Pumpkin Soup With Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Nothing says fall or winter more than pumpkin.  From pies to breads to soups, I love everything pumpkin. This creamy pumpkin soup from Williams-Sonoma's Soup of the Day makes the perfect light dinner when served with a salad and bread but works equally well as the first course of a dinner.   The pumpkin I used had a surprisingly large number of seeds; I cooked them all and ate the extra seeds as a snack for the rest of the week.  Even Sidney loved them!

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH SPICY PUMPKIN SEEDS

Serves 6

1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

FOR THE SPICY PUMPKIN SEEDS

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, cleaned

1 teaspoon canola oil

Salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil.  Toss the pumpkin with the oil,
     season with salt and pepper, and spread on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast the pumpkin until soft
     and caramelized, 30-35 minutes.

2)  In a large, heavy pot, warm the butte rover medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute
     until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute.  Add the
     broth and the pumpkin and bring to a boil.  REduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
     Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

3)  Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor (or use a stick blender the way I
      do; this makes for speedier clean up).  Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

4)  To make the spicy pumpkin seeds, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and line a baking
     sheet with tin foil.  In a bowl toss the seeds with the oil.

5)  In another bowl combine 1 teaspoon salt, the cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon.  Add the pumpkin
     seeds to the spice mixture and stir to coat.  Spread the seeds in a single layer on the prepared baking
     sheet and bake, stirring once, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.  Serve the soup garnished with the
     pumpkin seeds.

Gingered Beef Broth With Soba Noodles

This recipe has been adapted from the original one published in Williams- Sonoma's Soup of the Day. It caught my eye since I had been gifted with a very large quantity of soba noodles and was looking for a way to put a dent in my supply.  The fact that this soup is very easy to make is an added bonus.


The original recipe calls for the addition of bok choy into the broth.  In typical Albanian fashion I had spotted some earlier this week in one of the local grocery stores.  Upon my return, however, not only was there no bok choy to be had but no one in the store even knew what bok choy was.  (Such is life and grocery shopping in Albania).  The store did have Chinese or Napa cabbage so I used that as a substitute.

GINGERED BEEF BROTH WITH SOBA NOODLES

2 green onions

3 cups beef broth

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large clove garlic, crushed

Salt

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 Chinese cabbage, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 lb thinly sliced white mushrooms

5 oz soba noodles

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Sriracha sauce for serving (optional)

1)  Thinly slice the green onions, reserving the white and pale green parts in one bowl and the dark

     green parts in a separate bowl.

Aromatics

2)  In a large, heavy pot, combine the broth, 3 cups water, the ginger, garlic, and the white and pale

     green parts of the onion.  

3)  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain

     the liquid, discarding the solids, and return the broth to the pot.

Broth a steeping

4)  Season with salt and pepper and keep warm over low heat.

5)  In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Add the Chinese cabbage and mushrooms

     and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to caramelize and soften, about 6 minutes.

     Set aside.

A double dose of veggies

6)  Return the broth to a boil and add the soba noodles. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.  Add

     the Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, and soy sauce an stir to combine.

7)  Serve, garnished with the dark green onion slices.  Pass the hot sauce at the table, if using.

Beef and Red Wine Stew

Beef stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food.  This recipe comes together quickly.  I often start a batch in the early afternoon and let it simmer all day until dinnertime.  It tastes even better when reheated the next day.

BEEF AND RED WINE STEW

1 tablespoon oil oil

2 pounds stew beef

2 large onions, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups cubed baby red potatoes, scrubbed with peels still intact

1 1/2 cups cubed sweet potatoes

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

32 ounces low sodium beef broth

1 cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 dried bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1)  Place the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  When the oil shimmers add the

     beef and sear on all sides until evenly browned.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened,

     5-7 minutes.

Beef, onions, and garlic cooking

2)   Add the red potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, herbs, salt and pepper to the meat mixture.  Mix to
       combine.

Vegetables and spices ready for the pot

3)  Add all of the beef broth and the red wine.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover.

"Stewing"

4)  Continue to cook over low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.  Taste and add more salt
      and pepper if needed.

Corn & Vegetable Chowder

With the cold weather upon us, nothing tastes better than a hot bowl of soup. When paired with some crusty bread it makes the perfect lunch or light dinner.  This soup started as a corn chowder but I've added a variety of vegetables to give it more interest and body.  It is surprisingly easy to make and comes together quickly making it an ideal weeknight dinner.  You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.  Just make sure that you don't overcook any starchy vegetables.

CORN AND VEGETABLE CHOWDER

4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 bay leaves
1 cup baby red potatoes, skins on diced
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh if available, canned or frozen if not
1 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 cups whole milk
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry sherry

1) In a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat, cook the pancetta until browned, stirring occasionally.

With bacon as a base, how can you go wrong?

2)  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and bay leaves.  Cook 8-10
     minutes or until vegetables have softened.

Lots of veggies.  You can add just about any that you have on hand

3)  Add the potatoes and corn then stir in the cream and milk.  Season with salt and pepper

There's a full serving of vegetables in every bowlful

4)  Bring to almost a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Cook for 30 minutes or until the
     potatoes are tender.

5)  Adjust seasoning and swirl in the sherry.

Enjoy!