Homemade Butternut Tortellini

Mmm. ♥

Butternut Squash Madness

  I say madness now, because.... Have you ever tried to cut into a butternut squash?

Yeah, it's not easy.

I bought a few butternut squash(es?) at the supermarket this week, they were on sale and I told myself; I must be able to make something with these. So like the abnormal person I am, I bought five. The cashier gave me funny looks. That's okay, I'm used to cashiers questioning my purchases.

Excited with my new buy I rushed home, and went ahead with the slicing of the squash. I tried to cut it in half. I have some very high-quality knives, and I had to hammer my knife through the squash. Yes, hammer. Once that was done, and the beautiful snapping sounds of a succesfully cut squash, I preheated my oven and knew what I was going to make. Instantly.

::Butternut Squash Soup::

Tools:

Food Processor

Baking dish 

Ingredients:

1 large Butternut Squash

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

1 cup Unsweetened Almond Breeze (measurements of Almond Milk will vary from person to person, whether you like a thicker or thinner soup)

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon Oregano

Preheat oven to 350F.

Wash squash and then cut lengthwise down the middle.

Scoop out the seeds.
Lightly coat the exposed parts of the squash with olive oil.

Salt and pepper to taste

Place flesh side down in a (lightly coated with olive oil) baking pan

Cook until knife tender; usually about 50 minutes to an hour.

Once tender, remove squash from the oven and let cool.

Scoop out the flesh inside the shell of the squash, into your Food Processor. Add Nutmeg, oregano, butter and blend

Slowly add Almond milk, until reached to desired consistency. Salt to taste, Serve warm garnished with pepper

Enjoy! ♥

I may have eaten this for breakfast. (weird?) The weather is so nice, and it's really cooling down... I was craving some warm soup. The flavors are rich, but the soup itself is very light and has a slight peppery bite. (with how much pepper I added) which I love. You can faintly taste the Oregano that is added in there, it added depth to an otherwise plain dish, and really compliments the mild sweetness of the squash. It was delicious!

Q: What is your favorite fall soup?
I love this soup. ♥

And so, fall is here....

....Because canned pumpkin is BACK on the shelves~! :))))

Now, I loooveee pumpkin. In stews, pies, breads, pancakes. Yes, pumpkin pancakes are extremely delicious. It's like a pumpkin pie, mixed with pumpkin bread, and just the right flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg... and that beautiful orange color! All the things that make fall wonderful.

Simply Yummy Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cup whole wheat (or multigrain) flour (I use Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Mix)

1 cup Vanilla Soymilk (I really like the Silk Organic Vanilla soy, sold at Costco)

1 egg

Tons of cinnamon** + more for sprinkling after

A dash of nutmeg**

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 can Pure Pumpkin Puree (Like the kind from Libby's)

Stevia drops (or 8-10 packets of Splenda) to sweeten
1 TBSP whipped butter

**or if you have pumpkin all spice, that works too.

Combine dry ingredients first, whether by hand or blender. (I find a blender works better, in this case) Then add the egg, soymilk, and remaining ingredients. Blend until a smooth consistecy is made.

(The temperature of the skillet is the most crucial factor in the success of the pancake. The skillet must be hot enough that water droplets dance on the skillet and smoke rises from the skillet, but must not be any hotter. Chefs recommend that you wipe a skillet that is too hot with a wad of wet paper towels, then allow the skillet to smoke before proceeding.)

Once skillet is heated, spray with non-stick cooking spray, and carefully pour batter to make a 5" circle. Allow bubbles to form, and flip. Continue until all the batter is gone. Sprinkle finished pancakes with cinnamon and a dollop of whipped cream (or your favorite vegan substitute) and enjoyyy!

I know I did. ♥