Roasted Butternut Squash & Cannellini Bean Soup with Spices and Toasted Pistachios

Local squashes and pumpkins are in season now, and I like to inventory the pantry cabinets with a small collection of those attractive gourds ? They keep see you later, and it's just someway comforting to have them round just in case you need to make easy cold climate vegetable fare like this colorful, nourishing and gently spiced soup. Roasting the butternut squash earlier than including to the soup enhances the flavor of the sweet orange flesh in place of turning it bland and watery, and the addition of pur?Ed cannellini beans lends heartiness and creaminess. And a scattering of crunchy toasted pistachio pieces is the right taste and texture end within the mouth at the cease of a spoonful.

Other fall and iciness soups from my kitchen:

Cranberry Wild Rice Soup

Red Bean and Squash Soup

Split Pea and Mushroom Soup

Curry-Laced Pumpkin and Potato Soup

Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie

Though pumpkin pie is probable a more famous serving preference at some stage in the fall months, I couldn't withstand the idea of a single crust pie loaded with goat cheese and fresh blueberries and crowned with sliced almonds. As it so happened, neither my husband nor exceptional friend Basil should face up to a beneficiant sampling, and honestly that is a praise to the baker as each take into account themselves to be pie connoisseurs.

A surprising but beautiful detail of this pie is the gentle hint of sparkling basil that surely comes through even though I used just a small quantity. Not precisely a savory dessert, the beauty is rather subdued and pleasantly tempered via the creamy and tangy goat cheese. The herbal sweetness of the berries is likewise to be recommended.

Here, I actually have used one of my best attempted and examined homemade pastries. A tip I learned years in the past is to apply a few splashes of vodka in case your dough would not appear wet enough to roll out. If you use too much water, you end up with extra gluten formation, ensuing in a harder crust. On the opposite hand, vodka includes ethanol and due to the fact gluten does now not form in the ethanol, you are much more likely to reap that ideal gentle, wealthy and flaky butter crust that makes for the final pastry revel in.

As regular, sense loose to apply your very own favorite pastry recipe. If you bake, most simply you have got a number of treasured favorites.

More delightful pies from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Pumpkin Pie

Concord Grape Pie

Apple Pie Tart

Savory Grape Leaf Pie with Herbs, Yogurt and Quinoa

Chickpeas with Toasted Pita Breads and Yogurt (Fatteh)

Originating in the Middle East, there are many variations of fatteh. The main feature of this dish is that stale or toasted flatbreads are used as a foundation for various ingredients. Often this includes chicken, lamb, various vegetables and frequently chickpeas. Yogurt is a common feature of the dish as well. This is a wonderful way to use up stale flatbreads, such as pitas, and they may be toasted if not stale enough to prevent the breads from becoming too soggy.

Depending at the place, most customarily a baking dish is coated with damaged bits of flatbreads and then crowned with the cooked substances, though some chefs like to crumble the breads into big or smallish portions as a topping in place of a base. It is not constantly baked in the oven and on occasion a serving dish is coated with the bread and spread with organized toppings of the prepare dinner's choice.

I decided to strive a baked model and this clean casserole is natural comfort food ? Precisely what the season requires. As a vegetarian, I opted for a chickpea model that simply is a meal in itself and best for a small institution of diners. Grinding up some of the chickpeas, layering them over the bread, after which topping with the cooked whole chickpeas and whisked tangy yogurt offers this fatteh an specifically pleasant texture. Don't be too sparing with the lemon juice because it adds a pleasant zesty layer of flavour to compliment and enhance the experience.

For an specifically pleasant and nourishing meal, serve with a grain ? Inclusive of rice or millet ? And a mild vegetable salad.

More chickpea recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you are certain to experience:

Baked Gingered Chickpea Stew with Eggplant and Spinach

Chana Saag (Chickpea and Spinach Curry)

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Chat Masala

Summer Chickpea Salad

On the top of the reading stack: Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi

Audio Accompaniment: Brian Eno

Indian Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny soup, translated literally as "pepper water", is a classic spicy brothy concoction adapted by using the English all through the colonial length from the ever famous rasam loved all yr round in South Indian homes. I actually have attempted diverse variations of mulligatawny soup at some point of the years seeing that I fell in love with Indian delicacies and I by no means tire of it.

It is specially nourishing and cleansing while served highly spiced hot. For years I were trying to reflect a mainly fiery model that I am luckily able to experience from a neighborhood eating place, but there in reality is no assessment with homemade versions if you have manipulate over the first-rate and quantity of the spices and components simmered together on your stove top. Inspired by my latest fulfillment with dal makhani ? Some other Indian classic ? I must say that I actually have in the end arrived at a near approximation to the version I become seeking to imitate and turned into particularly thrilled how many more layers of flavor mine consisted of. I leave it to my readers to decide the authenticity of this soup - k, so dried mushrooms are probable now not covered in traditional versions ? But authenticity apart, your taste buds will be panting with pleasure.

