Can’t say that I have ever woke up with them bullfrogs on my mind, but I did wake up with butternut squash and Rory Gallagher the Irish blues legend on my mind today. And why did I wake up with these two completely different things on my mind? Bullfrog Blues was on my mind after a chat with my friend Bobby in Alaska who called me to hook me up with some Rory G songs on the internet. If you need a taste here is a link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Jaodra7AY&noredirect=1. This is a good morning maniac music type song to get you going.The butternut squash was on my mind due to a visit to the Home and Garden show in Timonium, Maryland yesterday where I sat through a 30 minute demo of Kitchen Craft cookware. I usually wouldn’t do such a thing however it was at a point where my wife and I had seen just about everything, and had some time to spare to see what this whole “cooking without water” thing was about. It was very interesting especially the presenter’s claim that you lose 70% of the vitamins and other good stuff when you cook vegies in water. The presenter made some good points on why to get rid of your aluminum cookware, and especially your teflon cookware. Not that I believed everything he said, but it’s probably a good thing to dump the aluminum, which I have been doing in stages for about 15 years anyway. But I digress. The reason I had butternut squash on my mind was because the presenter made a good point on why to include it in your diet often, and I had a lovely butternut hanging out on my kitchen counter just waiting for inspiration on what to do with it. So today is the day it gets prepared, but before I get into that here’s some good info on the nutritional benefits of butternut squash from www.wholeliving.com:

Nutrition Breakdown

Per 1 cup cooked, approximately 205 grams

Calories:

82 kcal

Fat: 0.2 g

Vitamin A: 1,144 mcg = 163 percent* of DRI**

Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg = 20 percent of DRI

Vitamin C: 31 mg = 41 percent of DRI

Folate: 39 mcg = 10 percent of DRI

Potassium: 582 mg = 12 percent of DRI

Percentages are for women 31 to 50 years old who are not pregnant
** DRI, Dietary Reference Intake, is based on National Academy of Sciences’ Dietary Reference Intakes, 1997 to 2004

You can probably see that it is full of good stuff for a body, but the best part is all the ways you can prepare it. I love butternut squash soup, or oven roasted butternut squash. It cooks up well with so many different types of herbs and spices from onion and garlic to cinnamon and ginger. You can cook it seasoned with Indian Curry, or your favorite steak seasoning. I will admit it is a challenge to peel a butternut squash, but most grocery stores sell it already cut into cubes for fast and easy preparation. For todays post I decided to do Butternut squash 3 ways using a 1 pound 2 ounce organic specimen. To make it a bit more interesting I’m going to make it in 3 ways that I have never seen or had before today so hang on, here we go.

#1 Curried Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

#2 Butternut Squash with Walnut Oil and Sage Tossed in Penne Pasta

#3 Butternut Squash and Celery Salad

I’m back at the laptop and done with the whirlwind Butternut project and quite pleased with the results. For the pasta and salad dish I oven roasted the squash all at once sparing me some time. While cutting up the squash I decided to try a new idea on roasting the seeds so I put the seeds from the squash in a small baking dish prepped with a quarter teaspoon of walnut oil and seasoned them with ground dried chipolte pepper powder and Lawrey”s Seasoning Salt. They came out great! The pasta dish was good, but would be better with the addition of mushrooms, or Italian sausage. I liked the way the salad turned out and will try it with dried tarragon next time to see if that’s a better herb.

The soup however was the best of the bunch. It came out thick and rich tasting with just the right amount of curry. For you my dear readers since I usually only post one recipe per post I’ll give you the soup recipe here today, and the rest will be re-tested for addition to my cookbook project. For you brave souls that try the Butternut Squash Soup please leave your comments. Bon Appetit until we meet/eat again.

Butternut Squash four ways.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut and Curry

1 tablespoon walnut oil, or canola oil

1/4 cup minced yellow onion

1/4 cup minced celery

1 cup sliced carrots

2 cups water

2 cups cubed butternut squash

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 can of coconut milk,(14 oz)

1 teaspoon Better Than Bullion Chicken Base, or 1 vegetable stock cube

salt and white pepper to taste, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon each

Saute minced onions, and celery with oil in a 1 1/2 to 2 quart pot on medium low for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add carrots, squash, curry powder, turmeric, chicken base and water. Increase heat to medium high and cook covered until it starts simmering. Turn it down, stir, and continue to cook simmering until squash is cooked, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add coconut milk, salt and pepper then cook for about 3 more minutes. Turn off heat and blend with an immersion blender or table top blender until smooth. Serve with roasted squash seeds on top, or a small sprinkle of nutmeg.

Serves 4-6.

Note:

* Low fat coconut milk can be used.

15 Minute Tomato Soup

Here is my latest version of an American classic comfort food. It’s fast, It’s yummy, and it’s easy to make. I hope you like it.

15 Minute Cream of Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon oil or butter

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1 tablespoon flour

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

14.5 ounces milk

1/2 vegetable bullion cube or chicken bullion

Salt and ground white pepper to taste

In a one and a half to two quart pot saute shallots in oil on medium low heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to brown the shallots. Add flour and cook for another 3 minutes stirring often. Add tomatoes, milk, bullion, and turn up the heat to medium high stirring constantly. When soup starts to simmer turn off heat. If you want a smooth soup blend with an immersion blender and strain. You can also use a table top blender.

