Butternut Squash Soup!

Butternut Squash Soup!
(Dairy and Gluten Free!)

 

Ingredients:

(4-6 servings)

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2-3lbs)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, roasted (optional) and diced 
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 box of chicken stock (32oz)
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy!)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• optional toppings
• Pumpkin seeds
• Goat cheese (dairy!)

I'll admit, I haven't always been the biggest fan of squash, but in the past few years I've really started to enjoy them.   I can mostly attribute this to working at a culinary school and trying various creations and soups with squash in them, one of which I attempted to recreate today.  I also give complete credit to that job for changing my mind about beets as well  but that's for another time! (I can almost hear some of my family and friends gagging right now, but hey...more beets for me!)

 Let's get cooking!


Set the oven to 375ºF and grab your squash.  Give the outside a good rinse then cut the squash vertically.  Squash can be tricky to cut so be careful!  Give it a quick 2 minute zap in the microwave to soften the squash if it's too hard for your knife to cut through.  Remove and discard the seeds and place, cut side up, on a baking sheet.  Take 1 tbsp of the olive oil and brush a thin layer over the two halves.  Sprinkle the squash with some salt and pepper and put it in the oven for about 35 minutes or until it's fork tender.

 If you're going to roast your pepper in the oven, cut it into half and place it cut side down on the pan with the squash.  An easier (and completely acceptable way) to get the roasted flavor from the peppers is to use jarred roasted red peppers.  I find that the ones at Trader Joe's are flavorful, inexpensive, and make a great topping for homemade pizza!  About a half of a jar is equal to one pepper so if you're going to go that route, take some out and chop them up!

While the squash is in the oven, cut up your onion and red pepper (unless it's in the oven, of course) and throw them into a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil.   Cook until the onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes).  Add the turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook for an additional minute or so.    I like to time this so the squash is out of the oven right before I add the seasonings.  Allow the squash to cool for a minute, then scoop out the "meat" and plop it into the other vegetables.  Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Using either an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender, puree the soup to the consistency that you like and bam(!), you're done!  Garnish with pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch, goat cheese for a zippy tang, or some creme fraiche for some creaminess.

Enjoy and stay warm!

Reconsidering the layout

Hello there, everyone!

I know it's been a long time, but never fear... I have a long list of recipes that I want to share with everyone!  After much consideration, I've decided that posts in the future are going to contain a few pictures and the recipe instead of the step-by-step process.  I've come to realize that much of my resistance stems from amount of time it takes for me to construct a single blog post.  Overall, it takes about two to three hours to take the photos, upload them, resize them, yadda yadda yadda.... you get the point :)

Anyway, I digress. 

A new recipe is to follow shortly!

Have a great evening and let me know what you'd like to see in upcoming posts!

Raspberry Jam sans Pectin!

The other day, I needed to pick up some stuff for dinner on the way home from work so I stopped by a local fruit and veggie stand.   I had a list in my head: zucchini, mushrooms, peas, and maybe some grapes or something to snack on later.  When I got to the checkout line, there was a lonely little half flat of raspberries that was marked "These berries, $7.99!"   I asked one of the workers why it was marked down from $15 and he told me that the box had sat in the sun too long and some of the berries had "sunstroke".  I'm not entirely sure if he was joking or if it's an actual term, but I giggled and said I'd take them.  

As I was checking out, I thought to myself...

"What the heck am I going to do with 4 pounds of berries that I'm allergic to?!"

 Oh duh, l'll make jam!  

For some reason, cooking the berries breaks down some enzyme that makes it safe for me to eat (yay!)  Though it was incredibly tempting to pop a few of the berries as I was cleaning and sorting them, I resisted!  It's what I imagine making cookies is like while you're pregnant.   Eating the raw dough is sometimes the best part, and from what my sister tells me... it's so hard to resist while you're pregnant!

Anyway, on to the jam making!

Raspberry Jam!

Ingredients:

- 10 cups of raspberries

- approximately 6 cups of sugar

...that's it!

