Allison's Coconut Vegetable Curry

Another delicious curry recipe.  It also makes amazing leftovers!

Recipe and Image from Love and Lemons

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• ¼ teaspoon coriander

• ¼ teaspoon turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 cups cubed butternut squash (or sweet potatoes)

• 3 red Thai chiles, or 1 serrano, or ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced

• 2 cups cauliflower florets

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

• 4 cups fresh spinach

• ½ cup fresh or frozen peas

• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and well-browned, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to low halfway through.
• In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and salt. Set aside.
• Add the butternut squash and chiles to the pot, stir, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and then add the coconut milk and the spice mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the lemon juice, lime juice, spinach, peas, and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding additional lime juice, salt, and pepper, as desired.
• Serve the curry over the rice with fresh basil, naan bread, if desired, and lime wedges on the side.

For serving:

• 2 cups cooked basmati rice

• a few big handfuls of fresh basil or cilantro

• Naan bread, optional

Fall Butternut Squash Salad

 

Image Credits: CookingClassy.com and diet hood.com

My sister Mary Kay found this recipe.  Her garden seems to grow an abundance of butternut squash, so she's rather an expert in how to use it!  This salad is beautiful and delicious. Once I had it, the cravings began! The maple roasted butternut squash makes it very filling (well, you may still need something extra if you have hungry male teenagers at home!).

Salad Ingredients:

Salad greens

Roasted butternut squash and red onions (see note) 

Cheese: feta, goat cheese, parm cheese, or Jarlsberg/swiss cheese

Roasted pecans or salted pistachios

craisins or dried cherries

Optional add ins: apples, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, wheat berries, grilled chicken, microgreens, pomegranate seeds, bacon

-Butternut Squash preparation:  Peel butternut.  Cut in half.  Clean out seeds and insides.  Chop into cubes.  Place cubes on baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast 425 for 10-15 minutes until butternut starts to brown (don't overcook or squash gets mushy and doesn't hold shape in salad).  Once cooled down slightly add to the rest of the salad ingredients.

Image Credit: Downshiftology.com

Apple Cider Vinaigrette (from downshiftology.com)

1/3 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 TBS honey

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. raspberry vinegar (or balsamic or red wine vinegar)

1/4 c. honey (or maple syrup)

1 clove garlic

1 TBS dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

-Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 2 minutes until emulsified (keeps dressing from separating).  

Butternut Squash Soup

This original recipe comes from the Romney Family Table Cookbook.  I made a few alterations adding carrots and cream and omitting the butter as well as simplifying the cooking directions taking out the roasting process.

2 lbs (approx) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
3 TBS olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tsp dried sage
4 c. chicken broth (may add more if you like a thinner soup)
1 c. cream
freshly grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano) for serving/garnish
chives chopped, optional garnish

-In large soup pot, caramelize onion with 3 TBS olive oil, cooking on medium for 7-10 minutes.  Add chopped butternut squash, celery, carrots, sage, salt, pepper, and broth.  Bring to simmer and cook 10 minutes until butternut squash tender.  Remove from heat.
-Using a blender, blend soup in batches until smooth.  Return to pot and warm.  Serve garnished with sage, chives, parmesan croutons, or grated parmesan cheese.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Roasting Vegetables is SO easy and so delicious!  Here is another great simple vegetable side dish.

To make prep even simpler, buy the pre peeled, seeded, and cubed squash.

3-4 pound peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash (approx 1 large Butternut Squash)
-Place squash on a large sheet pan. Toss squash with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Then add one type of desired seasoning that compliments your other dishes such as thyme, italian seasoning, cumin, etc.  If you want to have a sweet side dish, omit the pepper and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar.
-Roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes, tossing once during cooking to even browning.  Season with additional salt/pepper to taste.

Christmas Gift--Butternut Squash Snowman

My sister-in-law received one of these from a neighbor.  I LOVE this gift idea.  It's cute and it is not a treat!  Buy a butternut squash from your local grocery store, draw or glue on some eyes and buttons (Sharpee markers, felt, google eyes, etc), tie with ribbon or fabric strips, stick in a carrot for the nose, and slide in your favorite butternut squash soup recipe.  Here are my two favorites...

Spiced Squash and Apple Soup

This is a great fall or winter soup. It also makes great baby food (just omit salt)! I don't like this recipe as well as the Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup version, but it is still very good!

Serves 6-8
Cook over med-high heat for 10 minutes:
1 large onion, diced
3 TBS butter
1 large granny smith apple, diced (and 1 for garnish sliced)
Add and simmer for 30 minutes:
1 butternut squash (approx. 4 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut in cubes
3 c. water
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp salt
-Puree in blender in small batches. Return to soup pan. Season with additional salt/pepper to taste and add additional water or vegetable broth to reach desired thickness. Garnish with sliced apples and a little cinnamon sugar.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut and Ginger

This is DELICIOUS! If I could only make one butternut soup recipe, this is the one I would make. This is a perfect recipe for a rainy or snowy day!

2 large butternut squash (5 pounds total)—halved lengthwise, peeled and seeded

Salt and freshly ground pepper

extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tsp curry powder

2 TBS fresh ginger (or 2 tsp dry)

6 cups water

1 c. canned coconut milk

1 c. half and half

-Preheat the oven to 350°. Set the squash, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Fill each cavity with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter; season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until tender; cut into large pieces.
-Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, caramelize onions in a little olive oil (5-7 minutes). Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook another minute until fragrant.
-When squash is done, blend squash with the 3 cups of water and onion/spice mixture until smooth (may need to be done in 2-3 batches). Return puree to soup pan and add coconut milk and half and half. Simmer over moderately low heat for 5 minutes to combine all of the flavors. Add salt/pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, top with a garnish of toasted coconut and enjoy!