Winter Squash

Today begins a bi-monthly feature I am doing in this blog about vegetables and fruit.  Today’s blog is about winter squash.

Winter squash is grown in the summer months and usually harvested in the fall.  These squashes are called winter squash because most people eat them in the winter months.  They are harvested the seeds have fully ripened; the rinds have turned a solid color or formed their distinct pattern, and when the rind is hard.  It is important to leave a 1-2 inch stem on the squash so that it can be stored properly.  The rinds are thick and are perfect for long term storage which is perfect for winter time when often there is not a lot of seasonal vegetables available.

Winter squash is often roasted in the oven or made into soups which are amazing on a cold winter day.  These squashes are low-calorie, good source of complex carbohydrate and dietary fiber.  Winter squash is also a source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, folate, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B1 (thiamin), copper, tryptophan, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), iron, and beta carotene.

Some examples of winter squash are:

• Butternut Squash
• Pumpkins
• Sugar Pie Squash
• Acorn Squash
• Delicata Squash
• Spaghetti Squash
• And so many more

Pumpkin Soup

Here is an amazingly simple pumpkin soup recipe that is great on the cold fall evenings:

Gather the following ingredients:

• 1 medium cooking Pumpkin also called Sugar Pie Squash.
• 4 Carrots
• 2 Celery Stalks
• 4 tsp Sugar in the Raw
• 2 tbsp Cinnamon
• 2 cups of your favorite soup stock
• 1 cup of Unsweetened almond Milk

Pre-Heat oven 350 degrees. First cut your pumpkin in half and separate the seeds from the insides.  Set the seeds aside.

Next scrape out the strings that held the seeds inside.  Be careful not to scrape out the lighter pumpkin pulp.

 Once the pumpkin halves are scraped out coat the inside lightly with Extra Virgin Olive oil.  Then add about a pinch of salt to each pumpkin half and a small amount of cinnamon and Raw sugar.

Put your pumpkin into the oven and bake until tender and the edges are browning.  Approximately 30-45 min.

While your waiting for the pumpkin to cook put a tablespoon of Extra virgin olive oil in with the pumpkin seeds and mix throughout.  Then add a teaspoon of raw sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon.  Mix until all the pumpkin seeks are coated with cinnamon and some sugar.  Once the pumpkin has cooled put the pumpkin seeds onto the same pan and bake the pumpkin seeds until they are making a popping sound and are browned.

Meanwhile, clean your veggies and begin chopping them up.

Put them to the side. Until the pumpkin is done roasting.

Once the pumpkin is done roasting allow it to cool for about 30 min.

While the pumpkin is cooling bring the two cups of your favorite soup stalk to a boil and add the celery and carrots.  Bring it back to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer until the carrots and celery are tender about 30 min.

  

Once it is done cooling take the pumpkin pulp from the pumpkin and food process or use a blender in batches until its smooth.  Add raw sugar and cinnamon to taste until it tastes like pumpkin.  You may need to add some water to the food processor or blender to get it to smooth out.

Once the pumpkin is smoothed add it to the soup and simmer until its fairly thick about 15-30 min.  

Once again put the soup in the food processor or blender in batchs and blend until smooth.  Keep in mind if you are using the blender to put the top with one of the openings by the spout so the steam has a place to go and the top is not sucked in.  Please add the 1 cup of Almond milk to make it slightly more creamy.  Blend thoroughly.  Taste the soup and add raw sugar and cinnamon or any other pumpkin spices to taste.

Add to the bowls and sprinkle the roasted pumpkins seeds on top.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Serves 4 people

173 calories

37 g Carbs

2 g Fat

6 g Protein

550 mg Sodium

Potato and Leek Soup

I looked at several Potato and Leek soups before I made mine.  I found one that involved Potatoes, leeks and parsley.  Since I got all three in my box that week I decided I would make my recipe basically about the same as that one.  So gather the following ingredients:

• 1 leek
• 1 large red potato or the equivalent
• One Bullion or one cup of your favorite soup stock
• 1 tbsp of Butter
•  2 tablespoons or to taste Fresh Parsley
• 1 1/2 cups of water

Cut up the leek in slices and then cut those slices in quarters.  Do this with only the white and pale green parts of the leek.  Then cut up your potato into small cubes.  Sauteed the leeks in the tablespoon of butter until tender then add them to the one cup of soup stalk and 1.5 cups of water boiling.  Add the cubed potatoes.  Cook until the potatoes are tender about 30-45 min.  Here you can either smash the potatoes in the soup with a spoon to thicken the soup or put it through the food processor.  I personally smashed it with a spoon to leave some chunks. Once that is done you ad the about two tablespoons or a generous amount of parsley to your taste to the soup.  Mix it until the parsley is wilted.  You can cut up your parsley small but I wanted mine large.  It added a wonderful minty flavor to the soup.

