Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I’m forever steaming and roasting vegetables to puree for my daughter’s meals. I use the purees as additions or substitutions in dishes in order to get vegetables into my daughter. For instance, I add pureed spinach and carrots to marinara sauce, pureed cauliflower to macaroni and cheese, and a tablespoon of sweet potato puree in French toast custard base. Best of all, my daughter doesn’t know the difference, because I’ve been doing this since she started solid foods. At any rate, I roasted a couple butternut squashes this morning for fresh and frozen puree, and, since I ended up with so much I decided to utilize one squash for soup. Most butternut squash soup recipes call for simmering the cubed squash in stock, but that means you need to peel and chop the squash, which is a bit of a bear. The skin is so tough, I find it a painstaking process to peel the squash. So, in the past, I sometimes passed on making butternut squash soup, even though it’s a favorite of mine. To come current, roasting butternut squash couldn’t be easier. And, it can be done a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you're ready to put the soup together. Now, I make this soup more often.

I consider soup a meal, not an accompaniment; but not everyone in this household agrees with me. That may be because I love soup, and I want it to take the starring role. But, on a pragmatic level, soup and a piece of bread absolutely fills me up; so, the addition of an entrée is overkill for me. However, a certain someone needs a hunk of protein with every meal. So, if you’re in that camp, butternut squash soup pairs brilliantly with Mexican dishes, steak, grilled chicken, and entrée salads.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 red onion, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)

2 garlic cloves finely minced

1 roasted butternut squash

2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced 
2 cups water

 2 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper

½ cup heavy cream

Pepitas for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, cumin, and red chili flakes. Sautee on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until soft.

Add the garlic and continue to sautee for 1 minute.

Add the carrots and apple and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cover with the water and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the carrots and apple are soft.

Add the butternut squash to the sauteed mixture and puree in a food processor. You will need to do this in 2 batches.

Return to the pot and add heavy cream. Simmer for ten minutes or until heated through. You may want to add more water or stock based on your consistency preference.

To serve, sprinkle with pepitas and enjoy with crusty bread on the side. Or, you could go with my daughter’s preference and garnish with Pirate’s Booty.

Roasting Butternut Squash

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse the skin of the butternut squash. Trim off the top and cut the squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side down in a baking dish and pour 1 ½ cups of water into the dish. Roast uncovered for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The time varies based on the size of the squash. When pierced with a fork all the way through, the squash should give way very easily and feel very soft inside. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and reserve for the soup or place in an airtight container or ziplock bag and refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Magic Bullet Cappucino

I’ve always wanted to “act now” in response to an infomercial. I just didn’t know which magic beans to buy. Well, after years and years and years, and almost buying the Ginsu knives, I pulled the trigger on the Magic Bullet.

Is it all that? Yes and no. It’s great for making smoothies, because it’s a much easier clean up than a full scale blender, not to mention it’s much easier to pull out of the cupboard than my macdaddy blender, since it’s so light and compact. However, I’ve noticed that the blades aren’t as sharp as they were during the first few weeks of use. Initially, the blades would pulverize ice and frozen strawberries in a nanosecond. Now, they do duty akin to that of Jamba Juice Smoothies-a few stray strawberry pebbles here and there. However, my major affection toward the Magic Bullet is the blade attachment that foams milk.

I use to trot over to Starbucks everyday with my daughter for a cappuccino. The problem with that is once my daughter started walking, she would make a beeline to the milk and treats case and help herself to chocolate milk and cookies. At first, I thought it was charming. She and I would sit in a couple cozy chairs near the crackling fire and enjoy our morning drinks. It became a ritual. And, that’s the problem. Chocolate milk and cookies every now and then: fine. Everyday: not so fine. And, it really didn’t seem fair to get myself a beverage, but deny her one.

