Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Thank you thank you thank you SLO Veg (an awesome business in SLO County that deliveries fresh produce and veggies right to your door) for this delicious recipe. I replaced the normal butter for vegan butter, but to me it didn't change the flavor at all. It is SO good! I also made some little garlic toast crostini to go with it, you definitely don't have to do that though.

2 tablespoons vegan butter (original called for unsalted butter)

2 tablespoons good olive oil 

4 cups chopped yellow onions (2-3 large) 

2 tablespoons mild curry powder 

5 pounds butternut squash (2 large or 3 medium) 

1 1/2 pounds apples (4 apples) - I used Fuji

2 teaspoons kosher salt 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

2 cups water 

2 cups good apple cider or juice 

Directions

• Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. 
• Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot. 
• Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks. 
• Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. 
• Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. 
• Process the soup in a blender. Pour the soup back into the pot. I liked to leave some small chucks in mine.
• Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. 
• The original recipe says to drizzle a little bit of heavy cream over the top to make a pretty display- I would LOVE this- but did without :) 
• Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.
• To do the garlic toast crostini, you just drizzle olive oil on a good baguette and put under the broiler until the edges turn brown. Then rub it with a piece of garlic to get it nice and garlicy- then sprinkle a little salt and pepper on it. 

Boxed Soup Night

I was on my own for dinner tonight, and I didn't want to dirty up my beautifully cleaned kitchen, so I grabbed a Trader Joe's soup I bought recently.

 It is gluten free and with the exception of honey (which isn't technically allowed on the cleanse- but hey, I am a rebel) it is sugar free and vegan. I am pretty picky with soups from the store, I usually stick with the "tomato basil bisque" type soups. But I mean who can go wrong with anything with cream? :)  Well, this soup from Traders is really really good! It is called "Creamy Corn and Roasted Pepper Soup."  I won't lie, it is not the most appetizing color coming out of the box, but it has great flavor. A good quick and easy (and pretty healthy) soup to incorporate into your diet on nights that you would typically want to grab something not so wonderful for you!

The soup has only 110 calories per serving. I added a can of corn to add some texture. I definitely recommend!

Get Better Soup

Stephen was super sick this weekend and asked for me to make him some chicken soup. I had every intention of not eating it, but it smelled SO dang good, I had to :) I think it was worth it though. We are at day 20 of the cleanse and it was still gluten & sugar free. Chicken soup just isn't the same without the chicken! I added a bunch of veggies to make it extra yummy and good for you. I watched my mom for years make this recipe and it was one of my favorites she made. I just added a couple little twists to make it mine. This is a must make soup for someone that isn't feeling very well, thanks mom :)

1 whole chicken, washed and innards removed

large pot of water

2-3 onions, chopped

5 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon Natures Seasoning

4 carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

3 red potatoes, diced

2 large leaves kale, chopped

2 baby bok choy, chopped

1 cup split red lentils (my mom always does barley but I was out & got creative)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons oregano or parsley

Directions

• Put washed chicken in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Let it cook about 40 minutes. Sometimes there will be a foam that forms over the water, skim that off. 
• Add seasonings, onions and red lentils and let cook about 2 hours until chicken is cooked and stock is ready
• Remove chicken and separate the meat from the bones and add the chicken meat back into the broth
• Add the rest of the ingredients and let cook until vegetables are soft but still have a bite to them. 
• Sample the broth and see if it needs more seasonings
• Enjoy!! You can serve it with some noodles if desired. 

Potato Soup

Olive Garden has a soup on their menu called Zuppa Toscana- a delicious potato soup with Italian sausage, what could be better? Stephen and I were having friends over last week and I wanted to do something different than the ole standby (spaghetti, chicken enchiladas or tacos, etc.) So I decided to get a little more creative. A friend of mine (thank you Kristyn, you ROCK) posted the recipe to Pioneer Woman's cheesy muffins- oh LORD they are out of this WORLD! She recommended that potato soup is the perfect compliment to the muffins, so of course, that is what I made!  Really, this is one of the only dishes I have made in a long time that we actually ate every single drop of leftovers. You HAVE to make this dish, and of course make the cheesy muffins to go with it! The recipe below makes enough for 8-12 servings, depending on the size of your eaters.

2 lbs Italian Sausage (I used mild)

1-2 bunches of kale, torn into small pieces

10 potatoes, cut into thin rounds

4 cups half and half

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups milk

salt and pepper

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons of heavy cream (why not?)

Directions:

• In a large pot, saute the onions until they are tender. Then add the Italian Sausage and brown. In my case, the Italian sausage came in casings so I had to remove the sausage from the casings prior to browning. If you can find Italian sausage just ground up- awesome!
• When the meat is brown, add all of your liquids (except the heavy cream) and seasonings, let cook 3-5 minutes. 
• Then add all of your potatoes that have been sliced. If you want more potatoes, add more. I liked having a little more potatoes to make the soup thicker.
• Let cook until the potatoes are al dente (slightly firm and has a little "bite" to them)
• About 5-10 minutes before you want to serve, add the kale and let it cook
• Serve it up!

Asian Dumpling Soup

Came home today and had no clue what to make.  I opened the freezer and had some Asian dumplings and decided to experiment and make a soup (I also had to use the veggies I got from Farmers' Market before they went bad on me)! The soup was absolutely delicious and I will definitely add this to the list of dishes I will make over and over again! The best thing about this dish is that is is SUPER fast to make- prep and cook time was like 30 minutes, perfect for a busy week night.

1 pack of frozen Asian dumplings or pot stickers (I used chicken & veggie)

4 baby bok choys, cut into small pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

6 carrots, sliced in thin circles

6-8 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs, whisked

1 green onion, sliced (optional)

Directions:

• In a big pot, saute onion, garlic, carrots and bok choy in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Let saute about 5 minutes
• Add chicken stock, seasonings, and sesame oil and bring to a boil.
• Add dumplings and cook for 3-5 minutes until they are cooked through.
• Right before you serve, add the egg into the broth and stir.
• Serve in a bowl and top with some green onions
• Enjoy!!!