Butternut Squash Soup

I am working on a fitness publication this week and was asked to contribute a recipe for the Fit Kitchen section. The magazine, FitFigures, is an African American performance magazine with a contemporary blend of physical training, health awareness, and nutrition.

Hurricane Irene blew in this past weekend and thankfully we missed the negative effects of the storm; but ended up with some beautiful, mild weather over the past several days. So with this change of weather, it got me thinking about the fall and hearty, comfort food. So I decided to make a butternut squash soup for my piece.

In my haste to finish this evening's dinner, I brushed the seeds from the squash down the drain. And before I knew it, I had a clogged garbage disposal. But never fear, a little vinegar, baking soda and hot water remedied that in minutes and I was ready to partake in this goodness.

Finish the soup with heavy cream, parsley, Greek yogurt, pancetta or blue cheese. Delicious!

Butternut Squash Soup

4 oz chopped pancetta
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lb butternut squash
3 carrots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple
3 thyme sprigs
3 cups chicken broth
1/8 c sherry
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 c heavy cream

Cook pancetta until crisped and drain on paper towel.

Add butter and olive oil to saucepan. Add garlic to saucepan and sauté for 1 minute. Add squash, carrots, apple, thyme, broth, sherry, cayenne, salt and pepper; and boil, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Discard thyme.

Purée soup in a blender until smooth. Garnish with pancetta and heavy cream or finish with another topping of your choice.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Corn & Black Bean Salsa

This has been what seems like the longest week in history! I am looking forward to unwinding and having a glass of wine with one of my girls. I want to make something light to nibble on as we try to solve all of life's problems and decided on a corn and black bean salsa.

This is a very tasty and quick recipe that anyone can make. It is so good that I nearly finished a bag of tortillas by myself. I mean, it wasn't full or anything...the bag came half empty. So what I am saying is that it really was not as much as it seems. See...what had happened was...

Anyway, you can use this salsa on tortilla chips, in a taco or atop your favorite fish. You can change it up a little and roast the corn, you may want to add a dash of lime juice, toss in a little avocado or pineapple, or incorporate some cilantro. This bright and colorful dish will definitely make a splash at your next gathering...if you can keep your hands out of the serving dish!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

2 ears of fresh corn, uncooked
1 small red onion
1 fresh jalapeno, optional
2 tomatoes, seeds removed
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 can of whole black beans, rinsed
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Blue Corn tortilla chips, preferably

Start by taking off the husk and cleaning the corn, removing the remaining silk. Then, using some parchment paper to catch the stray kernels, take a sharp knife and make downward strokes on the cob to separate the kernels. Add to mixing bowl.

Dice the onion, jalapenos, and tomato and place in bowl with corn. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper. Rinse black beans and add them to mixture. Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Serve with blue or yellow corn tortilla chips. 

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Granola Bars

I spoke to several friends over the weekend who have children starting school over the next few weeks; some as early as tomorrow. Sadly, summer is almost over and that means no more "summer hours", casual dress, and even worse... no more breezing down the street with no traffic. I can see those yellow buses now. Ugh!

If you are looking for an afternoon snack or breakfast treat for your children, try this quick, easy, chewy, versatile granola bar. You can make them with cranberries, almonds, walnuts, figs, dried apricots, butterscotch, chocolate, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds...whatever tickles your fancy! Well...maybe not the chocolate for the younger children lest they be bouncing off the walls in class!

Granola Bars

2 1/3 c old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 c mixed dried fruit and nuts (any combination you choose)
1/2 c unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp flaxseed
1/2 c honey
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.

Combine ingredients in large bowl, mixing well. Use a spatula (or your hands) to press mixture into prepared pan. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and score bars with a sharp knife. Return pan to oven for 10 minutes more, or until golden. Remove from oven and cut completely when cooled.

Wrap each bar in parchment paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Spiced Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

My sister is coming to visit this week and I have so much flour and sugar from when I was baking every week that I decided to make some desserts that she would enjoy - and so my ingredients would not go to waste. I have not had sugar in so long that when I tasted one of these it almost sent me into a diabetic coma! Amazing how different foods taste when your body gets unaccustomed to them. But they were so good that I have been struggling not to sneak another one. She better get here fast or I might be in trouble.

I have been looking for an excuse to make the base of this recipe again, after using it for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes a short time ago. These cupcakes resemble a chocolate snickerdoodle. Try it with either frosting. Although I am not a coffee drinker, I consider coffee to be an essential ingredient for my chocolate cakes. So I prefer the frosting with a hint of coffee in there as well.

Spiced Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

1 3/4 c AP flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c Hershey’s cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c canola oil
2 lg eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla flavoring
1 c hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three muffin tins with liner paper.