So, I began shopping cappuccino makers. I’ve had a few machines in the past, but they were what I would consider imitation cappuccino makers (in the $100-$200 range). They didn’t hold up well and produced substandard espresso. There is no way around it: a good espresso machine is an investment (in the $1000 to $2000 range). But, I have a wish list of high-ticket items, and an espresso maker doesn’t make the top five cut. So, that’s where the Magic Bullet comes in. The blade attachment that foams milk does a superb job. Just yesterday, I made a cappuccino for S, and he loved it. He said it was far better than Starbucks. Now, I’m not sure that’s a compliment, because ever since Starbucks did away with hand pulled espressos and switched to automatic espresso makers, their cappuccinos are just okay. But, he meant well. So, you’re probably wondering why I chose Starbucks everyday. It’s about twenty steps from my front door. And, when you have a small child, you choose the easiest way possible to your destination. Plus, it seems silly to bundle up my daughter, schlep her to the car, secure her in her car seat not always with her cooperation, and then drive three miles to a decent espresso shop just for a cappuccino. At any rate, it’s also a huge money saver. I figured I’m saving $40 per week by cutting out the mommy daughter daily trip to Starbucks. That’s over $1900 per year, not counting weekends. Coincidently, that’s enough to buy a good espresso machine.

The recipe is one heaping teaspoon of instant espresso (I like Medaglia d'Oro) to 3 oz. of boiling water. While your water is boiling, put 4 oz. of milk in the magic bullet and jizz it up for a minute. Then heat the milk uncovered in the microwave for 40-50 seconds. As soon as you see the milk rising in the vessel, pull it out. Then just pour the milk and foam into the espresso. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how to form the cool heart shape in foam. But, it tastes just as good without the heart.

Note: I’m not affiliated with the Magic Bullet or its sales in any way (although I wish I were).

Zucchini Pecan Bundt Cake

I was passing by Williams Sonoma yesterday, and I saw a big red SALE! sign in the window. Of course, I had to walk in. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a sale at Williams Sonoma, and, since I was sure I could easily pick anything off the shelf and be happy with it, I was brimming with anticipation. What super cool how come I don’t already have that thing would I find? A juicer that looks like an industrial tarantula? A panino press? Fancy French linens? No, no, and no. The only things I found on sale were kitchy Christmas items that clearly no one else wanted either. And, that prompted the sad realization that WS actually had things that I didn’t need or want. But, as I was leaving, feeling dejected and unfulfilled, I gave a cursory glance over my shoulder and spotted the cake section. Cake. What is it about cake that is so irresistible? Even the name feels good in your mouth. I was mostly tempted by the teensiest, tiniest cake molds in the shapes of flowers. They were so dainty they gave the impression that I would have to hold high tea with ladies dressed in tiered chiffon dresses. I almost bit; but, then the granddaddy of bundt pans caught my eye. That was it. A Heritage bundt pan (whatever that is). It has deep grooves that curve into a spiral so that if someone spun it in front of your eyes, you could likely become hypnotized. At any rate, I bought it, and I like it.

So, after much thought as to the first cake to pour into the pan, I nixed the fat laden chocolate cake and went for the less fat laden zucchini cake. Remember, my daughter still won’t eat green veggies; but, she’ll eat zucchini in a cake! Although, I may have to put a piece in a cupcake liner to pass her inspection.

I like this recipe enough to share it. Over the last month, I’ve been baking here and there, but nothing has come out spectacular. This zucchini pecan cake, however, came out pretty good (okay, spectacular) in taste and appearance. It’s a keeper.

Note: Make sure to squeeze the excess water from the grated zucchini. Do this by placing the zucchini in the center of a double layer of paper towels (or cheesecloth). Cinch the edges together like a beggar’s purse and squeeze the daylights out of the bundle. When you see how much water is released from the zucchini, you’ll understand the importance of this step. All that added water would make for a mushy cake.

Zucchini Pecan Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups oil
• 3 1/2 cups grated zucchini (or three medium zucchinis), excess water squeezed out
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter and flour a bundt pan

Whisk first 5 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with both sugars. Add vanilla, then add oil. Add flour mixture and blend just until incorporated. Fold in zucchini and pecans. Pour into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before removing cake from pan. Generously dust cake with powdered sugar.

