ringing in autumn: butternut squash soup

Folks, there is nothing better than fall.

One morning, you wake up to take the dog outside before the sun comes up, and you notice that the air feels crisp. The day never loses its charm; a cool breeze blows by and it smells unlike anything you've experienced all summer. The fresh produce comes in shades of orange, and green, and red; all of a sudden, soup is on the menu.

That's when you know it's fall. Not when football starts (because heaven knows it's still hot as hell then); not when school is back in session... But when, suddenly, the air changes and it makes you crave warmth, as if you hadn't just had a summer full of it.

So welcome to our Tuesday night. My mother's garden produced armloads of butternut squash this year, all from seed she'd saved from last year's harvest. Meaning this year's crop cost her absolutely no money.

Needless to say, I went home with no fewer than ten of these magical squash; the first batch added beautiful, nutty depth to a delectable dinner of pasta and pecorino. Tuesday night, I chopped up two more for something I'd never tried before, let alone cooked: butternut squash soup.

This soup seems to be all the rage, and I'm surprised I've never tried it before; it can be found at the grocery store in those fancy little cardboard soup boxes, and its color always seems striking. So I did a quick Google for "butternut squash," and found a super-simple recipe. I didn't really riff too much on it, for which I'm glad. This was a perfect taste of autumn. With 4 cups of broth, this may come out too thin for some tastes (the original recipe called for 6 cups!); if you're looking for more of a puree, either add more squash or less stock. We enjoyed the thin soup. I garnished it with a little pecorino, and think chives would've been a nice compliment to the slightly sweet soup.

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

2 tbls butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 c chicken stock

dash nutmeg

dash salt

2 lbs butternut squash (about one large, or two small), peeled and cut into small cubes

Prep your veggies. If you're like me and have trouble with peeling butternut squash, take a look at this how-to over at The Kitchn. The trick is to be patient and, above all, careful.

In a large, heavy soup pot (I always use my enameled cast iron Dutch oven), melt the butter. Toss in the onions and cook them until they're translucent. Add the stock, salt, nutmeg, and squash, and bring to a simmer. Cook until squash are very tender.

With a slotted spoon, remove the squash and puree in a food processor or blender. Once the squash is very finely pureed (it'll look like bright orange baby food), pour back into the soup.

Stir well and bring back to a simmer. Serve with rustic, crunchy bread.

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tri training comes to fruition... a few tips on improving your lifestyle

This past Sunday marked an important moment in my life: I became a triathlete.

What started as a birthday present from Ryan (triathlon training and all the fancy gear) evolved into a health and fitness overhaul this summer. Nothing went untouched: it involved food, exercise, positive thinking, and even health care reform.

Over the course of the summer, Ryan and I have been making better and better decisions. We've eliminated so many negative things from our lifestyle, especially food-wise; we're eating more vegetables, whole grains, and organic goods than ever before, and we're exercising on a regular basis. And guess what?

We're happier and healthier for it. In our five-plus years together, I think this has been the best yet. We're enjoying this new healthy lifestyle and the benefits (more energy, looking better, feeling less stress, getting outside together) outweigh any of the drags (eating less queso, being sweaty more often).

But wait, there's more! I want YOU to feel this way too--and it doesn't mean you have to become a triathlete. You can take simple steps to improve your daily health. It starts with just making smarter choices. Go for an organic apple instead of a Pop Tart. Choose water over soda, or at least try sodas made with cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. Pick one thing to change at a time (we began a year ago with food, and incorporated exercise in the last six months), and eventually you, too, can be considered a food snob and workout fiend. (Um, just kidding; nobody calls us that to our faces.)

It's like we've started our own health care plan, which is of course all the rage these days; I think we as Americans are finally starting to see, however reluctantly, that our sedentary and fast-food-filled lifestyles are detrimental to our overall health as a nation. And I also believe that our country as a whole has to reform their way of life--just like we've done this
summer--in order to live healthier.

I've also done a lot of reading about health care lately, and these two articles are a great starting point for understanding more about the political side of health care reform (Reid) and the food industry side of it (Pollan):
T.R. Reid on the five myths about global healthcare
Michael Pollan on food industry and health care

In any case, I think anyone who cares enough about food to be interested in a sustainable diet (i.e., if you're reading this blog) has it in 'em to make big changes. We may spend a little more on food, buying organics at every turn and shopping at the farmers' market, but it is absolutely a return investment on our health. And the same goes for exercise: it may be hard to start, but once you're in a rhythm it's harder to stop. It, too, is a return on your health.

