Eat the World- Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps

One of my favorite of all foodie events in Des Moines is happening this coming weekend- the World Food Festival. If you aren't from Des Moines and you think you might like to visit the city, THIS is the weekend to do so. The World Food Festival is an annual event held downtown, this year in Western Gateway Park, and it's an awesome opportunity to try some foods you might normally not have an opportunity to try. The festival was usually an event for Nephew and Aunt time with my nephew Jeremy but he has moved to Texas so I'll have to find a new partner to taste test the wonderful foods on offer.

"Eat the World" is a theme I have come to really embrace over the last few years, challenging myself to learn techniques and flavors from all over the world. What a fun and delicious way to experiment. Many of the European cooking styles aren't too different from what I'm used to cooking here at home, but when it comes to Asian foods it's a whole new world. A trip to the Asian grocery store can leave you so confused about flavors and spices and sauces and..........everything. If you're like me, and love Chinese food, you try to replicate some of those dishes at home and they're just not the same. That umami component is just not there unless you have the right combination of flavors. But how do you get that? A good Asian cookbook is a start, and so is hooking up with a great Asian cook. Get in there, learn about the ingredients, experiment with fish sauce and oyster sauce and strange looking vegetables. Buy a wok. Buy a really good santoku knife. Be fearless! It's only food and if you don't like it you never have to eat it again, right?

I added several dashes to get the heat level up there.

The recipe we are making today is a bit of a stretch. In all honesty this is absolutely NOT authentic Korean food. It's Korean influenced. The flavors of bulgogi are there, with some modern and healthier twists- like eating the meat from rolled up lettuce leaves- no carbs, no fat, almost no calories in those lettuce leaves. My version features a healthy dose of mushrooms to add protein but no fat, and quite honestly, if you prefer a meat-free recipe, leave it out altogether and use a ton of mushrooms. You'd probably need about 3 pounds of mushrooms for the same yield. Using mushrooms also means your dinner is vegan as well, and if you have gluten or soy problems- just switch to liquid aminos instead of soy sauce. It's so versatile. 

Speaking of versatile, halfway through my cooking, I realized I did not have enough Sriracha so quickly subbed sweet chili sauce. It was a great substitute but had less heat, so a few dashes of Jason's Fire Infusions Spontaneous Combustion sauce did the trick. Just the right heat!

The beef rolls are beautiful rolled up in the lettuce leaves but you can bring more eye appeal by adding some tiny julienned red bell pepper or shredded carrot to sneak some vitamins into your kiddos. Not into rolling your food up in a leaf? That's ok too. Prepare a batch of rice and serve as Korean Beef Bowls. Sticky rice is the best for this use. Let's get cooking!

Easy Korean Style Lettuce Wraps

2 lbs lean ground beef
8 oz package mushrooms

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tb brown sugar, packed

1-2 tablespoons Sriracha or sweet chili sauce

6 cloves garlic, grated

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sesame seeds 
hot sauce to taste, if desired

sesame oil
cooking oil

small bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts

1 head Bibb or butter lettuce, separated into leaves

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant. WATCH CLOSELY! They will go from pale to burned in seconds. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Dice the mushrooms into 1/4 inch dice. In the same skillet, heat a couple tablespoons cooking oil. Add the mushrooms and half of the sliced scallions and cook over medium high heat, stirring often until the mushrooms are golden browned and all liquid has evaporated. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same skillet, add a couple teaspoons sesame oil. Crumble in the ground beef and cook, breaking up any large chunks, until cooked through. Drain off any fat. Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, the mushrooms, and half the sesame seeds. Cook for about 3-4 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.

Serve the beef mixture in the lettuce leaves, adding rice if desired. Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and sliced scallions. 

Leftovers make tasty Korean Beef Rice Bowls for lunch
the next day. Delicious!

The wraps make a great low carb entree when you skip the rice and you can use any ground meat you like- chicken or turkey are really delicious in this recipe and so is lean pork! It's a fun Asian twist on the same old "taco night" meal and even if it isn't truly authentic Korean food, it's pretty darn tasty.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Make Your Own- Preserved Lemons

If you have ever grocery shopped with me, you know it's not like the average grocery shopping experience. Oh sure, I usually go to the normal supermarket like everyone else but you won't find me picking out a Hamburger Helper variety or a box of mac and cheese. Not likely to see me perusing the frozen dinners and fish sticks. Instead, look for the unusual foods and there you will find me. Different grains. Imported olives and pickled vegetables, oils and unique vinegars. Browsing over tropical produce from far away places. Searching for new and interesting spices to cook with. Because I love all these unusual ingredients I'm always looking for ways to recreate them at home. Whether I'm trying to grow a new herb I've never tried before or pickling something unusual, I'm always looking for a new flavor and a new way to make it myself.

