Butternut Squash Jalapeno Soup

That's kind of a strange color for butternut squash soup, huh?

Well that's because it's got jalapeno and sage added to it.

I may have overdone the jalapeno a bit, thus the extra green color, but the flavor is really nice.

I didn't used to like soups like this. My favorite soups feature meat (usually ham or bacon) and it was kind of a hard sell for me to embrace this fully vegan soup. The turning point for me was that roasting the squash was so easy. It's the kind of thing you can throw in a pan in five minutes, with any number of herbs and spices, and then just put in the oven and forget about it for an hour or so. Once it's cooked and cooled all you have to do it scrape the meat out of the skin of the squash and puree all the good bits from the bottom of the roasting pan.

For this version, I roasted the jalapenos right alongside the squash. The only issue with that is that they don't get as crunchy as they do when I pan fry them, so there wasn't anything to use as garnish in the end. To thicken the soup, I used almonds and almond milk, but if you have any kind of problem with nuts, just leave them out, it's plenty thick on it's own.

Best of all, this is completely vegan and gluten free. For those of you who are trying hard to get back on the right track post-New Year's celebrations, give this soup a try.

Butternut Squash Soup with Jalapeno and Sage

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large Butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
• 2 Jalapeno peppers, cut into rings (remove the seeds if you want to avoid too much spice)
• 1 Shallot, diced
• 1 small Red Onion, diced
• 4 sprigs Sage, shredded
• 2 cloves Garlic, peeled but not chopped
• 4 Tbsps Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 10 Almonds (optional)
• 1/8 cup Almond Milk (optional)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Position the squash cut side up in a roasting pan large enough to fit both halves of the butternut squash without them touching.
• Place the sage and garlic in the cavity of the squash.
• Add some of the olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Flip over the squash. You may need to move the garlic and herbs a bit to get them to fit back into the cavity no that the squash is skin side up.
• Place the jalapenos, onions and shallots in between the two halves of the squash.
• Drizzle remainder of olive oil over the top of all the ingredients.
• Roast everything for 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the squash, until a knife easily goes through the meat.
• Once the squash is cool, scrape out the meat.
• Take everything left in the roasting pan and the meat of the squash and place them in a food processor. Add the almonds and almond milk (optional).
• Pulse until the texture you desire is reached.

Enjoy!

Broccoli with Salt

I don't usually talk about one ingredient like this. But, Joe (my dad) made me some really good broccoli and I needed to share this with you.

I've always simply steamed broccoli in a steamer basket. Joe boils his with some salt in the water. There are some people who like their broccoli crisp, even when cooked. I prefer mine a little soft, still green and not mushy.

Here's what you need to do:

Cut your broccoli up into florets, discarding the tough bottom stems.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add broccoli and cook for about 8 minutes, or until your fork goes through the stems.

Enjoy!

The Day After: Pesto

I know, you've probably all eaten your body weight in treats, ham and gooey goodness by now, but I had to share a-not-so-light recipe with you. It's traditional, I guess, to start off the post-Christmas season with light, healthy foods, but it's so darn cold, I still think we need these stick-to-your-bones dishes to get us through.

Remember how I mentioned that my sister and I made a book for Gran Fran with her recipes and my photos? Well, here is another

recipe from that project, Lasagna Geonvese. I've not made many lasagna's in my time, but figured I should give this one a go since it's different than any others I've had.

I, of course, don't eat gluten or dairy, so I only had a small taste of this. It was superb. You could adjust this easily with gluten-free noodles, but I'm not a fan of non-dairy cheese, so can't recommend anything on that front.

OK, back to the recipe. It was really fun to make. Lots of steps, as I've mentioned before, but the potatoes and pesto really made this dish stand out from your traditional lasagna. I love the colors, too, since it's a little unexpected to see a green lasagna. I do have to say, though, I don't recall when Gran Fran may have made this for us.

I do remember her excellent Pesto, and know that when we were in Italy in 1989 we did have a lasagna with pesto and potatoes in it. Yes, that's right, I (and probably Gran Fran, too) can probably recall every dish we ate that month in Italy. The fried bread (savory and salty) is one thing I have yet to be able to recreate in my own kitchen.

Enjoy a piece of this right out of the oven.

original recipe courtesy of Fran Claro of The Italian Pantry

Lasagna Genovese

Serves ten

Pesto

• 3 cups basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, roughly grated
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2   teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Dried red pepper flakes to taste

1. In blender or food processor, pulse all ingredients, until sauce is thick and creamy.
2. Add more oil if necessary.
3. Set aside.

Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

• 1 pound curly edge lasagna noodles
• 10 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed, salted, thinly sliced, steamed until tender
• 1 pound green beans, sliced on the bias, salted, steamed 5 minutes
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, coarsely grated
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
• 2 cups whole milk ricotta, drained
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Pesto

1.  Boil noodles in salted water, according to package directions, drain well.
2.  Blend mozzarella, ricotta, and eggs with parsley;  salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Layer pesto, noodles, green beans, pesto, grated cheese, potatoes, blended cheeses, pesto.
4.  Continue stacking ingredients in the same order, ending with noodles, pesto, and a sprinkling of Parmigiano.
5. Cover loosely with aluminum foil; bake 35  minutes; remove foil; bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

The Nativity

Gran Fran's brother, Uncle (yes he has a name, but we just call him Uncle, okay?) painted these ornaments over 40 years ago. They've been featured on the tree all that time. I helped Gran Fran decorate her tree this year for the first time in almost 20 years. It was great to see these guys in person again. The wood is a soft balsa-wood type that's so light it seems too fragile to have held up over this many years.

I especially love how Uncle painted Mary and Jesus. It's so sweet.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas. Celebrate the old-time traditions, create some new ones and enjoy yourselves with friends and family.