This recipe came from AllRecipes.com. It had great flavor (I like lamb more than Nicole does), and was quite filling. The lamb was very tender. We had it with flatbread.

A friend from work requested our Butternut Squash Soup recipe, but it turns out we usually make a combination of two of them... here they are:

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger - optional
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1-2 cups water, as needed
• Sour cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side down in roasting pan that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Bake squash in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until very tender. Set aside to cool. When the squash is completely cool, scoop the flesh from the skin. While the squash is baking, cook the onion and the ginger in the butter in a saucepan, over moderately low heat, for 5 minutes – until the onion is softened. Add the broth and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, covered. Add the squash pulp to the saucepan.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, in batches, and puree until smooth. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste. Return the soup to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat until it's hot. Garnish each portion with a heaping teaspoon of low-fat sour cream.

Roasted and Curried Butternut Squash SoupPrep Time: approx. 30 Minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 1 Hour 10 Minutes.
Makes 8 servings.

• 1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 medium head garlic
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Place squash halves and onion onto the prepared baking sheet. Wrap garlic in foil and set with other vegetables.

Roast in the center of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skin like paste into a food processor. Scrape the flesh from the squash and place into the food processor along with the roasted onion. Puree until smooth. Add vegetable broth if necessary. transfer the pureed mixture to a stockpot and stir in vegetable broth. Season with the bay leaf, brown sugar, curry powder, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.

Remove bay leaf and serve hot. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Class Dinner
Originally uploaded by Morydd.

Last night we participated in a class at Sur La Table Taught by Sheilah Kaufman

Salmon-Dill Risoto

• 1 med onion, finley diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz Ariborio Rice
• 187 ml White Wine (1 single serving bottle)
• 32 oz Chicken Broth
• 1 C Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 C Butter, cut into small cubes
• dill to taste
• 1 1/2 C peas (we use frozen)
• 6 oz can boneless/skinless salmon
• olive oil

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add rice and saute for about a minute or until rice just begins to toast. Add entire bottle of wine and cook over low heat stirring frequently until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add ~1/2 C. of broth and cook until almost abosorbed. Continue addding broth ~1/2 C. at a time until you have stirred all of it in and your risoto is nice and creamy. (Do not walk away and stir constanly until you get a feel for how fast the liquid absorbs. The first few additions will absorb much faster than than later additions.) Once all the broth is added and mostly absorbed, stir in the parmesan and butter. When they all well incorporated, add the dill, salmon, and peas.

Note: The base recipe (everything up until you add the peas, dill, and salmon) is good as a side dish on it's own and the possibilites to what you can add in are endless.

Note 2: Do not try to use a different kind of rice! Only ariborio rice will give you the nice creamy texture you want.

Note 3: Buy a microplane and a block of parmesan. The difference that fresh grated cheese makes is huge. If you do not have a microplane/do not want to buy one try the KRAFT Grate-It-Fresh parmesean

Note 4: You can skip the wine, but the flavor will change quite a bit. Almost any grocery store with a liquor department will have the single serving bottles in 4-packs and most sell them individually now. We keep four white and four red on hand at all times. (Red wine is a great addition to marinara sauce!)

Note 5: If you want to make this vegetarian, no problem. In most stores you can now buy vegetable broth. I think this would be great made with mushroom broth and chopped portabellas.

Possible AdditionsMushrooms
Corn and Pimento
Spinach
Tomato and Fresh Basil

Yes, we're back. Look for new posts coming soon!