Roasted Squash and Apple Puree

Pepper Squash

Sundays are sometimes a little melancholy, as they were comforting days at home when Dad watched football while Mom prepared a roast beef, pork or chicken dinner that perfumed the house all afternoon. As a kid, the side dishes were my favourite part of the meal. Freshly whipped potatoes, turnip mashed with butter and brown sugar, and little baby peas were frequent guests at our Sunday table.

In the spirit of old-fashioned Sunday dinners, I recently created this sweet and savoury side dish and served it for our Thanksgiving meal, to great accolades.

I was looking for something a little different for our holiday meal, and knowing we all love roasted squash as well as apple sauce, I decided I'd try to combine those flavours together. To our delight, it turned out beautifully. I made it a day in advance, and we had to hold ourselves back from devouring it.

I used pepper squash, but you could also use butternut or buttercup squash. I wouldn't recommend trying it with spaghetti squash, though. For the apples, I used Cortlands but you can also use Macintosh or any other good baking apple that will get soft when cooked. The first time I made this, I used a very hard apple (Fuji) which took longer to cook and a little more effort to puree, but it still tasted incredible.

Roasted Squash and Apple Puree

1 winter squash (pepper, butternut or buttercup), seeded, peeled and cubed
2 large apples, chopped
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. cream
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

To prepare squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and rub with 1 tsp. olive oil.

Cut squash in half vertically and scrape out seeds and strings. Place cut side down on cutting board, and cut both halves in half again. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the peel (if using a pepper squash, cut the grooves off rather than trying to cut around them). Once peeled, slice each piece in thirds lengthwise, then chop the slices into cubes.

Place cubed squash on baking sheet and top with 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 tsp. kosher salt and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Using your hands, toss well to coat the squash, then spread evenly on the baking sheet. Place in oven and cook 40-45 minutes (or until very soft), tossing well every 10 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. brown sugar, tossing well.

To prepare apples:

While squash is roasting, peel, core and chop the apples. Heat a saute pan and melt 1 1/2 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Add apples and toss well in the butter mixture. Saute over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, or until very soft. Set aside.

To make puree:

Place roasted squash and cooked apples in food processor or blender (or, if very soft, you can use a potato masher and whip well). Puree until creamy, adding cream one tablespoon at a time until smooth and silky. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:

Serve as a tasty, nutritious side dish with meat, poultry or fish. This dish can be made a day or two before serving, and reheated for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven when needed.

African Peanut Soup

*Note: Recipe revised Nov. 21/09 to include 1/2 c split red lentils - a wonderful texture improvement plus added protein and nutrients.

Tomato soup has always been comfort food to me. When I was little, Mom used to make me tomato soup when I came home from school for lunch. She'd also give me a few crackers to crumble into the soup, and I can still feel the crunch of them as my fingers mushed them into my palms, their dusty bits adding a salty crunch to every mouthful of the tangy, sweet liquid. The very thought of it takes me right back to loving, happy memories of sitting with Mom on our couch, my feet dangling off the edge, eating from a TV tray and watching The Flintstones.

I was inspired to learn how to make this soup after ordering Moroccan Tomato soup a number of times at a local lunch spot. Their version was quite rich, so I looked at a variety of recipes and, after making some adaptations, I came up with a version that is healthy and hearty. You can add chunks of chicken breast to this soup, but be sure to remove them before pureeing. For vegetarians, the lentils and peanut butter provide good sources of protein.

This recipe is truly an homage to childhood lunch times with Mom. Imagine tomato soup and peanut butter all in the same mouthful...what better tribute to childhood could one ask for?

African Peanut Soup

2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red peppers, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, mashed
1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
8 c. vegetable broth (or a mixture of vegetable and chicken broths)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hot)
1/2 c. uncooked basmati rice
1/2 c. red split lentils
2/3 c. crunchy peanut butter
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
Cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

In a large soup pot, saute onions, peppers and garlic in oil, salt & pepper until onions become translucent, stirring frequently.

Add the tomatoes and juice, broth, peppers and red pepper flakes, and rice. Simmer, partially covered, over low heat for 30 minutes. Add half the peanut butter, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature.

Puree half the soup in a blender or food processor. Add the pureed mixture to the rest of the soup and mix well. Reheat soup and add remainder of peanut butter, whisking until smooth. Adjust flavour with salt and pepper, if necessary.

To Serve:

Ladle soup into bowls and top with chopped cilantro.

Rutabaga Soup

Rutabaga

What a wonderful time of year to celebrate the harvest by making great soups.

After enjoying a fabulous hike along the Bruce Trail this past weekend, we picked up some wonderful local vegetables and headed to the kitchen to turn them into soups - Rutabaga, African Peanut, and Lentil (recipes for the latter two to be posted in coming days). Our freezer is now happily packed with healthy and delicious treats to last us a while.

