The Book Tour Stops Here: "The Seduction of Miriam Cross" by W. A. Tyson with a "What's in the Pantry" Garam Masala Red Lentil Stew (+ Book Giveaway!)

My childhood love of mysteries fueled my passion for reading--especially female detectives Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew and I devoured the books in both series. My secret career goal when I was a 'tween' was to be a female detective. Of course if you followed those books, that meant the fun and glamour of solving intriguing mysteries and not considering the tedious hours of research, surveillance and paperwork that investigators have to put in. So that, and the fact that at heart, I am pretty much a wimp, lead me to other career choices (sadly, still filled with tedious hours of research and paperwork--go figure...). Although I didn't achieve that childhood dream, I can still live vicariously through more adult mysteries like The Seduction of Miriam Cross: A Delilah Percy Powers Mystery, the first book in a new series by W.A. Tyson.    

Delilah Percy Powers is a Philadelphia-based private investigator with a female-staffed firm where "women can go to find justice." Delilah's all-woman team is eclectic--Barb, a suburban married mother of three, Margot, a 72-year-old ex-nun, and Natasha, a young single mother and ex-stripper. Although murders are not among Percy Powers LLC's usual cases, a former client dumps a doozy of one into Delilah's lap when she hires her to investigate the murder of her aunt, famous author Miriam Cross. Needing additional help in forensic surveillance, freelance journalist and Certified Ethical Hacker, Matthew "Anders" Anderson is hired as the first male Percy Powers employee and tension comes both in the feelings he raises in Delilah, and questions about where his interests in the case and his loyalties lie. Miriam's murder was particularly brutal and it doesn't take Delilah and her team long to realize that this case is more involved and farther reaching than expected, with ties to the Mob and human trafficking making it far more dangerous to them all. 

Paperback /358 pages

Publisher:  E-Lit Books / October 2013

Mystery/thrillers with a strong female protagonist are among my favorite book genres and I like them to have good suspense and be a bit dark and edgy too. The Seduction of Miriam Cross delivers on all accounts. I like the main character of Delilah--she is smart and no-nonsense and her damaged, often brittle exterior hides a warm, caring heart beneath. Grief and some survivor's guilt from the sudden death of her rancher father when she was a teen and the disappearance/death of her fiancé in a kayaking accident fourteen years ago, have her aching for the past and afraid of being hurt again. I also liked getting to know the background of her team--in this book the focus was on Natasha and Barb but, I anticipate more of Margot's story to come out in future novels. I get the feeling we will see more of Anders, and the fact that the body of Delilah's fiancé was never found could have some interesting possibilities too. Tyson did an excellent job of creating characters that feel real and that you want to learn more about, as well as keeping the action well-paced. This book had me turning pages long after I should have been asleep just to see what was going to happen next, and it inspired me to download Tyson's first book Killer Image (An Allison Campbell Mystery), to my Kindle to read. Readers who like smartly-written, gritty mysteries with brave kick-ass female leads will enjoy this book and series. (If that's you, there is a chance to win a copy of your own at the bottom of this post!)   

Author Notes: W. A. Tyson’s background in law and psychology has provided inspiration for her mysteries and thrillers.  The Seduction of Miriam Cross, to be published by E-Lit Books this fall, is the first in the Delilah Percy Powers mystery series.  She has also authored Killer Image (Henery Press, October 2013), the first novel in the Allison Campbell mystery series.

The Seduction of Miriam Cross is not a foodie book but, different food and dishes are mentioned throughout and I found myself wanting to stuff food into my mouth to combat my growing angst as the mystery built in this page-turner. ;-) For my dish inspired by my reading, I chose to go with a lentil stew. While investigating, Delilah and Anders stay with Ander's friend Tula in New York and she prepares "a wonderful fragrant meal of homemade naan, lentil stew and tandori chicken" for them. Because lentils cook quickly and provide lots of fiber and nutrients, they are a weeknight pantry staple for me--especially combined with the warmth of garam masala spices. I toss in whatever veggies and things I happen to have on hand--carrot, potato, sweet potato, spinach or celery--it's all good. 

