I pack my own lunch 3: Mexican-y Squash Soup

I had several small winter squashes in my hanging basket and have been meaning to cook them. I thought about stuffing them mostly. One of them, the pumpkin, bit the dust today. Unfortunately, I just waited too long to do anything with it. So I decided that the others should be cooked post haste or risk loosing them, too. 

Since I was not at all hungry (just came home from a huge brunch with friends) I was having trouble thinking about what to do with them. I thought about it and the fact that I hadn't planned anything yet for lunch this week, well nothing except I assumed I would make a soup since that's what I've been eating lately given it's winter and all... so, these pretty little squashes were cut, cored and popped in the oven to prep for what has turned out to be a damn good soup. And a really simple, limited ingredient dish at that. Oh, and let's not forget I had another awesome excuse to use my immersion blender! Love it!

I didn't want to make something I've had before. The standard curry or apple-carrot or basic squash soup was not appealing to my forecast appetite (again, because this would be for lunch during the work-week). What I thought I'd be craving by Monday was something with cilantro, which if fresh is one of my most favorite herbs! What could I do with cilantro and squash? ...Mexican-y Squash Soup!

When the squash were in the oven, I started a stock. I don't buy bouillon since it's a lot of processed stuff and has tons of sodium. So, using a great long ago suggestion from a friend, when I am prepping dinners I keep the ends of onions, celery, carrots, cabbage and sometimes 'shrooms in a bag in the freezer. When I want to make stock, I pull from that bag of frozen ends and toss them in the pot of water. Cover and cook on medium for at least 30 minutes and you have a tasty, tasty stock. Neat trick, eh? And now you know what's in your stock instead of guessing what someone else did to make it, which is kinda gross if you ask me. 

Ingredients

4 C Water*

3 1/2 C smashed Winter Squash (I used 1 butternut and 1 acorn)

1 jalapeno, chopped

3 T cilantro, roughly chopped

2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

*I started with 2 cups of water to the stock, but in the end used a total of 4 cups of water.

Make it

First start the squash. Cut and core them. Put the flesh side facing down in a casserole dish. Add an inch of water and cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until soft. Then start the stock. When it's finished, strain the vegetables and discard (compost). Return the stock to the pan and add the scooped cooked squash. Add the remaining water if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add the jalapeno and cook covered for several minutes. Then add the cilantro. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add salt to taste. Viola! It's complete and it's delicious!

I'll be very happy to be eating this for lunch this week. It's got just the right spice and warmth for cold, winter days in the office. And it's super good for me, too! 

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 5

Calories: 161.6

Total Fat: 0.4 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 690.7 mg

Total Carbs: 42.0 g

Dietary Fiber: 12.7 g

Protein: 3.3 g

Potato Smothered Lentils, Inspired by Classic Shepherd's Pie

Several fabulous Christmas gifts pictured here: bowls,
blender & pepper grinder in the background.

Happy New Year!
I'm not even going to try to apologize for the looooong absence this time. It's obvious: I am just not capable right now of keeping up as much as I had hoped. I'm okay with that. Hell, I have to be. I'm in school full-time, working full-time, keeping up with my life as best I can and plus trying to share my culinary adventures??? Oh, and I've started sewing and had Christmas present making to get through, plus buy a "new to me" car. Right. So I am busy. And sometimes, sometimes I just don't have time to blog about what I've cooked-- or, uh, even time to cook for that matter!
Right. So, here we are in 2012. And no, I'm not making a promise to blog more regularly. As just noted, that would be futile at this point. I'm just going to post when I do and then eventually there will be enough populated where it won't matter- anyone who happens upon the blog should be able to find at least 1 thing they'd like to cook, read, make, or do. Right? Yes.

Okey dokey then...onward!

For Christmas, my eldest sister flew to Chicago and we piled in my car with my two dogs and drove to Florida, back from where my sister had just flown, back to my hometown. It was awesome. We did the same thing, only reverse, coming back. Again, awesome. The whole time I was home I had an amazing time. I love my family so much and cherished each moment I had with them. And, AND, I was able to cook for them a few times, too. (I am not writing about that now, though, since that was cooking for more than one- I'll make a "cooking for many" section someday.)
For my Dear Santa list, I had asked for single serving baking dishes, like those you might make casseroles in but for one instead of 8. And an immersion blender. My friend Lauren was so kind to lend me hers (which I still have :/ ) and I fell in love. Now I have my very own. These two new kitchen tools inspired the dish I'm going to share with you tonight.

Check out these cutest individual casseroles! Begging- BEGGING- to be stuffed and baked. Ok, casserole, as you wish...

And, check out the fabulous machine behind it or pictured above- it's just...just...just, perfect. The CuisineArt Immersion Blender.  Love! Even though it has that beautiful guard so it won't scratch teflon or other types of surfaces, I am so grateful that last year I wrote to and Santa delivered a beautiful set of stainless steal pots and pans. I think, maybe, my kitchen may now be as complete as one could need without just being over the top.

Back to the begging casserole dishes. I had to choose only one; the decision was made after the meal was nearly finished and based solely on the one that could hold all that it made.

Potato Smothered Lentils, Inspired by the Classic Shepherd's Pie


Ingredients

¼ C dry Lentils
1 C quartered Mushrooms (I tend to use crimini or baby bellas for everything!)
¼ C chopped Onions
¼ C chopped Carrots
¼ C chopped Celery
¼ C frozen Peas
½ tsp white pepper
1 tsp Thyme
1 dash (or more) Salt
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 fl oz Red Wine  
¾ C chopped Potato
2 T fat free, plain Yogurt

Toaster Oven is still kickin' and
it's perfect for this single serving dish.

Make it

Cook lentils in water until soft. Cook potatoes in water for mashing. Heat a skillet with cooking spray, add onions, celery and carrots to soften then add garlic, and other spices. Stir 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. When lentils are finished, add to the vegetable mixture and return to hi heat. Add wine and stir for 2-3 minutes to absorb. Transfer this mixture to an oven-proof single serving dish. Whip potatoes with yogurt and top the lentils with it. Then broil for a browned top finish. Serve with salad or another green vegetable and enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 individual pie

This one comes in just over 300 calories, but it is soooo filling and totally worth every bite!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 1

• Calories: 320.5

• Total Fat: 1.2 g

• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

• Sodium: 274.0 mg

• Total Carbs: 59.2 g

• Dietary Fiber: 15.9 g

• Protein: 17.7 g