And so we meet again, my friends!

Happy 5th day of January! I hope that 2012 started with a hug and a kiss (real or imaginary – no judgement here), and has continued to be joyful in its first days.

The spare time over the holiday season, combined with my desire to give my new pro photography lights some action, has had me experimenting in the kitchen. Like – a lot. I’m pretty sure I’ve cleaned, re-soiled, and rewashed the dishes about 3 times today alone.

My hands might be dry and chapped on account of all the washing, but it’s all worth it to get these recipes to you. Yup – you are that special to me 🙂

So I bought a new book before 2011 ended. Not just a book, nay – a cookbook! It’s called Eat Well and is part of the Williams Sonoma series. As I explore the pages and experiment with the recipes, I will share them with you.

Without further ado, I give you…

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut and Lime

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup sliced shallots

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

9 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3 lbs)

4-5 cups vegetable broth (the original recipe calls for 3 cups, but I found the soup was much too thick)

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (if you don’t like spice, I would use 1/2 a teaspoon instead)

3/4 cup light coconut milk

2 tsp lime juice

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and buttery.

2. If the heat seems too high, turn it down to low. Then add the garlic and ginger (if the heat is too hot, you will burn the garlic and it will taste bitter). Cook for about a minute, until it starts to soften.

3. Add the squash, broth (start with 4 cups) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes (test it with a fork – it should slide right through without effort).

4. Mix the curry paste and coconut milk in a bowl and set aside.

5. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.

6. Put the pureed soup back in the pot over medium-low heat. Add the coconut milk and curry paste and stir.

7. Add salt as needed (add a pinch at a time, stir, then taste).

8. Stir in the lime juice. Serve!

Up next? Eggplant & Golden Squash Tagine with Chickpeas and Raisins!

Have a glorious weekend!

Lauren

xxx