Pursuing my "eat the world" philosophy led me to preserved lemons and Moroccan/Middle Eastern cooking. In tagines and similar dishes preserved lemons are a vital part of the recipe and overall flavor of the dish, as well as many chickpea dishes. Many cultures use these flavorful lemons in savory and sweet recipes, so today we're going to explore making our own preserved lemons, and after the required maturing period, we will make something fabulous. Let's do this!

There is no real "recipe" for reserved lemons. All you need are fresh lemons, kosher salt, a couple bay leaves and a few peppercorns with a clean airtight jar and you're in business.

Begin by THOROUGHLY scrubbing the lemons. The interesting thing about preserved lemons is that you remove any existing pulp from the lemons and discard that. The rind is what we are preserving and using to flavor other dishes, so you want to make sure it's clean. If you live in a warm climate and have a lemon tree or a friend who does, you have access to wax-free lemons and I am so envious! So for the rest of us, scrub the lemons. I used a sponge with a touch of dish liquid and then thoroughly rinsed my lemons. You can also use a produce cleaner spray. Rinse them very well and dry the outside. 

On a wooden board cut the lemons into segments ALMOST all the way through. Spread the lemon open like a flower and sprinkle the cut surfaces with kosher salt. Place the lemon in the clean glass jar cut sides up. Continue with enough lemons to fill the jar, covering each layer with kosher salt as you go and pressing down well to release the lemon juice. Use a chopstick to make sure the pockets are filled with salt. You CAN cut the lemons into separate wedges if you prefer. If you pack the lemons in nice and tight and get as much juice released as possible you will probably use about 1/2 to 2/3 cup salt. If you need additional liquid add FRESH SQUEEZED lemon juice, NOT bottled store bought. It's a good idea to buy an extra couple lemons just for this purpose.

Tuck a couple bays leaves and a few peppercorns in the jar, if you like. Seal up the jar, date it, and allow it to mature for one month before using. Just leave it on the kitchen counter away from heat and away from sunlight. Shake the jar every day. After one month, store in the fridge for up to one year.

Now that we've got preserved lemons, what in the world do we do with them? First of all, you want to rinse the excess salt off. Rinse under cold running water and scrape out the flesh and seeds. Chop it up or cut into julienne strips and use in all kinds of delicious things. I'm a huge fan of grain salads, like farro, bulgur and barley tossed with fresh vegetables and a lemony vinaigrette- amp up the lemon flavor with julienne strips of preserved lemon for a big boost. You can make relishes and salsas and add to pesto for serving with fish or roast chicken. Many lamb dishes benefit from a little hint of lemon as well. Of course, Moroccan and Middle Eastern recipes often rely on preserved lemon for their flavor base component. I can't wait to use these is some really delicious dishes very soon!

Easy Weeknight Gnocchi Skillet Dinner for Two

Someone recently asked me what my favorite cuisine would be. That was a tough question. I love so many different foods from so many different cultures, and I'm always trying new things and falling in love with new ethnic foods. To try and narrow it down to just one was difficult. Of course I love American foods, what's not to love about burgers and fried chicken and comfort foods? I'm part German so of course traditional German foods are part of my childhood and have a spot in my heart. French food is a part time obsession of mine, and so is Chinese/Asian food. Yes, I had considerable difficulty pinning just one down, but in the end, I went with........Italian. 

Italian cuisine is a lot more varied than many people realize. Sure, marinara sauce is a big part, but different regions of Italy feature many different foods and preparations. The Lombardy region is the "meaty" region- lots of beef and pork, along with rice and polenta. Gorgonzola and taleggio cheese hail from this region. You might find rich stuffed pastas, like squash filled ravioli and rich risotto. Calabria showcases a lot of Spanish influences in dishes. You will find seafood very prominent here and Calabrese pizza with sopressata. Campania is the pasta region, and relies heavily on vegetables in their dishes. Spaghetti alla puttanesca was created in this region, and has become a favorite around our house. Coastal Marche is another region where seafood features prominently in their dishes. Puglia brings olive oil to the world, and Tuscany uses many different types of legumes in dishes and you can find white truffle in many foods. 

