Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

More autumnal recipes!  I'm all about fresh, local, and organic ingredients (as I'm sure you know by now) and just bought a bunch of apples and squash for making baby food.  And again, I had plenty of leftovers, so I decided to come up with another fall soup.  Like my Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup recipe, this recipe is pretty simple in terms of number of ingredients and directions.
I looked around at a few different websites, and found a few different recipes for squash and apple soup.  Inspiration came from recipes by Food Network's Ina Garten and Emeril Lagasse.
I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash, Halved Lengthwise, Seeds/pulp removed
2 Apples (Granny Smith, McIntosh are good, but I actually used Fuji)

2 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Minced Onion
1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Black Pepper
Sour Cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place squash halves, skin side up, in glass baking dish.  Pour water, so about 1" sits in dish.  Place in oven for 40-50 minutes, or until squash is tender.
2.   Meanwhile, peel and core apples.  Slice and place in stockpot with chicken stock.  Set aside.
3.  In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the minced garlic and onion.  Cook about 4-5 minutes.

3.  Add the onion and garlic mixture to the stockpot.  Bring to boil and stir for about 5-7 minutes, or until apples are tender.  Reduce heat to low.  Add in chili powder and black pepper.

4.  Remove squash from oven, flip squash over and scrape out the "meat."  Add all of the squash to the apple stockpot mixture.  Discard squash skins.
5.  Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the ingredients (you may need to work in batches).

Serve warm with a spoonful of sour cream in the middle.  Enjoy!

Freezer-Friendly:  You can also put this soup in dated/labeled freezer-bags and store in your freezer for up to 3 months.

Healthy Tomato Pasta Sauce

I'll admit it, I usually just buy pre-made pasta sauce.  However, I wanted to try to make my own, to make it healthier with a variety of organic veggies and reduced sodium (store-bought always have so much sodium).  I adapted a recipe from Jamie Oliver below.  This recipe makes quite a bit of sauce (13-14 cups worth), so have some freezer bags on hand to freeze some (or store in the refrigerator if eating within the month).  This sauce makes for a quick and easy (and healthy) meal topped over whole-wheat pasta with fresh Parmesan cheese on top.  Or, you can use this sauce as a pizza sauce or as a base for Lasagna, Chicken Cacciatore, soup, or a number of other meals.  Feel free to change up the recipe a bit, by adding in some fresh mushrooms, zucchini, or whatever else you think sounds good!  Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Celery Stalks, Chopped

2 Red Bell Peppers, Chopped
2 Carrots, Grated
3 Tbsp. Minced Onion
3 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 Small Butternut Squash, peeled, seeds scooped, and grated or cubed
2 - 28 oz Cans Plum Tomatoes (or use 1 1/2 lbs Fresh Tomatoes + 1 Cup Water)
2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Dry Red Wine
2 Tbsp. Dried Oregano (or 1/4 Cup Fresh)

2 Tbsp. Dried Basil (or 1/4 Cup Fresh)

Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Directions:
1.  In large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Stir in celery, red pepper, and carrots.  Add onion and garlic and heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.  Add butternut squash to pan.  Stir in tomatoes, water, and wine.  Bring to a boil.

3.  Reduce heat to low and stir in the oregano and basil. Simmer for 40-45 minutes.
4.  Cool then use immersion blender (or regular blender, working in batches) to blend the sauce until smooth.
5.  Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.



Enjoy over whole-wheat pasta for a healthy meal!

Parmesan Tilapia with Summer Squash & Zucchini Risotto

Tilapia is one of my favorite fish to eat.  It is low in fat, sodium, calories, and carbohydrates and high in lean protein.  It doesn't have a strong "fishy" taste, is a short-lived sustainable fish (good for environment and our fish population) and because it's short-lived you know it also has low levels of mercury (good for your health).   

Risotto is a delicious Italian rice dish that gets its creamy consistency from the way it's prepared.  The starch from the rice releases during cooking allowing the rice to bind with the other rice and absorb the broth simultaneously.  The result:  creamy yumminess.  Meats and vegetables can be mixed in and it can be a meal by itself, or served as a side dish (as it is here).  There are 3 main rice varieties you can use: Arborio, Vialone Nano, or Carnaroli.  I personally use Arborio (in any grocery store in the rice/grains section).  

Parmesan Tilapia

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 2 tsp. Paprika
• 1 Tbs. Parsley
• 4 Tilapia fillets
• 1 Lemon, quartered (or in eighths)
• Dash Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400º.

2.  Combine the Parmesan Cheese, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.

3.  Place the Tilapia on a foil-lined baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

4.  Brush Oil on the Tilapia (recommend silicone basting brush over bristle brush).

5.  Spoon Cheese mixture on fish. 

6.  Start the Risotto (below) before doing Step 7.

7.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until the fish is opaque or flakes easily with a fork.   Once you place in Oven, immediately go to Step 5 of the Risotto.

8.  Garnish with lemon wedges.

Summer Squash and Zucchini Risotto

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Zucchini, cut up into small cubes/pieces
• 1 Medium Yellow Summer Squash, cut up into small cubes/pieces
• 1 cup Arborio, Vialone Nano, or Carnaroli rice (again, I use Arborio, but any of the 3 are fine) 3 cups heated sodium free vegetable or chicken broth (I'm a fan of Herb-Ox in Chicken flavor--sodium free is important for heart health)
• 1/4 Lemon (or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add summer squash and zucchini, stirring for 5 minutes.  Place in bowl and set aside.

2.  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add rice; Cook and stir for about 3 minutes.

3.  Pour 1 cup broth in skillet.  Turn heat to medium-low.  Cook and stir until rice has absorbed the broth.  

4.  Go back to Step 7 on Tilapia.

5.   Repeat Step 3, pouring 1 cup of broth at at time, cooking and stirring until the rice absorbs all the liquid   before adding the next cup of broth. 

6.  Remove from heat.  Stir in Summer Squash, Zucchini, Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. 

Serve immediately and Enjoy!  
Pair with a light to medium-bodied white wine.  For a healthy dessert, try a plate of fresh pineapple and strawberries.

For choosing other environmentally-safe seafood, download your region-specific seafood pocket guide here.