Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Jeb and I went to Judie's Restaurant in Amherst last night. Jeb had a Butternut Squash soup, and it was delicious! We loved the light texture and the layers of flavor, and decided to create our own version. We created our own base, and then added some lean ground turkey breast for some protein and some celery and carrots for some crunch!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

(serves 10)

2 TBS Olive Oil or Butter

1 medium onion, chopped

Ground nutmeg

3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

8 cups 99% fat-free chicken broth

2 Apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 cup Apple Cider

1.25ish lbs. lean ground turkey breast

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrots

Heat olive oil or butter in pan. Saute' onion in oil and nutmeg until soft and transparent.

Add squash, apples, cider, and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered until squash and apples are tender.

While base is simmering, cook turkey breast in a separate pan until no longer pink. Add celery and carrots at the same time as turkey to help them soften. When turkey is nearly cooked, add additional 1 cup of broth (if desired) and cook until veggies are tender.

When squash and apples are tender, puree' the mixture either with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Add turkey and veggies.

Simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste.

Nutrition info:

Calories: 155

Fat: 3.4g

Carbohydrates: 18.6g

Fiber: 4.2g

Protein: 15g

Fun With Pumpkins

I was recently reading one of my favorite foodie blogs - Cara's Cravings - and was completely inspired by her most recent recipe. She baked a filling inside of sugar pumpkins!! This, I had to try. I love pumpkin, and have loads of fun mixing fall flavors together. My version was different, however. Here's my recipe:

Turkey, Quinoa, and Veggies in a Pumpkin

serves 10

2 Sugar Pumpkins

2 lbs. 93% lean ground turkey breast

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup chopped red pepper

3 cloves garlic

1.5 c (plus more if desired) chicken broth

3 oz. Vodka (I use Svedka)

1 cup dry quinoa

2 TBS olive oil

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp cinnamon

fresh ground pepper (to taste)

salt (to taste)

freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)

Herbes de Provence

3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375. Cut around the stems of the pumpkins and remove the top. Scoop out all the seeds and stringy flesh and add a very small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper. Replace the stems and bake for 45-60 minutes (until flesh is tender). Make filling while pumpkins are baking.

Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Cook turkey until no longer pink.

• Cook onions, celery, red pepper, and carrots on medium heat until onions are soft and transparent.
• 
  
• Add garlic and cook approximately 3 minutes.
• 
  
• Slowly pour in the vodka and cook until most of the alcohol is cooked off and the liquid is reduced.
• 
  
• Add half of the chicken broth and bring to a slow simmer.
• 
  
• Mix in the prepared quinoa (including any cooking liquid), turkey, and remaining chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
• 
  
• Season to taste, using dry mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, Herbes de Provence, and cinnamon. You can add other seasonings if you would like. Stir in hazelnuts.

Scoop turkey mixture into the pumpkins, replace the stems, and bake for 15-20 minutes. To serve, scoop filling into a bowl along with flesh from the pumpkin. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutritional information:

Calories: 247

Fat: 8.6g

Total Carbs: 31.7g

Dietary Fiber: 4.2g

Protein: 23.0g

This was a very flavorful and filling Fall dish! Jeb and I both really enjoyed it, and are looking forward to leftovers this week!

I used the leftover seeds to make a nice snack too! I simply roasted the seeds and added them to some freshly popped popcorn with salt and Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle - one of my favorite popcorn toppings! Yum!!