Easy Butternut Squash Soup

Posted in Holiday Meals, Lunch/Dinner by Vegan Mommy Dee

We are definitely in the heart of the fall season and cozy recipes are required! It’s the time of year where we feel the need for those comfort meals as the days get darker, quieter and colder. We crave the cozy warm recipes that just make us feel good inside. This is my favourite season to create recipes. I get so inspired by all the foods in season during this time. Everything looks absolutely delicious and I start to think of all the recipes I want to try making. It’s just simply a wonderful time of year!

Many people will say that during this time of year they typically put on weight because they eat more decadent meals. Some say they crave “bad” foods. I feel like anything that’s a favourite cozy fall meal can be made into a healthier version. You can enjoy the wonderful much loved meal and still stay on track with wellness goals. I love to create meals that are guilt free and healthy but still taste fabulous. I know I’ve said this before but you CAN have it all! No more beating yourself up about eating naughty meals! You just have to get in the mindset of adjusting the recipe to meet your health and wellness goals. Also I’d like to add that if you do enjoy indulgent meals here and there, that’s also totally ok. It’s all about balance in life. I say just clean up your act and eat as clean as possible after that meal. It will be just fine.

I created this very simple butternut squash soup recipe using wholesome ingredients and it tastes fantastic. This recipe is a crowd pleaser and it’s perfect for entertaining during the holiday season as well. Now that covid restrictions have lightened up and families can get together we can finally start having guests over! Wow this is exciting! Everyone will enjoy this soup! My feedback after posting this recipe on my YouTube channel was excellent. I feel so good knowing that people are enjoying this hearty yet healthy soup!

Squash is abundant in every grocery store or farmer’s market this time of year. It’s definitely easy to find because they seem to be the star of the show in October and on into the colder months. Squash can be inexpensive as well and it’s quite hearty. You can make this whole recipe using just one butternut squash. A little goes a long way. My recipe will serve 4 people, so if you want to make it for a larger gathering then just make sure you pick up extra squash. I bought mine from Costco and they actually came in a two pack which is great. They worked out to 3.5 lbs each.

What if you don’t have fresh produce available to you? Depending on where you live or your budget you might not be able to get fresh squash. That’s totally ok! You can definitely use canned squash of any variety to make this recipe if needed. They do sell butternut squash in cans so this might be a good solution for you. You can also use frozen squash if that’s all you can find as well. Find whatever works for you because my recipe is very adaptable. Creating these healthier options doesn’t have to be complicated. I find sometimes we get into these rigid rules when cooking and that is just way too stressful. We tend to over complicate things and it doesn’t have to be this way.

Butternut Squash is full of Vitamins, Fiber and Antioxidants. It’s loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A, and B Vitamin’s as well. It’s rich with magnesium and potassium which plays an important role for us in our bone health. It’s so nice to know that something so delicious is actually really beneficial to our health.

I decided to add some apples to this recipe because we had picked a whole bunch from our tree in the backyard. They needed to be used up and they taste so incredibly good! I’m not sure what the variety is but they grow perfect and I love how sweet they are. I don’t put any pesticides on my tree and they still turn out perfect. No bugs either! The only battle I have is the Toronto raccoons eating them on the tree and then throwing half away onto the ground. They basically eat half of the apple and throw away the rest! Ugh! Why can’t they just eat the whole thing?

I hope you enjoy my easy Butternut Squash Soup recipe. Let me know if you make it and if you make an adjustments to the recipe. I will post the video version of this recipe below if you would like to watch me cook this lovely soup. Enjoy this amazing time of year and the gorgeous fall season!

Easy Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

⁃ 1 Butternut Squash, peeled & chopped Look for one around 3.5 lbs.

⁃ 1 tbsp. Bouillon

⁃ 4 1/4 cups water

⁃ 1/2 onion, chopped

⁃ 3 medium sized apples, chopped

⁃ 3 cloves of garlic

Herbs & Spices:

⁃ Paprika

⁃ Curry powder

⁃ Onion powder

⁃ Cumin powder

⁃ Dry Oregano

⁃ Black pepper

⁃ Himalayan pink salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

3. Peel & chop the butternut squash. Add it to a lined baking pan.

4. Peel and chop apples and add them to the baking pan.

5. Chop up onion and peel garlic cloves. Toss into the pan. Add the spices to the mixture as well.

6. Pop the baking pan into the oven at 400F for 30 minutes. I gave it a mix at the half way mark.

7. Add the butternut squash mixture to a large pot. Add the bouillon, and water as well.

8. Use a hand blender to purée the soup or add it in batches to a blender.

9. Add more spices if necessary according to you taste.

10. Add the soup to bowls and enjoy!

Note: garnish with some pumpkin or squash seeds on top if desired.

Enjoy!!!

Health, Joy & Positive Vibes,

Debbie

~VeganMommyDee~

11Jan2017

Baby Food Mania

Posted in Baby Food, Lunch/Dinner by Vegan Mommy Dee

Now that my vegan son is 7 months old I’m making a lot of homemade baby food. It’s healthy and full of nutrients unlike the store bought stuff sold out there. I feed my son REAL food. In my opinion the store bought jarred stuff isn’t quality food. If its able to sit on a shelf in a store for extended periods of time then its pumped with unpronounceable things I will not let my son ingest.

