Curried Pumpkin Soup

I'm in love with a new (to me) blog. Ezra Pound Cake. Rebecca is a fantastically funny writer, an occasional boozehound, and she cooks the yummiest things. I mean, the woman made me drool on my keyboard just reading about her Southern Comfort Carmel Apple Pie. One of the recipes I bookmarked (other than the pie and these luscious Kahlua lattes) was for a pumpkin soup. I love pumpkin, I love soup, and I REALLY love autumn dishes, so I was sure it would be a winner.

Last fall I was a victim of the pumpkin shortage and this year I was determined not to let it happen again. So I went to Wal-Mart last week planning to stock up and buy six big cans, only to find that...they were OUT. The two major grocery stores in my town...out. My pumpkin dreams were fading, but I refused to cross the soup off my meal plan for this week.

A mini miracle struck while visiting Andrew's grandparents, who live an hour and a half away.

Andrew and Grandpa hanging out at the marina

Grandma's close friend Amy (who shares both my name and my love of reading) had brought her a big can of pumpkin! I jumped up and down a little and wouldn't you know, Grandma gave it to me! She reassured me that since she knew she could get it in town, I could have this can. Hooray!

Grandma & Grandpa's adorable lab, Bear

Wouldn't you know, after that one act of kindness, it was like the angels started singing or something because while at the discount grocery store the next town over, I came across an entire endcap display of pumpkin! The clouds parted, a beam of radiant light shone down, and I snatched up four more cans.

The moral of the story is, I have tons of pumpkin now. No pumpkin shortage in this household!

This soup is flavorful, nutritious, and low in calories, coming in at just 230 calories per serving. Enjoy it for lunch or dinner totally guilt-free!


Curried Pumpkin Soup
adapted from Ezra Pound Cake
makes 6 servings

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 oz. mushrooms, diced
2 tbsp. AP flour
1 tsp. yellow curry powder
2 c. fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. water
15 oz. (1 small can) solid-pack pumpkin
12 oz. (1 can) evaporated milk
1 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

 

Once the broth comes to a boil, stir in all this stuff:

 

At this point, the soup looks like this:

You can serve as is and it will be delish. Andrew isn't a huge fan of mushrooms - it's the texture he objects to, not the taste. 

 Heat through, stirring well. Serve immediately or keep warm over the lowest heat setting.

A lovely accompaniment to this soup is a 95 calorie snack that we love - six little bruschetta toasts smeared with one wedge of Laughing Cow Light cheese.

You can top this soup with anything from dried bananas to slivered almonds to pumpernickel croutons. To be honest, you don't really need a topping - this soup is rich, creamy, velvety, and delicious all on its own.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I have been baking up a storm in the last week or so, and I'll be sharing more cookie posts with you very soon.  I wanted to start working through my huge backlog of dinners though, to show you some of the other things I've been doing in my kitchen.

While my mom and auntie were visiting in November, I made a delicious Butternut Squash Risotto for dinner one night.  Auntie Jody had never had risotto, and I hope I made her first experience with it a good one!  Risotto is such a comfort food for me - I love the creamy starchiness, the versatility, the richness.   I'll throw just about anything into risotto, and I'm always happy with the results.

I had never combined butternut squash and risotto, so I used an Ina Garten version of this recipe as a guide, but of course (per usual) made some changes that let the recipe work for me. 


Butternut Squash Risotto
adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

1 large butternut squash
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 c. chicken stock
6 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. white wine
1 c. grated pecorino-romano cheese
1/4 c. fresh parsley


I've documented my risotto method before, and if you'd like step-by-step instructions with pictures, click here.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and cube the butternut squash.  I find this a little easier to do if I pierce it with a fork and microwave it for five to ten minutes first.  Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil, and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven 25-30 minutes or until softened.

Place the chicken stock in a smaller pot over medium heat.  Once the stock begins to simmer, drop the heat to low.


In the meantime, melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the onions, salt them, and saute until they are translucent, then add the garlic and saute another minute or two.  Add the arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter.  Allow the rice to toast for three minutes or so.

Add the white wine to the pot, stirring to allow the rice to soak it up.  Once the liquid is gone, ladle about a cup of the chicken stock into the pot.  Stir, and when liquid has evaporated, add more.  Continue this process until all the liquid is absorbed.  The rice should be creamy with an al dente center. 

Turn off the heat and add the squash, cheese, and fresh parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Autumn Sausage Casserole

I made this recipe about a month ago, but it has been languishing in my "to post" file.  I'm not sure why I let it hang out so long, since Andrew and I both really enjoyed it, and it's such a seasonal recipe.

The flavors and colors of this "autumn inspired" dish meld beautifully for a comforting one pot meal.  I got the recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking - Stephanie had taken a recipe she found in A Taste of Home and adapted it for her crockpot.  Well I "unadapted" it back to a stove top recipe.  It's much simpler that way, and honestly, there's no reason to slow cook it.

I did still keep the recipe pulled up on my laptop while I cooked (and drank!)

Autumn Sausage Casserole
adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage
1 large (or 2 small) apples, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. raisins
3 c. cooked rice (I used brown basmati)
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. chicken broth

Brown sausage in a large skillet until cooked through.  Drain in a colander - leave a little bit of the fat in the pan, let sausage rest in colander for now.

Add apples, onions, raisins, and carrots to saucepan.  Once carrots soften and onions are translucent, add the brown sugar, parsley, and cinnamon.  Next, mix in the rice, sausage, and chicken broth, stirring to combine all ingredients.  Serve in bowls.

As the Crockpot Lady advises, this is more of a fried rice than a casserole.  Since there isn't really a binder, the dish has the consistency of a stir fry.  I loved the substitution I made of spicy sausage - it makes for a great contrast to the sweetness of the apples, carrots, and onions.  This is a fun, easy weeknight dinner that celebrates the colors and flavors of fall.