"What's In the Pantry" Garam Masala Red Lentil Stew
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 3-4 Servings)

1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 pinch red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 Tbsp garam masla spice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups low-sodium veggie broth (+ extra if thinner stew desired)
1 (15 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup red or brown lentils, well rinsed and drained
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
fresh cilantro, lime or lemon wedges and fried onions to garnish if desired

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, garam masala, cumin and cinnamon and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until mixture is fragrant.

Add veggie broth, tomatoes and their juices and lentils to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until lentils are softened, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. You can add additional veggie broth here if you want a less thick stew.

Place in individual bowls and top with fresh cilantro and/or fried onions Serve with naan or prantha bread and lime or lemon wedges. 

Notes/Results: Fast and easy comfort food--a little smoky, a tad spicy, with a hint of brightness from the lime. A little chopping of whatever veggies you have on hand, then you dump it into the pot, relax, and in about 20 minutes dinner is served. I like lentil stew over brown rice or with naan but, I especially love it with a piece of my favorite 'brown and enjoy' prantha--something that is usually in my freezer. This is a dinner that would definitely refuel your favorite detective after a long day of sleuthing! ;-)   

***Book Giveaway!***

The only thing better than reading a great book is being able to give a copy to someone else to enjoy! The publisher is giving me the opportunity to give a copy of this exciting mystery/thriller to a reader. 

To enter to win--just leave a comment on this post telling me about one of your childhood career dreams. Leave your comment (+ a way to contact you please) no later than 11:59 PM (Hawaii Time) on Thursday, December 19th. One winner will be drawn from all applicable entries and announced on this blog. You must be in the U.S. or Canada to win.  

Giveaway Winner Update--12/26/13

The winner of the drawing is Tina of Squirrel Head Manor. Congrats Tina!

  

Note: A review copy of "The Seduction of Miriam Cross" and a copy to give away to one of my blog readers were provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quick Pumpkin-Sage Pasta {#12WksWinterSquash}

If you have any extra cans of pumpkin hanging around your house, this fast and easy pasta is a great way to use them up. From Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon, it's a healthy vegan dish that is on table in the time it takes to boil pasta and has a pretty orange color with a wonderful sage flavor.  

Quick Pumpkin-Sage Pasta 
Slightly Adapted from Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon 
(Serves 2)

4 oz pasta
3/4 cup low-sodium veggie broth
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 to 2 Tbsp minced fresh sage
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice (omitted)
(I added 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon & a pinch of dried thyme)
pinch dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
vegan Parmesan to garnish (optional)

Make pasta according to package directions.

In a small saucepan, mix pumpkin, veggie broth, sage and spices together and heat over low about 5 minutes, until warmed through. Taste and add more sage and salt and black pepper to taste. Cover sauce and allow to rest off of heat for 10 minutes in order to blend flavors and slightly thicken.

Stir sauce into cooked pasta. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with vegan Parmesan if desired. 

Nutritional Info (with 2 oz pasta): Calories: 262, Fat: 2.4g, Carbohydrates: 51g, Fiber: 8.2 g, Sugars: 5.3g,  Protein: 10g

Notes/Results: Creamy, herby, and as Lindsay Dixon says in the book, it "really captures the taste of autumn." I had concerns it might be too soupy, but the sauce sets up some and the pasta absorbs it. Instead of whole wheat pasta, I used the Barilla Plus rotini that I had on hand. It isn't as heavy as whole wheat but still has 4 grams of fiber per serving. With that and the pumpkin, this is a fiber-friendly dish and has a decent amount of protein too. For the spices, don't tell anyone but I really dislike pumpkin pie spice (yes, that means I don't like pumpkin pie either--GASP!) ;-) so I added some thyme because I like it with squash and a little ground cinnamon for that added 'sweet and warm' spice flavor. This is super fast, healthy and tastes great too--I would make it again.