With a name like Riccio, of course The Chef also loves Italian foods and given the choice, he would live on pasta. We prepare a lot of Italian dishes at home. Red sauce is pretty much a staple, and it's so versatile, why not make lots? Tossed with pasta, ladled over roasted meats and spread on dough and baked into pizzas, it's not very often that red sauce goes to waste here. Even Louie the Bulldog is a fan of pasta and pizza days. Louie gets his own serving of pasta and always gets a few bites of pizza. For myself, I prefer meaty marinara sauce dishes with beef, sausage, meatballs, or even just mushrooms, and The Chef's favorite sauce is filled with clams and seafood like shrimp or mussels. 

Sometimes we get a craving for pasta but maybe don't feel like making, or don't have time to make a pot of red sauce so we look for other ways to get our pasta fix. The Chef makes a mean creamy Gorgonzola sauce....... and it's prefect on top of a juicy filet. We also really like making our own homemade pasta. Pasta dough is a snap with a stand mixer, and a pasta machine makes rolling it perfectly thin so easy you'll want to make it again and again. 

Of course, special equipment is not required to make gnocchi- delicious little dumplings of dough. Usually made with cooked potato and flour, gnocchi can be made with all kinds of things- herbs, ricotta cheese, fruits or vegetables, to give the little dumplings a color and flavor to liven up any dish. They are super easy to make from scratch but most grocery stores also carry ready to cook gnocchi in the pasta section, vacuum packed with no refrigeration needed, and are awesome to have on hand for quick dinners. Whip up some sauce, boil some water- the gnocchi cook in about three minutes, drain, toss and voila- dinner in minutes. They are great as an entree or side. Today we are going to use the gnocchi in a super quick entree that's perfect for busy weeknights when the last thing you want to do is stand over a hot stove for a couple hours. Brown some sausage, add broccoli rabe and garlic, a handful of Parmesan, toss with cooked gnocchi- done!

For the Italian sausage, I used locally produced Graziano's traditional Italian sausage. I used mild- use as hot as you like. If you buy links, just remove the casing and crumble the sausage into the skillet. The broccoli rabe is perfect in this dish but it's not always available. If you can't find it, just buy a couple stalks of broccoli and cut into broccolini-like pieces. It will be just as delicious. 

The olive oil in my dish is Sinful Food garlic olive oil. It makes a big difference in the flavor of the dish to use a high quality infused oil. Get your Sinful Food oils by clicking HERE.

Gnocchi and Sausage Skillet

1 package store bought gnocchi, one pound

1 Italian sausage link, about 1/2 to 3/4 lb.

olive oil

small bunch broccoli rabe or broccolini, cut into bite sized pieces

4-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/3 cup butter, softened

pinch of crushed red pepper, optional

salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to full rolling boil. Add gnocchi and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.

Remove the casing from the sausage and crumble into a large skillet with the olive oil. Cook until sausage is browned and cooked through. Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and cook, stirring often for about three minutes until wilted. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute. 

Remove from heat and stir in the softened butter and the pasta water. Add the gnocchi, crushed red pepper and Parmesan. Toss to coat the gnocchi. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle additional Parmesan over if desired. Serve immediately.

This pasta dish is so comforting and delicious and comes together so quickly you will want to keep this in your rotation. Just throw some garlic bread in the oven and whip up a salad if you like. It's even good enough for guests.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Asianish, Zoodles and Meatballs- it actually works!

Are you part of the spiralizer revolution yet? You should be! This fun new way to serve veggies is bringing a smile to cooks everywhere. I have been seeing so many creative uses for spiralized veggies. The obvious curly fries, of course, but spiralized potatoes made into hash browns and latkes, long swirls of cucumber and carrot made into salads and slaws and so much more can add some fun to mealtime. What exactly is a spiralizer? It's a tool used to cut vegetables into long curling cuts, spirals, like long springs of food. They can be as simple as the inexpensive As Seen On TV Vegetti to spiralizing attachments to power appliances, with something in every price range. Ever since the spiralizer hit the culinary scene veggie "noodles" have been the new low carb option.  

