It's that time of year when summer is winding down and the craziness of fall looms ahead. The days will get shorter, our schedules busier and our leisure time disappearing. Despite the fact I really do miss the Divas once they start school I enjoy the fall season and all the changes that come with it. I do NOT enjoy the math homework, lunch prep, uniform washing or manic mornings however.
September is somewhat of a return to normalcy for us and a chance to get back into our groove. With the end of summer also comes the addition of unwanted pounds from all the barbeques and summer sampling. Fall in our area brings abundance of fresh local fruits and vegetables that can be found at the farmers markets and in the grocery stores. This is a great time of year to try new recipes using your local foods.
This is a fantastic recipe from www.gimmesomeoven.com for Butternut Squash and Apple Soup. It has been a big hit with the Divas and other family members and freezes well. This recipe is great to throw in the crockpot after a bit of prep and you can tackle other chores will it simmers and the wonderful fragrance fills the air. You can make this vegetarian by switching the chicken broth for vegetable broth and adjust the heat levels to suit your tastes. This is also dairy free so is a regular item on our Paleo menu plan.
Ingredients:
You can make this recipe with raw squash but I love the taste and smell of roasted squash so I added an extra step before cooking. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and peel, seed and cube the butternut squash. This squash is tough to cut so this duty is left up to mom while the Divas take care of some of the other preparations. I like to mix the squash with just enough olive oil to coat, salt, pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Spread on a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes.
While the squash is roasting take the time to prepare your other ingredients for easy assembly in the crockpot.
I do tend to have a wee bit of an addiction to kitchen gadgets as you would see if you peered into my overflowing drawers and cupboards. I also like some of these because it allows the Divas to help me without the use of knives.
This is a garlic press I found at Kitchen Stuff Plus that is easy to use, easy to clean and saves your hands from smelling like a vampire repellent.
This is likely the favourite gadget of the Divas that we have in our kitchen. With a bit of muscle they can make their own apple wedges. They love to use this when the apples are at the peak of season and make a simple apple crisp for dessert.
Add vegetable or chicken stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to a slow cooker. Toss to combine.
Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork.
Stir in the coconut milk and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. I usually make a double batch of this soup so I like to use my blender or food processer to puree the soup. It can be very hot so use caution or allow the mixture to cool before you blend. Depending on the size of the squash you may find you need to add more liquid to the soup in order to puree. I like to use a whole can of coconut milk as opposed to half a cup but you can also you more stock or water. Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne if needed.
When following our Paleo meal plan we like to pair this soup with a protein like chicken breasts and some fresh fruit. This soup was topped with toasted pecans, fresh cilantro and hot sauce.
If you prefer a vegetarian version we made a cold broccoli and pumpkin seed salad and added fresh apples from our local orchard. We garnished the soup with pecans and shredded coconut so feel free to use your imagination!
Bon Appetit
