Thai-inspired Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is subtle. And interesting. So much so that I find myself taking another spoonful just to discover another flavor.

Overall, this soup is just pureed butternut squash. But then I added traditional Thai spices (like lemongrass, ginger, curry, and coconut) and suddenly it became one of the most interesting soups I've ever tasted. Surprisingly, the day after, the soup had a much stronger lemongrass flavor. It was awesome! Another surprising aspect of this soup was how filling it is. I didn't expect that from a cream soup.

I roasted my butternut squash before adding it to the soup, but I recommend just braising it instead. Roasting added a lot of time and effort without the rewards on flavor for this particular soup. Butternut squash has a soft enough outside that peeling it with a vegetable peeler is my preferred method. The directions described in the recipe reflect the better braising method.

The red curry paste adds a nice depth to the soup. The soup is not spicy. Not even for a Minnesotan. But it is warming and oh so interesting. I take a spoonful, and I just sit and ponder it. Like a good glass of wine.

While on a recent trip to New York City, I discovered  flavored sea salts. I could have spent all day tasting flavored sea salts! After burning my mouth on the "hottest pepper in the world" sea salt, I decided to bring home Thai Ginger sea salt, which I ended up using in this recipe. It has a strong ginger flavor that goes nicely with the strong salt. In the event you don't have Thai Ginger sea salt in your cupboard, you can add 1 tablespoon minced ginger to the onion and red curry paste mixture and add salt to taste when you are simmering the soup.

Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup
4 Servings


2 small butternut squash (maybe 1 lb? When it was mashed, it filled about 4 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely diced
3/4 teaspoon red curry paste
3 teaspoons Thai Ginger sea salt (see above for substitution suggestions)
2 cups lemongrass tea (5-7 stalks crushed, coarsely chopped, and steeped in boiling water for at least 5 minutes)
7 ounces coconut milk
1 tablespoon oil

1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir until coated with oil. Turn down the heat to medium and let cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the curry paste and the Thai Ginger sea salt. Let cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Peel and de-seed the squash. Cut into 1 inch cubes and add to the sauce pan, cooking for 3 minutes. Pour in about 1 cup of the lemongrass tea, cover and let cook until soft. Remove the cover, and let the cook for about 5 minutes. There should still be a little bit of liquid in the pan to prevent burning.
3. Add the remaining tea and puree the soup using a hand blender (or a food processor). 
4. Return the soup to the stove and add the coconut milk (add water if you want a thinner soup). Cook for about 7 minutes to allow the flavors the blend (longer if you have the time). Taste, and adjust seasonings. Serve and ponder it's complex flavors.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel

This cake's name alone can make me drool. Just wait until you take it out of the oven. I brought this to brunch the other day, and it took every ounce of willpower not to devour it in the car ride over.

This is an intensely dense cake that actually packs some nutritional power thanks the pumpkin and super food cinnamon. Plus, without any eggs or butter weighing it down, its comparatively light in calories and fat.

Begin by mixing together the streusel ingredients to make a coarse crumb mixture. The recipe calls for canola oil, which was delicious. But, I think the next time I make this, I'll try using coconut oil for the streusel to make it pop a little more.

Then, mix together the soy milk, pumpkin, sugars, oil, and vanilla. If you don't want to use soy milk, almond milk would also be delicious. The milk should be a little dense, so I wouldn't use rice milk. And if you don't care about keeping this recipe vegan, dairy milk (2% or whole) would work too. Note: the picture doesn't show the oil since I forgot to add it until it was almost in the oven! Thankfully, I remembered to add it in time; it made a huge difference to the moisture level of the cake.

  

Then add all the dry ingredients, except for about half of the flour, stirring gently to mix.

 

Add the remaining flour, and use a fork to mix because it is good at helping maintain the pumpkin's texture while thoroughly mixing in the dry ingredients.

Spread the batter into a 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle with the streusel mixture.

 

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes and let cool before serving.

This cake is sweet, but not overly so. It is perfect for an autumn brunch!

