Curried Butternut Squash Crab Soup

Happy new year!

Can you believe it's 2013? Did you make your new year resolutions?

I've got about ten or so... you can read about them here on my author blog. One very exciting possibility—a cookbook based on my blog. I'll provide more details as it starts to come together.

After spending a week back East cooking with my mother, I was inspired to whip up a feast for New Year's Eve. I started the meal with this Curried Butternut Squash Crab Soup. The squash is roasted in the oven and then pureed into a velvety rich soup, spiked with curry powder and coconut milk. I garnish it with lump crab meat, cilantro, and toasted pepitos—this adds both texture and flavor.

The resulting soup is spicy, decadent, and creamy (but without dairy). To make it vegan, simply leave out the crab. This is perfect dish for these cold January days.

Curried Butternut Squash Crab Soup

Serves 4-6 people
Cooking time: about one hour
Gluten-free; dairy-free; easy to veganize

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and freshly ground pepper

for garnishing:
fresh cilantro, chopped
toasted pepitos (pumpkin seeds)
lump crab meat (about 1/4 cup per serving)
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place the squash in a roasting pan. Rub the inside of the squash with the olive oil, thyme, and chili flakes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the squash face down and poke holes in the skin with a knife. Roast the squash in the oven for about 50 minutes or until tender.

3. Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool. Once it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh from the skin and place it in a blender. Add the curry powder, garlic cloves, maple syrup, and vegetable stock and puree until smooth, adding more stock as needed for desired consistence.

4. Pour the newly pureed soup into a pot on the stovetop. Stir in the coconut milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly bring up to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.

5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the crab, cilantro  and pepitos. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.  Enjoy!

Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf

Happy Monday!

It's a cloudy, rainy one here in to Los Angeles, but a change of pace is nice sometimes. What news do I have? Firstly, Meatless Monday is featuring my soup recipe from last week (which they are calling Orzo Spinach Soup), and my photograph is on their homepage. Love those guys.

And I'm halfway through my new book (quite an accomplishment I think).

Anyway, I've been cooking up a storm and have lots of great recipes waiting in the wings. But today, I'm writing up this one for Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf.

You see tons of rice pilaf recipes, but I love using quinoa instead. It's super high in protein and has a great nutty flavor. I used an organic tri-color quinoa blend from Trader Joe's that I just love! But any sort will work.

For this recipe, I combine apricots, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds, giving it a little bit of a Middle Eastern flair. This dish is great on its own (lots of protein), as a side dish, or served with eggs for breakfast.

Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock or water
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute for a few minutes, until softened. 
2. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa for 2 minutes under cold water.
3. Add the stock, quinoa, and apricots. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes (per quinoa package instructions). 
4. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, remove from heat and fold in the pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
5. If desired, finish with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Archive: 'Brûléed' Delicata Squash

Happy Thursday!

A slow start to my day due to hosting my book club last night. I made Braised White Bean Cassoulet with chicken sausage, one of my favorite comfort food recipes. Much vino was drunk and gossip was exchanged. The night crept later than anticipated, but time with girlfriends is priceless.

Meanwhile, my husband is off in NYC on business. So the Adorable Monster and I have the house to ourselves. We're taking it easy on this cloudy day. Well, he always takes it easy, but I'm joining him this time.

With only two weeks to go until Thanksgiving, here's another one of my favorite holiday recipes. This one combines delicata squash, which is braised in the oven, with pepitos, basil, and goat cheese. The special touch is that I brûlée the squash with brown sugar under the broiler to finish it off.

The resulting dish is sweet and creamy and everything in between, making it perfect for your Thanksgiving feast.

'Brûléed' Delicata Squash 
Serves 6-8 people
Cooking time: about 50 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 delicata squash, halved and seeded
• 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons basil, cut into long, thin strips (chiffonade)
• 1/4 cup pepitos (pumpkin seeds), roasted and salted
• 1/4 cup chevre (goat cheese)
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. To make the squash, cut the halves into slices (they'll be semi-circles) and place in a single layer on a oven proof dish. Brush the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  
3. Fill the dishes with about 1/4 inch of water (shouldn't cover the squash). Place in the oven and roast for about 30-40 minutes, or until the squash are tender.
4. To brûlée them, remove the squash from the oven and set the oven to broil. Sprinkle the tops of the squash slices with the brown sugar.  
5. Place the squash under the broiler until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
6. To plate, layer the squash in a serving dish and top with the pepitos. Then, crumble the goat cheese on top (hint: place in the freezer for a few minutes first for easy crumbling). Finish the dish with the basil and some freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!