Grandma's Red Velvet Cupcakes

My grandma made the best red velvet cake I've ever tasted. Of course, since red velvet didn't claim trendy popularity until the sudden fame of the cupcake, I haven't had anything else to compare it to. But, even so, I recently tasted some competition from a very well known cupcakery (the owner was a guest on Martha Stewart's cupcake episode), and it didn't measure up to my memories. So, my recipe is from grandma's cake collection, but I bake it up as cupcakes, because my little girl loves cupcakes. If I give her a piece of cake, she pushes the plate away (or off her tray and onto the floor); but, if I give her that same cake in the form of a cupcake, then bon appetito! So, cupcakes it is. I made these little gems for Christmas dessert and they were a hit. Topped with a raspberry, they looked very Christmasy, but they could definitely fit right into the red and sweet theme of Valentine's Day as well.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temp.

2 large eggs, room temp.

2 tablespoons red food coloring (which is the whole bottle of Mc Cormick's/0.25 fl. oz)

1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 lb. cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, room temp.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Fresh raspberries for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Bake approximately 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, halfway through to ensure even baking. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick or bamboo skewer for doneness. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting. 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extracts together until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

Frost the cupcakes with an offset spatula or pipe the frosting from a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, then top each with a fresh raspberry (open end set into the frosting).

Sometimes five means two

Just back from spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Maui. *sigh* I always think I know what to expect from Maui: sun, beach, pool, recharge. But, it always catches me by surprise, because it always exceeds my expectations. Well, not the food this time, but everything else that is great about Maui. Sadly, I had very high expectations for my dining experiences, because we were pimpin' our vacay five stars. The food we were served barely eked out two stars. The ahi was not fresh. Ahi not fresh! How can that be? I was sitting at a table that overlooks a gigantic ocean full of fish, and I was served ahi that was so old I smelled the distinguishable odor before I even raised fork to mouth. I begrudgingly gave the resort a pass on the fish, since it was beachside dining. I made excuses for the cook: 1. He spent the morning surfing, but bit it on a huge swell and couldn't get the salt out of his nose; thus, smelling salt above and beyond all aromas; 2. He had a mandatory mai tai tasting before his shift, leaving him incapable of logical decision making, including how to actually sear "seared ahi"; or 3. He was a secret agent. He wasn't actually a cook, but merely played one to sabotage the five star competition; thereby increasing the favorability of his nearby four star resort (starts with a W). So, I set my sights on the next day's Thanksgiving feast. Well, feast it was not; and post dinner was more like, do we have any pretzels left from the flight? I can't even describe the meal, because three hundred dollars later, I'm still shaking my head about it. Robbery? Quite like it; but, not intentional, I'm sure. The staff was so pleasant I feel a bit of guilt dishing their food; but, still. It was bad.

At any rate, we did discover a decent restaurant where I experienced, quite possibly, the best seared scallops of all time. They were wrapped in bacon, which I usually don't eat (it bothers me that pigs don't sweat, but I do appreciate the added value of pork fat), which gave them a deep smokey salty (but not too salty) note that was balanced by the interior of the scallop that was what I can only describe as creamy sweetness, light and dense at the same time. It's the sort of lusciousness you either can't eat fast enough or you move at a snail's pace through the dish, savoring each bite and then regretting that there is one less bite left. The scallop was so pure, it was as if it had rocketed itself from the sea onto my plate. It was really fresh. Then it ocurred to me that it's possible I had never had a fresh scallop (contrary to the point of sale shpeal from the Pike Place Market fish mongers). So, apologies for the lame photo; but, as soon as I snapped a shot of the scallops, the general manager swiftly appeared at our table looking displeased and asked if everything was to my liking. I read that as "stop taking pictures of our food." At any rate, Maui was beautiful and injected me with so much rejuvenation (Mahalo Maui) that I promptly whipped up an entire belated Thanksgiving dinner upon arriving back in good old rainy Seattle.

Upside Down Apple Cake

I can't let apple season fly by without indulging in a few awesome apple treats. I realize I'm a little slow on the uptake (okay, I'm already seeing Christmas cookies on the covers of magazines); but, when you have a baby (toddler; I have to stop saying baby), you're usually late for everything: hair appt. (if you're lucky enough to get one), potlucks (cranky no nap toddler + dish for 38 = late), and family gatherings (they eventually started without us and were making a sweep through the dessert trays by the time we stormed the front doors). Better late than never? Well, I'll let the apple cake speak for itself; and, I'll treat it so lovingly- buttering it up with caramel and then tucking it under a blanket of vanilla infused batter- it will forgive my tardiness. 