This is my Week 6 dish for the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash Event hosted by my friends Heather and Joanne. Feel free to link up your winter squash dishes during the week at the linky below--or on any one of the other participating blogs.    


 

Pasta E Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas): Cozy Bean Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This soup showed up gracing the cover of my December Vegetarian Times magazine and immediately made it to the top of my soup "to make" list. Chickpeas, pasta, rosemary, along with raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, these are a few of my favorite things. ;-) Add them to a warming bowl of soup and my belly is happy.

Vegetarian Times says, "A cousin of pasta e fagioli, this cozy soup features chickpeas instead of white beans."  I made a few small changes to the recipe, noted in red below. 

Pasta E Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas) Soup
Adapted from Vegetarian Times, December 2013
(Serves 6)
30 Minutes or Less

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp) (I added an extra clove)
3 plum or Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (2 cups)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (doubled)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (I used 6 cups of low-sodium chicken-style veggie broth)

1/2 cup ditalini or tubetti (I used 3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Heat oil in large soup pot or 
Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 
onion and rosemary sprigs, and sauté 
5 to 7 minutes, or until onion has softened.
 
Add garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, and season with salt, 
if desired. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Remove rosemary sprigs. (I removed the stems of the sprigs and chopped off some of the remaining rosemary leaves and added back to the soup with the ones that had already fallen off.)
 
Add chickpeas, and slightly 
mash with fork or potato masher to thicken soup. (I put a couple of ladles in the blender then added them back to the soup.)
 
Add broth, and bring to a boil. 
(I let the soup simmer about 10 minutes to increase the blending of flavors before turning up the heat, adding in the ditalini and cooking about 9 minutes.) Add pasta, and cook 1 minute less than package directions suggest.
 
Season soup with salt, if desired, 
and pepper. Garnish each serving with 
1 Tbs. Parmesan and 1 tsp. basil.
 
Nutritional Info: Per 1-cup Serving: Calories: 160, Protein: 7g, Total Fat: 5g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbohydrates 23g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 545mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g

Notes/Results: Healthy, hearty and full of good flavor, this soup is quick and easy to make and delicious--plus it smells darn good while it's cooking. Rosemary pairs so well with beans, and the grated Parmesan and fresh basil add that little extra something special to the soup. I doubled the amount of chickpeas  because I like a beany soup and increased the pasta and broth amounts to accommodate the extra beans. If you can't get good fresh tomatoes where you live this time of year, canned fire roasted tomatoes would work fine. I would happily make this one again.

We have soups, a salad and even some little sandwiches waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's take a look.

Joyce of Kitchen Flavours shares Stuffed Beancurd Puffs in Hakka Style soup and says, "On days when the mind just "freezes" over what to prepare for dinner, cookbooks certainly comes in handy. I love eating Hakka cuisines and especially love the meat stuffing used in Yong Tau Fu. I made this delicious Stuffed Beancurd Puffs for dinner last week, recipe taken from a local cookbook on Hakka cuisine. ... Very delicious! I served this stuffed beancurd soup with some Hakka Noodles. The meat filling is so springy, chewy and so tasty. I will definitely make this again."

Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food brings Fish "Tofu", Bok Choy & Tomato Rice Noodle Soup and says, "One of the best ways to enjoy these precious organic heirloom tomatoes is using them, fresh and raw, in salads. But it was a cold winter day and salads were not the best way to go. I want a piping hot soup on this blustery day. A Rice Noodles Soup might just be it. This noodle soup is very similar to the Shirataki Noodle Soup I have cooked before. Both delicious but I definitely prefer using fresh rice noodles."