Nutritional Information per serving

Serves 2 generously

219 calories

37 g Carbs

6 g Fat

5 g Protein

477 mg Sodium

Avocado, Leeks, and Spinach Omelette

Every once in a while I surprise myself with a delicious concoction.  Today was no exception.

I gathered half of a Avocado, about a half a cup of leek sliced and quartered, one cup of spinach cut up into quarter inch squares, and 4 egg whites.  I sauteed the leeks, spinach and avocado together until they were soft enough to eat and then I scrambled the egg whites.  I put the egg whites into a pan and began cooking and added the sauteed ingredients on top.  Once the egg was just starting to be cooked along the edges I turned it over and cooked the other side too.  It was delicious.

Nutritional Info

243 Calories

28 g of Carbs
7 g of Fat
22 g of Protein
366 g of Sodium

Lentil and Cauliflower Soup

Gather the following ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked lentils

1 Carrot

1 Celery Stalk

2 Cups of Cauliflower

Take your veggies and wash them in cold water.

Next chop up the Cauliflower into smaller pieces to your preference:

Next chop up the celery:

Then slice the carrot:

 Next take your lentils and put them into a strainer and wash them as well.  

Pick out any poorly colored or bad lentils

Next combine all ingredients into a slow cooker or crock pot with 3 cups of water.  Add spices and flavorings to taste.  I added some dried rosemary and a dried bay leaf.  I should have also added a little bit of salt.

Cook for two hours.

Then Enjoy

Makes 2 Servings

Each Serving:

272 Calories

48 g Carbs

1 g Fat

20 g Protein

7 g Sugar

53 mg Sodium

Chard and Bok Choy Stir Fry with Quinoa

Gather up the following ingredients:

3 Large Red Chard Leaves

1 Head/Bunch Baby Bok Choy

2 Stalks of Celery

4 Mini Bell Peppers

1 Carrot

1/2 Cup Cooked Quinoa

Gather your ingredients and wash all your greens and vegetables in cold water.

Next slice the carrots thinly:

Put them aside in a bowl

Next chop up the mini peppers into bite size pieces:

Put them aside with the carrots.

Next slice the celery:

Add them to the bowl with the carrots and mini peppers.

Next chop up the baby bok choy.  I prefer just the leaves but if you like the crunchy part please feel free to chop it up too:

Add this to a separate bowl from the crispier veggies.

Next chop up the Red Chard:

Add this to the bowl with just the Bok Choy in it.

Now put a large frying pan on the stove and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Allow to warm up for about 20 seconds.  I usually have the heat on medium.  Add the bowl of crispy veggies and begin stirring.

Next you will add 1/2 cup of water:

Keep stirring until veggies are slightly softened.  Then add another 1/2 cup water if needed and any spices or seasoning you wish for your meal.  I added a little bit of cinnamon and ginger.

Once the carrots are to your preferred softness and the celery is clear add the greens to your stir fry.  If needed add an additional 1/4-1/2 cup water to facilitate the wilting of your greens:

When your greens are completely wilted spread out a thin layer of 1/2 a cup of cooked Quinoa on a plate:

Put the stir fry on top and enjoy!

316 Calories

62 g Carbs

3 g Fat

16 g Protein

15 g Sugar

836 mg Sodium

Another stir fry

I stir fry vegetables so much that I really should just bite the bullet and invest in a good wok.  I think that will be my next purchase on the check after this one.

On this meal I began by starting a half a cup of jasmine rice in my rice cooker on the Smart steam setting because I knew I could choose the time.  Jasmine Rice cooks faster than the quick rice setting on my rice cooker.  So the smart steam setting  boils the water just as well and also goes into stay warm mode after it completes so it works just as well.

Next I picked out my vegetables:

2 medium Pearl Potatoes (sliced then sliced the opposite direction making what looks like miniature fries)
2 leek slices (My leek is one inch across so its huge.)
2 celery heart stalks
1/4 of a cup of broccoli
1 cup fennel stalks and leaves
1 cup Radicchio

First you wash the vegetables.  Then in my case since my leek is 1 inch across I cut it into quarters.  Then I put them to the side.  I then slice the Potatoes followed by slicing them the opposite direction forming miniature fries.  I put these in a bowl.  Then I cut up the broccoli so its just a bunch of small heads and add it to the bowl.  Follow that with slicing the celery heart stalks and adding them to the bowl as well..  Then you slice and chop up the Radicchio as well as the fennel.

Next you add to your taste to a pan olive oil into a frying pan.  next you add spices to your taste.  Follow that with the leeks and a quarter of a cup of the fennel.  Cook that for a minute or so then add the bowl of veggies minus the radicchio and half the fennel.   You also add some of the fennel at this point in the cooking process as well..

Cook the vegetables until the celery hearts are just starting to be clear.  The potatoes should be at the point where they just need a few more minutes to cook.

This is when you add the remaining fennel and radicchio.  Keep stirring until the Radicchio leaves are wilted.

Make a bed of Jasmine Rice on a plate then spread the stir fry on the rice.

Now enjoy the fruits of your labor.