Note: Ina Garten's Apple Cake Tatin is the inspiration for this cake; however, I've added butter to the caramel so it mellows the flavor and brings out the nuances of, well, caramel. And, I've fiddled with the batter so that it ends up a bit more voluptuous (no disrespect to Ina; her cake is lovely). 

Upside Down Apple Cake

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pie dish

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 peeled and cored Granny Smith apples, cut into 12 thick slices (one apple should yield 8 slices)

Cake batter

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9 inch glass pie dish.

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan and boil for 30 seconds. Pour into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Fan 11 apple slices around the dish. Cut the remaining slice in half and place in the center.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. Beat until smooth and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter over the apples and gently spread to cover evenly.

Place a baking sheet on the rack below the cake to catch any caramel gone wild. Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in the dish for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Place a large plate over the pie dish, then flip it over to invert the cake onto the plate. Let the cake cool before serving (although I always cut into it while it's slightly warm, because I can't wait). Delicious served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Beef Chili

When it’s raining cats and dogs like it is tonight, I don’t venture far from home. You would think Seattle drivers would have this rain thing down; but, that’s a big fat no. Yet, when you practically have a tsunami washing across your windshield it adds a challenge to just seeing, let alone driving. So, I’m staying in and turning to my pantry and freezer to pull together dinner. There are a few canned goods that I consider staples (well, staples if you’re a chili lover like me): tomatoes and a variety of beans. I usually stock up when there’s a good sale; so, I almost always have the ingredients for chili on hand. A note on chiles: there’s a lot of leeway here. Just pick your favorite ground chile and run with it. If you prefer chili powder for its mild heat, cut back on the fresh garlic since chili powder contains garlic. Toward the end of cooking, and after I’ve portioned out a mild version for my daughter, I add a very intense hot sauce, which adds another layer of heat and more complexity. It’s called Total Insanity, and, it’s quite possible I’m committing an act of total insanity for using it. It’s made from habanera, the hottest chile on earth, and it’s not for the weak at heart. It’s the one at chile festivals that has a glass of toothpicks for sampling, instead of the protocol tortilla chip.

Several years ago, I was tooling through Leavenworth, a very charming German city (village) in WA with a friend. It’s amuck with German sausages, sauerkraut, and spaetzle. Who would have thought in her wildest dreams there would be a bottle of Total Insanity set out for tasting? Oddly out of place, it sat among the beer steins, knickknacks, and locally made preserves. My friend dared me to try it (how do I always end up in food dares?). I was surprised by the dare, since he was fully aware that I spent several years in the southwest, where chiles are the southwesterners’ condiment of choice. Since there was a dinner on the line, I dipped the toothpick in the tiny bowl of insanity and touched it on my tongue. It was hot, I mean really hot, but I was fine. Based on my reaction, my friend bypassed the toothpick and grabbed a spoon from the preserves’ sampling. I quickly snatched it from his hand; but, being a guy (which is the only logic I can come up with), he grabbed another sampling spoon and quickly scooped a half spoonful then popped it in his mouth. The only way to describe his reaction is to refer to the iconic cartoon guy whose face turns fire engine red and smoke shoots from his ears. The coughing and spitting began immediately and then he sprinted from the store and ran the five blocks to the car, where there was a cooler of bottled water. He guzzled all the bottles of water. It was total insanity (had to say it). It’s hot stuff.

Beef Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small diced onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tablespoons ground red chile powder

1 pound ground beef

2-28 ounce cans diced or crushed tomatoes

1 can pinto beans

1 can kidney beans

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon kosher salt

*optional: 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Adapted from my mother’s chili, which includes everything except the spices.

 Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy bottom stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Stir in garlic.

Push the onions and garlic to the edge of the pan and add the ground beef, breaking it up while cooking. When the ground beef is browned, pull the onions and garlic back into it. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, honey, and salt.

At this point, I portion out my daughter’s serving and place it in a small saucepan. In the adult version, add the chile powder and hot sauce. Bring chili in both pots to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning.

Garnish with diced avocado, sour cream, and shredded jack or cheddar cheese. Cornbread makes a delicious accompaniment.