Simplest Oven Roasted Squash Soup {Recipe}

Earlier this week, we were slated to bring a soup to family dinner with Alex's parents. I spied our last local pie pumpkin languishing on the counter and thought of squash soup. I typically make winter squash soup by oven roasting the squash, sautéing onions and garlic in oil, and then pureeing everything together. This time I was exhausted from another bout of sinus pain. I didn't feel like dicing the onion and happened upon another thought - what if I roasted everything together?

The lazy girl's inclination turned out to be a stroke of brilliance. Pumpkin halves, onion, garlic, and parsnip bathed in an oil-rubbed sauna for about 40 minutes while I put my feet up and watched a football bowl game. On the second rack of the oven, I roasted the pumpkin seeds.

Then I simply scraped all the slightly charred, softened vegetables into a pot and added stock from the freezer and herbs from the backyard. I whizzed the soup smooth with the immersion blender and topped with roasted seeds. The resulting soup is earthy and rich with caramelized flavors from the roasted vegetables.

I've been at this home cooking thing for a long time and I don't usually change much about the way I make traditional dishes. But sometimes the simplest thing surprises me. I'll never make squash soup the old way again.

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Added to Simple Lives Thursday #77.

Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes ala Skillet {Recipe}

Way back in August when the grass was green and the weather sticky hot, Flying J Farm opened its (barn) doors to host the Shake the Hand that Feeds You dinner benefiting Slow Food Columbus. Alex, Lil, and I attended with our Japanese exchange student Anna.

Chefs from Skillet Rustic. Urban. Food expertly cooked up much of the feast including a lingua appetizer sandwich that helped inspire our sweet heart charcuterie. The family-style meal included a whole roast pig, tomato salad, rosemary potatoes, braised cabbage, and our favorite dish of the night, sweet potatoes and kale.

Chef Casey's pairing of my favorite vegetable, kale, and nutritious sweet potatoes was a new combination to me. Every time I eat at Skillet R.U.F. I am struck by their simple brilliance and want to recreate dishes at home.

Six months after the Flying J dinner, I chopped the last of our homegrown sweet potatoes to share with family on Christmas Eve. I prepped the vegetables early in the day and cooked them together just before guests arrived. I covered the dish to keep warm during cocktails.

The sweet, earthy, toothsome kale and sweet potatoes were a tasty accompaniment to our roast goose and mushroom pie. The leftovers kept well. Alex suggests that these kale and sweet potatoes topped with a poached egg would be an amazing simple dinner. I agree and know this dish will make its way onto a meal plan soon.

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Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes Time: 15 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking Makes: 6 side dish servings

1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 red onion, sliced into two-inch pieces 2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced into one-inch pieces 1 large bunch kale, leaves washed well, removed from ribs, and chopped/torn into large chunks 1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste) 10-20 grinds white pepper (to taste) 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions. 2. When onions have begun to turn translucent, add sweet potatoes and turn up the heat. Cook for 10 minutes, tossing or gently stirring regularly. 3. Add kale pieces, salt, and pepper. Stir gently and reduce heat back to medium. Cook for five minutes or until kale starts to wilt. 4. Pour maple syrup and apple cider vinegar over the mix. Continue cooking until sweet potatoes are cooked through. Serve warm.

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PS. Need a little reassurance that summer will come again? Relive Shake the Hand that Feeds You through pictures.

Added to Simple Lives 76.

Apple Fennel Cabbage Slaw {Recipe}

What's colorful, nutritious, and full of autumnal ingredients? Apple fennel cabbage slaw! My mother originated this slaw in my family, probably as a spin off from a magazine. We now make the salad regularly as a side to grilled meats or bite of freshness among a rich oven roasted chicken.

With a very light dressing, the recipe is vegan, low fat, and full of vitamins and crunch. Fennel haters have been known to change their mind over this salad.

Apple fennel slaw keeps for up to seven days in the fridge. When we tire of eating it fresh, we toss it in a cast iron skillet and braise the mix over medium heat until the vegetables are sweet and tender.

