Butternut Squash Soup

Besides the creamy texture and fantastic taste of this dish, I really love that this blended soup allows me to consume a wide variety of vegetables in mass quantity! And because I buy many of the vegetables pre-cut at my local grocery store, it is very easy to prepare! I literally throw everything into a pot and leave! How simple is that!?

This soup is truly so delicious I wouldn’t hesitate serving it at a dinner party or making it for a family who just had a baby and needed a meal! I have played around with the ingredients for awhile now and I think I have finally nailed it! It’s the apple! I really gives it a subtly sweet flavor without going over board!

2 Tbl butter or olive oil
4 cups cubed/peeled butternut squash (Central Market and Whole Foods sell
fresh butternut squash already peeled & cubed. You can also find it peeled and cubed in the frozen food section. AND if you want to go all out and by a whole butternut squash, one squash will yield approx. 4 cups)
1 small sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed
2 sliced leeks* (again, I buy these already sliced at CM- saves time! If you are slicing the leeks yourself, use only the white & light green parts)
2 medium red potatoes cubed (I leave the skin on- extra vitamins & fiber!)
1 medium apple, cored & peeled, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (according to your spice preference)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 c chicken broth (1 carton)
1 c low-fat milk (use more for a thinner consistency)

1. Melt butter (or olive oil) in a large soup pot and add squash through cinnamon. Saute for 6 -8 min.
2. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft.
3. Place half of the soup mixture in a blender (it is better to wait until it has cooled...or if you can’t wait and it's hot, make sure you take the center piece off the blender lid to let the heat escape- put a towel over this). Repeat with remaining soup. Put all the blended soup back into the pot.
4. Stir in milk just before serving and reheat until desired eating temperature.

*If you cannot find leeks, substitute for half an onion, roughly chopped
**I serve this soup with a sliced baguette sprinkled with shredded gruyere
cheese & pepper and toasted in the oven. YUM!

Colorful Pasta Salad

This salad is easy to make, tastes great and makes enough for two nights (that is if the kids aren’t eating it...but, don’t rule that out...two out of three of my children love it!). It is light, refreshing and full of flavor! Raw vegetables are full of food digesting enzymes. All the veggies in this recipe are raw...and yes, so is the sweet potato. Now listen, do not be afraid of raw sweet potato...it is sweet and delicious and when grated, it looks JUST like carrots! So, if your husband or kids raise an eyebrow, just tell one tiny little fib, “Oh those? Oh, those are grated carrots. You love carrots!” and they will be none the wiser!

Dressing:
1/2 c. mayo (yes, that’s a lot of mayo...but, relax, you’ll be eating a ton of veggies because of it! It all balances out!)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbl of soy sauce
1 Tbl lemon juice
2 Tbl apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbl dried or fresh dill, to taste (we like a lot of it!)

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta noodles (spirals, penne or bow-tie work best)
15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1-2 carrots, GRATED
1/2 sweet potato, RAW, PEELED & GRATED (you must grate this...I know, I hate grating, too...but, you must grate this to get the right texture)
1 c. frozen shelled edamame (just throw them in frozen...by the time you eat the salad, they will have defrosted...could it be any easier!?)
1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped

Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
Make the dressing first in the bowl you intend to make the salad in...it saves time and makes for easier clean up. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together till smooth.
Now it is time to start chopping and grating...put all the veggies in the bowl with the dressing. Mix well.
Add the cooked and slightly cooled pasta to the veggies/dressing mixture. Mix well.
Let this salad cool in the refrigerator for at least two hours....the longer it has to marinate the better. We actually enjoy this better the next day!
*I serve this salad with a yummy crusty bread like ciabatta.