Little Joy Factory is here with a warming bowl of curried soup and says. "Coconut and Prawn Soup recipe from Donna Hay's website caught my attention as it calls for red curry paste. I bought a jar of red curry paste and cooked Thai Red Curry Fish not long ago.  Thought of cooking the same dish again to use up the leftover paste, but coconut and prawn soup sounds a better idea.  I whipped up the soup in about half an hour, easy and delicious! Served with lemon wedges, the soup tastes fresh and sumptuous!" 

Joanne of Eats Well With Others made this sunny Carrot Soup with Tangled Collard Greens and Dukkah. She says, "This brightly flavored ginger carrot soup topped with coconut-laced collard greens and Dukkah, an Egyptian condiment made of toasted nuts and seeds, is full of the kinds of great flavor and texture you can crave! ... Carrots and ginger are boiled up together and then pureed into a silky smooth brightly flavored blend. Collard greens are steamed and tossed with coconut oil and lime juice. Pistachios, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds get all roasty toasty in an oven and are then crushed together with a bit of thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper."

Sue of Couscous & Consciousness offers up Donna Hay's Zucchini, Mint & Haloumi Salad and says, "... great textural contrast between the crisp zucchini, velvety spinach leaves, and chewy, melted cheese;  wonderful, robust flavours - bright, herby mint, tangy, sour pomegranate molasses, the sharp saltiness of preserved lemon, and a little bit of heat from the chilli;  and, no slouch in the looks department either - this was a very pretty dish and one which would certainly wow your guests despite the miniscule time spent on it." 

Graziana of Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs) made these little Herrings Canapes with Chervil Cheese and says, "The chervil sown in September has grown. It is one of the fines herbes, delicate aromatic herbs, that should be used raw to preserve their aroma. I prepared cheese flavored with chervil for some canapés, and served with wheat bread (in the picture) and also with some homemade naan that I will post soon."

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, sandwich or salad that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo for all of the details. 

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

Donna Hay's Simple Three-Cheese (& Sage) Pasta

I could give you a lengthy list of things that keep me awake at night. Some are (or at least they seem) important, some are rather random such as my worry last night ...do blue cheese and sage really go together? I like blue cheese and I am borderline obsessed with crispy sage but, both of these ingredients are pretty assertive and I wasn't sure if I would like them paired up in larger amounts and combined with ricotta and Parmesan in a bowl of pasta. Since Donna Hay rarely steers me wrong, her recipe for Simple Three-Cheese Pasta kept 'calling out' to me in her Fresh, Fast, Simple. cookbook, and I really needed some cheesy-pasta comfort this week--I decided to give it a try. 

Donna Hay's Simple Three-Cheese Pasta
From Fast, Fresh, Simple by Donna Hay
(Serves 2)

200 g (about 7 oz) rigatoni or fettuccine
20 g butter (about 1.5 Tbsp)
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh sage leaves 
150 g ricotta (about 5 oz)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
100 g (about 3.5 oz) blue cheese, crumbled (I used about 1 1/4 oz--see notes below)
sea salt & cracked black pepper

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.

Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and cook until melted. Add the sage and cook for 3 minutes each side or until crisp, remove from heat and set aside.

Toss the ricotta, Parmesan and blue cheese through the pasta. Divide between serving plates and top with the sage and a little of the sage butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to serve.

Notes/Results: This is one rich and decadent cheesy pasta--like a tricked out mac 'n cheese for grownups. I stirred the ricotta into the warm pasta first so it melted into a creamy sauce before gently stirring in the parm and blue cheese--which blend right in. The large tubes of rigatoni hold all of that creamy goodness well and the crisp sage leaves are a good textural contrast. As for the sage and blue cheese combination--I liked it. My favorite bites had the fried sage with bits of blue cheese and a little of the sage butter sauce drizzled on them. (By the way, since the Point Reyes blue cheese I used is so strong and pungent, I reduced the amount by about a third so it didn't overpower.) Blue cheese is pretty polarizing--people either like/love it or they hate it. If you aren't a fan, Donna suggests on her website that you either try the milder-flavored Gorgonzola or substitute another strong-flavored cheese such as Tallegio. This recipe says two servings but because the servings are good-sized and the dish so rich, I would serve a smaller portion to 3 or 4 accompanied by a salad. At the table in about 20 minutes if you do your prep while the water and pasta boil, this is an indulgent pasta dish that I would make again.  

