Butternut Bisque

Is it possible that Butternut Bisque could sound better than it tastes?  Yes, I believe so.  Smooth, light, buttery, nutty, sweet, ... Inspired by the season I decided to try my hand at this classic soup.  In the end I modified a recipe from Simply in Season, a fabulous staple cookbook to have on hand.

The Recipe:

• 1 onion
• 2 T butter
• 1 Apple
• 1 (large) butternut squash
• 2-3 C chicken stock
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 C milk/coconut milk/yoghurt (I used dilute coconut milk)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Cut up onion and saute it in the butter while you chop up the apple and squash.  As you finish chopping, add them to the pot.  
• Then add 2 c. Chicken broth + 1 c. water (or some combination of liquid which almost covers the vegetables) and cook, covered, until soft.  I went and did some fall gardening while this was happening, but I think it took around half an hour.
• Puree with an immersion blender, or transfer in small batches to food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Really smooth (or to your personal preference).
• Add the maple syrup, milk, and salt and continue to puree or stir.
• Remember to serve in bowls before you accidentally eat the whole thing out of the pot!

If you like, you can toast the seeds from the squash and use them as a garnish.  One nifty trick is to dunk all the innards of the squash in a bowl of water, and work with your hands.  The seeds will then float to the top, making them easy to remove.

How to Enjoy Squash - Part II

Squash of almost all varieties is ridiculously cheap at the market these days, so I figured it was high time to share one of my favorite recipe discoveries from this fall.  I don't have a name for it yet, other than "that yummy squash and chicken baked dish".  It is inspired by this recipe over at Crepes of Wrath.  Every time I make it, I think it is a bit different, but so far I haven't had any bad reviews :).

I'm making it this weekend to help feed a crowd, so you might find this comes just in time for the holiday season.  It's a nice alternative to the traditional dishes.  Plus it's all vegetables that are easy to find in the early winter.  Enjoy!


Total time (approx.): not sure.. 2 hrs?  It bakes for about an hour.
 Ingredients (all approximate):
Chicken: I use about 1/2 lb chicken breast pieces, but more meat would work, and of different cuts.
3 carrots
1 butternut squash
1 onion
3 small potatoes (optional)
1/2 - 1 green pepper (optional)
2 T olive oil
1 t paprika (optional)
1/2 t  ground black pepper
pinch rosemary
herbes de provence
salt
3-5 cloves garlic
2-3 Tbsp butter
1 c. chicken stock.


Here's how you make it:

How to enjoy squash - part I

I have decided that I love squash. There are so many possibilities! Here's one I came up with recently:

• Cut an acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place in a baking dish.
• Cut up an apple.
• Chop up some nuts - I used pecans but walnuts would work well too.  About 1/2 c is probably what I used.
• Mix apple, nuts, a bit of butter (cut), and a dusting of cinnamon.  Divide this and put it in the two halves.
• Pour about 1 Tbsp of maple syrup over each half.
• Put water into the pan with the squash so that its about 1/2" deep.  Cover with foil and bake the whole thing in the oven for 40-60 min at 400, until the squash is cooked.
• Enjoy!