Coconut Curry Squash Soup
The perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and creamy. This soup is a great way to use all those fall veggies!
1 medium sized Butterkin or Butternut Squash (will yield about 6-7 cups), peeled, de-seeded, and chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 whole jalapeno, de-seeded, chopped
2 large carrots, tops cut off, chopped
5 cloves of garlic
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
Pinch of cardamom
2 cups of broth
2 13 ½ oz cans of coconut milk (save some of the top hard cream to be melted and drizzled on top of soup)
¼ cup of pure maple syrup (optional)
Salt to taste
Optional Garnishes: Drizzle of coconut milk, chili garlic oil, chopped scallions, toasted chopped pecans
1. Peel, deseed, and chop squash.
2. Roughly chop onions, jalapeños, carrots, and garlic (everything is getting blended so no need to be perfect!).
3. On medium-high heat, drizzle olive oil in a large pot, and add all the veggies and spices. Saute until onions become translucent.
4. Next, add in broth and coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes (or until squash has started to break down and it all fork tender).
5. Stir in maple syrup, then remove from heat and blend all ingredients till smooth.
6. This soup is great hot or cold, so serve right away or chill and serve later.
7. Top with garnishes of your choice, and enjoy!
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese with Browned Butter and Sage
Creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor, this mac and cheese will be one your family and friends ask for every fall!
Squash Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
20 oz or about 2 ½ cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 chopped sweet onion
6 cloves of chopped garlic
4-8 sage leaves (base on taste preference)
Pinch of salt
2 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
Pinch of nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Cheese Sauce
½ stick of butter
1 tsp thyme
3 Tbsp flour
2 ½ cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb of your favorite pasta, undercook by ⅓ the time (as it will cook in oven)
1 cup extra shredded cheese for top
Optional Garnish: Sage leaves
1. Melt butter in a pan. Add onions, squash, garlic, pinch of salt, and sage leaves. Saute until they start to get some lightly browned edges.
2. Add fresh ground pepper and nutmeg. Add broth and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, and cover for 15 minutes. Then turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and use a blender to puree until smooth.
3. Add your cooked pasta, and stir to combine. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. In a large pot, melt butter on medium heat, and stir until golden brown and fragrant.
6. Add your flour and thyme. Stir for about 2-3 minutes until you have a blond roux. Slowly whisk in your milk. Once combined, add in all your cheese, and stir until melted and smooth.
7. Pour over your pasta squash mixture, and stir until combined.
8. Spoon pasta into 8 greased oven safe crocks or a 9x13 pan. Top with your extra cheese and sage leaves.
9. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Tip
• Can substitute squash for cubed pumpkin or sweet potato
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing
Dough
1 cup milk
½ cup brown sugar
2 ¼ tsp quick rise yeast (¼-ounce package yeast)
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup melted butter
1 whole egg and 1 additional yolk,
at room temperature
5 cups bread flour
1 ½ Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
Extra flour for kneading
Filling
⅔ cup brown sugar
1 ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 stick butter, at room temperature
Optional ½ tsp Chinese five spice
Maple cream cheese icing
1 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash of vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Optional Garnish: chopped toasted pecans or cinnamon
1. Warm milk until 105-110°. Mix milk with sugar and yeast. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to allow yeast to bloom.
2. Whisk in pumpkin puree, butter, egg, yolk, and vanilla. Once well mixed, stir in salt, pumpkin pie spice, and bread flour.
3. On a floured surface, knead for 5-10 minutes until dough forms a nice ball and is slightly sticky (may need to add flour based on humidity and sea level). Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
4. Once risen, transfer to a floured surface, and roll out until it forms a rectangle (about 14x16”).
5. Mix together all the filling ingredients until smooth, and then evenly spread on dough rectangle. Roll up dough, cut off the uneven ends, and slice around 1 inch rounds. This should make 12 rolls.
6. Transfer rolls to a greased 9x13. Cover, and let rise for an hour.
7. Preheat oven to 350°.
8. Uncover rolls, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are lightly golden brown.
9. Remove, and let cool for 25 minutes.
10. While cooling, combine all the icing ingredients in a bowl, and beat until smooth. Spread over rolls, and top with nuts or cinnamon.
11. Enjoy!
Tip
• Cut your pumpkin roll dough with unflavored dental floss for clean cuts!
Alysha Yoder is the photographer, food stylist, blogger, and recipe developer behind A-Yo Kitchen. With a passion for all things food, many of her recipes are inspired by her worldly travels, her many cooking classes abroad, and all the veggies and fruits her home gardens produce. She has been a photographer for over 15+ years and previously worked in the corporate food sector for almost 10. She now is a small business owner running her studio, A-Yo Kitchen, out of York, PA, where she serves not only local clients but worldwide as well.