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Fennel Apple Slaw Makes: 12-20 servings Time: 20 minutes preparation, 30 minutes resting

1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup white wine or champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar or honey 2 teaspoon soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger 1 fennel bulb, core removed and thinly sliced 1 small head red cabbage, core removed sliced thinly in 3 inch lengths 2 granny smith or other tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into matchsticks

1. Whisk together or shake in a jar the oil, vinegar, sugar/honey, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and ginger. 2. Pour dressing over fennel, cabbage, and apples. Let macerate for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.[/print_this]

Added to Hearth and Soul and Traditional Tuesdays.

Potato Chickpea Samosa {Recipe}

On a recent Saturday morning, I woke early and drove to the Worthington Farmer's Market. I was on a mission to buy sour cherries and meet AJ of Sassafras Bakery. Fruit in tow, I introduced myself to the sweet bombshell that is AJ and chatted with my friend Patti who happened to be working the bakery stand too. I couldn't leave without purchasing Sassafras' most hyped treats - the potato & bacon pocket pie and kitchen sink granola bar. I shared the pie with Alex, who was still hobbling around with a piece of an axe in his thigh. It was flaky and savory and oh so delicious. "I could eat a dozen of these," I sighed. "Me too. They're like breakfast samosas," agreed Alex.

One thing led to another and that night we were folding, filling, and frying samosas for the first time.

We used the tome 1,000 Indian Recipes as a guide for the recipe. While I'm not sure we will ever work our way through the whole book, the few recipes we have made are spot-on to the Indian cuisine we eat in the US and what Alex has had on his trips to India. The samosa recipe was another one to add to our permanent file.

The dough is a barely mixed flour and oil one that rests for a few hours to develop gluten. It is divided into equal pieces and rolled into balls. Each ball is then rolled into a thin circle and cut in half.

Each half folds into a triangle pocket by sealing one side from middle of the base across the rounded edge. The other corner is brought across and sealed to the outside. Filling stuffs in and the third edge is sealed.

The filling can be made of practically anything. Alex and I opted for a fairly traditional potato, onion, and chickpea filling while Lil filled her pieces with leftover chicken.

While stuffing our faces with the savory, slightly spicy, crisp samosas, we realized that the recipe is vegan. Though a little heavy on carbs and not at all low fat, I'll keep samosas in mind for parties where I want to feed people with a variety of dietary needs.

We made a double batch of dough and filling and fried all of the resulting 48 samosas. What we didn't eat on Saturday we froze.

To reheat with crispness, we pop them in the toaster oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. When we are feeling lazy, 1 minute in the microwave works, though the texture of the wrapping sogs a bit. Potato Chickpea Samosas from 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra makes 24

Traditional Samosa Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 cup for dusting 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground ajwain seeds (available through Pensey's) about 1/3 cup water 2 cups oil for deep frying

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and ajwain seeds in food processor and pulse a few times to mix.

2. Run motor and slowly pour water until the flour gathers into a semi-firm ball that does not stick to the sides.

3. Remove to a clean bowl, cover with a towel or plastic, and let rest 1-4 hours for the gluten to develop. Dough can be refrigerated at this point.

Potato Chickpea Filling

2 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek 1/2 teaspoon tumeric 1/4 teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger 1 vidalia onion 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste) 1 cup / 8 ounces cooked chickpeas (1/2 can) 2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender in salted water 1/2 cup water

1. Grind cumin and coriander with a mortar and pestle.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add all spices, chili paste and ginger to the oil and stir for one to two minutes, being careful not to burn them.

3. Add onion into seasoned oil. Cook covered for 20 minutes or until caramelized and very tender, adding water after five minutes.

4. Stir in potatoes and chickpeas. Cook for another five minutes while slightly mashing potatoes. Add a little more water to cook as necessary.

5. Allow to cool before stuffing into samosa dough.

Assembly and Cooking

1. Heat oil to 350 degrees in a large deep pan.

2. Divide dough into 12 balls.

3. Roll a ball into a thin 12 inch circle and cut in half.

4. Fold each half into a triangle pocket by sealing one side from middle of the base across the rounded edge. Bring the other corner across and seal it to the outside.

5. Stuff in a tablespoon or so of filling and seal the third edge.

6. Fry in hot oil for 4-5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate or rack to drain excess oil. Serve warm.

PS. Meet and bid on a date with AJ at the Local Matters benefit Hills Foodie Fair this Saturday.

Added to Hearth and Soul 58.