I've used home made sambar powder on this soup as I usually have some hand due to the fact it's miles a stunning compliment to no longer best sambars, but additionally rasams and many other Indian curries. Opening up a jar of spices stimulated via Indian culinary genius usually evokes me inside the kitchen. Commercial varieties are to be had at any Indian grocer, but you may discover my recipe here.

More conventional dal soups from Lisa's Spicy Vegetarian Kitchen:

Vegetable Mulligatawny Soup

Butternut Squash Sambar

Toor Dal Pumpkin Soup

Audio Accompaniment: Autechre

Lentil Dumplings Simmered in a Sweet Tamarind Sauce

This fragrant and elegant dish truly desires no problematic creation and I suppose your keen taste buds will agree. To me, that is pure comfort meals, especially when served as a part of a fancy spread. These stimulating and succulent lentil dumplings smothered in a sweet and spicy tamarind gravy as the centerpiece of a unique Indian-themed vegetarian menu are an ideal choice, however truly I could consume those for breakfast, lunch AND dinner, just as is.

For my unique Indian dinner, I served this dish with highly spiced green beans, Indian Mulligatawny soup, saffron rice and, for dessert, nicely, manifestly not a traditional quit to an Indian meal, however my blueberry goat cheese pie which regarded just right all the same. If you've got the time, consider serving stacks of steaming hot savory Indian flatbreads with the meal too.

I've adapted this recipe somewhat from Raghavan Iyer who has for the past few years greatly influenced my approach to Indian cooking. I am a proud owner of three of his informative books. 660 Curries continues to occupy a special place on my shelf and snuggled up next to it is Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking , from which this recipe has been slightly adapted, and a lovely copy of The Turmeric Trail . Mr. Iyer's recipes are based on traditional Indian creations from all over the continent. Combined with helpful and detailed information about pantry basics, culinary traditions and easy to follow instructions, it is always a pleasure to cook from his books; of course, once the dishes you are making are complete, an absolutely exquisite meal awaits. Regrettably, I am not able to pull up a chair at Mr. Iyer's table, but the next best thing is to have a treasure trove of tried and tested recipes at my fingertips to inspire my own culinary efforts.

Included in this dish is sambar powder and I always have a few reachable because this aromatic spice aggregate mainly famous in South India is a terrific addition to not handiest sambars, but rasams and some other curry dish that you need to boost with a unique contact. It's clean to locate in any Indian grocer, however the selfmade recipe which I have protected under keeps properly for months in a sealed jar stored in a cool, dry vicinity. If you do not have sambar powder available, you can use curry powder alternatively or a aggregate of your preferred spices for the sauce.

More recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen proposing dumplings:

Chickpea Flour Dumplings in a Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Ricotta Dumplings Smothered in Mushroom Sauce

Split Pea Cilantro Dumplings in a Coconut Curry

On the top of the studying stack: South Indian cookbooks

Audio accompaniment: Carbon Based Lifeforms - World of Sleepers

Walnut Nanaimo Bars

These wealthy and decadent no-bake chocolate custard bars originated in British Columbia, Canada within the 1930's. Even extra sinful than our valuable butter cakes, this is but every other version of the traditional recipe. I included some chopped walnuts into the lowest layer this time round for a few more texture and nutty goodness.

Never thoughts the guilt, as with the intention to ruin the entertainment of this custardy, chocolate experience that admittedly surely ought to be served simplest on special occasions.

Other no-bake treats from my kitchen:

Classic Nanaimo Bars

Best-Ever Rum Balls

Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares

Peanut Butter Carob Balls

On the top of the analyzing stack: diverse stacks of sure goodness

Audio Accompaniment: Ostinato

Spicy Kidney Bean and Chickpea Stew

As cooler temperatures begin to succeed and mind flip in the direction of the approaching winter months, a steaming bowl of this thick, hearty and nourishing kidney bean and chickpea stew brings warm temperature and luxury to body and thoughts. Seasoned with a terrific array of Indian seeds and spices, the aromas of this smooth-to-make stew because it simmers on the range will help you neglect the relax of the wind outside your kitchen window. This is a unique treat for legume enthusiasts as each chickpeas and meaty kidney beans are featured right here.

Panch phoran ? Or panch phoron or Bengali five-spice as it's also known ? Is a bittersweet and aromatic combination of seeds generally utilized in east India and Bangladesh wherein it is fried in hot oil till it "pops" and used to season dals like this one. You can without problems locate it at any Indian grocer, however it is so clean to make at home because it consists of most effective fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds in identical quantities, with out requiring any roasting or grinding. Make a small batch of panch phoran for this stew and shop the closing component for months in an airtight container. Bring it out again every time you need to a short, simple and delicious seasoning for potatoes.

More chili and stew recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you are certain to revel in:

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili with a Cashew-Pistachio Sauce

Indian-Style Smoky Black Bean Chili

Mixed Bean Indian Stew

Spicy Lentil Indian Stew