You can check out the Fast & Fabulous (ready in 30-minutes or less) Donna Hay dishes that everyone made this week at IHCC by going to the post and following the links.  

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: "The Pursuit of Mary Bennet" by Pamela MIngle with Nigel Slater's Classic Hot Chocolate (with Lavender Tea) Recipe

Poor Mary Bennet, awkward and not considered pretty or marriage material by her mother. Sandwiched in between two pairs of sisters; Jane and Lizzy--attractive, intelligent and refined, and Kitty and Lydia--young and silly. Mary is always overlooked and left out so it's no wonder that she gets very few and not very flattering mentions by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. Lucky for her, Pamela Mingle gives this unfortunate middle sister her own story, growth and even romance in her new book The Pusuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Novel.

In The Pursuit of Mary Bennet, Mary isn't faring particularly well after the marriages of Lizzy, Jane and Lydia. Although her father has begun to notice her more--giving her books to read and occasionally even discuss with him, her mother has plans that she will attend to the very pregnant Lydia when her child is born and perhaps someday serve as a governess to Jane or Lizzy's children. According to Mrs. Bennet, "Marriage is not for her" and she "cannot think of any  man who would have her." Mary herself doesn't contemplate marriage as something she will take part in but, she does long for something of her own and more of a life than her mother aspires for her. When Lydia leaves Wickham and returns to Longbourn under another scandalous cloud, Mary and Kitty are sent to Derbyshire for a visit with Charles and Jane and there, Mary comes into frequent contact with Charles' friend and neighbor Henry Walsh. Her sister Kitty has set her cap for Henry and Mary finds his mixed messages on which Bennet sister he prefers confusing. Does he want her or Kitty? Should she open her heart to Henry or set a path for a different future on her own?    

Paperback: 320 pages  
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (November 26, 2013)

 
A big fan of Pride and Prejudice and well-written variations of the story, I found The Pursuit of Mary Bennet to be a charming read--a good cozy-up-your-weekend kind of book. Pamela Mingle does an excellent job of capturing the heart of P&P, while making it different enough to stand on it own. The story is told in the first person--from Mary's viewpoint and this look inside Mary's head gives the reader Mary's perspective of her family and of herself, explaining where her many socially awkward behaviors come from. The romance is sweet and Henry pleasant and likeable, but I most liked seeing Mary grow and come into her own both internally, and with her family. That journey is not without missteps, with Mary reverting back to her previous behaviors--sometimes amusing, at times sad, and always understandable. This is not a book full of action or surprises but, it is sweet and enjoyable especially for Pride & Prejudice fans. 

Author Notes: Pamela Mingle is the author of Kissing Shakespeare, a time-travel romance for young adults set in Elizabethan England. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Pikes Peak Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the Jane Austen Society of North America.

For my dish inspired by the book, there was plenty to choose from. Tea and scones, fish--turbot in particular, trifle, blackberry tart, salad with watercress, lamb and vegetables and assorted pastries tray and dessert items were a few of the dishes mentioned in the story. For breakfast at High Tor, the Bingley's estate, hot chocolate is served along with tea at breakfast. Mary tends to choose the chocolate because they "seldom have it at home." (A girl after my own heart--when given a choice always pick chocolate!) I decided to combine local my favorite dark chocolate from the North Shore with lavender tea from Maui to make a drink that is sweet, simple and unassuming on the outside--but with a hidden depth, much like the Mary Bennet in this story. I used Nigel Slater's hot chocolate recipe for proportion and inspiration. 

