconut oil or EVOO

Stir in 1-2t fresh ground black pepper

¼-½t cayenne pepper

2T coconut sugar

When this begins to brown, add a little water. Eventually, you'll add a total of 3 cups, a little at a time. Put the squash into the pot and break it up with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add the celery tops, the rest of the water, and:

2-3T vegetable or chicken Better Than Bouillon

2T pumpkin pie spice

Simmer 15 minutes. Blend* this with a regular blender or an immersion blender. Add a 14oz. can of coconut milk, stir and heat again to just a low simmer. Serve with some craisins, a little dab of sour cream and a sprinkle of spiced turbinado sugar. The sweetness brings out the flavor of the squash. . .Lin

*If you like your soup really smooth, silky and glistening, use a regular blender. I like mine with a little texture, so I used my immersion blender.

Serbian Eggplant Surprise

3 Japanese eggplants

2 big carrots

1 med. onion

1 very lg. purple shallot

½ lg. parsley root

5-8 lg. cloves of garlic

½c Italian or Tuscan seasoned olive oil

Parsley Root - Who Knew??

¼c good quality aged balsamic vinegar

1T Rosemary Seasoning *

1T good quality dried Greek oregano

1¼# finely cubed beef

1 19oz. jar of Spicy Ajvar

1 14oz. can of coconut milk

½c Vodka and ½c (water, milk, cream)

cooked pasta or mashed potatoes

Cut the first five vegetables, in small to medium size chunks, into a large bowl.  Add the minced garlic, oil and vinegar, toss to coat and let stand to marinate 20 minutes or so, while browning the beef in a heavy pot with a little of the seasoned oil or butter.  After marinating, put the vegetables on a parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pan with 1" sides.  Roast at 400° for 30-45 minutes until they're slightly drier than when they started and looking well caramelized.  

*Add to the browned chopped beef, stirring gently, then, I added about ⅔ of a jar of the Ajvar and ½ a can of coconut milk.  Stir and simmer this gently until it's bubbling well.  Adjust the flavors and amounts of Ajvar and coconut milk to make a nice rich sauce.  The Vodka was a really good flavor enhancer as well as good to thin the sauce, with the water, which is what I used, to make it more saucy than "gloppy."  Serve it chunky as it is now, *or use an immersion blender to combine all the vegetables, Ajvar and coconut milk SEPARATELY from the meat, and make it smooth.  After it's blended, add it to the meat.

Serve over a 'starch' - either mashed potatoes or pasta.  At this point you could also put the starch in the bottom of a buttered pan, cover with meat and sauce, sprinkle with a layer of Italian bread crumbs mixed with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, and baked 20 minutes or so.  Lots of fun options with this one.

As always, I wish for you to . . .
Be Creative and have a Happy Cooking Day. . . 😊. . .Lin