Cooking fun

Lately I’ve been having so much fun in the kitchen. Sooo not me! I have a few recipes I just *have* to share….

The first is a soup that I’m crazy about. A friend made it for us one night and it was so delicious I begged her for the recipe, which she had to go to her mom for. Her mom had gotten it from a restaurant (?) I think, but anyway. It’s amazing. It will change your life!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 c. roasted butternut squash (2 medium sized butternut squash)
1 granny smith apple, peeled  and chopped
3 tbsp. flour
1-2 tsp. curry powder
Pinch of nutmeg
3 c. chicken stock
1 ½ c. milk or cream
Grated rind & juice of 1 orange
Salt, pepper & pinch of sugar

Directions:
Roast squash until soft in 400 degree oven, about 1 hour. (I cut each squash in half, put face-down on a baking sheet, and filled baking sheet with about a half-inch of water). Steam apple until soft. In your soup pan, sauté onions until soft. Add squash & apple, sauté & stir often (emphasis on stirring often!) making sure it doesn’t burn. Add the flour, curry & nutmeg, blending well.

Add the chicken stock, orange juice and rind. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Very carefully transfer a couple of cups at a time into a blender to puree, or use a hand blender in the pot. Transfer back to soup pot, then add milk or cream. Taste, add salt, pepper & sugar as needed.

Served with topped parsley. Can be prepared in advance, the flavour improves with time.

Another recipe that I’m loving right now is from the ABC cookbook. It’s an apple cheesecake and it’s so easy, fast, and you always have the ingredients in the house. It’s been a hit every time I’ve made it, so I’m passing it along:

Apple Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 c. margarine
1/3 c. white sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour

Filling:
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Apples:
2 or 3 apples, sliced
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Mix together all crust ingredients until crumbly. Press crumbs on bottom of spring form pan and 1/2 inch up the sides.

Cream all filling ingredients together. Pour over crust

Arrange apple slices in circular design on cake surface. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over apples.

Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes. Then turn down heat to 350 for about 20 minutes. Watch, as it may burn quickly. It is done when filling is a little shaky.

With being house-bound for the last week due to the snow, I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen and I’ve been meal-planning again. If you want me to email you some of the meals I’ve been doing, I’ll send you the ones that are worth trying! Leave a comment and I’ll pass them along.

Happy cooking!

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