Vanilla Butternut Soup

My husband called me during the day to tell me, he was not feeling well.  He called again, on his way home, to tell me that he was feeling even worse and wanted to come home, eat and go to sleep.  What does a wife do when her husband is under the weather?  She makes soup.

The problem, I had, was that I had less than a half an hour to pull this off and I was in the midst of making a quiche for dinner.  While, I chopped and mixed,  I was thinking about what kind of soup, I could put together in a few minutes time.  That is when I spotted a very small butternut squash on the counter.  A light bulb lit up and thoughts raced through my mind.

Step 1 – Microwave squash so that this would be possible.

Step 2 – Chop onions and brown in a pot.

Step 3 – Get out the immersion blender.

Step 4 – Finish the quiche and get it into the oven.

This worked well.  While the squash cooked and the onions browned, I put the quiche together and got it, into the oven.   Now, for the soup…….. Opening the refrigerator usually works for me.  I pulled out vanilla yogurt and apple sauce but something was missing.  Honey – I wanted some honey for my honey.  (Corny huh?) 

We both oohed and ahed over this soup.  It was absolutely delicious and I am not sure if it was the yogurt, apple sauce or honey.  All, I know is that this is by far the best butternut squash soup, I have ever made and I will go further and say, it may be the best soup, I have made.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Vanilla Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, mashed

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup milk (I used low-fat)

2/3 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)

cinnamon (optional – I didn’t include it)

Procedure

In microwave, cook butternut squash until it is cooked completely.  It took 10 minutes on my microwave but I am sure, it will vary, with different microwaves.  Of course, you can bake it, in the regular oven, if you prefer.

In 3 quart saucepan, heat olive oil and add chopped onions.  Cook onions on a low flame until translucent.  If you have time, caramelizing them would, most likely, give it an even better flavor.

When onions are cooked, add honey and mix it in.  Keep a very low flame on.

Remove squash from skin.  This small squash had almost no seeds.  Do remove the seeds with a spoon.  Mash squash in a medium-large bowl.  Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Add to pot with onions and heat thoroughly for about 15 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to make soup smooth.  If the soup is too thick, add some more milk and heat a little while longer.

Swirl some yogurt on top of each bowl of soup.

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Risso E Zucca

Risso E Zucca  (Rice and Squash)

I started out making one recipe and ended up making another.  This is the problem, I find, when I check out a few different recipes. Each one has something good to offer.  I wanted a simple recipe, quick to make, considering my time was not my own.  I had numerous responsibilities and limited time.  This seemed to be perfect and after eating it, we can say, it was near perfect.  Everyone had the table enjoyed it and it is dish with multiple textures and multiple tastes.  If you are a fan of rice or butternut squash, this is a good choice.

Ingredients

•  2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups butternut squash, cubed and microwaved for two minutes
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup brown  rice, cooked
• 1 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup raisins (I was out of golden so I used the dark raisins)

Directions

 Heat oil in a large skillet or pot, and sauté onions on medium-high heat until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add celery, squash and spices, and sauté for another 3 minutes, stirring often. Add rice. Add vegetable broth and raisins Simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook on low heat for about 5  minutes until everything is heated.

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles

• Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples (bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com)
• Kasha with Butternut Squash Cubes (bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com)
• Butternut Squash Soup (aoifenica.wordpress.com)
• Easy Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash (bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com)
• Butternut Squash Muffins (bookcasefoodie.wordpress.com)

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Easy Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash

Image via Wikipedia

 Butternut squash is truly a gift to the cook.  It can be made 1-2-3 by adding different spices or sweeteners.  At this point, I have made it differently, at least two dozen times.  I serve it in cubes with other vegetables, add it to a stew or a chili, use it in place of pumpkin or sweet potatoes and serve it, as below.

Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (about 2-3 pounds)
1/4 cup margarine, cubed
3 tablespoons  Rice Dream
2 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Method:

Place squash in a 350 degree oven.  Bake for 40 minutes.  If you microwave it first for 4 minutes, it will cut down the oven baking time. 

Scoop squash out of shell.  Mash squash with the remaining ingredients. 

   Easy to Make – Yummy to the Taste

Caramelized Squash

Image via Wikipedia

I love most squash.  To think, only a few years ago, I had not eaten squash, at least to the best, I can remember.  What a wonderful vegetable, not to have had.

 

I had the butternut squash, in the house and had to come up with a recipe.  This one caught my eye because of the caramelization.

I have made something similar with a combination of sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  It was fantastic which was an impetus to try this one.

Carmelized Butternut Squash Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

 Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Peel the squash, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet.

Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula, to be sure it browns evenly. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

This was as popular, as I thought it would be.