Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup

Make this immediately!!!

4tbsp (1/2 stick) Butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Large onion diced (to taste)
1 1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cup chicken broth
16 oz. can solid pack pumpkin (or squash)
1 12oz. can of evaporated milk (I used 2% but I think anything would work... and wondered about coconut milk instead as well... will try next time.)

Melt butter in large saucepan, saute garlic & onions till golden brown. Add curry powder, salt, coriander, cayenne and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in broth & simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Add pumpkin stirring till smooth. Add evaporated milk. Heat @ medium for 5 minutes. Don't allow to boil (simmer ok). In batches, put in blender until smooth. Eat, love, and be HAPPY!!!

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

This recipe is delicious! It was a strong competitor last night in the midst of about 8 pies. Rather than posting the entire recipe here, let me direct you to the page on Smitten Kitchen. I'll just leave you with a picture to get your mouth watering. Yum! (And I don't even like cooked fruit usually.)



**Note - You will see in the recipe that it makes a few suggestions for add-ins, etc. I used honey instead of molasses (mostly because I thought others might enjoy the lighter flavor better). I also added a couple dashes of cinnamon and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cake batter before baking. She also makes a note of how her cake cooked really quickly (like 30 minutes instead of 45). Well, mine took about 50 minutes and was overflowing the pan. I think you could use a large cake pan. Finally, no parchment was necessary. The cake will come right out of the pan. Enjoy!

Christmas Salad

(Also delicious for Thanksgiving or any other day!)

1 head red leaf lettuce
1 head green leaf lettuce
baby spinach
2 grapefruits
2 oranges
1 large avocado
seeds from 1 pomegranate
(could also add pears, canned pineapple, apples, mandarin oranges, etc.)

Toss all together or arrange on individual plates
(You can do all the fruit or we like it with just pears and pomegranates)

Dressing:
1 c. sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 c. apple cider vinegar (or white)
2 c. vegetable oil (I probably use a little less than this)
1 Tablespoon celery seeds

Combine in food processor, refrigerate until ready to use. Mix into salad if you don't plan to have leftovers, otherwise serve on the side so your salad will keep into the next day.

Roasted Vegetables

I know this is kinda basic, but it's a good reminder of an easy and delicious side dish/main dish. :)

I generally roast sweet potato, yellow squash, asparagus, bell pepper, mushrooms, or cauliflower (usually some combo of the above), but you really could use any veggies you like. Keep in mind that some cook faster than others (mushrooms, bell pepper, etc.), and I find it helpful to give the sweet potato a head start with a couple minutes in the microwave before I chop it up.

Cut the veggies into larger than bite sized bits, keeping in mind that the smaller you cut them the faster they'll cook. Toss with olive or canola oil, chopped garlic, thyme, salt, garlic salt, season salt, lemon pepper, pepper, cumin, rosemary, or some combination of these (or others).

Spread out on cookie sheet and roast at 400-450 degrees until tender, tossing the vegetables around on the cookie sheet occasionally so they don't burn. Generally 20-ish minutes.

That's it. Something about roasting brings out the best in the flavors of the vegetables. Plus, you can mix it up so it's different every time. :)

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

Okay, so you should pretty much make this today. Seriously, it's one of the best new recipes I've tried in a long time (and I got it from The New York Times of all places).

1 tablespoon canola oil (I used olive oil)

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I probably used a little more, and also added a couple cloves of garlic)

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced (I used 1 whole small squash)

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (I used 2 medium sweet potatoes, one white, one orange)

1 medium-size Yukon gold or russet potato, peeled and diced (I used a large red potato with the skin on)

6 cups water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock (I used low-sodium chicken broth)

Salt and pepper to taste

**Note** I also added a pinch of nutmeg, which I think gave it a little extra something delightful!

1. Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and stir together until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squash, sweet potatoes, regular potato, and water or stock, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are thoroughly tender.

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup (or you can put it through the fine blade of a food mill or use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing). Return to the pot and stir with a whisk to even out the texture. Heat through, adjust salt and add pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 6

Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently. The soup freezes well. Once thawed, whisk well to smooth out the texture, and reheat.

Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 189; Calories from Fat: 29; Total Fat 3.2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium,776mg; Total Carbohydrates,38.6g; Dietary Fiber, 5.7g; Sugars, 3.6g; Protein: 3.5g; Vitamin A 163%; Vitamin C 61%; Calcium 7%; Iron 8% (Approximate nutritional information provided by calorie-count.com)