I have a big weekend of 'festing' in front of me and in anticipation, was inspired to break out some fall ingredients ;o)
- Pumpkin puree (a well-stocked and cherished item in my house - you should have seen me hoarding it when they announced that there was a pumpkin shortage last year!)
- A recently purchased butternut squash
The first recipe I hunted down was for Butternut Squash Soup. I love a good squash soup, it's hearty without being too heavy and is sweet without being too sweet. This recipe I found (courtesy of Elli Krieger and Food Network) adds an Indian twist with curry powder. I also added some extra heat since I like things spicy. But, as with most recipes, you can adjust it to your liking as long as you pay attention to the basics.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup (Click to see the original recipe)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
4-5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder
4 dashes smoked chipotle hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons plain low-fat yogurt, for garnish
Directions
Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft but not brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the butternut squash, broth, curry powder, hot sauce and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat stir in honey and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt, to taste.
Ladle into serving bowls and add a dollop of yogurt.
I brought some of the leftover soup for lunch today and let me tell you, it only gets better with time!
For the next recipe, I have to admit that I'm not much of a baker, nor do I ever have all of the items needed for baked goods (outside of dry ingredients) in my house. But Mrs. Ina Garten inspired me with her maple scones, so I took stock of what I had, and with a few tweaks, ended up with a yummy pumpkin vegan version! Well, almost vegan - I didn't have enough 'faux' margarine so I used half Earth Balance and half I Can't Believe it's Not Butter.
Vegan Pumpkin Scones (recipe adapted from About.com)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups flour (I used 3 cups AP and 1/2 cup Brown Rice flour, but you can stick with AP for all of it or sub in Wheat if you prefer)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegan margarine
2 cups (roughly one 15 oz. can) pureed pumpkin
Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger) and give them a whisk to incorporate. Cut in vegan margarine, adding a bit at a time until the margarine and dry items form pea-sized kernels within the mixture. Add pumpkin and combine well.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, knead dough a few times and roll, pushing it into a large circle that's about 1.5 to 2 inches thick.
Then, cut the dough into even, triangular slices (should yield about 15 or so) and place scones on a non-stick or non-stick sprayed baking sheet.
For an extra garnish and sweetness, mix another TBSP of sugar and a tsp of cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle on to scones before placing in the oven.
Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Be warned that these do turn out softer than the usual scone, but they are delicious treat and will fill your house with the aroma of pumpkin and spice - one of my favorite fragrances of all time!
Cheers to Fall!