I strongly believe in a lifestyle that sustains life (isn't that the point?). Since the beginning of this blog, I've seen a transformation in myself and can directly attribute it to eating better and, now, to lots of exercise.

So to live long and prosper, my friends, look no further than a balanced diet and plenty of exercise.

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variety is the spice of life

I’ve missed this blog!! So here’s a really, really long post to show you how MUCH I’ve missed it. Without a picture because, well, I was simply too busy cooking last night to be bothered with the camera. Ah, how I love to write that. Too busy cooking. I'm back in the swing of things.

Recently I’ve been inspired by bento boxes—those perfect, colorful, sometimes comical representations of lunch, perfect for picky eaters. What’s so inspiring? They’re packed full of colorful variety, from veggies to grains to fruits. In essence, they’re the perfect idea of a meal that lives up to my high standards.

I’m also leaning more toward vegetarianism; I did pretty good last week until pepperoni pizza stared me in the face after we ran a 5K in the rain (and since I beat my normal mile time, I'm saying I deserved it). So at the moment, let’s call me a vegetarian with a pepperoni and/or barbecue opt-out clause. Fair?

Did you just ask about steak? A marbled slab of grass-fed beef cooked to medium-rare perfection? And how I might just not ever eat another one? OHMYGOSH. You did say grass-fed, right? Acceptable.

Ahem! Where was I?!

Vegetarian leanings, that’s right. I’ve been packing in the veggies and grains and legumes (recently it’s all organic black beans and garbanzos) and have been feeling exuberantly healthy—not to mention, only days away from my first sprint triathlon (for those of you unfamiliar with tri terminology, that’s “just” a half-mile swim, 18-mile bike ride, and 5K/3.1-mile run, that's all). I’d like to imagine that my training for the sprint is merely the beginning of the new, super-fit Amber. And while I’d love to eat more and more queso and carnitas as my workouts, and biceps, increase, that just doesn’t jive well with other things that are important to me: sustainably-produced foods and a diet that is life-sustaining. (There, aren’t you proud that I’ve stopped short from divulging my health care soap box?? Because I have one. Read this article by Michael Pollan and get back to me.)

In short: Healthy foods for mind, body, spirit, community, and earth. As Pollan himself puts it, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” That’s what I’m up to these days, and by golly bento boxes are going to help me accomplish this.

That said, I won’t actually be purchasing a bento box, but in true make-do fashion, I’ll be packing my BPA-free plastic and glassware with the same nod to efficiency and variety.

Admittedly, I’m a pretty picky eater when it comes to lunches; I don’t fare well with homemade salads, for some reason, and I have stopped buying sandwich meat for the most part, and it’s downright difficult to eat leftovers every day, unless said leftovers happen to be smothered in cheese. But I’m a big fan of variety, fresh fruits and veggies, and repurposing a dish. I’m also newly aware of the ease of freezing food you make in your own kitchen. Fancy that!

I bought a box of frozen organic buckwheat and blueberry waffles, befuddling myself. Why did I, a food blogger of all people, purchase a box of frozen waffles?! So once that box was empty, I picked up some organic buckwheat flour and made my own version: buckwheat pancakes with organic (previously frozen) blueberries.

And let me tell you, they taste all the same—if not better—than those store-bought ones. Since organic blueberries can be bought frozen for a fraction of the price of fresh, they do the trick; buckwheat flour from the bulk bins only set me back a dollar or two, and I had plenty for two recipes of pancakes. Plus, one recipe for pancakes yields a much bigger batch than a box of six waffles; I can eat two pancakes a day and still come out ahead money-wise. Not to mention these things are packed full of nutrition and are way low in sugar. Score. Even Ryan enjoyed a couple.

Last night, I turned my kitchen into a downright decathlon with boo-coos of cooking events on the dockett. My goal was simple and complex at the same time: prep a variety of super-healthy foods that I 1) would be able to enjoy all week and 2) could be done on the cheap. I spent a total of $35 at Wheatsville on organic fruits, veggies, and stuff from the bulk bins, and went home to get to work, using up a few pantry staples in the process.

