Let’s be radical. You see advertising for pumpkin this and pumpkin that. Why not use pumpkin’s cousin instead, the butternut squash. Trivia: although most people consider pumpkins and butternuts a vegetable, technically they are berries.
Butternuts are easily found at your farmer’s markets, and if the market has closed for the season, you can find them at the grocery store.
Let’s explore a few recipes that use seasonal produce.
Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash
1 large yellow onion
3 large carrots
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, (dried)
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, (dried)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt, (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon pepper, (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
32 oz vegetable broth
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Preheat oven to degrees 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Start by peeling and dicing your squash, onion, and carrots. Place them on your prepared baking sheet. Season with rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Place in the oven to roast for 60-75 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
Once tender add all roasted vegetables and broth to a large pot. Use an electric immersion blender to blend soup until smooth. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and mix in heavy whipping cream. Serve and enjoy.
(You can also substitute pumpkin for this if you want to follow the crowd.)
https://www.thediaryofarealhousewife.com/butternut-squash-soup
Spinach is a fall crop too.
Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Florentine Pasta
8 ounces ziti or other pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 lb. chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning mix for the chicken
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 7–ounce jar DeLallo sun dried tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt to taste
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with the seasoning and the cayenne. Sauté until the chicken is cooked through.
Drain the oil from the sun dried tomatoes. Chop into smaller pieces if you want. Add them to the pan with the garlic and sauté for a few minutes, until fragrant. You will probably still get some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes – that’s okay.
Stir in the heavy cream and let the mixture come to a slow simmer. Add the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated.
Stir in the cooked pasta and spinach – the spinach will start to cook down almost immediately. If needed, add in the chicken broth, a little at a time, to thin out the sauce. Season with salt to taste.
https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/pinch-yum-1864681/sun-dried-tomato-chicken-florentine-pasta
Okay, okay, okay. Here is a pumpkin dessert, another one of my personal favorites.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2 ⅔ cup (333 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
15 ounces (425 g) pumpkin puree
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar
1 cup (237 ml) vegetable oil
4 large eggs
½ cup (118 ml) coffee, for brushing
For the topping:
2 ¼ cup (532 ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled
¼ cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar
Caramel sauce for drizzling, (I just combined 10 unwrapped caramel candies with 4 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepot on low heat. I let cool then drizzled over the whipped cream topping)
Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and line muffin tins with baking cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together pumpkin puree, sugar, dark brown sugar, and oil.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
With the mixer on low, gently add in the dry ingredients in two additions. Mix until just incorporated.
Evenly divide the batter amongst the baking cups, filling them about 2/3 of the way full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are still warm, with a pastry brush, brush the tops of the cupcakes with coffee. Allow the first coat to soak in before repeating with the 2nd and 3rd coat. Let cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
In the meantime, while the cupcakes are cooling, make the topping.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, gently whip the cream, starting at a low speed and gradually increasing. Slowly pour in the confectioners’ sugar then increase the speed of the mixer to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form.
Put the whipped cream mixture in a pastry bag fitted with your favorite decorative tip. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled cupcakes then drizzle with caramel sauce.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
