I love fall (I may have mentioned that a few times). I love butternut squash. I love soup. So, on a rainy, chilly, fall day, I decided to combine three of my favs and try my hand at making butternut squash soup. I must confess that reaching this decision required some bravery on my part as I tried this once before, about 15 years ago, with dismal (i.e., inedible) results. However, I've learned a lot about flavors and combining them over the past 15 years, so I thought I'd give it one more try. I figured if it didn't work this time, I'd give up and move onto something that I knew I could successfully make.
As is typical, when I set out to make something that I haven't made before (or haven't made an edible version of), I read an assortment of recipes to find out how others make it. For this research, I consistently turn to two resources: 1) my somewhat battered, but beloved copy of The Joy of Cooking, and 2) Google. I like to use the cookbook as I have found the recipes in this particular one to be very, very reliable turning out good results time and again for a variety of dishes. I use the internet as I like to have access to the reviews of the recipes posted on common food sites so that I know what works and what doesn't for the home cook. I made this soup on a work day, so did both quickly.
What I learned from my review is that the ingredients for Butternut Squash soup vary widely. There was a version with ground thyme and rosemary. Though I like both, I thought ground sage might be an even better choice, especially if I were to serve it closer to Thanksgiving. There were also multiple recipes that included curry. I've had a hard time finding a brand of curry powder that I like though, so that option was out. In the end, I settled for a mixture of garam masala - much more reliable than curry powder for me - and saffron, complemented with a little ground cumin for some smokey notes.
Most recipes called for roasting the squash. I was in a serious time crunch, so skipped this step. However, after tasting the end result of my efforts, which were pretty yummy, I would make time to roast the squash next time as the version I made lacked a deep flavor that I believe roasting will provide.
I made the soup this time using my 4 qt crock pot and it was super easy. However, it would be just as easy on the stove top and much faster. In addition, though not by design, this soup happens to be dairy free, gluten free and could be made vegan by substituting the chicken broth for a good quality veggie broth.
This soup is full of lots of good things that remind me of fall: squash, apples, cider (or in my case today apple juice, but I think cider would give it just a little something extra). In addition, the creaminess of the soup is partly due to pureeing the soup in a blender and partly due to the use of lite coconut milk.
Give it a try the next time you have some left over squash on hand or need a new recipe to combine some fall favorites. You won't be sorry!
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Combine the following ingredients EXCEPT for the Coconut Milk in a crock pot (4 quart or larger):
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 2" chunks
- 1/2 a small onion, diced
- 3 small apples, skin on, diced
- 1 tbls Garam Masala
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- small pinch of saffron
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2-3 cups apple juice or apple cider
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 can lite Coconut Milk
- Maple Syrup
Allow to cook on low for 4 hours or high for 6. When squash is tender, puree soup in a blender in batches and add to a soup pot. Once all of the soup has been pureed, add 1 can of lite coconut milk and stir to combine all of the ingredients.
Taste soup for seasoning and add as much as 3 tablespoons of good quality maple syrup (or more to taste). Make any final adjustments to the seasonings as needed, including garam masala, ginger, salt and pepper, etc.
Allow soup to cook over medium low heat for a minimum of 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. If you are making the soup in advance, follow recipe up to the adjustment of seasonings and then refrigerate. Warm soup before serving.
~Enjoy!
Second in the line up of my quest to make GF versions of some of my childhood favorites is mac 'n cheese. My mom used to make this casserole on occasion when my sister and I were growing up and we loved it. Since that time, I've learned to default to "real" food - real cheese, real butter, organic milk, vegetarian fed cage free eggs, hormone and antibiotic free meats, etc. which means that products like Velveeta have remained on the grocer shelf rather than finding their way into my cart. Therefore, it's been more than a decade since I've purchased the big block of cheese product.
Please don't mistake my opening comments to mean that I have gone for a decade or more without macaroni and cheese. That's simply not true. My hubby loves the little blue box and so, consequently, does my toddler. I keep a box in the pantry for the occasional Saturday lunch when I'm short on time or options. In addition, and more inline with my culinary interests, a few times a year I make macaroni and cheese from scratch using good quality cheeses that melt into a sea of cheesy goodness. I've even made "grown up" versions of this dish by combining a variety of "gourmet" cheeses to create a more sophisticated result. All have their place and all are good for their intended purpose. It's this last disclaimer - for their intended purpose - that brought me back to my childhood mac 'n cheese. I noticed recently that Velveeta now comes in a 2% version. When I buy pre-shredded cheese (for convenience) I almost always go for the 2% option, so this new version of the classic caught my eye and left me to wonder if maybe there was a place in my repertoire for this childhood version as well.
One Sunday evening, we arrived home from a weekend in Chicago visiting my hubby's side of the family. It was already 6:00 p.m. and the fridge was bare. I needed something filling to feed my family for dinner and I needed it super fast. My tummy had been bothering me for a few days, so I also needed something comforting and didn't want to take the chance of accidentally ingesting either gluten or MSG, so the old joke of "making reservations" for dinner was out.
