Butternut squash soup with orange and ginger

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I have never been a big fan of cooked pumpkin. I like the way how pumpkins look – so happy with their orange fall coats, but their taste – not really. One day, a few years ago, I got meningitis. I was so sick that the only thing I could eat was soup. Since I was not in a condition to cook myself, I went to the store and bought several cartons of soup. When I got home, I realized that instead of cream of potato soup I had bought butternut squash soup. I had fever and was very exhausted and with no other food options, in other words, I was stuck with the butternut squash soup. To my surprise, I loved the soup. In fact, I loved it even more than my all-time child favorite, cream of potato soup.

For this recipe, I have spiced up a bit the traditional butternut squash soup with some fresh squeezed orange juice and ginger, which adds a touch of sweetness and spice. I have also topped the soup with small shrimp and lemony sautéed leeks, but they are totally optional.

For all of you who do not have the time and patience to roast their butternut squash – this is a recipe for you. Over time I have learned that not baking the butternut squash is totally ok. The method I use makes the soup as delicious as it could be, and it saves a lot of time.

Give it a try this week and let me know what you think.

 

Butternut squash soup with orange and ginger

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 big (2-3 pounds) butternut squash
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes
• 2 large carrots, cut in circles
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• salt and pepper

Optional items:
• ½ cup small (salad) shrimp, cooked
• 1 leek, finely sliced (white part only)

Directions:

Wash the butternut squash really well by gently scrubbing the skin. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into 3-4 equal size pieces. Leave aside. Heat the oil in a large pot. Lower the heat to medium-high and add the onions. Sauté for 2 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes, carrots and ginger and cook them for about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the stock and the water. Add the butternut squash and nestle the pieces, making sure they all are covered with liquid. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, for about 30 minutes or until the flesh of the butternut squash is soft. Remove the soup from the heat. Let it cool for 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, gently remove the butternut squash and place it on a plate. Let it cool for about 20 minutes and scoop out the flesh (leaving the skin out). Place the flesh back into the pot.

If using a standard blender: Puree the soup, working in batches, holding the top of the blender really tight with a kitchen towel.

If using and immersion blender: Place the blender in the pot and puree until the soup becomes smooth.

Add the butter and cream to the pot and stir until the butter is melted. Add the orange and lemon juice. Stir, add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

If serving with leeks and shrimp: Sauté the leeks in a teaspoon of oil for about a minute. While the pan is still hot, add a dash of salt, pepper and squeeze some lemon juice on top. Pour the soup into bowls and top with a few shrimps and a spoonful of the leeks.

Enjoy!

Mulled Wine

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It is Friday and I got home early. I was planning to have a chilled movie night – you know, the kind of night where you will have a list of 2-3 movies to watch in the company of yummy pizza and plenty of wine (oh, and don’t forget the candles). 

I have always liked mulled wine, and every time I have it, I can't have just one glass. So, my movie Friday night seemed to be a good night to have (let's say) a few glasses of mulled wine.

The kind I like is the sweet and very spicy mulled wine. The kind where you can still taste the alcohol and you can feel the nice peppery-hot sensation tingling down as you sip it.

Mulled Wine

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of good quality Merlot
• 3 cups of apple cider  
• 2 oranges, juiced
• 1 apple, sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• 4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns
• 1/4 cup of honey

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except the wine in a medium sized pot. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the apples, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and peppercorn. Pour the bottle of wine and stir.

2. Divide between the glasses and garnish each with a cinnamon stick and an anise star, if desired.

TIP: The mixture (without the wine) could be done up to a day ahead. Keep in the refrigerator and when ready to enjoy, pour the wine and gently warm up.

Poached eggs with peas and crisp prosciutto

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Poached eggs have always being a challenge to me. I used to follow my mom’s recipe – cracking several of them in a pot of salted and vinegary boiling water and simmering on low until the yolk is done. That was a disaster. 

I tried the tornado in boiling water method, which helped the egg white stay around, but I could only make one egg at a time. Then, one day, I was watching an episode of America’s Test Kitchen and they showed an easy, five-minute method, of poaching as many as eight eggs at the same time.

This seemed easy enough, so I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, the eggs turned out just right. This success lead me to having poached eggs as a regular quick weekend lunch. And a side of greens or a crispy prosciutto peas makes the eggs even more delicious.

Poached eggs with peas and crispy prosciutto

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas (preferably baby), thawed  
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 4 pieces of good quality prosciutto, teared into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt 

Directions:

Poached eggs
America's Test Kitchen

Crack 2 eggs in the same cup (total of 2 cups). Make sure the yolks do not break. If a yolk breaks, discard the egg and crack a new one. Set the cups aside.

Fill a large pan (yes pan, not pot) almost to the rim with water. Add the vinegar and the salt. Bring the pan to a boil. Remove the pan from heat.

Pour the cups with eggs, at the same time,  into the water. Cover the pot and let it stay for 5 minutes.

Peas with crispy prosciutto:

1. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil in a non-sticking pan on a medium-high. Add the prosciutto pieces one by one making sure that they are not sticking together (do it in 2 batches if necessary). Set the heat to a low and crisp the prosciutto on one side for about 30 sec., then flip the pieces and crisps for another 30 seconds. Make sure the prosciutto is not burned. Place the crisps onto a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside. Do not clean the pan.

2. Using the same pan from the prosciutto, heat the remaining 1/2 of the olive oil on a medium-high. Add the shallots and gently sauté them for about 1 minute. Add the thawed peas and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add the lemon juice, stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the prosciutto crisps and toss gently.

3. Check the eggs by gently touching the yolk with your finger. The yolk should be soft, but not runny (the egg white should not be watery). If the eggs need more time let them stay in the pan for an extra minute. When done, remove each egg with a slotted spoon, tilting spoon slightly to remove the excess water. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Arrange the plates by placing 2 eggs on each and add some of the peas with prosciutto on the side. If desired, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheesecheese over the peas. Serve while still warm.