Moroccan Vegetable Soup

With all the wonderful root vegetables that are available at this time of year, and in our Winter/Spring CSA box from "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze", I have been on a crazy soup kick!!!!  Obviously I am a BIG fan of soups (hence the name of this blog!) and the main reason is that it is an easy and delicious way to include all sorts of vegetables into your diet in one sitting!  This recipe is no exception ~ give it a try!!

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped parsnips

1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded & chopped pumpkin* 

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Lemon juice, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish:

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and cilantro, mixed

A generous pinch of paprika

• Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven (or a large pot) and saute the onions for 3 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.  Add the garlic, carrots and parsnips, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the garlic doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
• Stir in the pumpkin and saute for a further 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Allow the soup to cool slightly, then pour into a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth, adding a little extra water if it becomes too thick.
• Pour back into the clean pot and reheat gently without boiling.  Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and taste.
• In a small skillet, heat 1 1/2 tsp olive oil and saute the herbs and paprika until just wilted.
• Pour the soup into bowls and swirl the garnish into the soup ~ ENJOY!

*If you don't have a small pumpkin, you can substitute hubbard , butternut, or acorn squash!

Thanksgiving Dessert

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will already know that I am a little fearful of baking - although I absolutely adore cooking but feel anxious when it comes to baking (so much so that I am more than happy to leave it to our family master-baker, Greg!) But this Thanksgiving I decided to flex my baking muscle and made the two desserts you see in the photo above...and they were DELICIOUS (not to mention easy!!) I hope you enjoy them as well.

CINNAMON APPLE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 pkgs (8oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup thawed apple juice concentrate

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup thawed apple juice concentrate

• In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, oats, walnuts, and cinnamon until well-blended. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2" up the sides of a greased 9" springform pan.
• Place ona baking sheet. Bake at 325F for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in milk and juice concentrate until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined (batter will be thin). Pour into crust.
• Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 325F for 40 - 45 minutes or until centre is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before carefully runnign a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
• In a large skillet, cook and stir apples in butter over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Arrange over cheesecake.
• In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, cinnamon and juice concentrate until smooth. Bring to a boil. reduce heat; cook and stir for 1 minute, or until thickened. Immediately brush over apples.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour or unitl chilled. Remove sides of pan and serve.

PUMPKIN MOUSSE

Ingredients:

1 medium pie pumpkin

2 tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

1/3 cup vanilla or white chips

2 tbsp milk

1 pkg (3oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup solid pack pumpkin

1 tsp grated orange peel

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks

• Cut top off pumpkin; scoop out and discard seeds. In a small bowl, combine sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; sprinkle inside of pumpkin. Replace pumpkin top. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes or until crisp tender. Cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, microwave vanilla chips with milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
• In a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, orange peel, reserved chocolate and remaining cinnamon. Fold in whipped cream. Remove pumpkin top. Spoon mousse into pie pumpkin and serve.