So good.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel 

16 Servings, from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Pecan Streusel

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon allspice, ground
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Cake
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin, pureed
3/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light molasses
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
3/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/2 teaspoon all spice, ground
1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. 
2. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and spices. Drizzle in the canola oil and mix with your figures until small crumbs form. Mix in the chopped pecans and set aside.
3. Make the cake: Combine the pumpkin, soy milk, oil, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla in a large bowl, mixing well. Add about half the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Use a fork to mix together. 
4. Stir in the rest of the flour, mixing gently to avoid making the pumpkin gummy. 
5. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading out evenly. Sprinkle the streusel on the top, gently pressing very slightly so it sticks to the top well.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting into squares and serving.

Roasted Pear Salad

As if fresh pears weren't delicious enough, this salad "super-heroes" pears into a delicious category unto themselves. They could save the world. They're that good.

This salad paired (hehe, I couldn't resist!) nicely with the 1,000 Layer Lasagna I made for my nephew's first birthday. It looks super fancy, but it comes together pretty easily, especially if you cut the pears into larger chunks.

Roasting the pears takes some time and is the first step. I cut the pears into thin slices because I was serving a crowd, and they turned out divine. The recipe I was following just halved the pears and placed a dollop of jam and cheese in the center where the core used to be. So, you have some options when cutting the pears.

After slicing the pears, I covered them with fig jam and a couple crumbles of goat cheese (it really doesn't get any better than this!) and baked them in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese was a little brown. Then I had to put them out of sight so they could cool without me devouring them.

The fig vinaigrette is slightly sweet with just a hint of tangy sour from lemon juice. I tossed the greens with the dressing before adding any other vegetables or the pears. Less is more for this salad. After all, it is all about the pears.

Roasted Pear Salad

Serves 8 (or so), from Vegetarian Times, October 2010 

4 pears (Bosc, Comice, Concorde or Bartlett are the best for roasting)

1/4 - 1/3 cup fig jam (estimate, depends on how thick you slather it on the pears)

5 ounces goat cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 cups salad greens (like watercress or baby arugula; I used a salad mix from our CSA)

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the pears in half or in slices. Spread a layer of jam on each slice. Add a couple chunks of cheese to each slice and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown. Set aside to let cool slightly.
2. Make the dressing: Whisk together 2 tablespoons fig jam, lemon juice, and mustard. Then whisk in the olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Drizzle most of the dressing along the bottom of a large platter. Top with the greens and toss using tongs until the greens are well covered (but not heavy) with dressing. Sprinkle in the onion and walnuts, tossing to disperse evenly. Lay the pears on top of the greens and serve immediately (as if you could wait any longer to devour those roasted pears anyway!).

1,000 Layer Lasagna

This meal was just pure fun. Creativity, experimentation, flavor explosions all rolled up into one delicious birthday celebration.

My youngest nephew was celebrating his first birthday, so I offered to help my sister-in-law with the celebratory meal. She decided to serve a meat lasagna and a vegetarian lasagna. I found some recipes and viola! A fabulous meal!

The Menu:

• World's Best Lasagna
• 1,000 Layer Lasagna
• Homemade baguette with roasted garlic spread
• Roasted Pear Salad with Fig Vinaigrette (recipe coming soon!)
• Marble cake (purchased)

The most intense and amazing dish on the menu was the 1,000 Layer Lasagna (thanks 101 Cookbooks!). This dish contains many layers of the thinest fresh pasta with a kiss of perfectly seasoned tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The sauce and the cheese, I can handle. The fresh pasta was a challenge.

My plan was to purchase fresh pasta and then roll it out to be super thin. I went to several grocery and specialty stores in my area (one, Local D'Lish, even called around for me!). But alas. I found plenty of frozen fresh pasta, but none that I could roll out thinner. This unfortunate set-back became the perfect excuse to purchase a pasta maker! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.

Making pasta isn't all that difficult, but it is time consuming. It took me 15 minutes to make the dough and 1 hour to roll it out. I began rolling it out on the widest setting and incrementally made it thinner until I reached the thinnest setting. The pieces got really long! So, I had to cut them into smaller pieces to make them more manageable. By the time I was done, my sister-in-law's kitchen was covered in thin sheets of fresh pasta.

Once the pasta sheets had dried enough to not stick to each other too badly, I cut them into 4 inch squares and cooked them for just 20 seconds in salted, boiling water. Once they were cooked, I dipped them into cold water that had some olive oil in it and laid them out on a towel where they sat until I was ready to assemble the lasagna.

