Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup
Smooth and creamy, this satiating vegetarian soup wonderfully blends the flavours of butternut squash and sweet potato for a soup that will warm you right up on those cold winter days.
Smooth and creamy, this satiating vegetarian soup wonderfully blends the flavours of butternut squash and sweet potato for a soup that will warm you right up on those cold winter days.
Sweet squash and anise-flavoured fennel make this stew particularly satisfying on cool nights. Instead of the wine, you can use sodium-reduced chicken stock mixed with 1 tsp (5 mL) wine vinegar.
Homemade red curry paste strikes a nice balance between sweet, salty and spicy, and brings out the best in the squash and the pork. Serve with Coconut Ginger Rice for an elegant meal.
Simmering the whole shallots and garlic cloves in the stew enhances their natural sweetness. If you like, you can substitute other seasonal favourites, such as rutabaga and carrots, for the squash and top the stew with crunchy croutons or toasted bread crumbs.
Brushed with aromatic chili oil and finished with a squeeze of lime, this hot-and-sour twist on a classic side dish will appeal to those who prefer savouries over sweets. Save leftover oil to use in stir-fries or toss with potatoes before roasting.For a milder dish, try the Cumin Lime Squash variation.
If you bake the stuffing in the squash, as we did for the cover photo, you can serve the beans alone in half of the sherry and soy dressing.
A vegan dish is one that contains no animal products, and this curry is a full-flavoured example of the genre. Squash and red pepper provide brilliant colour and textural contrast to firm tofu in this one-pot dish. We use firm tofu in stews because it holds its shape well when stirred. If you aren't into fiery foods, you can use Thai Kitchen red curry paste (which we find milder than other brands), reduce the amount or use mild Indian curry paste. Serve over rice or noodles.
Couscous, the final course at a special meal, is served to satisfy guests so that no one leaves hungry. This steamed preparation takes a little longer than the instant method familiar to most Canadians but the plumper al dente texture is well worth the effort.
Cool and refreshing, this nonalcoholic beverage looks great in a pitcher with ice cubes – and tastes even better.