Classic Hot Chocolate with Lavender Tea
Adapted from Nigel Slater via The Guardian
(Makes Enough for One)

The Recipe: 
Grate 50g (1.75 oz) of dark chocolate into a saucepan containing 250ml (8.75 oz) of milk approaching the boil. Stir until the chocolate has dissolved and the drink has slightly thickened. Stir in sugar to taste, depending on how sweet your chocolate was. Spoon in a tablespoon of double cream if you wish, and serve. Enough for one.

The Trick:
Most chocolate has too much sugar in to be satisfactory for making a hot drink. It ends up more like something you might pour over your profiteroles. If you want to take the drink seriously use the most bitter chocolate you can find (70-100% cocoa solids), then sweeten it yourself. You may be surprised how little sugar you need. Don't let the mixture boil once you have added the chocolate. To get a creamy head, beat with a small whisk as soon as the chocolate has melted.

The Twist:
Ground cinnamon, added after the chocolate, is popular, as is a scraping of nutmeg on the surface, but we can do better than that. Many of the flavoured, high-cocoa-butter chocolates about at the moment will add intrigue to your drink. Try chilli, lavender, Arabic spice or caramel flavours. Cardamom chocolate gives a wonderfully heady drink.

Notes/Results: To give my hot chocolate a lavender essence--I heated my milk with a lavender tea bag, steeped it about 6 minutes and removed the tea bag before adding the grated chocolate and whisking it in until melted. Since I used two chunks of Waialua Estate chocolate bar--one 60% and one 70% cocoa solids, no added sweetener was needed. This was rich, chocolaty, and just lavender enough. Perfect for afternoon tea with a couple of slices of toasted 'English Toast Bread' sprinkled with cinnamon.  

Note: A review copy of "The Pursuit of Mary Bennet" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.  

 

Red Curry-Roasted Acorn Squash Slices with Cilantro-Mint Yogurt {#12WksWinterSquash}

I had a plan for the acorn squash I bought last week. It was going to be stuffed with a Tex-Mex-ish blend of black beans, quinoa, cheese and spices and baked. Too bad those were just not the flavors that I was craving today. 

I have been on a Donna Hay red curry kick lately and after finding out how good it was with kabocha in her Pumpkin & Chickpea Curry, then loving it slathered over salmon for her Red Curry-Spiced Fish with Sesame Ginger Rice Noodles--I now find myself wanting it on just about everything. OK, at least on everything savory! ;-) One of my fellow I Heart Cooking Club participants, Kayte of Grandma's Kitchen made a Red Curry Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe from Donna last week and it made me want to 'paint' it on slices of squash and roast them up. Speaking of roasted squash, one of my favorite things about Yotam Ottolenghi's Parmesan & Herb Crusted Kabocha was the accompanying dill-yogurt sauce. I decided to change it up and make a lime-spiked Cilantro & Mint Yogurt to go with these easy (and pretty) Red Curry-Roasted Acorn Squash Slices. 

Red Curry-Roasted Acorn Squash Slices with Cilantro Mint Yogurt
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen Inspired by Donna Hay & Yotam Ottolenghi
(For 1 Squash)

1 acorn squash
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cilantro-Mint Yogurt (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice acorn squash into 1/2-inch rings, scoop out any seeds and place in a single layer on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.

Mix red curry paste and oil together in a small bowl. Spread evenly on top and insides of squash rings. Sprinkle squash slices with salt and black pepper to taste. Roast/bake for about 25 mints or until squash is soft and cooked through to your liking. 

Serve warm with the Cilantro-Mint Yogurt sauce 

-----

Cilantro-Mint Yogurt:
1/2 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. 
Cover and chill in fridge to meld flavors.

Notes/Results: Just a few ingredients come together with delicious results. The lightly spiced curry works well with the sweet squash, then the cooling and tangy yogurt sauce contrasts perfectly with the warm squash rings. These would be great as a side dish, but I just gobbled up my squash's worth of rings as my lunch. Although I will eventually get around to making my stuffed acorn squash, this more than satisfied my cravings. I will definitely make these again.

