Chipotle-Infused Butternut-Miso Soup

I'm so glad this came out as well as it did. I was a little worried that I was trying to force together too many elements, but the concoction actually achieves a delicious harmony. I made my own veg stock, which I then infused with a large, dried chipotle pepper. I roasted the winter squash, which I then pureed with the miso paste and a ladle or two of broth.The salty-sweetness of the miso raises the profile of the smoky chipotle and the sweet butternut. The soup tastes rich and satisfying.

Chipotle-Infused Butternut-Miso Soup

Preheat oven to 400F. In a med. to large baking dish, toss together:

1 small-medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Roast until softened and golden. In a large saucepan, heat:

3 1/2 c. of vegetable broth
1 large, dried chipotle

Cook until the chipotle starts to soften. Add:

2 large shiitake tops, diced

Cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, puree the squash with a ladle or two of the broth and

2-3 tbs. of white miso paste

To the broth, add and only cook until wilted, under a minute:

5-6 leaves of swiss chard or other green, cut into ribbons

Add the pureed squash to the broth; stir and heat through, but do NOT allow the soup to boil, or the miso will "die." Serve garnished with toasted squash seeds.

The Simple Desires of Spring

Here's a rule and a twist.

First, the rule:

* never go to the supermarket hungry. Why? Because you never buy potato chips -- gave 'em up for Lent or for some diet. But there they are, strangely, sitting in your pantry. And you're eating them because, well, you bought them. . . when you were hungry in the supermarket.

And now the twist:

* never read the blogs in my blogroll when hungry. Why? Because they are AWESOME and full of delicious foods that I now need to go make.

What I'm really loving is the strange way that the blogs will be in sync with each other. Sometimes, it's a cheese; sometimes a grain or a particular vegetable that everyone is grooving on. For a while there, it was truffles.

Right now it seems as though people are lightening up, getting more greens. The shift is happening . . . can you feel it? It's been a bit warm (and by "warm" I mean in the 40s) for a few days now. There's a desire for lightness and brightness that seems just too good not to explore. It's making me think about the spring cleanse, which is coming up in just a few weeks (which reminds me that I need to start weening myself off caffeine again).

Here are just a few recent posts from fellow bloggers that have stimulated my curiosity:

This recipe for Veggie Chili and Beer Bread seems like a great late winter feast-- hearty enough for winter, but vegetable-based, so somewhat springy. From Simply Life.

Although I'm not sure about all this "paleo-dieting," (seems like a fad) more fresh salads are always good. And if that salad is a Thai Salad with Spicy Dressing from The Nourishing Gourmet, I'm intrigued.

Or, for something completely different, we could have lots of grains and cheese from No Recipes! The Black Truffle and Cheese Grits looks like the kind of Valentine's Day breakfast that would win me over and over again.

101 Cookbooks plays with one of my favorite winter squash, the delicata, in this dish, Roasted Delicata Squash Salad.

Cucina Panzano always entices with something delectable. I'd like to add some pancetta to this recipe for Tuscan Blueberry Port Chicken Breast.

And finally, Tartelette reminds us of what is to come: sweet berries and ripe rhubarb. I'm loving the looks of these Rhubarb and Red Berry Crumbles (the photography on this site always makes my mouth water). I love that this recipe uses millet and brown rice flour as well as honey for sweetening.

Props to the Closet

Last night, I made this great dish(Roasted Butternut Squash with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Crispy Fried Sage) from Kevin at Closet Cooking. Go make it. So good.