Sift the dry ingredients together, including the sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and the remaining wet ingredients, with the exception of the coffee. Using a mixer at low speed, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, incorporating the dry ingredients ½ cup at a time. Slowly incorporate the hot coffee, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Pour batter into muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Coffee Frosting

1/2 c butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant coffee
3 c confectioners sugar
2 tbsp soy or 2% milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high until smooth. Add the spices, coffee and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Alternately beat in sugar and milk until the frosting is fluffy.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 c confectioners sugar

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Add sugar  mixture to the butter mixture. Beat on high for 3-5 minutes, until it reaches desired consistency.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

I have been in the mood for cinnamon all day today so I started out my morning with these oatmeal raisin pancakes. These pancakes are nutty, have a nice texture, and taste just like an oatmeal raisin cookie! If you desire less texture and prefer a smoother batter, soak the oats in the buttermilk overnight and add the remaining ingredients the following day.

Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

2 eggs
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour (or combine whole wheat with spelt or AP flour)
1/2 c old fashioned oats
2 c buttermilk
2 tbsp brown sugar (or one packet Stevia)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4 tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c raisins, finely chopped

Place oats in buttermilk and let stand. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine buttermilk mixture with dry ingredients. Add butter, flavoring and raisins and mix well. Batter will be lumpy.

Preheat griddle or cast iron pan. Brush with butter. Ladle batter onto griddle or into pan. Cook on the first side until bubbles form and begin to pop. Flip the pancake and cook until golden brown. Keep cooked pancakes warm until ready to serve, in a 200 degree oven.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Shrimp & White Bean Soup

Who said you could only eat soup in the winter? I am at it again...my second day of craving soup even though it is the dead of summer. Most people prefer a chilled zucchini soup or a green pea soup during the warmer months. But I have never been one to follow the crowd.

I am addicted to kale! So I decided on a kale, shrimp and white bean soup for lunch today. Truthfully, it is going to be a busy week and it would be something quick and easy to heat up for lunch with a warm piece of buttermilk cornbread.

Clearly I am not the only one who eats soup all year around. My girlfriend is in town from Minneapolis and she came through the door with a bowl of soup from Panera. Who knew?

Shrimp and White Bean Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 small red potatoes, diced (skin on)
1 15 oz can white beans (cannellini, navy or Great Northern)
4 c chicken stock
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 c medium shrimp, deveined
2 c kale

In medium sized stock pot, heat olive oil. Add onion and celery and saute until translucent, about 5  minutes. Add potatoes, beans (do not drain), chicken stock and seasonings. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer approximately 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add shrimp during the last 7 minutes of cooking; add kale during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Crab and Corn Chowder

It is only 100 degrees outside and here I am thinking about a nice, hot bowl of soup.

I have been missing out on many of my favorite dishes because of the dairy. But I recently had a girlfriend in town who was drinking soy milk in her coffee. Being the creature of habit that I am, I was not really sure if I was going to be able to embrace using soy milk. But I needed something other than almond and coconut milk for hearty dishes that needed milk, with no flavoring. So I tried it...and I like!

Soy milk is a natural alternative to cow's milk for those who are lactose intolerant. However, many are now drinking soy milk because of its health benefits. Soy milk is made from soybeans and is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water. Soy milk is high in protein, and because it is made from beans, also contains considerably more fiber than cow's milk. Soy milk is a good nutritional source of vitamin B1, B2, B6, and E, and minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Soy milk also contains isoflavones, also known as cancer-fighting chemicals, that aid in the prevention of various cancers. Many of the brands on the market have sugar in them so if you are looking for a healthier option, read the labels and check for the brands with no sugar added.

I love grilled corn on the cob. And on a recent visit to D.C., I visited Chef Geoff's restaurant and had some delicious corn chowder. So I found some fresh, sweet corn at Trader Joe's today and decided to make some corn chowder as the opener for my meal this evening. I did not have time to grill the corn so I did an "oven roasted" corn for my soup.

Start by taking off the husk and cleaning the corn, removing the remaining silk. Then, using some parchment paper to catch the stray kernels, take a sharp knife and make downward strokes on the cob to separate the kernels. Place kernels in a coated pan and roast for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

             
Crab and Corn Chowder

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 c celery
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried parsley
Coarse sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced, skin on
3 c chicken or fish stock
4 ears grilled or roasted sweet corn, sliced from the cob
1 c heavy cream (or soy milk)
3/4 lb crab meat, chopped

Heat olive oil in saucepan and saute onion, celery and garlic; about 5 minutes until translucent. Add potatoes and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add parsley. Add roasted corn and cream. Return to a simmer for a few minutes more. Add crab meat and cook for approximately 5 more minutes.

Garnish with parsley or bacon bits.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.