Spaghetti Squash Soup

I had half of a spaghetti squash that I needed to use up, and I didn’t feel like going the traditional marinara route. So I googled “spaghetti squash soup” and came up with a handful of recipe options. This is the one that I decided to try.

What I did differently: I only had half of the squash, so I halved the recipe. I used 4 cups of turkey stock (yay for homemade stock!), which made it a bit runny and if I’d had more time, I would have liked to have reduced the soup by simmering for an hour or two, which would have made it richer in flavor and thicker. I happened to have some leftover white wine, so I added about 2 tablespoons of white wine, and I really liked what it did for the flavor, and since I didn’t have time to simmer the soup, I opted to add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, which I happened to have on hand for making truffles.

We both liked this (Tito didn’t care for it, but I wouldn’t trust his tastes quite yet). It’s not overly complex, but it’s not simple or boring. It’s not heavy, but it’s satisfying. We like squash a lot; plus, it’s really good for you. This was a great way to use up some leftover squash for a light weeknight meal that, when paired with some cornbread, leaves you satisfied and not dreading the overindulgence that is sure to come later in the week.

Spaghetti Squash Soup

1/2 spaghetti squash

1 T butter

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, minced

1/2 t curry powder

4 cups stock (chicken, turkey or vegetable)

2 T white wine (optional)

2 T heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (if you haven’t already) and roast in the oven, cut side down, for an hour at 350 (I do this on parchment paper for ease of cleaning).

After the squash has roasted, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Saute the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for around 10 minutes, until the onions are sweating and sweet-smelling (don’t let them brown). Add the curry powder and stir until the curry is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock and wine. At this point, you can either add 1/2 the squash or all of it – if you want to have some stringy-squashy texture at the end, only add half; if you want it to be smooth like a bisque, add it all (I only added half and then ended up pureeing it all at the end anyway). Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or CAREFULLY in batches in your blender).

Simmer for 30+ minutes, then add the remaining squash and cream. Simmer another 10 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency. You can be fancy like I tried to be and drizzle some extra cream over individual portions after it’s in bowls.

#squash

Gluten-Free Cornbread with Cheese and Green Chiles

The hubby and I have been eating a lot lately; big meals, heavy meals. He asked that whenever possible this week, we eat light. So I’m obliging him tonight with a spaghetti squash soup . It’s simple and light and that will hopefully help us feel a little less thick around the waist when we enter the next weekend that will, once again, entail lots of fatty (and delicious) food.

I wanted to make some cornbread to go with the soup, so we’d at least have SOME substance to go with the soup. But I was kind of wanting to try a gluten-free cornbread, and not only that, but I thought it should be possible to make one that would have the same base as these white bean blonde brownies (which are, I might add, really good). A couple of experimental substitutions later and out of the oven came this protein-packed, tasty green chile and cheddar cheese cornbread.

I tried to warn my husband when he snagged a taste that it’s not your traditional cornbread. If you’re used to Jiffy or the really light, fluffy sweet stuff, this might not be up your alley. The husband tried it, though, and declared that it was “surprisingly delicious.”  Since most of my food is delicious, I was a little taken aback at the declaration that it was “surprisingly” so. However, he later realized that he liked it so much because it tasted to him like the outside of a tamale. So maybe next time I make this, it will be with a posole or enchilada soup, not a light squash soup.

For adding protein and substance to our light-and-healthy meal, though, it certainly does nicely.

Garbanzo Bean (Gluten Free) Cornbread with Cheese and Green Chiles

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 large eggs

1/2 c. cornmeal

1 can (4 oz) green chiles

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Combine them in a food processor with 2 eggs. Puree thoroughly until there are no chunks of beans left. Add the baking powder, salt, cumin and cornmeal and pulse until thoroughly combined. Stir in the green chiles and cheese.

Pour batter into a greased 6×9 pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool thoroughly (at least 20 minute) before slicing into them.

#cornbread #glutenfree

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

I alluded to this recipe the other day, but here it is in full: Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup.

I’d recommend making this soup “by the book” (if it can be “by the book,” given that it comes from the Internets) the first time, and then you can play around with it after that. This last time that I made it, I only had a 3-cup portion of chicken stock in the freezer, so I added a teaspoon of beef “Better Than Bouillon,” just to see what the beef flavor would do (didn’t notice much difference). I also had a big bottle of Pace salsa sometime earlier this spring that I was afraid would go bad, so I froze 2 cups worth and just dumped the frozen brick into the crockpot along with the frozen chicken stock. I was “quick soaking” the beans, so I added them after the other liquids heated up.

Also, this time around I didn’t have any sour cream on hand, but I did have some leftover cilantro cream sauce, so that’s what I added at the end of the day, after everything else had cooked on high for around 6 hours. Finally, I didn’t have any raw chicken, so I pulled pieces off of last night’s rotisserie chicken and sprinkled them on top of our soup.

To put it plainly, you can’t go wrong with these flavors. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and you’re golden: cheese covereth a multitude of cooking blunders.

This soup is super easy, healthy and totally tasty. Do yourself a favor and make it!

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken 1 cup dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed) 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup sliced mushrooms [JR doesn’t eat mushrooms, so I’ve never used them] 1 cup frozen corn [or more, if you love corn and don’t add the mushrooms!] 1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz) [I froze some in 2 c. portions] 1 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 cup sour cream (to stir in at the end) shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional and used as garnish)

Directions:

You will need a 4 quart or larger crockpot.

If you know you are going to make this the night before,  soak the black beans in enough water to cover and another 2 inches overnight. In the morning, drain the water and rinse the beans.

If you don’t have super hard water or live in a super high altitude, you can quick soak the beans by pouring boiling water over them and let them sit for an hour or two. I did an hour, but 2 would really be better if you have the time.

Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the crockpot. Put in the chicken, and add the broth and salsa. Pour in the corn and mushrooms, and add the cumin. Stir, but don’t disturb the beans—let them stay at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heating element.

Cover and cook on high for 9 hours, checking occasionally for the doneness (the beans should be soft when you bite into them, and not dry). If you are using beans you soaked overnight, canned beans, or pre-cooked beans, you can cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5–similar to normal soup-cooking time.

If you’d like to thicken the broth, you can use your immersible blender to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you don’t have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditonal blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot.

Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and avocado slices.

#BlackBeans #chicken #crockpot #mexican