Wash and shake the berries dry.  Carefully pick through the berries to look for any bugs or mold, as raspberries (especially organic) tend to go bad very fast.

 

Place all of the raspberries into a large pot, preferably a dutch oven if you have one. 

(NOTE: make sure that your pot is very large as the raspberry/sugar mixture will double in size while it's boiling!)  

 Cook on medium high, stirring occasionally, until all of the raspberries have broken apart and it looks a little like this:

 

While you are cooking your raspberries, fill a large stock pot with water and boil your mason jars and lids to sanitize them.  Once sanitized, lay them out to dry carefully.

 

Add all of the sugar and stir frequently.  Bring to a hard boil (where it doesn't stop bubbling while you stir) and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes. 

Your jam will boil up like this... keep stirring!

Skim off the foam!

 Place a spoon or a small plate in the freezer.  You will be using this to test how well your jam is setting up.  It's particularly important when not using pectin!

  

When using a spoon to test, dip the spoon in the jam and see how it falls off.  The best way I can think to describe it is this: when two droplets form on the underside of the spoon, but connect before falling into the pot. (Does that make sense? Hopefully! haha)

My spoon picture

 didn't turn out so well, so I took a picture of the spatula.

Even though I used the spoon method this time, the method I prefer is the cold plate method.  You place a small plate in the freezer and when you think your jam is done, you place a small dollop of it on the plate and tilt it to the side.  If it gels up, it's ready!

Bottle up your jam and you're good to go! This way, it will stay goof for 3 weeks in the fridge.  If you want it to stay fresher longer (without needing to be refrigerated) make sure you boil the jars! (I can do a separate entry on this if anyone wants!)

 

Enjoy your jam or give it away to some friends! :)

 

Macarons... an adventure.

Heya everyone!  

Welcome to the humble beginnings of what I hope to be a blog that gains some traction and keeps me motivated to post my creations.  I have posted my recipes and things I have made on various social media platforms in the past, but after multiple people requesting that I'd keep them in one place... here it is!  Anyway, on with the recipe!

Vanilla Bean Macarons!

 After debating on what I should post as my first recipe, I decided why not start strong with some macarons?  

 The key to making a good macaron is knowing your environment and adapting your recipe accordingly.  Regardless of how many times you've made macarons, you absolutely will mess up from time to time.  You can't avoid it; you can only learn from it.  

I have tried many recipes and I have found that there are four basic ingredients and the weights and ratios are what varies.   The four basic ingredients are egg whites, granulated sugar, almond meal, and powdered sugar.  Many people across the internet and blogging world will argue until they are blue in the face about macarons.  Do you age the eggs?      

How long do you let the piped macarons sit out?  Do you even attempt to make them on a humid day?

Ahh! 

In this post I am going to try and share what I've found from trying different recipes in good old rainy Seattle. 

Here we go!

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites (approx 90g; at room temperature)
• 50g granulated sugar
• 120g almond meal
• 200g powdered sugar
• 1/4tsp cream of tartar (optional, but encouraged)
• 1 vanilla bean 
• gel food coloring (optional) 

(Note, in the picture you will see a tiny pile of salt.  Ignore that.  I'm not entirely sure why I put it there (I've never seen it in a macaron recipe... well, except salted caramel)

Some tools you will need are: 

• kitchen scale 
• food processor
• sifter
• mixer with whisk attachment 
• silpat or parchment paper
• a few baking sheets
• piping bag (with or without a tip) 
• spatula

Note: some of the items above are completely optional.  You can definitely do this with a bowl, spatula, sifter, and a piping bag. (and the baking sheets and parchment paper of course!) You can definitely measure out the ingredients (I have had success doing this!) but it is much less nerve wracking using a kitchen scale.  You can find them on amazon for under $15 :)



Start by weighing out all of your ingredients.  Place the almond meal in the food processor to grind down the almonds a bit more.

Let it whirl! 

 Allow it to run for about 45 seconds, making sure to scrape down the sides a few times.

Add in the powdered sugar!

Turn the food processor on again, allowing the almond meal and powdered sugar to mix.  Mix for about a minute, scraping down the sides if necessary.

