Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup

Perfect for a winter day...I adapted this from a Martha Stewart Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 large Butternut Squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 large Spanish Onion
• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
• 4 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/4 tsp. Cumin
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Juice from 1 lemon

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Toss the chicken, onion and squash in the olive oil, and spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan (I had to use 2 pans)
• Season with salt and pepper, and roast approximately 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through, and squash is softened
• Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside
• Transfer the squash and onions into a stock pot and add the chicken broth and spices
• Let simmer for 15 minutes, and then mash with a potato masher, leaving some chunks
• Add the chicken back, add the lemon juice, and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Vegan, Paleo, Butternut Squash and Kale Soup with Sprouted Tri-Color Lentils

I've mentioned before how much I LOVE butternut squash.  You'll also notice the presence of Kale in many of my recipes.  The nutrition and health benefits of kale are well known, and as much as I enjoy it in smoothies, I've found that the texture of eating the whole leaves doesn't really appeal to me.  I still want to include it in my diet, so I decided that in this soup, I would use my immersion blender to puree the kale with the butternut squash, thus avoiding my texture issues with this leafy green friend.

This recipe incorporated some Middle Eastern flair because I cooked the sprouted lentils in water seasoned with cumin and cinnamon.  This soup was crazy high in protein and super filling and perfect for the 20 degree weather we've been experiencing lately.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Butternut Squash (I was pressed for time, so I bought the pre-cut version at the store)
• 1/2 lb. Kale, shredded (remove the stems as they taste very bitter!)
• 1/2 c. Onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. Celery, chopped
• 1/2 c. Carrots, chopped
• 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 c. Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 c. Dried, Sprouted, Tri-Color Lentils
• Garlic Powder, Cumin, Cinnamon, Salt, Pepper to taste

Instructions:

• In a small pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil, seasoned with cumin and cinnamon.  Add the lentils, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until lentils are tender.  Drain and set aside
• In a large pot, saute the onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil until fragrant
• Add squash, kale, and broth, seasonings to taste and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat and simmer until squash and kale are soft
• Using an immersion blender (or transferring small amounts to a food processor) puree the vegetable mixture until smooth
• Add the lentils and stir until smooth

Butternut Squash Risotto...truly something to be thankful for

Well, here's another throwback recipe from this past Thanksgiving.  I adapted this recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto from something I saw on Skinnytaste, and I can't even believe how delicious it was.  I love all things butternut squash related, but my husband normally won't touch it, and he gave this the seal of approval!

As is, this recipe will make 4 servings...I had to triple it to feed my Thanksgiving crowd, but as long as you use a big enough pot, it will turn out perfectly!

Ingredients:

• 3 c.  Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 c. Butternut Squash Puree (I boiled about 1/2 lb. squash in 1 c. of broth and then pureed and re-measured a cup.  You can also use a pre-made butternut squash soup if you want to skip this step)
• 1 tsp. Coconut Oil (Cold-pressed, extra-virgin!)
• 3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1/4 c. Shallots, chopped
• 1 c. Arborio Rice
• 2 oz. Dry White Wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, minced
• 1/4. c Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

• In a pot, mix vegetable broth with pureed squash and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and maintain over low heat
• In a large, heavy saucepan, heat coconut oil until melted.  Add shallots, garlic, and rice and saute until the rice is well coated (~3 minutes).  Add wine and sage and stir until absorbed
• Add a ladle of the simmer stock and stir continuously until it is absorbed.  Continue to add stock by the ladleful and stir until absorbed
• Continue until the rice is creamy and al dente and all the stock is used (should take around a half hour).  Add the grated cheese, stir and remove from heat
• Serve immediately

 

 

 

Butternut Squash, Roasted Sweet Pepper, and Kale Soup

This turned out to be literally the perfect Fall soup.  The flavors came together perfectly and this warmed my bones for days.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Butternut Squash, diced
• 1 bag of mini Sweet peppers
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 c. vegetable stock (low sodium)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb. Kale, shredded (stems removed)
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Spices to taste:  black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin

Shake peppers with 1 tbsp. olive oil, and some pepper and garlic powder

Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Dice the butternut squash

In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in the other tbsp. of olive oil

Add the squash and vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender

Let the peppers cool, then roughly dice them, removing all seeds

Add the rosemary and other spices

Add the peppers

Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy

Add the kale

Stir, and continue to simmer until Kale is slightly wilted and tender

Squashed

The past week has been a whirlwind.  So busy I didn't have much time to make anything pretty or spectacular.  I am up to a full case load at work, I've gotten back into my pre-work workouts at the gym, which is both exhausting and exhilarating, and I've overall just been preparing mostly easy meals because I've been getting home around 7:30 every night.

Here are a couple highlights:

Baked Butternut Squash served with a mixture of sauteed peas, corn, mushrooms, spinach, and brown rice:

And today's breakfast:  egg whites mixed with sauteed spinach, salsa, and a little bit of reduced fat mozzarrella:

Today I also made a delicious protein smoothie with the egg white protein I mentioned before.  I used almond milk, strawberry egg white protein powder, half a banana, and a handful of blueberries.  I then proceeded to spill 90% of it on my coffee table and living room carpet!  :o(   The 10% that I got to drink was delicious!

I hope to make some more interesting things this week.  The challenge food of the week is Kabocha, which is also known as a Japanese pumpkin.  I'll let you all know what I come up with!!

Day 5 - A Little Improvisation

Since I intelligently began this 30-Day challenge during my week off, the planning, prepping, and timing of meals has been very simple. However today, I had a meeting up in Newark and a bunch of errands to run, so I spent most of the day out.

I think I handled myself quite well. I started the day with Shred Level 2, followed by what is quickly becoming my go-to breakfast of a protein smoothie (EAS protein powder, skim milk, strawberries, mixed fruit, and banana), and Quaker Lower-Sugar Oatmeal.

I ate the oatmeal around 11am, so it sort of doubled as lunch, and I followed it a few hours later with 2 servings of Edamame

Dinner consisted of 1 serving of multigrain pasta w/ 2 tbsp. of tomato sauce, accompanied by 10 ounces of baked butternut squash

Dessert is a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich

No time for a green smoothie today, but hopefully I will have one tomorrow