Enter Velveeta mac 'n cheese. A quick call to my mom confirmed what I suspected - that this was a quick recipe. So, list in hand, I was off to the grocery store. In an hour I had a casserole cooling and was ready to dish up the gooey cheesy goodness along side some crisp tender veggies.
After probably 20 years, I have to say that this dish was better than I remembered. Since reviving this casserole, I've come to wonder if being a foodie sometimes gets in one's way. As for nutrition, even with the 2% cheese, it's still a high calorie indulgence, so I would never claim that this is a dish that should be on the weekly rotation at anyone's house. I also would not argue that it's as high in nutritional value as many other options. However, I do think that it's a viable option for those occasions when you need some comfort food or are feeling nostalgic. If you truly feel guilty, serve some steamed broccoli on the side and enjoy!
GF Velveeta Mac 'n Cheese
- 1 8 oz box Quinoa elbow macaroni - cooked in boiling salted water until al dente
- 2/3 to 3/4 of a 16 oz box 2% Velveeta, cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1 cup milk - I used 2%
- 1 tsp dijon style mustard
- 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
- 1-2 dashes tabasco sauce
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8 or 9x9 casserole dish and set aside.
Cook macaroni according to the directions on the box until al dente - this will take 4 to 5 minutes. Do not over cook and do not rely on package directions for doneness, they are always off. Drain macaroni and pour it into the casserole dish.
While the macaroni cooks, in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine milk, mustard, nutmeg and tabasco, whisking to ensure the ingredients are well mixed.
Pour the milk mixture over the macaroni. Top the macaroni milk mixture with half of the cheese cubes, taking care to ensure even distribution. Using a large spoon, work the cubes into the macaroni milk mixture so that the casserole is the same depth across the top. Top the macaroni, milk and cheese with the other half of the Velveeta cubes allowing them to remain on top. Dot the top with the butter between chunks of cheese.
Place the baking dish in the oven and allow to bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir the casserole to ensure the macaroni doesn't dry out and the cheese melts evenly. Allow the dish to continue to cook for 10 minutes, stir again. After another 5 minutes, remove the dish from the oven. You will notice that the sauce is still quite runny, this will resolve during the rest period. Allow the dish to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes on the stove top before serving.
Serve along side a green veggie and offer something nutritious for dessert. Broccoli is a natural complement to this dish. Likewise, fresh apple slices are a nice addition and a healthy dessert that pair well with the cheesy goodness.
~Enjoy!
I have a new goal - to create GF versions of some of my childhood favorites. That means not only comfort foods like mac 'n cheese and my mom's crock pot fried chicken, but also holiday and dessert favorites like Magic Cookie Bars (you may know them as 7 layer bars). Each Thanksgiving, my mom would make a pan of them to take to my maternal grandmother's house where as many as 70 people might gather each year for Thanksgiving dinner.
As for food, not only did you find all of the traditional Thanksgiving items on the buffet, the menu each year was rounded out by a well established dessert bar. My mom contributed a pan of these delicious little treats each year for as long as I can remember. They were always one of my favorites and I remember one never being quite enough, even with pumpkin pie and my aunt Delores's strawberry filled angle food cake wrapped in a blanket of sweetened whipped cream.
As for Magic Cookie Bars, I have made them just a few times over the years since. Fortunately, have been able to work out a GF method for making them. The GF version of this recipe can be a bit expensive due to the cost of the cookies that go into the crust. Due to the cost and the calories, make these when you're feeling nostalgic or for one of the upcoming holidays. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars
For the crust:
1 bag of GF ginger snaps (I use Mi-Del brand)
1 bag of arrowroot animal cookies (I use Mi-Del brand)
1/2 cup butter melted
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spay. Line the pan with foil down the length of the pan so that when baked you can remove the bars in one piece and cut into single servings.
Place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to create a medium crumb. Depending on the size of the work bowl on your food processor, you may have to do this in a couple of batches. If this is the case, just process one bag or part of a bag at a time and combine the crumbs from each batch in a bowl. The flavor of the two cookies together create something that, when baked, taste much like a traditional graham cracker. Add the melted butter to the bowl of your processor or the bowl you're using to combine the crumbs and stir to distribute. Place the crumb mixture on the foil lined pan and pat into place to form an even crust on the bottom of the pan.
Cover the crust with the following ingredients, in any order you prefer:
1 cup butterscotch chips (I use Nestle)
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
Once you have all of the layers of ingredients on top of the crust, pour over the entire pan 1 14 oz fat free (or regular) sweetened condensed milk.
Place cookie bars in oven and baked for 25 to 30 minutes; checking after 20 to determine doneness.
Remove cookie bars from oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before cutting into single servings.
~Enjoy
