Posts Tagged ‘butternut squash’

I guess great minds think alike because both Emily and I planned soup posts around the same time!  Yes…great minds!  Soup is so good any time of the year, but with all of the fresh fall vegetables out there it’s hard to deny that soup season has officially began. 

Craig and I are making some major (and hopefully permanent) changes to our diets.  I know it will be hard and we will probably fail at times, but with tasty recipes out there like this one, it won’t be a daily struggle! 

I hate to make huge dietary announcements because if I slip up you all will probably be the first to know, but if I’m going to share my culinary adventures with you then you should at least be privy to the downs as well as the ups.  Craig and I have made the decision to give up sugar and wheat (gluten).  Neither Craig nor I am a celiac, so the decision was not based on allergy/sickness concerns.  We do both suffer from digestive problems, lack of energy, and pesky weight gain.  We also both have diabetes in our families.  I have it on both sides of mine and have suffered from low blood-sugar for many years.  It’s time to take a stand and not let what we put in our mouths ruin our future. 

I promise to still have delicious recipes for you all and will never stop baking.  I just couldn’t live without baking.  I do have a lot to learn though, so bare with me as I try to adapt and create delicious treats.  Although I promise that my failed attempts will be just as fun as my successful ones. 

So now that I’ve laid it all out on the table, let’s all go make some tasty soup!  Seriously, this recipe was delicious.  I can’t seem to get enough butternut squash and have been printing out recipes like crazy.  If only those darn things were easier to cut up.  You’ll probably get blisters like I did from cutting that squash up into cubes, but I’m telling you it will totally be worth it.  Plus, those blisters may get you out of washing dishes.  “Honey, would you like a side of guilt with your soup?”  Heeeheehee.

Ground Turkey & Squash Soup
Adapted from Gooseberry Patch magazine (loooove this mag)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
1 small/medium or 1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 can white beans, drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add ground turkey, and cook until lightly browned, breaking it up as it cooks. 

Add onion, red pepper, garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper.  Stir together and saute over high heat until the onion is clear.  Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano.  Add broth, cover, and bring to a boil.

Add squash cubes and bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes.  Make sure to stir the soup occasionally and add another dash of salt and pepper.

Add beans, tomatoes, and a cup of water, and bring soup to boil for about three minutes.  Add another dash of salt and pepper, stir, and ladle into bowls.  Serves 6-8.

So it’s officially fall.  That seems to be the common theme these days.  Everyone is so pumped that the sweaty hot summer is over and we can all step outside and enjoy the fresh air.  It is so hard not to become obsessed with this time of year.  All I want to do is drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes, hang out at the Farmer’s Market, talk Halloween, and buy every spice-scented candle I can get my hands on.

I am majorly craving fall foods too!  Aren’t we all?  The squashes, figs, apples, etc call to me when I’m at the store.  I want simmering pots of stew on the stove and apple crisps bubbling in the oven.  But I don’t always have time for a well-thought-out, all-day cooking marathon.  Who am I kidding?  This year, I barely have time to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!  I still want to enjoy fall flavors, but I’ve had to get a bit creative on the timing.

One recent Sunday, I really wanted roasted squash.  I had bought these fun curly noodles a while back and had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them.  I decided to make a roasted squash pasta.  It was easy and SO delicious.  My husband kept commenting on it while we were eating dinner.  It was so creamy and full of flavor.  To be honest, it almost tasted like macaroni and cheese.  I know, weird right?  I could totally see tricking kids into eating squash by telling them it’s mac ‘n cheese.  Alright, that might be evil, but with Halloween around the corner, it’s the perfect time of year for a little trick!

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Pancetta
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

2 small or 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
1/2 pound pancetta, cubed
1 shallot, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chiffonade (sliced thin)
1/2 teaspoon salt, more for squash
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound pasta, cooked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.  Sprinkle cut side with salt and place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet.  Cover with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Scoop out flesh of squash into a bowl.

In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, add pancetta.  Cook for three minutes and add the shallot and garlic.  Cook for another three minutes and add squash puree.  Raise heat to medium and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often.  Add heavy cream and parmesan, and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often.  Season with salt and pepper and add sage.  Toss with pasta and serve immediately.