Naturally I had to play with this fun vegetable noodle and what better recipe to play with than Drunken Noodles? Legend says that this noodle dish was dreamed up by a hungry drunkard looking for something quick to fix after a night of drinking, as there is no alcohol in the dish. Modern theories tend to be that the dish is so spicy you need to have a beer on the side to tame it.

My version of Drunken Noodles is a very similar recipe to Dragon Noodles. The sauce is very similar but adds quite a spicy kick to the tender zucchini noodles and juicy meatballs. As for veggies, I went with mushrooms, onions, garlic, sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, and asparagus. You can use any veggies you have on hand but stick with the peanuts. They add a necessary salty crunch element. 

Drunken Zoodles with Spicy Turkey Meatballs

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sriracha

vegetables for stir frying
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons minced onion
2-3 cloves, minced garlic
several dashes soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons sriracha
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 medium zucchini, spiralized

1/4 chopped roasted peanuts

cooking oil or coconut oil

additional flat leaf parsley for serving

In a bowl combine the sauce ingredients. Set aside for now.

As usual, I was out of Sriracha- so I substituted a hot sauce
I made myself from red rocket chilies. Worked great!

In a bowl combine the turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, minced onion, minced garlic, several dashes of soy sauce, the 1-2 teaspoons sriracha and a good tablespoon of chopped parsley. Mix lightly and form into small meatballs. 

Place meatballs onto greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes until cooked completely. Remove from oven and set aside.

Prepare the vegetables for stir frying while the meatballs are baking. Cut vegetables into equal sized pieces. Set aside.

Use a spiralizer to cut the zucchini into zoodles. 

Preheat a large skillet or wok. Add a couple tablespoons oil to the skillet. Add the vegetables and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until crisp tender. Remove from wok to a big bowl to toss. Add a little more oil if necessary and add zoodles. Stir fry for about one minute until heated through but barely cooked. Remove and place in the bowl with the vegetables.

Add the sauce to the wok with the meatballs. 

Cook and stir until meatballs are heated through. Pour over the vegetables in the bowl. Add the peanuts and toss to coat. Sprinkle with torn parsley and serve immediately.

Now this dish is complete just like this, and very low carb. Sometimes I like to serve with a little bit of steamed rice on the side as well, for me that makes it more Asianish. Either way, it's healthy and delicious and I hope you try it!

Eat The World- Paella

Living back in the city definitely has its benefits, like great big grocery stores with everything I could possibly want to cook, for one thing. Book stores, because there is always room for more cookbooks, right? Gourmet shops and spice stores with literally hundreds of spices. All this access to ingredients and inspiration is really helping to drive my Eat The World theme and getting me to cook, and eat, foods from cuisines I have never tried before, like Spanish cuisine. Sure, I have had tapas before, who hasn't? I really wanted to get into something traditional and paella is widely regarded as the national dish of Spain. Rice has been a staple food in Spain since the 15th century, and with beautiful coastal regions, it's just natural that the Spanish combined rice with seafood and other meats in this delicious one-pan dish that gets its name from the vessel it's cooked in.

I highly recommend slicing your leeks lengthwise and then

rinsing under running water to remove all the grit. They can

be quite sandy and gross inside.

Back in the 18th century a typical paella might consist of rice, chicken, snails, duck, rabbit, beans, tomatoes, artichokes, fresh herbs and of course, saffron. In coastal regions there was usually more seafood and less meat in the dish. Modern paella is usually made with chicken, shellfish, and often a sausage such as chorizo. Regardless of region, there is one constant in all paella- good olive oil. 

A mezzaluna makes quick work of mincing herbs and it's
a fun little gadget to have around.

When I finally decided to go with paella, I started researching recipes. Paella can easily be a hundred dollar dinner, if not more. Imported rices, imported olive oils, and pricier seafood can drive the price up in a flash. I wanted to find ingredients that fit not only into my budget, but into the average family's budget as well. I also thought that the techniques and equipment needed to prepare the dish should not be too "cheffy" and should be so that the home cook can easily prepare this dish. Substituting chicken for more pricier fish options was a no brainer, especially since many Spanish cooks also use chicken. Choosing shrimp was a fairly reasonably priced option for seafood and using kielbasa instead of chorizo kept some of the flavors familiar but not too far from the original. As for the traditional paella pan, from which the dish gets its name, I don't own one, but I do own a wok-like pan from IKEA that will work perfectly. The lid has been broken but I've used a pizza pan many times for bigger skillets, and it did the trick again this time as well. I also did not need to stock up on exotic spices. Most cooks have paprika on hand, right? Saffron was the only spice that not everyone has on hand, but small bottles are relatively affordable. I've had a bottle of saffron on the shelf for a while, waiting to find the right dish. This version of paella is quite modern and I FINALLY get to use that saffron I have been hanging on to. 

