Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Delicata Squash Bisque


I found this recipe at Vegan Yum Yum and it looked so easy and I had a squash just sitting there so I had to try it. I made foccacia to go with it (see previous post) and guess what folks--it was easy and delish! It calls for Delicata Squash, but you can use any kind of fall squash that you have. My only problem was that one of my sons broke out in hives, allergic to cashews. UUUUGGGGHHHHHHHH. Will I make it again? Most likely, the allergic child just won't get any cashew cream in his...



Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups


3 Pounds Delicata Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)

Oil for roasting


1 tsp Thyme (or another herb if you prefer)

Lots of Black Pepper

1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste



Cashew Cream


1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews

1 Cup Rich Vegetable Broth, divided


Preheat oven to 400ยบ F.
Peel squash and chop off the ends. Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside. If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.


Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender. My 64 oz blender fit the entire batch of soup.


Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. How much salt you add with depend on how salty your broth is to begin with. I thought 1 1/2 tsp salt was perfect for my batch, but yours might differ.
Remove soup to bowls (or mugs!) and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper. Little squigglies of cream look nice, but you can also draw hearts or stars or swirls, whatever!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Focaccia

Focaccia



This recipe is so good and it's fast and easy. I did find my pic online, because lets face it, I'm not a good photographer, my phone camera can only do so much... I got this out of a recipe book from my old ward and tweaked it just a little to suit my taste.

Mix 1 c. warm (not hot) water, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 pkg fast acting yeast (1 Tbs).

Let sit 5 mins.



Meanwhile, mix 1 tsp.(each) dried rosemary, basil, oregano, onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder & 1/4 tsp thyme.



Mix the yeast with about 2 c. flour ( I usually end up using about 2 1/2 c.) and 1 tsp salt.

Add in about half of the herb mixture. Reserve the rest to go on top.



Knead by hand or machine to form a soft dough.



Let rest for 10-15 mins.



Spray bottom only of 9x13 cake pan (or for thicker bread a 9x9 pan). Press the dough in to pan. Cover and let rise for 30 mins. When dough is done rising, press fingertips into dough to make inentaitions all over it. Drizzle with 3-4 Tbs evoo. Sprinkle herb mix on top. (Sometimes it's easier for me just to mix the oil in the bowl with the herb mix and brush the mix on top with a pastry brush.) Grate parmesan cheese over the top (optional).



Bake at 400 F for about 20 mins. Let cool in pan. Serve as bread with Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil or slice horizontally for sandwiches.

Warning: your kitchen may smell heavenly after making this aromatic bread. :)