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).

Curry butter

For us curry lovers out there, you can't go wrong with this intensely flavorful butter. I have been a fan of making flavored butters for a while. During the summer I really like making basil butter and rubbing it on some roasted/grilled corn on the cob. By making a stick of this curry butter, you can keep it in the fridge or freezer for a long time and use a little here and there to spice up your sandwiches, rice, veggies, or anything else that needs a little curry kick. Got this recipe from Vegetarian Planet. 

1. In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, combine;

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons curry powder

2. Let the spices toast, stirring occasionally, until they become aromatic (a few minutes). Take them off the heat and let them cool.

3. In a small bowl, combine:

•  the toasted spices
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• salt & pepper to taste

4. Mix this together really well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Spoon the butter onto a large piece of wax paper or plastic wrap. Roll and shape the butter into a log, twist the ends to help shape the log, and then refrigerate until ready to use (at least 1 hour so it has time to set).

A little bit of this stuff goes a long way!

Tonight I cooked some lentils and then mixed in some of the curry butter, spooned the buttered lentils over some roasted asparagus, and then topped it off with a poached egg.  Here's what dinner looked like: 

I cheated by using one of those silicone egg poachers, if you're not convinced by how perfectly shaped the egg came out. I have yet to learn how to make poached eggs without the mold...if anyone has any tips on how to do this successfully, pass the advice over this way!