Meanwhile, in a kitchenaid (or bowl with a handmixer or whisk), add the egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar.

Note: I do not age my eggs.  I have experimented with various age times of aging the eggs and I have noticed that it doesn't make much of a difference.  Whipping up egg whites is theoretically easier because as the whites age they become a bit thinner, but it hasn't really made much of a difference for me.  I do, however, make sure that my egg whites are at room temperature so perhaps that counts as aging them for two hours? (haha)

 Beat on medium until white and frothy (about 2 minutes, see next picture)

Slowly add in the granulated sugar while the mixer is on. 
Mix on medium high (4 or 6) until stiff peaks form.

 Use this time to gut your vanilla bean!  Take a sharp knife and cut lengthwise. Turn the knife perpendicular to the bean and scrape the vanilla beans out of the pod.

You should get about 1/4tsp of vanilla bean "caviar" which is more than enough for this recipe!

Add the food coloring and vanilla beans. Color the meringue slightly darker than you want your cookie to be because the baking process lightens it slightly.

 

Mix until color is fully incorporated.

Scrape down the sides. (isn't that a pretty purple?!)

Sift in the almond meal and powdered sugar mixture, 1/3rd at a time.

 This is the most crucial part of if making macarons.  It's called "macaronage" and it's the process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue.  Over or under mixing can cause a variety of problems with your macarons.  A book I read prior to even attempting macarons started out by listing about 45 ways you can really mess them up.  Don't let that scare you though! It really is just a matter of being patient and being gentle.

At first, it will seem like the two will never combine, but keep on gently folding.  It will take about 20 strokes per 1/3rd of the dry ingredients being added... or 60 strokes total.

This is combined... but not mixed all the way.  Keep folding 3 strokes at a time, making sure to check the flow after each series of strokes.

 Ahh, there we go. 

 It should be glossy and flow like lava when you drop a dollop back into the batter.  Additionally, it should mix back into the rest of the batter within 10 seconds.

Prepare a piping back in a pint glass like so (trust me, it makes it so much easier!) and place the batter in the bag.  If you don't have a piping bag, a ziploc bag will work just fine!

(Also, let me take this moment to apologize for the inconsistency in the colors of the photos.  I was playing around with light settings on my camera... whoops!)

 Prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.  Make sure to snip the corners so the entire baking surface is flat.

 Pipe out the batter in 1.5 in circles about an inch apart (or whatever size you'd like!).  Some like to draw guides on the parchment paper to make sure that each cookie is the same size, but I kind of like the matching process after they are all baked =P
After you finish piping a tray, give it a few good whacks on the counter to release any air bubbles in the cookie.   I like to bang it twice, rotate it 90º, and repeat. 

Allow the cookies to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to 2 hours (yes, that long in some humid climates).  The day I made these, it was pouring rain and they had to sit out for a little over an hour and a half.  Make sure that when you touch them they don't stick to your finger at all.  If they do, the shell hasn't formed yet.  (I'll show you an example of what happens if you put them in before they are ready below!)

Bake at 300ºF for about 13-20 minutes (this will really depend on your oven).  What I like to do is set my oven time for 8 minutes, rotate them, then set it for 5 minutes and check them each minute until they are done.  Once I figure out how they are baking that particular day, I apply that time to the  following trays.  Generally speaking, mine take about 15-16 minutes and I always rotate them half way through the baking process because it helps keep the baking even and it prevents the oven from getting too warm.

Look at those feet!

 

Now, on the left is a macaron with a proper shell.  It sat on the counter for about an hour prior to being baked.  The one on the right sat for about 15 minutes and cracked like crazy in the oven.  It still tastes amazing, but with all the hard work you put into making these macarons... I think being patient and taking an hour break so they can turn out is well worth it! Right?

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets.  After they cool, they should pop right off, but be careful as they are fragile.

 Match up cookies that are closest in size and fill with a buttercream, ganache, jam, curd, or whatever your heart desires! 

Enjoy!!

 Feel free to leave any comments with questions or things I should clarify!