Autumn Apple-nut Soup

This is a winner. I am a true sucker for anything with butternut squash in it. Apples are like the icing on the cake for me! So this soup was sure to please!

Ingredients:

2 T Olive Oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)

1 T curry powder

2.5 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large squash)

2 sweet apples

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

Directions:

1. Slice butternut squash in half and roast on a baking sheet for 30-45 minutes, flesh side down.

2. Warm the oil, onions, and curry powder in a large soup pot over low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Onions should start to soften. Stir often to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan

3. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

3. When squash comes out of the oven, remove the seeds and stringy pulp, then scoop flesh into the soup pot.

4. Add apples, salt, pepper, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cok over low heat for 20 minutes until apples are very soft.

5. Process the soup through a food processor.

6. Pour soup back into the pot. Add apple cider and enough water to make the soup consistency the way you like it. It should be quite thick. Add more salt and pepper to taste

Serve and enjoy :) Another perfect soup ending to a long fall/winter day!

Tortellini Soup in TWENTY!

Yes, I just posted a tortellini soup about 2 weeks ago! This one takes a little longer to cook, and a little longer to prep, but its packed with veggies, and we have fallen in love with cheese tortellini. So here you go! Another. I like this one a little better, but Nick ranks them exactly the same!

Ingredients:

2 T EVOO

1 whole onion, chopped

2 whole zucchini, chopped

1.5 cups carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

32 ounces chicken broth

9 ounces fresh tortellini

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat your oil until hot over medium heat. Add onion, zucchini, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion softens (5ish minutes)

2. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper

3. Add chicken broth and heat to boiling

4. Next, add in your tortellini and corn. Here is a quick picture of the rainbow cheese tortellini we used!

5. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tortellini are tender (about 5-6 minutes).

6. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and some fresh chopped basil!

Enjoy :) This is sooo good. A perfect soup after a long day at work!

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Shrooms!

This is a delicious, very "fall/autumn" side! Easy to make. Healthy and delicious-very cheap to make. Try it!

What it takes:

2 large sweet potatoes

3 T chicken stock

2.5 T EVOO

2 T Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and Pepper

12 oz mushrooms

2-3 T chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

 

How to Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. 

3. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes

4. Whisk together the chicken stock, oil, balsamic, and thyme. Toss sweet potatoes with half of the balsamic mixture, then spread into a single layer onto baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. 

5. Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until beginning to slightly brown.

6. While sweet potatoes cook, wash your mushrooms and dry them. Cut into thick slices and toss with remaining balsamic mixture.

7. Once sweet potatoes are getting tender, (after you 20ish minutes)- remove from oven and turn them. Add mushrooms to the baking sheet and spread everything to one single layer with mushrooms distributed among the potatoes. 

8. Roast about 20-25 minutes more until sweet potatoes are very tender and mushrooms are done.

9. Remove to a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper again if desired. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Enjoy :)