Cooking is one of those things that help me relax and feel centered. Kind of like yoga. When I cook, I may look like I'm running around and feeling crazed; I'm really just in the zone letting my mind wander away from the stressful things in life. In the end I am able to sit, relax, and enjoy what I just created. I believe that is why I love cooking so much. I have never been good at painting, playing an instrument, or being crafty; but when I'm baking up a delicious bread loaf or blending up soup, I feel like Picasso or Salvador Dali! I know I sound like a crazy person, it's just how I feel.
A few weeks ago at work we had a Butternut Squash Bisque and I fell in love. From that day I have been dying to make soup. My biggest obstacle was that the two blenders I had were both broken. I was defeated by a little piece of plastic that didn't allow my Magic Bullet to work. So one day I searched all over the internet and found a store that sold that little rubber ring stopper for my other blender, that mysteriously disappeared of course. $1.08 later, I was on my way to the grocery store to buy the necessities for the soup I was craving.
Now, I have never made soup before and I was a little nervous about the outcome. The first spin in the blender didn't result in the consistency I wanted so I had to repeat that step, a couple of times. The next time I make soup I know what to do now. I love learning new things.
Enjoy this fabulous deliciously nutritious soup on a chilly autumn night!
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| Butternut squash is really hard to cut in half. As you can see my halves are no where near even! |
Roasted Butternut Squash
Cookinglight Magazine - November 2006 Issue
Ingredients:
4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large shallots, peeled and halved
1 (1/2 inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons (1-inch) slices fresh chives
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Combine first 5 ingredients in a roasting pan or jelly-roll pan; toss well. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Place half of squash mixture and half of broth in a blender. Remove center piece of blend lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture and broth. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. top with chives and pepper, if desired.
Makes 6 servings (2/3 cup soup)
Nutrition: (per serving) Calories 112; Fat 2.5g; Protein 3.3g; Carb 22.4g; Fiber 3.6g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 266mg
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