I added chunks of goat cheese since we had some leftover from the Roasted Pear Salad. The tangy flavor was nice, but not necessary.

I loved the texture of the tender layers of pasta, but my lasagna needed more sauce and cheese. When I make this again, I will double both the sauce and cheese amounts while leaving the noodle amount the same. Because this lasagna is all about the noodles, keeping the cheese simple is important. I was tempted to add some ricotta and other cheeses, but I'm glad I didn't. The mozzarella was perfect in its simplicity. 

How did this lasagna stand up to the World's Best Lasagna (meat version)? The noodles were the star of the show (next to the birthday boy, of course!). Next time, we'll use them in both versions.

Pistou Soup

This soup will make your taste buds dance for joy. Just pure deliciousness.

The other day I decided to resume my cold-weather habit and baked some french bread. This got me thinking about traditional French soups.

Pistou soup is a vegetable and bean soup in an herbed broth. The name comes from the pistou sauce that is dolloped onto the soup just before serving. Pistou sauce is similar to pesto, except without pine nuts. It has a wonderfully bright garlic flavor. If you love garlic, you'll love this soup!

The keys to making a fabulous pistou soup are: 1) use the freshest ingredients and 2) make the best smelling bouquet garni ever. If you have these two things, you cannot go wrong!

A bouquet garni works similarly to a tea bag. You place your herbs in a cheesecloth and let them steep, flavoring the soup. When the soup is perfectly seasoned (usually toward the end of the cooking process), remove the herbs. This method helps to ensure that the seasoning is even throughout the soup. Use the freshest herbs you can find and trust your nose. When you place the herbs into the cheesecloth, take in a deep whiff. Adjust the proportions of the herbs until you fall in love with the scent.

Seriously. I cannot tell you how delicious this soup is! I can hardly wait to make it again!

A recent couchsurfer gave us a bottle of wine, which is from her home, before she continued on her journey. I just love the label on this wine! It was fruity but not too sweet. A perfect complement for the soup.

Pistou Soup
6-8 servings, inspired by Patricia's Pistou Soup

3 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh thyme
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
10 whole peppercorns
10 cloves garlic
2 cups white beans, soaked
1 cup carrot, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups red potatoes, diced
1 patty pan squash, de-seeded and diced
3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup olive oil (estimate)
3/4 cup thin spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces
parmesan cheese

1. Soak the dried beans: Place at least 1 cup of dried white beans in a large pot. Cover with 2-3 inches of cold water. Bring to boil. Boil uncovered for about 2 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Let soak for about 2 hours. When beans are tender, drain the water, and they are now ready to be cooked. Use about 2 cups soaked beans for this recipe.
2. Make the bouquet garni: place bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and peppercorns into a square piece of cheesecloth, and tie with a string. 
3. In a large stockpot, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Crush and coarsely chop 3 garlic cloves. Add garlic, bouquet garni, and salt (to taste - about 1 teaspoon) to the pot. Stir for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
4. Add the soaked beans and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for about 3 minutes.
5. Crush and coarsely chop 5 garlic cloves. Add garlic, carrots, onions, and potatoes to the pot. Cook, stirring regularly, over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. (This step greatly enhances the soup's flavor!)
6. Pour some boiling water over the tomatoes. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Cool the tomatoes by using tongs to hold the tomatoes under cold running water. Remove the skin of each tomato and coarsely chop.
7. Add squash, tomatoes, tomato paste, 6 cups water, and salt to taste. Simmer gently for 30-60 minutes until the beans are creamy tender. 
8. Make the pistou sauce: mince the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Using a mortar and pestle (or a small bowl and muddler), add the basil, garlic, and salt to taste and grind into a fine paste. Add a few drops of olive oil to the paste and grind in. Repeat process until the paste is a pesto-like consistency and tastes delicious. Add more olive oil if the garlic flavor is too strong. You will use about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.
9. Add the pasta to the soup and simmer until al dente. 
10. Remove the bouquet garni and taste for seasoning. 
11. To serve, pour a ladle of soup into a bowl. Top with a small dollop of pistou sauce and with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Eat with thick-crusted french bread and red wine.