Note: You can add 1/2 teaspoon dried basil for a nice tomato basil soup.

This soup doesn’t have to be blended if you don’t mind a chunky tomato soup.

I like to use organic tomatoes for this soup.

1 qt chicken broth
1 cup cooked chicken cut in bite size pieces
1 4 oz can diced green chiles
1 medium fresh tomato diced
1 cup corn, fresh, frozen or canned
1 cup delicata squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 T sliced green onions
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled tortilla chips for garnish
optional, 1-2 diced jalapenos

Simmer all ingredients, except tortilla chips for 30 minutes then serve.
Note: Substitute chicken with 1 15oz can of black beans or pinto beans for an almost vegetarian meal. Subtitute chicken stock with vegetable stock for a Vegan meal.
Serves 4

Cream of Mushroom Soup

24 oz mushrooms chopped, mix and match 8 oz packages if you like

2 Tablespoons oil or butter

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 clove garlic minced

3 TBSP butter or oil

4 TBSP flour

32 fl oz chicken stock

1/4 to 1/2  cup half and half

1 teaspoon Spike seasoning salt

ground white pepper to taste (appx 1/4 tsp)

salt to taste ( appx 1/4 tsp)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Mince onion and garlic. Saute in the olive and hazelnut oil for 3 minutes on medium heat stirring often. Add chopped mushrooms and cook  20-25 minutes on med low heat, or until most liquid is cooked off.  Stir occasionally.  Melt butter in a small sauce pan on low heat and add flour to make a roux.  Cook for 5 minutes on low heat stirring constantly, but slowly.  Set aside.

When most of the liquid is cooked out of the mushroom/onion mixture add the chicken stock, white pepper, salt,spike, roux.  Cook on medium high heat stirring often until thickened.  Add the half and half

and stir until it returns to a simmer. Stir in fresh thyme, and blend with an immersion blender then serve.  A table top blender can be used, but be careful with this hot soup and blend in two batches. May be garnished with chopped chives for color.

Serves four.

Note: For a lower salt soup use salt free chicken stock and add less salt.

You can use button, crimini, maitake, and shitake mushrooms in this soup. I like 1-2 thirds of it to be button mushrooms, and the rest Maitake.

For a richer thicker soup us heavy cream instead of half and half, and increase roux to 4 tablespoons butter and 5 tablespoons flour.

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 clove fresh garlic minced, or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 14.5 oz can of kidney beans

1 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 5.5 oz can of V-8 vegetable juice

1 vegetable or chicken cube,(bullion)

4 cups water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup of small shell pasta, uncooked

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Optional,1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

In a 4-5 quart pot add enough of the water to cover the bottom about a quarter inch and heat to simmering. Add onion and garlic and cook on medium low for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add canned tomatoes, beans,red pepper flakes, rest of the water, V-8, bullion cube, and dried herbs. Cook at a simmer for 20 minutes covered stirring twice. Remove cover, turn heat up to a boil, and add pasta, stirring every 30 seconds for three minutes to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Cook for 8 minutes uncovered keeping it at a slow boil. Stir in broccoli and cook for 3 minutes simmering. Stir in spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.
Serves 4-8 depending on if serving as a main dish,(4) or if serving as a soup (8).

Note: This is a thick soup, but you can add an additional cup water if you want it thinner.
Green beans can be substituted for broccoli. Cheese tortalini can be added about 10 minutes before serving for a nice vegetarian main dish, but you will probably want to add an extra cup of stock or water.

nutrition analysis by
www.greennapkinnutrition.com

Tired of eating Top Ramen but want a good healthy noodle soup without the chemistry set thrown in? Buy the plain noodles and cook in chicken broth with your favorite vegetables like I do. The simple ingredients are:
Noodles, about 1/2 cup dry
2 cups broth
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 carrot cut in thin strips with special carrot peeler
1 Tablespoon green onion slices
a few drops of hot sesame oil

Cook the noodles for about 5 minutes or until close to done then add peas and carrots. Cook for about 3 minutes then add green onions and hot oil.
Note: I used frozen green beans as well as peas and carrots but added them 2 minutes before the peas and carrots.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 1/2 cups butternut squash cut in 1 inch cubes

3 cups water

1 teaspoon chicken base or vegetable bullion cube

1 cup diced button mushrooms

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon flour

1 teaspoon Spike seasoning salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

In a 6 quart pot bring water, chicken base, Spike and squash to a boil and reduce to a simmer. In a saute pan cook mushrooms in oil on medium low heat until most of the moisture is cooked out of the mushrooms. Add flour and reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes stirring every 15 seconds or so. Set aside until squash is cooked soft. When squash is cooked soft puree with an immersion blender or cool for about 15 minutes and puree in a blender. Return the squash to the stove and whisk in the mushroom mixture. Cook on medium heat until soup thickens a bit. This takes about 7-10 minutes. Add pepper, and more salt if needed. Serves four.

Note: 2 tablespoons minced shallots can be added to the mushrooms while sauteing.