Curry Lentil Butternut Squash Soup

A perfect one-pot fall dinner!

My mom is the master of butternut squash soup.  I tried to be like her and added my own flair while I was at it!

High protein with the lentils, high fiber with the squash, oodles of Vitamin A + friends, a gorgeous color, and a lovely Middle Eastern flavor profile- this is one that I make again and again.  This is a filling vegetarian dish that can also be easily made a *vegan dish if desired.

INGREDIENTS:

·      2 medium sized butternut squash, I got mine at the farmer’s market, which is even better!

·      2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken stock

·      2 cups water

·      1 cup dried lentils

·      4-8 fresh garlic cloves

·      ½ large (or 1 small) red onion

·      ½ t sea salt

·      1 t crushed black pepper (and/or pink pepper if you have it) 

·      1 T curry powder                                                                                  

·      ¼ t cumin                                                                                              

·      ¼ t cayenne powder

·      3T plain fat free Greek yogurt (optional)

·      3T chopped fresh herbs, like parsley or cilantro- I used parsley (optional)

·      ½ ounce plain goat cheese per serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

·      Cut 2 butternut squashes length-wise and bake in the oven at about 350 until very soft inside, probably around 30 minutes or so

·      Allow squash to cool enough so you can hold them without blistering your fingertips off

·      Use a spoon and scoop out the squash flesh into a bowl- this should be fairly easy if its cooked enough

MEANWHILE, as the squash was baking, you should have done this:

·      Heat a generous amount of olive oil in the bottom of a very large, heavy pan like a Dutch oven to MEDIUM heat

·      Chop garlic & onion and add to heated pan- cook until onions are translucent and put heat on LOW

·      Add salt, pepper, and other spices

·      Deglaze the pan with 2 cups of chicken stock (ie, pour in the stock and then use a wooden spoon to scrape the cooked bits off the bottom of the pan

·      Add water and turn heat to HIGH

·      When water is simmering rapidly, add the dried lentils and bring to a boil for several minutes

And now FINALLY…

·      Add the cooked squash

·      Stir well, put a lid on it, and simmer- stir occasionally

·      I simmered & stirred mine for about 30 minutes and –BAM- it was finished.  Lentils should be tender and most of the squash should be broken down

·      If you’re fancy, you can use an immersion blender to slightly puree the soup

·      If you’re kinda fancy, you can use a muddler to break down large squash pieces in the pot

·      If you’re not fancy at all, use a fork to break up larger squash pieces

The soup will be thick, regardless of how you choose to eliminate the squash chunks.  You can thin it out if you want by adding more water or stock.

·      Stir in fresh herbs of your choice at the last minute

·      Stir in Greek yogurt if desired

·      Serve immediately!

I topped mine with goat cheese and gave it a swirl- it was awesome!

When it comes to spices, I say go big or go home.  So feel free to tone down the cayenne, etc. if that’s not your style.

**Can easily be made VEGAN by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and using pureed silken tofu or vegan yogurt instead of Greek yogurt and goat cheese.

Pan-Fried Soft-Shelled Crabs

Cuz I'm fancy like that.

One of the perks of living in the Mid-Atlantic Region is FRESH, WILD-CAUGHT, LOCAL SEAFOOD!  Not farm-raised in Chile, not shipped over from Sweden, not frozen and carted around in cargo planes.  So whenever I'm at the fancy market and see the words LOCAL and WILD in big orange letters, I take my chances.

I asked my local fishmonger (cuz I have one now, and its amazing- he's from Canada & just became a citizen and this is his first US election!) how one might properly prepare a fresh, local, wild soft-shelled crab and he recommended deep frying and adding some fancy soft cheese. 

I said, "Frying..?"  And he sighed and said, "Or I supposed a sauté will work if you want to be healthier or whatever," obviously peeved that I second-guessed him, but still glad that I asked.

So that's what I did!  Sauteed (or basically pan-fried) breaded soft-shelled crab!

It was really so easy and looks UBER impressive, plus no shell-cracking required- you just eat EVERYTHING!  Kinda weird at first, but you'll get over it; promise.

DIRECTIONS:

• Rinse off crabs under cold, running water & pat dry with paper towels
• Soak crabs in buttermilk (or whatever, I even used vanilla almond milk once and it was fine!) for at least 5 minutes
• Dredge through a pan or large plate of whole wheat flour, whole wheat Panko crumbs, sea salt, crushed black pepper, and a generous sprinkling of Old Bay (I'm still a Maryland girl at heart!).
• Shake off excess flour and transfer immediately into a large pan heated to a MEDIUM temperature with enough oil to almost cover the bottom of the pan
• Sprinkle crabs with Parmesan cheese as its closer to being done and allow it to caramelize slightly
• Flip when golden brown
• Allow to drain on paper towels
• Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top
• Serve with goat cheese, homemade tartar sauce, ranch dressing, or whatever you prefer (Mine are shown with roasted beets & rutabagas!)

Seriously VERY impressive!  And delicious!  And fast!