FALL!!

With the burst of cold weather, I have begun to lose interest in the leafy green salads, and am leaning more towards the warmer veggies and comfort foods. One of my favorite things to have in the colder months is soup. I am a self-proclaimed soup snob; I refuse to eat soup from a can. I either have to go buy it at a supermarket soup station or a restaurant, and for some boiled and pureed veggies, its ridiculously overpriced. So, I have made it my mission to delve further into the world of soups. I got this opportunity recently when I had lunch with one of my best friends from high school last week. She informed me that the garden at her house in Vermont was bursting with beautiful little butternut squashes, and graciously promised me one! (THANKS MADDIE!!) So we met for lunch again today at LPQ (mmm veggie quiche with buckwheat crust) and she gave me the most adorable little squash I've ever seen with a little orange bow around the stem, matching the bag, of course. And since mentioning my thai green curry in last night's post gave me a hankering for it, I decided to make...

Vegan Thai-Style Butternut Squash Soup
1 butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed (About 5-6 cups)

4-5 cups vegetable broth

1 stalk lemon grass cut to fit in a small sauce pan

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 shallot or small red onion, diced

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1 cherry pepper or other milder pepper, seeded and diced
2-3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 tsps ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1-2 tsps chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
Juice of half a lime
Olive oil
Kosher salt (lots) and pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees, and tackle the butternut squash. Toss the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until the squash is tender, but not crispy, about 20 minutes. In the mean time, pour your broth into another saucepan, and add the lemongrass (found at most grocery stores) and kaffir lime leaves (found at asian specialty stores and online) and put over low heat, covered, until ready to use.  In a small sautee pan, Sautee the red onion and cherry pepper in a little olive oil over medium heat until soft, a few minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and coriander and cook another minute until the garlic and ginger are just cooked. Remove from heat, add a tiny bit of your stock to remove any bits stuck to the pan, and pour into your blender. Add the butternut squash, a few cups of broth to begin with and the coconut milk, cilantro and lime juice (this may need to be done in batches). Blend until smooth, and season with liberal amounts of salt (soup needs salt) and some freshly ground black pepper. Serve in a pretty bowl, garnished with a sprig of fresh cilantro in the center, and some nice crusty bread alongside. Happy eating!

Time saving tips: Buy pre-chopped squash. I know, its more expensive, but honestly, just suck it up and spend the extra few cents. If you're a root-vegetable lover like me, this will save you lots of time, and hundreds in carpel tunnel treatments in the future. My wrist hurts from peeling one little baby squash :P

Once a week, my friend and I either meet up for dinner and drinks, or to save some money, she comes over, and I make dinner and get the chance to exercise my mixology skills and test things out on someone other than myself (thanks for being my guinea pig Lauren!). So last night I finally made Lauren my new favorite cocktail. Its a mix between a delicious drink at one of my favorite restaurants in the Columbia area and a traditional summer cocktail.

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Ellie's Mojito
4-6 mint leaves
Half a lime cut into 4 pieces
1 shot St. Germain (Elderflower Liquor)
1 1/2 shots Gin or Vodka (I love Gin in this, but some people just can't stand gin)
1 1/2 shots seltzer (or prosecco if you have it lying around...)
Ice

Put several cubes of ice into a cocktail glass and fill it to the top with water. Set aside to chill. In a cocktail shaker (or pint glass, for those of us who aren't so classy), muddle the mint and lime, add a few cubes of ice, and pour in the remaining ingredients. Swirl around to allow the contents to get cold. Empty out the cocktail glass and strain the drink into the cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.