Oddly, several people I know rather well have been put on non-chewing or liquid diets (myself included) for long periods of time. One of these people was my mom, who got run over by our dog. It totally wasn't funny at the time, but in retrospect, come on. I mean, she got RUNOVER by a DOG. (Hi Mom! I love you!) She absorbed most of the impact right in the kisser, so she made the dog make her soup for weeks until she was better.
So, if anyone you love gets runover by a dog, or a reindeer, you now have a great recipe to make for them. If you're serving it to people who can chew, it is also really good with sharp cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches.
I adapted this recipe from a Bon Appetit recipe for Southwestern Pumpkin Soup.
Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 4
1 butternut squash
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup milk (whatever fat level you have)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder*
a couple of grates (about 1/8 teaspoon) fresh nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Pierce the squash all over with a knife. Put in a microwave save dish, and cook for 5 minutes. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves face-down, and microwave for 5-8 more minutes, or until tender. Once it is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh.
Heat the stock and milk in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the squash, sugar, cumin, chili powder, and nutmeg. Let it come to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the soup is heated through, turn off the heat and puree with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender (they are awesome, consider getting one) carefully pour the soup into a blender, in batches if necessary, to puree. Season with salt and pepper. Top individual portions with cilantro and cheese. (If you're making grilled cheese alongside, skip the cheese on the soup.)
*I used Chili 3000 from Penzey's Spices. It is supposed to be the chili powder of now. (Chili 9000 is the chili powder of the future.)
Oddly, several people I know rather well have been put on non-chewing or liquid diets (myself included) for long periods of time. One of these people was my mom, who got run over by our dog. It totally wasn't funny at the time, but in retrospect, come on. I mean, she got RUNOVER by a DOG. (Hi Mom! I love you!) She absorbed most of the impact right in the kisser, so she made the dog make her soup for weeks until she was better.
2 comments:
How funny about getting run over by the dog! Please say the dog is rather large, at least... I don't really mean to laugh at your Mom. I hope she's back on solids now. :)
We've got no squash in TZ these days, but mangoes are coming into season. (By the way, what are mango hands, Beth?) So maybe next week can be Mango Week if you've got any good suggestions of what to do with them (other than just eat them!)
Ha! Yes, the dog is huge. He could be mistaken for a mule.
Hmm, as for the mango menu, I may have some ideas. I'll e-mail you...
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