Curried Pumpkin Soup

Yep, I’m still on a pumpkin/squash kick….and I’ve been pretty lazy about posting, so I’ll go ahead and start with our Thai inspired curried pumpkin soup. This recipe is so versatile and can be made vegan and gluten free. We made ours with chicken broth, half and half, and butter because we had a little bit of each that we wanted to use before it turned bad, but I actually think the vegan version might be better. Also, this soup was super easy to make…the hardest part was peeling the fresh pumpkin, but with a little patience our OXO Peelerdid the trick.

curried pumpkin soup

A little comfort food for a cool fall day.

Recipe

Serves 6 as entree.

1 smallish-medium pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
1 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (I think you could use a curry paste if you don’t have powder)
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk or half and half
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional, omit for vegan)
sour cream (optional)
cilantro, chopped, for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot bring your chicken broth to a boil on medium-high heat and add your pumpkin. Depending on how big/small your pumpkin chunks are it could take 15-20 minutes.

2. While your pumpkin is cooking, in a saute pan combine butter or oil, onion, garlic, curry powder and chili pepper flakes over medium heat and cook until onion is tender and translucent, probably 5-7 minutes.

3. Once your pumpkin is tender go ahead and add the onion mixture, peanut butter, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and slowly add coconut milk or half and half to the mixture. Blend until creamy using your hand blender.

5. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.

Note: Toasted peanuts or pumpkin seeds would also be a nice addition.

For other great pumpkin and squash recipes I really like this book.

  

Lasagna is for Lovers

With fall just around the corner it’s time to cozy up with some comfort food and a glass of big, hearty red wine. Here is my favorite lasagna recipe… and for you health nuts it’s vegetarian and gluten free.This recipe is based on one I found at Gluten-free Goddess. This recipe is incredibly forgiving and can make the most inept cook look like a culinary rockstar.

Ingredients

4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (approx. 1 ½ jars) or make your own

1 box of uncooked lasagna noodles (I prefer the gluten free brown rice noodles for their heartiness)

4 heaping cups of homemade roasted vegetables, cube before roasting (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, onion, garlic, eggplant, and red bell peppers all work well in this recipe. I usually use a blend of all the above or whatever is in the fridge)

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

16 oz. ricotta cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup grated parmesan

1 8 oz. log of goat cheese, cut into slices

1 or 2 dashes of nutmeg

1 ½ T. fresh basil, minced

1 T. fresh Italian parsley, minced

 Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2.  In large mixing bowl mix egg, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, nutmeg, garlic, basil, and parsley

3.  Prepare 9 x 13 inch baking dish by covering the bottom with approximately ½- ¾ cup marinara sauce.

4.  Layer 3 lasagna noodles over the marinara.

5. Spread ½ cheese mixture evenly over lasagna noodles

6. Spoon a layer of roasted vegetables over the cheese and spread evenly.

7. Layer 3-4 more lasagna noodles and cover with marinara (approx. 1 cup) and follow with the remaining roasted veg and cheese blend.

8. Layer the remaining lasagna noodles and press down with a large spatula. Cover with remaining marinara sauce. And finally lay the sliced goat cheese on top.

9. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes on the middle rack.

10. Let stand for a couple minutes before serving.

Tip: Make sure your noodles are completely covered in sauce, so you don’t end up with tough edges.

Cozy up and enjoy!!!