Soup and Salad

A few weeks ago I decided to tackle something new. Butternut squash. Yes, it was new to me. So new that I did not know how to cut up a butternut squash. Seriously. Jason bought me a set of Rachel Ray knives a few years ago and that sucker could not do much damage to the squash! My first thought was to call my mom, but the only squash she ever really cooked with were the standard yellow summer squash. So...I went to the second stand by. The Internet. Sure enough, I found a great little "how to" video that showed some great tips for cutting and peeling the squash. The best tip - microwave it for 2 minutes so that it is a little softer. Score!

Oh, the reason for my new found curiosity with butternut squash...this little post. That Foodie Bride has caused me quite a bit of strife. Well, not really. Her recipes look good but I never get around to duplicating them. Until now. Or maybe I should say that I tried but mine does NOT look the same. I'm blaming it on the camera (I think she has a fancy schmacy SLR camera) but I'm still not sure.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli and Sage Roasted Walnuts
from Better Homes & Garden by way of The Foodie Bride

• 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash
• 32 oz vegetable broth
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup walnuts, rough chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1 9-oz package refrigerated cheese ravioli, cooked and drained (I bought the whole wheat kind)

Peel the squash, halve lengthwise and scoop the seeds - discard. Dice squash into 3/4 inch pieces. In a large sauce pan, combine squash, broth, cayenne, cinnamon, and salt. Cook covered over medium heat until squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Here is where I think things changed a bit. I used my immersion blender vs the regular blender that Foodie Bride suggested. My soup was a little...thicker than I thought it looked. Either way, blend the soup until it has a smoother texture. Whisk in 1 T butter and taste. I added a little more cayenne pepper. I made this a few weeks ago and put it directly into the freezer, since I also make Chicken Tortilla Soup the same day. When I reheated it, I added a little chicken broth to thin it out a little.

To make the Sage-Roasted Walnuts - preheat the oven to 325. Chop the walnuts and spread on a baking sheet. Roast for about 5 minutes. Melt 2 T butter and add the sage. Remove from the head and toss with the walnuts.

Serve the soup with cooked ravioli and roasted walnuts.

And since I knew I could not get away with feeding Jason only soup, I added a salad. But I didn't want the same old "lettuce, tomato, light ranch dressing" salad. While flipping through my Southern Living cookbooks, I found a recipe for Winter Fruit & Cucumber Salad. Jason and I both really liked this salad, especially the dressing! However, being the brilliant person I am, I added an apple to the salad...not thinking that it would turn brown. As it did a day later.
















Winter Fruit & Cucumber Salad with Basil Vinaigrette adapted from Southern Living
Salad:

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 large orange, peeled and cubed
• 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1 red apple, diced
• 1 red onion, sliced (I left this out)

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 t salt

Whisk ingredients for the dressing together and toss with the salad.

I really did feel bad.

When I joined a Bunko group, I warned Jason that this would mean that I would need to host Bunko one month. No problem. Since he's in grad school, this gives him one more night of uninterrupted studying time.


So, my time came around this week to host and after the women left, my husband finally emerged from his cave.

Him: If I had known it would be that loud, I would have planned to leave.
Me: Sorry. I feel bad. I don't remember us being that loud before...


Honestly, I don't. I can't figure out why...maybe it's because I'm usually just as loud and this time I was focused on food and drinks? I'm not sure, but whatever the reason there were 11 loud women and one very excited 4 year old. Who, by the way, managed to do a really good job playing Bunko!


Chicken Salad with Grapes & Pecans from Southern Living

• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup light mayo
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded
• 3 cups purple and green grapes, halved
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the chicken and grapes. I served this with assorted dinner rolls.

Texas Salad

• 2 head lettuce, shredded
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 2 avocados, peeled and diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 eggs, boiled, peeled and diced
• 8 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup wine vinegar (red or white)
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T sugar
• pepper & garlic powder

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the salad. This recipe came from a very old church cookbook my mom had lying around. She's made it for a few family gatherings and everyone always loves it.