This recipe came from my brother, and I have to confess, at first I didn't think I'd really enjoy soup made from rutabaga. How pleasantly surprised I was to savour this interesting flavour combination, made perfectly complete by a drizzle of maple syrup on the top of each serving! Everyone who tries this soup says they are surprised that it's actually delicious.

While this recipe calls for 1 cup of whipping cream, I don't use it because I find that it gets creamy and smooth enough by being pureed. However, it certainly is delicious with cream, if you don't mind the extra calories. I've also reduced the fat and added part olive oil, as the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup butter. You can easily omit the butter and use only olive oil, but the butter adds a nice flavour that we like.

Also, a word on sodium counts in prepared broth. I recommend checking the amount of sodium, and if available, try the low-sodium option and simply adjust the salt yourself. I was shocked by the sodium counts in the various vegetable broths, and was especially disappointed that the organic brands contained 38% of the recommended daily maximum amount of sodium per serving. If you have time and are so inclined, it's definitely worth making your own; otherwise, just choose the prepared options cautiously.

Rutabaga Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 c. leeks, sliced and well cleaned
3 c. rutabaga, chopped (about 1 medium)
4 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 c. whipping cream (optional)
2 tbsp. maple syrup
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Saute leeks in olive oil and butter until slightly translucent. Do not brown. Add stock and rutabaga. Bring to boil. Reduce and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the rutabaga is tender. Bring to room temperature and puree in blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:

Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with maple syrup. Savour slowly...

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake

Apple Cake

Our son called last night to put in a request for pies - apple and lemon meringue - for Thanksgiving. Aunt Clara makes the world's best deep dish apple pie, which I'll try to recreate next weekend. In the meantime, I turned my attention to this lovely apple cake recipe to scent the house (and warm our tummies) on this cool and rainy fall evening.

We picked up a bag of freshly picked Cortland apples at Mountain Orchards on our recent stopover at my brother's house. The fragrance in their barn of apples and warm apple cider was welcoming and heartwarming. No wonder this is my favourite time of year.

I've been doing some research into ethical, sustainable farming and local stores, restaurants and butchers that support the slow food movement. This search led me yesterday to The Healthy Butcher on Eglinton Avenue West, just east of Avenue Road. It's a lovely shop that carries lovingly raised and ethically treated meats, poultry, dairy, etc. They also have the gourmet salts that I blogged about recently. After a very helpful and reassuring conversation, I placed an order for a free-range, organic turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner next weekend.

On my way out of the shop, I came across a fantastic free publication called Edible Toronto, published and edited by Gail Gordon Oliver. I couldn't believe how packed full of information, recipes, photos and great resources this magazine was! I was surprised and encouraged by how many people are focusing their attention on building a sustainable economy through ethical and environmentally respectful approaches to food. Check it out at www.edibletoronto.com .

In the magazine, I found a recipe for "A Good Old-Fashioned Apple Cake from Gail's Kitchen" and tried it out tonight with our Cortland apples. It didn't include a cooking temperature, but I found it turned out perfectly at 350 degrees. According to Gail, this recipe comes from one by Lara C. Atkins in Edible Green Mountains.

It is absolutely delicious! In fact, it hasn't even fully cooled and it's nearly half gone. It's lovely served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a cup of tea.

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake

3 c. all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pan
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4-5 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks to make 4 cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" tube pan and dust with flour, shaking out excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and oil. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just blended. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Fold in apples. The batter will be very thick and sticky.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pan, and smooth the surface. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 60-70 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a rack. Use another rack to invert the cake so it is right side up.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Red Pepper Jelly

Red Pepper Jelly

This time of year, when the baskets at our local fruit markets are spilling over with freshly harvested peppers, reminds me so much of Mom, my grandmother and my dear Aunt Clara.

I come from a long line of jelly and jam makers, who created delicacies from the fall's harvest to enjoy all winter. Mom also made great pickles and chows, which I hated as a kid and grew to love later. Aunt Clara still makes the best jellies, especially crabapple, which she hangs in a cheesecloth-wrapped bundle dripping into a pot overnight in order to get the clearest jelly possible.

Aunt Clara also started making this red pepper variety, which Mom caught onto and began to make for our family. I've continued the tradition, and now make several bottles every fall for Christmas gifts and for our own use.

Red Pepper Jelly

3 large red peppers, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped
5 1/2 c. white sugar (do not adjust this amount)
1/3 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. cold water

1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 package liquid Certo (fruit pectin)

Sterilize 6 small or 3-4 medium bottles and lids.

Mix together first 4 ingredients and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool 15 minutes. Return to heat and add lemon juice. Return to rolling boil, add Certo and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim for 15 minutes. Bottle in hot, sterilized jars and cover tightly.

To Serve:

This red jelly, flecked with bits of peppers, is beautiful to present. We love it served with baked brie and crackers, and it's also delicious along side pork and chicken.

Try adding a couple of chopped jalapenos (or more, if you really like it hot) to this recipe, for a festive and delicious treat.