Sara’s Butternut Squash and Vegetable Soup

I still had a bunch of butternut squash leftover from making the muffins.  I wanted to do something different with it, and I wanted to give into making something involving brown sugar and...no that's it....brown sugar, but I decided I should do something more healthy, nutritious and warm.  Well, it is suppose to be fall already...who cares if it is 100 degrees.   So I looked through several recipes and they didn't really have what I was looking for, so I made a compilation recipe and it works for me!!!  some recipes puree all the vegetables after being cooked, but I like seeing my veggies.  So, for my first squash soup I am pleased. 

Sara’s Butternut  Squash and Vegetable Soup

•  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 stalk celery, chopped                                                                                   
• 2 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, roasted and pureed
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ - ¾ cup of plain greek yogurt
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Dash of curry powder

Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan, add onion and sauté until soft, add garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes and sauté until cooked, add spices.

When everything is cooked add pureed squash, yogurt and chicken stock, simmer for 20 minutes. 

(roasted sweet potatoes would also be nice in this soup)

To prepare butternut squash cut it in half, scoop out seeds.  Place face down on a baking sheet and bake it, , at 400F for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on the size). Let cool, the flesh scoops out easily with a spoon.

Kid Approved Butternut Squash Muffins with Citrus Glaze

I saw this recipe and had to try it, because I have been having such a blast cooking squash this fall that I just had to give a whirl.  I took them to my sister's house when I went to babysit and her three children and the children devoured them...and I mean devoured them.  I liked them also.  I made a few changes to Jamie Oliver's recipe...adding more squash spices and citrus juice, and I didn't have any nuts, so I didn't add any, which was fine for the children.  So give it a try,  sneak in the squash.

Jamie Oliver’s Butternut Squash Muffins with Citrus Glaze

2 cups of cooked and mashed butternut squash

¼ cup brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

2 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Handful of walnuts

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of ginger and cloves

¾ cup oil

Citrus Glaze

Zest of 1 clementine, orange or tangelo

Zest of  1 lemon

Juice of ½ lemon and ½ a Clementine (orange or tangelo)

½ teaspoon of vanilla

½ cup of greek yogurt

1 cup of powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

 Line your muffin tins with paper cups.

Whiz the squash in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the sugar, and eggs. Add a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, walnuts, cinnamon and  oil and whiz together until well beaten. You may need to pause the machine at some point to scrape the mix down the sides with a rubber spatula. Try not to overdo it with the mixing – you want to just combine everything and no more. Fill the paper cups with the muffin mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check to see whether they are cooked properly by sticking a wooden skewer or a knife right into one of the cakes – if it comes out clean, they’re done. If it’s a bit sticky, pop them back into the oven for a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack.As soon as the muffins are in the oven, make your runny frosted topping. Place most of the clementine zest, all the lemon zest and the citrus juice in a bowl. Add the yogurt, powdered sugar, vanilla and mix well. Taste and have a think about it – adjust the amount of lemon juice or icing sugar to balance the sweet and sour. Put into the fridge until your cakes have cooled down, then spoon the topping onto the muffins.

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars...Stop me now!

Why do I feel that I must outdo myself?  Well, a friend of mine requested lemon bars for his birthday.  He then added, he would like them to have cream cheese.  I have the best lemon bar recipes ever, and so I had to decide how to add cream cheese and cross my fingers.  and drumroll please...........they were amazing!!!!  So, have some wicked awesome lemony tart sweet fun!!! Note:  if you prefer just a lemon bar, take out the cream cheese mix and you will be able to have my favorite lemon bar recipe, and I have tried quite a few, and this one is the clear winner. :)

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

Cream together:

1 cup butter or margarine

½ cup powdered sugar

Add and mix well:

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

Pat into a 9” x 13” greased baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Mix together and pour over hot crust:

 

1 package cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)

1/4 cup lemon juice

Then mix and add to the top of the cream cheese layer

4 eggs, beaten slightly

2 cups sugar

½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup flour

¼ cup lemon juice (and maybe a splash or two or three or four more)

Rind of one lemon, grated (and then maybe one or two more rinds, if you like it tart and sassy)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  When done, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

Yes, I will eat almost anything with the words cinnamon streusel in it, maybe even brussel sprouts, but probably not.  I saw these pancakes pop up on http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/ and said, yes, please!  I decided to have a couple friends over for breakfast and try this out on them.  I made the mix as stated, but I also had some dry mix made from my whole wheat and oat pancakes that I made awhile ago, so I dumped it in for extra healthiness.  It was satisfyingly delicious.  My friend Anne brought turkey bacon and I made a simple fruit salad and we were all happy.  So give it a shot, it will make you smile!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
To make the pancakes:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
I added a tablespoon or two of molasses.  J

Directions:

1. First, make the cinnamon streusel. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands or a fork, until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until combined.
4. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low. Coat with cooking spray. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto heated skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon streusel. Cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip pancake over and cover very generously with cinnamon streusel. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Continue this process to make the rest of the pancakes.