This is my Week 5 dish for the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash Event hosted by my friends Heather and Joanne. Feel free to link up your winter squash dishes during the week at the linky below--or on any one of the other participating blogs.   
 



 

Cheddary Broccoli Soup: Yummy Vegan Comfort for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's been raining most of the weekend with even some bursts of heavy downpours, thunder and lightening today. I'm not complaining because I love the occasional lazy heavy-rain day and it is perfect weather to curl up with a bowl of rich and hearty soup. Cheesy Broccoli comes to mind with its comfort-food vibe, but who needs all that saturated fat and calories?! The Cheddary Broccoli Soup from the new cookbook Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, gives the flavor and feel of a cheese-filled soup, but for a fraction of the calories and fat.

Add Isa Does It to your "to-buy" or holiday gift list (under $20 at Amazon right now). It's packed full of Isa's relatively easy vegan recipes that all look pretty darn amazing. I have made vegan 'cheesy' soups before with non-dairy milk and nutritional yeast but Isa's Cheddary Broccoli Soup uses a flavored cashew cream to give the soup its "cheese factor." I am a big cashew cream fan so I knew I had to try this recipe right away. 

The soup is straightforward to make. (If you want the actual recipe measurements shoot me an email and I'll send them to you, or just buy the book--it's worth it!) Onion and garlic is sauteed and them simmered with broccoli florets, chopped carrots, turmeric and vegetable broth until softened. The cashew cream is made by blending soaked cashews, more vegetable broth, mellow white miso and nutritional yeast. Then it is all blended together and seasoned with fresh lemon juice and black pepper. Isa suggests topping it with garnishes like tomatoes, red onion and sprouts but I topped mine with some diced roasted red pepper and a few tiny broccoli florets. 

Notes/Results: This is a very thick and creamy bowl of soup that only tastes decadent. A quick calculation on my nutritional app clocks it at just under 150 calories a serving and 1 gram of saturated fat--can't beat that. It also has a good dose of vitamins A & C and Iron along with other nutrients. Although not cheesy in the gooey-stringy sense, I doubt anyone would guess/question that it was a dairy-free, vegan, healthy dish. I kept the recipe mostly the same but I did use a low-sodium veggie broth, slightly diluted to keep the sodium level down. This was fabulous--warming and comforting served with chunks of sourdough baguette. I will definitely make it again.

It's a quiet post-Thanksgiving weekend in the Souper Sundays kitchen but a few friends are here with dishes to share so let's take a look.

Mireille of Chef Mireille's Global Creations is here with a Creamy Vegetable Soup and says, "Now that the temperatures have started to go down into the 30's here in New York, it's soup season. ...I emptied out my refrigerator and made this comforting soup to keep warm on the cold winter nights. Feel free to adjust the vegetable measurements as desired. I used the quantities of what I had. ... Garnish with crispy fried slices of sweet potato."

Please join me in welcoming Deepika of My Life and Spice to Souper Sundays. Deepika joins us from Philadelphia and tried out her new slow cooker with 15-Bean Vegetarian Stew. She says, "I started with a whole load of trepidation. Read through a bunch of recipes on the net, and then figured that I had to close my eyes and take the plunge...or I'd never try it out. And the result...I am hooked. It's easy to put together, and lovely to come home to a meal ready to eat. There doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way to go about cooking in a slow cooker. This is how I did it." Welcome Deepika!

Tigerfish of Teczcape--An Escape to Food shares this warm Peanut Butter-Sesame Mushrooms and Broccoli Salad and says, "Recently I have been making this warm mushroom salad. Other than mushrooms, this salad is also loaded with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and broccoli. I don't fancy "cold" food, so since this salad is best served warm, it can stand as a light meal on its own. To make this salad, the key step is to saute the mushrooms and release the deep flavors so that when they are mixed in with the other vegetables, the overall flavor in the salad gets accentuated."

Thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!