Spicy Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

The inspiration for this meal came from the one poor little butternut squash that’s been sitting on my counter since November, just begging me to be cooked. The truth is, I’m so squashed-out from all that we got from our farm share that I just couldn’t bear to eat anymore for at least a month. I knew I probably only had a few weeks left before my squash started to go bad so I searched my cupboards (AKA Pinterest) for a dish that wasn’t overly squashy. The original recipe calls for adding bulgar to add bulk and to replace the beef, but I chose not to add it. I love chili, so I knew I’d only be kidding myself into thinking it was something that it’s not. That being said, this soup definitely stacks up against the competition. It makes a hearty weeknight meal or reheats easily for lunch. Bonus: It’s 100% vegetarian/vegan if you use vegetable broth and omit the optional greek yogurt topping.

Spicy Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
adapted from The Bitten Word

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed
• 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 2 cups frozen fire roasted poblano peppers
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, depending on desired thickness
• juice of half a lime
• coarse kosher salt
• greek yogurt (optional)
• sliced avocado (optional)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle chili powder and coriander over; stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with juice, beans, poblanos, squash and oregano. Add broth and lime juice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with greek yogurt and avocado slices.

Twice Baked Winter Squash Gratin

attendees for the November Supper Club

the delicious menu

For our second Supper Club our host chose Crockpot and Stovetop dishes as her theme, as she is in the middle of a kitchen renovation. While this dish was neither (no one ever said I was good at following the rules), I figured I could just bring it over hot. I had (and still currently have) so much winter squash left from my farm share that I really needed to use it up. And since the hubs doesn’t eat it, this was really the only opportunity I had to use some of it up. It came out pretty good for just winging it! The only issue I ran into was when I was running the onions through the food processor. They kept getting stuck around the blades so I needed to make sure to check that those got pureed. Other than that, this dish was delish!

Twice Baked Winter Squash Gratin

• 1 butternut squash, acorn squash and red kuri squash (or any other combination)
• 4 small onions
• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus 3 tablespoons extra
• pinch of fresh or dried parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice squash in half, scoop out seeds and cut the onions in half. Coat the cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the squash halves, cut-side down, on a baking sheet. Place the onions under each squash cavity and place in the oven. Roast until very soft and fork tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh from the squash halves and place in food processor with the roasted onions. Purée until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with ricotta and parmesan cheese until well incorporated. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Fill a shallow dish with mixture. Sprinkle the top with remaining parmesan cheese, parsley and a light drizzle of olive oil. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Place under broiler for 5 more minutes, until top of gratin has browned.

Goat Cheese Tortellini with Roasted Vegetables

Goat Cheese Tortellini with Roasted Vegetables

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 3 small beets
• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 medium zucchini
• olive oil
• handful of fresh herbs, stemmed and chopped (rosemary, oregano, thyme and chives)
• salt and pepper
• 1 package of goat cheese tortellini (in the refrigerated section)
• parmesan cheese
• crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prep the butternut squash by peeling the outer skin and removing seeds, dice into 1-inch cubes. Peel beets and dice into small cubes. Cube the eggplant and zucchini and toss all vegetables in olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Place on a large cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and toss with the roasted vegetables, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Serve and enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Well, it’s 50 degrees and sunny here in Buffalo today. Certainly way above normal temps for January 7th! I decided it was a perfect day to whip up some yummy soup. We had a large butternut squash leftover from our farm share that ended back in November. I’ve been mulling over what I should make with it for some time now. My husband (Mr. Picky Eater) won’t dare eat squash of any kind so it’s all for me!

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-Apple-Soup-365210

• 6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 pound boiling potatoes
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 pound total)
• 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 1/2 to 4 cups)
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups water

Cook bacon in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons fat in pot. (Add vegetable oil if your bacon is very lean and doesn’t yield enough fat.)

Cook celery, carrot, and onion in fat in pot over low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add cinnamon and cook, uncovered, stirring, 1 minute.

While vegetables are cooking, peel potatoes and coarsely chop. Peel and core 1 apple and coarsely chop.

Stir squash, potato, chopped apple, stock, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into onion mixture, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree soup in 4 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then heat in cleaned pot over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. (Add additional 1/2 cup water to thin, if necessary.)

While soup is heating, cut enough of remaining apple into thin matchsticks (about 1 1/2-inches long) to measure about 1/2 cup.

Serve soup topped with sour cream, bacon, and apple matchsticks.