First up, I made roasted red pepper hummus in the food processor. To compliment that (and also to make some black bean wraps with), I whipped up a batch of whole-wheat tortillas on the cast iron grill pan. Meanwhile, on the next burner, I started a pot of brown rice (I’ve got stir fry in mind). On yet another free burner, I steamed some edamame and once that was done, put a few eggs in there to boil. (I made one mistake—I got two timers mixed up and wound up with soft-boiled eggs rather than hard-boiled ones....)

Somehow I had already cleaned the standing mixer as well as the food processor and decided to whip up an easy batch of veggie patties to pan-fry. Did I mention Ryan and I decided we needed cookies? Thankfully, we had refrigerated (organic) chocolate chip cookie dough ready to go. I popped a few dollops into the toaster oven and 13 minutes later we were satisfying our sweet tooth(s). Sweet teeth?

Anyway, I digress. Today’s all-organic lunch included:
2 vegetable patties (recipe below)
1 cup edamame
3/4 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

Tomorrow, my lunch will be:
1 black bean wrap, with avocado, cheese, and homemade salsa
1/4 cup hummus dip
1 cup fresh carrots
3/4 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

By Wednesday, I hope to shake things up with a broccoli-based stir-fry. Thursday I’ll enjoy black bean wraps once again, and Friday I’ll take along more veggie patties (which I’m dutifully reserving in the freezer).

Pan-Fried Veggie Patties

2 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
3 small or 2 medium diced onions
2 scallions sliced very thin
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil for pan frying

Shred and chop the vegetables. Toss together in a large mixing bowl with the egg, flour, and seasonings. Mix well. Heat oil in large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Form patties about 1/4” thick (form thick patty with hands, then flatten in the pan with a spatula) and cook a few minutes on one side, until browned and crisp. Flip and cook a few more minutes, until patty has cooked through.

~*~
It occurred to me while cooking that these are a lot like the potato pancakes my mom always used to make for us. But with way more vegetables. And guess what? They taste great. I’m thinking of trying a version of this with breadcrumbs and black beans, and maybe even corn which will wind up a more substantial patty, similar to a veggie burger. That’s the plan, anyway.

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beginning to feel like autumn...

So the last month of my life was a little busier than I'd anticipated. But things are calming down, and in the meantime I've experimented with buckwheat flour (post to come soon), made puffy dog treats (more on that later), and have compiled a list of recipes three feet long that I've been waiting to get to! What I'm trying to say is... I'm still here, it's just been a wild end to the summer.

And did I mention my first triathlon is in nine days? Yeah, that too.

After last night's swim workout (big thanks to my sister Aubrey for motivating me), I tried inviting my brother and sister over for dinner last night.

"What are you making?" Britton asked.

"Well," doing my best to make the dish sound exciting and delicious, "I'm making roasted butternut squash with garlic and green onions on whole-wheat pasta."

Without missing a beat, Britton called out to our sister Aubrey: "We're making spaghetti tonight, right? I already set the sauce out."

So maybe this dish didn't win over my siblings--and I'm not exactly sure it won over Ryan--but I thought that it packed a flavorful punch and was as healthy as they come. Not to mention, it used up one of the lovely butternut squashes from my mother's prolific garden.

I jotted down a loose version of this recipe from a magazine in the waiting room while getting my car's oil changed. The original recipe included much more butter, and bacon... and toasted walnuts... But I wanted a vegetarian version, first of all, and I also wanted to use up things we had in our kitchen. If you want to add more herbs to this, try sage; the flavor would work really well with the sweetness and nuttiness of this dish.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Whole-Wheat Pasta

1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

8 oz whole-wheat cappellini

3 tbsp butter (optional)

3 tbsp chopped pecans

1/3 cup shredded pecorino or parmesan

chopped green onion

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the cubed squash, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until squash is tender and begins to caramelize.

Cook and drain the capellini. (Optional step: In a small saucepan, slightly brown the butter and pour it over the cooked capellini. Or, use a tablespoon or two of olive oil.)

Toss roasted squash and garlic with the pasta; add pecans, cheese, and green onion and toss everything together. Serve with extra pecorino and green onion for garnish.

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