Looks like a "big pinch" to me! Saffron has a very unique
fragrance and brings a gorgeous color to your recipe.

Easy Paella

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3 thighs, cut into chunks

salt and pepper

8 oz kielbasa, sliced
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups rice 

2 tablespoons butter

generous pinch of saffron

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

small bunch scallions, sliced

handful chopped fresh Italian parsley

lime wedges

In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Cook the shrimp until pink and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add more oil to the skillet if necessary. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet, cooking until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet. 

Add the sliced kielbasa. Cook and stir until browned. Add the leeks and cook for one minute. Add the garlic and paprika and return the chicken to the pan.

Take the skillet off the heat and add the wine; return to high heat and boil until almost evaporated. 

Add the rice, butter, saffron and chicken stock. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook about 30 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Stir the shrimp, peas and sliced scallions into the rice; sprinkle with parsley and serve with lime wedges and crusty bread.

Now that I have one paella under my belt, I plan to try several versions. Many of the recipes I've seen had ingredients such as lobster, claims, snails, duck, legumes such as butter beans and other similar beans and vegetables of all kinds. Maybe a vegetarian version? Marinated and seared tofu as a protein? Scallops? This is going to be fun!

Eat The World- Korma Curry

My excursion into Indian cooking continues and I must say, it is becoming quite rewarding. I've said before, my first experience with Indian cooking was at the Indian takeaway near my home in England years ago. Let's just say...... it was NOT a good experience. Ever since then I have shied away from those bold flavors, for sure I would hate everything I tried. Indian restaurants came and went in town and yet.... I could not be convinced to try them. It wasn't until the start of my blogging hobby that I decided to take the plunge again, and it's been worth the wait.

Even though I have a significant and maybe ridiculously huge collection of herbs and spices, most Indian and Middle Eastern spices were not part of the collection, mostly because of that fear of awful flavors. As I began to follow other bloggers and read the recipes they were sharing, and eventually purchasing my first Indian cookbook, I knew the time had come. I needed to brave up and start cooking. I already knew I would be buying a lot of new spices (and as you can imagine I was pretty torn up about that) to get authentic Indian flavor into my dishes. Buying curries and masalas and ajwain seeds and using some of those super hot peppers was inevitable. I did a lot of reading, a ton of research on recipes and started playing in the kitchen. 

Now authentic korma curry is made with a sauce based on pureed cashews, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Lots and lots and lots of spices. Very lengthy and lots of steps, and lots of utensils. I wanted to make this a lot easier so my version is not really "authentic." Mostly I wanted to avoid having to soak cashews for an extended period of time just to make the sauce. Luckily I found quite a few recipes that did not include this technique so my experimentation continued. I chose to use curry powder, garam masala and a dried hot pepper seasoning blend to prepare mine which meant I didn't have to have every Indian spice on hand and could use some of what I already had on hand. I also wanted to really kick up the heat in my korma too, and since I have such an awesome collection of hot peppers that was not hard to do. I added a healthy dose of Quick's Hot Spice in Blazzin' to my curry near the end of cooking and wow, what a punch! 

Korma Curry

1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 small onion

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon curry powder*

1 teaspoon garam masala

dash of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce

1/4 cup coconut milk (use full fat for the creamy texture)

minced cilantro

coarsely chopped cashews, if desired

* Use hot or mild curry powder. My curry powder was mild so I added a healthy dose of Quick's Hot Spice in Blazzin'. CLICK HERE to get yours.

Dice the chicken breast into small pieces. Set aside. Cut the onion into medium chunks. Mince the garlic cloves.

Heat a couple tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the chicken and onion. Stir fry until chicken is mostly cooked. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir one more minute. Add the spices to the chicken and stir until fragrant. Add the tomato puree and coconut milk. When mixture boils, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over hot cooked rice with the minced cilantro and cashews, if using.

Some cooks like to add cubed potato to the korma, I chose not to. I served the korma over coconut rice- which is super easy to make. For every 1 cup of uncooked rice, use one can coconut milk and enough water to make 2 1/4 cups liquid. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook for ten minutes then turn off the heat and let rest while the curry cooks. 