It’s incredibly easy to make homemade baby food. I just use what I have on hand and make sure I’m offering him a variety of yummy options. I usually bake his veggies like squash and boil or steam things like green beans. Steaming is better than boiling them in order to preserve more nutrients but when I’m in a rush I’ll boil them because its faster. I reserve some of the cooking water in case I need it when I’m blending it all up. When serving my baby his goodies I add some of his milk to his puree because he likes the added creaminess it provides.

So far my little man has tried peas, green beans, pumpkin, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, avocado, beets, mango, cherries, carrots, sweet potato, apples and bananas. I’m sure I missed some but you get the picture. He has eaten quite a variety of fruits and veggies along with his brown rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, hemp hearts, chia seeds and coconut yogurt.

His favouite foods are pumpkin and sweet potato. I swear I can feed him pumpkin everyday and he would happily eat it up! I’ll post some of his favourite dishes below which are super easy to make. Even if your busy running around you can still manage to throw these together. The best part is once you make puree the veggies and fruit you can freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and store them in freezer bags for future use with only a few exceptions like avocado. Eat that right away! I love this idea because when I’m on the go I’ll pop a few cubes of different purees into travel containers and they defrost while I’m out doing errands. That way my vegan baby can eat healthy on the go. I just take them out 1st thing in the morning that way they have plenty of time to defrost. I also bring hemp hearts in a container with me to add to his food for extra nutrition and he loves the added taste from them.

What are some of your babies favourite foods? Let me know if you have a special way of preparing it below in the comment section. 🙂

jan-2017-071

Banana & Avocado puree

Ingredients & Tools

1 Banana
1 Avocado
Blender/Food Processer

How simple can this get right? It’s the simple things they will eat up though every time!

Method

Just peel a banana and scoop out the flesh of an avocado and toss them into your blender or food presser.
Transfer to a bowl and add breast milk or formula to the mixture for added creaminess if desired.
Feed this mixture to your little one right away as the avocado in it will start to go brown.

*Note*

Top the mixture with Hemp Hearts if desired.

jan-2017-072

Baked Acorn Squash Puree

Ingredients & Tools

1 Acorn Squash
1 Baking dish
Blender/Food Presser
Optional: Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F
Prepare a baking dish with about an inch of water in it. Add more later if needed during the baking process
Cut you acorn squash in half
Sprinkle with a touch of Pumpkin Spice or Pure Cinnamon if desired
Place flesh side down into the baking dish
Bake for 35 – 45 minutes depending on the size of your squash
Allow to cool and then scoop out the squash flesh into the blender or food processer
Transfer mixture to an air tight container. I like placing it into glass containers or mason jars.

* Note*

I also like adding hemp hearts to the squash mixture when serving it to my son. He loves the added flavour and texture it adds to his meal. You can also add dash of breast milk or formula to it in order to make it a little creamier.

jan-2017-021

Chia Pineapple, Mango, Beet & Banana Puree

Ingredients

2 Bananas
1/3 Cup Pineapple
1 small to medium sized cooked Beet
1/3 cup Mango
1 tbsp. Chia Seeds

Method

Add fruit and the beet to the blender and puree
Place in an air tight container or mason jar and add the chia seeds. Combine well.
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days

*Note*

My son loves to eat this mixture with a spoonful of unsweetened coconut yogurt with this mixture. Give it a try if your baby enjoys yogurt too.

Hope your baby enjoys this healthy grub! Even my 12 year old will ask me if he’s done with his food. She’s the clean up crew who wants to eat up all his yummy leftovers! Ha Ha!

november-2016-183

1Oct2013

~ Squash & Bell Pepper Soup ~

Posted in Lunch/Dinner by Vegan Mommy Dee

I grow butternut squash in my vegetable garden every year. They are very easy to grow and I love eating healthy squash in a variety of ways. One of my favourite ways to enjoy it is roasted and then I puree it into a lovely soup. Often I like adding bell peppers to my soup for added nutrition as well as for another dimension of flavor. This soup doesn’t require many ingredients and a lot of time to make. The only time-consuming part is the time that it is roasting in the oven. Find other things to do during that time and the time will pass very quickly. I like popping my squash into the oven in the morning. It cooks for an hour while I get ready in the morning and get my kids ready and off to school. That way once dinner comes all you have to do is puree it and heat it in a pot! So easy! It always seems that the simplest recipes are the best ones! Here is my recipe based on 2 large serving sizes. Double it if you like and eat it more than once this week! 🙂

Squash!

Healthy Squash & Bell Pepper Soup!!!

Squash & Bell Pepper Soup!

What you will need:

1 large butternut squash
4-5 cloves of garlic
salt, black pepper & paprika, to taste
2 large red, yellow or orange bell peppers
Chopped onion, I use less than half of an onion
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F
Cut your squash in half and remove the seeds.
Place into a baking dish and drizzle a little olive oil on it and season with a little salt and pepper.
Cut up your bell peppers in chunks and the onion then place them into the baking dish as well. Keep the onion chunks rather large.
Add your peeled and whole garlic cloves to the baking dish.
Roast for 1 hour. I give the bell peppers a mix at the half way point.
After removing your squash and peppers from the oven let them cool off in the dish.
Once your ready to puree your veggies then add them to your blender. Also add 3/4 cup water to the blender too.
Once blended thoroughly transfer to a medium-sized pot and heat at a low-med heat. Add 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk to the soup.
10. Season with Himalayan salt, black pepper and a little paprika and give it a good mix.
Transfer to soup bowls and enjoy immediately while it’s hot!