Curried Coconut Squash Soup

I found this incredibly simple, yet richly flavorful, soup on 101 Cookbooks -- an incredible blog whose author shares many of my same beliefs; that the best food is simple and wholesome, made from local and organic ingredients when possible. This soup is the kind that warms your bones and soul on a gloomy, rainy day like today, and it is so simple to make. There are only 3 ingredients in it, although the flavor is really bold and well-rounded.

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Halve two acorn squash (or some other pumpkin or small winter squash) and scoop out the seeds and goopy insides. Place the cleaned halves in a baking pan, skin side down, and rub the squash with butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until tender, about one hour.
3. When the squash is cooked, remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, put a medium saucepan on the stovetop and add:

• 14-ounce can of coconut milk (I used 'light' coconut milk, and it was perfectly creamy, if you're looking to save some calories)
• 1 teaspoon (or more) of red Thai curry paste (available at most grocery stores in the Thai food section; it's sold in little jars)

4. Spoon the cooked squash flesh and add to the coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Transfer the squash/coconut mixture to a food processor (or use a handheld immersion blender) and puree until creamy. Add about a cup or more of water to the soup until it has reached your desired consistency. A mild vegetable stock can be used instead of water. Add salt, pepper, and more curry paste to taste (depending on how spicy you'd like the soup).

Carrot apple muffins

The irresponsible side of me decided to make muffins instead of studying this afternoon. But I have an arguably good excuse: my apples were rapidly approaching their final days, so I needed to reincarnate them into something more palatable than what they would have been in their raw form. But because I do have too much studying to attend to, this very short introduction to tickle your taste buds, a simple recipe, and a few pictures is all I can offer.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 24 muffin cups (2 muffin tins).
2. In a large bowl, combine:

• 2 cups flour
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ salt
• pinch of powdered ginger 
• 2 teaspoons cinammon

3. In another large bowl, combine:

• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 grated apple

4. In another medium bowl, whisk together:

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5.  Pour the egg mixture into the carrot-apple mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Make a well in the center of the flour, then add the egg-carrot-apple mixture. Mix until just combined. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 of the way with the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Coconut Brazil nut cookies

I've had a bag of Brazil nuts sitting in my pantry for a while. Although they're one of my favorite nuts, they are notorious for being really caloric and high in fat. On the flip side, they are an awesome source of selenium, which is a vital trace mineral that is essential in various bodily processes and is found in almost all the cells in our body. One Brazil nut contains about 160% of the daily recommended dose of selenium, so it's important not to eat too many of them. But after making these cookies, it's hard to restrain yourself. The combination of coconut and Brazil nuts make these cookies rich, but they are delicious.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped Brazil nuts
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Beat in the vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
6. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar/butter mixture. Mix well.
7. Stir in the Brazil nuts and the coconut.
8. Drop by the tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets, a couple inches apart.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned.
10. If you can resist eating them right out of the oven, let them cool on a wire rack and then store in an airtight container.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.