This speedy version cooks up quickly and makes a great weeknight meal. It's the perfect amount for two and can be doubled for more servings.  Stir fried veggies make a nice accompaniment and of course, naan bread. Now that this can be considered a success.....it's time to move on to some of the more complicated recipes. I can't wait!!

A Peek Inside Old Mother Hubbard's Cupboard- Indian squash soup

Old Mother Hubbard has a cupboard full of Hubbard. Hubbard squash that is. If you have never seen one, they are GIANT things, my favorite variety being the big Blue Hubbard. The first time I saw one I was in awe of this gorgeous unique looking vegetable. There is an apple orchard not too far from the Little Lake House and it was on a tourism day for work that I visited, an they had a huge display of many different kinds of pumpkins, gourds and squash, but the big Blue Hubbard really stood out, and I had to have one.

A few smaller blue Hubbards among pumpkins and
other winter squash

Folks..........one squash is a lot. I spent the better part of an entire day cutting up, seeding, peeling, and cubing that monster. It had to be a good forty pounder. I ended up with over 20 quarts of canned squash cubes. Twenty quarts is a lot of squash to make other foods out of. I didn't just have the Hubbard- I'm not that smart. I left the orchard that day with the back of my SUV full of Hubbard, butternut, Celebration, turban-type, acorn, Delicata, pumpkins and of course, apples so I have tons to work with. Home canned squash is very tender and works best in recipes that call for a puree. Baked goods such as bread and cakes, pies, soups, puddings- all delicious options for using squash. We have been on a soup kick since embracing the home baked bread idea and, well, we have all that squash and hopefully we can use some of it before our upcoming move away from the lake. No one wants to pack, load, unload and unpack heavy quart jars of squash......

I think next to the pumpkins and other squash, you can
get an idea of the enormity of this Hubbard.

Besides making bread at home, learning new cuisines and food cultures has been a goal of mine, and especially exotic things like Indian flavors. I've stocked up on many new spices used in Indian cooking, and now want to try them out. So many incredible flavors make up any given Indian dish. Learning to make tandoori chicken was a crash course in spices. Lots of chilies are used in Indian cooking, from mild to mouth-scorching hot. Ajwain is a pungent seed that flavors stir fried vegetables wonderfully. Cardamom, peppercorns, cumin, celery seed, fenugreek leaves and seeds, mints, mustards, ginger, cloves, cinnamon- the list goes on and on. Some add a savory element, some add color, some heat, some an herbaceous quality. The sweetness of squash is the perfect background for creating an interesting mural of flavors.

In researching my Indian flavors I did come across a great blog featuring "How To Build an Indian Pantry". Click HERE to visit.

Now let's talk about spices. Indian spices are so perfect and beautiful on their own, combined in blends they take on a whole new dimension. Complexity, flavor, some with heat, some sweet, most are a true test for the palate- what exactly IS that in there?  This soup uses garam masala which is  a Northern Indian blend. Garam tells us it's a "hot" spice, but rather than hot pepper burn your face off heat, it refers to the intensity. Normally this mixture contains turmeric, white and black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cumin seeds,all ground together. You might find nutmeg, mace, star anise and allspice in there as well. In terms of Indian spices- the more the merrier! Toasting the spices really brings out the aromatic qualities and flavors in the spices.

Let's make some Indian Spiced Squash Soup. You will need-

• 4 cups pureed cooked Hubbard or other winter squash
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons garam masala
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk (NOT cream of coconut)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Herb Oil (recipe follows)

Heat the olive oil in a deep stockpot. Saute the onion until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the garam masala and stir, cooking another couple minutes to bring out the aromas of the spices.

Add the squash, coconut milk and broth to pot. Mix well. Cover and simmer for about an hour. Puree the finished soup with an immersion blender (or CAREFULLY in batches in blender). Serve drizzled with a little Herb Oil.

Herb Oil

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup parsley leaves
• pinch of salt and pepper

Buzz in mini food processor til smooth. Use any leftovers in salad dressings, marinades or chimichurri.

This soup is perfect on a chilly, rainy fall day, and even better if you have a fresh from the oven loaf of crusty bread to go alongside. The Indian spices bring a warm feeling to the smooth creamy soup. Give this recipe a try!