October 23, 2010

Butternut squash, cauliflower, and potato curry

Bowl of butternut squash, cauliflower, and potato curry.

I was watching Nigella Lawson's new show last week and she threw together a quick and easy curry using leftover vegetables from her refrigerator. I had been wanting to have a curry, especially because I had a cold and I love to eat spicy foods when I'm really congested. 

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I also remembered reading a butternut squash curry recipe in the October 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. So this recipe is like a combination of both of the recipes using the ingredients I had on hand. It was also nice that my cilantro made a fall comeback so I was able to pick some fresh out of our little herb garden. 

You can use any vegetables you have and any combination you like, but these three are a great fall combination. The butternut squash helps to offset the warmth of the curry with its creamy sweetness. This is a quick and easy curry with Indian-inspired flavors. This recipe will serve about four people. 

October 15, 2010

Spaghetti squash gratin

I love winter squash, but spaghetti squash is one squash that I've just never loved. I've tried it many times and it's always just been OK to me. We always end up with some because my father-in-law always grows them. So, as I've been looking and looking at this spaghetti squash sitting in my squash basket, I decided to try it draped and covered in cheese. Well, guess what? I finally found a way to eat spaghetti squash that is quite yummy (no shock there as anything gratin is yummy). So if you have been looking for a way to use those spaghetti squash, given this a try. We ate this as a main dish with a salad and some crusty bread, but it's probably best as a side dish. 

October 11, 2010

Shiitake mushroom and barley soup

This soup was inspired by an early, cool Saturday morning trip to the farmer's market. The farmer who grows and sells shiitake mushrooms was giving out samples of a hot and delicious shiitake and barley soup. I tasted a sample and bought some mushrooms feeling pretty confident that I would be able to replicate the soup at home. So when I got home I got to work on making the soup. The soup is really simple in ingredients and is very filling with the barley. It was easy to make and a comforting to eat on a cool autumn day. I think I got the recipe pretty close to the farmer's -- both were delicious.