A few of my favorite things!

As I was making my menu and grocery list this week, I realized that I generally make recipes featuring pretty much the same ingredients just jazzed up in different ways. Of course there are pantry staples that span cuisine type like onions and garlic, but don't  you find that you usually cook with similar foods during a particular season? For me, in the winter, I often include hard squashes, root vegetables, breads and legumes like lentils and chickpeas. In the summer, I do a lot less cooking and a lot more preparing of tomatoes, zucchini and other summer squash, peas, peppers, and berries.  


I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite things to cook or prepare all year round. Post a comment and tell me about your favorite foods!


AVOCADOS
Like tomatoes, avocados are actually fruit, not vegetables  (who knew?!). I love them because they are deliciously rich and an excellent source of heart healthy monounsaturated fat. Avocados also have about 60% more potassium than bananas and are a good source of fiber. One of my idols, Ina Garten, says the best avocados to buy are the ugly ones with the black skin, not green. You'll know they are ripe enough to eat when you press near the narrow end and they give slightly to the pressure. 


I enjoy avocados sliced up in salads and as a substitute for cheese or mayonnaise on a sandwich. Of course, my favorite way to eat avocados is mashed up in guacamole. A great tip: You can actually freeze mashed fresh, ripe avocados to have on hand for guacamole. Just mash the avocados with a fork and add about one teaspoon lime or lemon juice per avocado. Mix well, transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container and freeze. 


Here's what's cooking...

COTE GUACAMOLE

My take on the classic. I think there are three essential ingredients for good guacamole: cilantro, lime and salt. Everything else can come or go, but to me it doesn't taste the same without the essentials. Feel free to doctor to your own taste.

Ingredients:

4 avocados

1/2 c. red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

kosher salt to taste

How to prepare:

Once you've removed the pit from the avocados, make cross cuts (like a checkers board) down to the skin of each half. You'll then be able to easily run a spoon inside the skin and scoop out the flesh.

Coarsely mash the avocado with a fork. Stir in the onion, garlic, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. YUM!

TOASTED PINE NUTS

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pine trees. About 1/3 protein, they are also a source of dietary fiber. Pine nuts are quite expensive relative to other nuts, so I usually try to buy and prepare them in small quantities. They can go rancid pretty quickly, but if you store them in the freezer they will stay fresh much longer. You don't generally buy pine nuts toasted at the grocery store, but I think they taste best this way. If you've never tried them, toasted pine nuts have a nutty, almost smokey bacon flavor. I like to have them in salads and on top of middle eastern dishes. They are also delicious paired with blue cheese. 

The best way to toast pine nuts is to saute them over medium heat in a dry skillet. 

Shake the pan every couple of minutes and turn off the heat when they are golden brown. Your nose (and taste buds!) will thank you. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

The butternut is a type of winter squash. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. Grown on a vine, the most popular variety, the Waltham Butternut, originated in Stow, Massachusetts. Yeah, New England! Nutritionally, butternut squash is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, vitamin A and potassium. I think butternut squash is seriously under-appreciated. I love it in just about any type of recipe and most often roast it to bring out the best flavor. 

Here's what's cooking...

WINTER SQUASH SOUP 

WITH DRIED FIGS & TOASTED PINE NUTS

This soup is a warm and satisfying winter meal. While a little more involved, this is well worth the effort and tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge. I adapted the recipe from the cookbook Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool. I like to serve it with a simple green salad and baguette toasts. Make baguette toasts by slicing up old bread, drizzling with olive oil, salt and pepper and baking in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lg. yellow onion, chopped

3 med. carrots, chopped

1 fennel bulb, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1/2 dry white wine

1 small butternut squash

1 med. acorn squash

1 lg. sweet potato

4 c. vegetable broth

1 tbsp. dried thyme (or 2 tbsp. fresh)

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 c. cashew milk (instructions below) or 1 c. coconut milk plus 1 c. water or broth

kosher salt to taste

freshly cracked black pepper to taste

2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted

8 dried figs, thinly sliced

How to prepare:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Using a very sharp knife, slice the butternut and acorn squashes in half and scoop out the seeds. Place all the squash and the sweet potato on a baking sheet. If you like, drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper over all.

 

Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until just tender. Your fork should easily pierce the flesh, but it shouldn't be soft enough to mash.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium in your favorite stockpot. Add the carrots, celery, fennel and onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the vegetables until they are soft and caramel in color. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to pull up any bits that have stuck. Cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the broth. 

Remove the squash and sweet potato from the oven. Scoop the squashes into the pot of vegetables and broth. Don't worry if you scrape a little skin into the pot; it is edible (packed with nutrients!) and will be pureed with everything else. I wouldn't recommend putting it all in as you'll discolor your soup. 

If you let the sweet potato cool for about 5 minutes, the skin should peel right off. Add the sweet potato flesh to the pot. Cover and let simmer for about 5-7 minutes until the squash is completely tender. 

Puree the soup either with an immersion blender or food processor and return it to the pot. Add the thyme, coriander, and cinnamon.  

If you plan to use cashew milk, puree 3 cups of water with 1 cup of raw cashews in a blender. Strain in a fine mesh strainer or a colander lined with a kitchen towel. I actually really like the flavor that this adds to the soup. It may seem like a silly step, but makes a difference. If you prefer not to fuss, you can substitute the 2 cups of cashew milk with 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water or broth. 

Add the cashew milk or coconut milk mixture to the soup and heat through. 

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the dried figs and pine nuts. Delicious, warm and nutritious! Great on a cold winter day.

Sweet Swap!

To make this a sweet soup instead of a savory one, substitute the ground coriander with (real) maple syrup to taste and increase the cinnamon to 2 tsp. This would serve well with crunchy spice cookies as a dessert.